Channels DVR Server

Channels DVR Server is a standalone media server that powers the Channels apps for watching and recording live TV. It runs on a computer or NAS on your home network, stores recordings locally, and can stream playback to TVs and mobile devices.

Key Features

• Live TV and DVR recording with local storage for recorded content
• Web interface for server configuration (default port 8089)
• Automatic discovery on the local network via Bonjour/ZeroConf for easy app pairing
• Optional hardware-accelerated transcoding on supported Intel/NVIDIA systems
• Supports running on many platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and NAS devices
• Docker deployment option, including an image variant intended for TV Everywhere support

Use Cases

• Centralized DVR for antenna or tuner-based live TV throughout a home
• Recording TV series and movies to a NAS for a personal media library
• Streaming recorded TV to multiple devices on the local network (and while away, depending on client setup)

Limitations and Considerations

• TV Everywhere support may be limited on some platforms (notably Raspberry Pi and some native NAS packages)
• Docker host networking is typically required for automatic discovery, which is not available on Docker Desktop for Mac/Windows

Channels DVR Server is well-suited for users who want a reliable, locally controlled DVR and streaming backend. It is lightweight enough for modest hardware while benefiting from better CPUs/GPUs when transcoding is needed.