As we enter the new year, we’re doing some housekeeping on the platforms that we support for Channels DVR Server. This includes the discontinuation of some platforms along with some changes to others.

These changes are being made to ensure that we can continue to provide the best experience and support for our fans into the future.

Platform Sunsetting

On May 1st, 2025, we are discontinuing support for Channels DVR Server on the following operating systems and platforms. This means that Channels DVR Server running on these platforms will no longer get updates.

Our new minimum requirements for Channels DVR Server for these platforms are:

  • Windows 10 & up
  • macOS 11 (Big Sur) & up

Why?

A lot of thought goes into deciding which platforms we support. We have to weigh the cost of supporting a platform against the number of users on that platform. The following is a bit of background on how we’ve come to these decisions.

Windows & macOS

The listed Windows and macOS versions have been EOL’d (End of Life) by their respective vendors. This means that they are no longer receiving updates or security patches. As they are no longer supported by their vendors, they are also not supported by core technologies that Channels DVR Server relies on, therefore we can no longer support them either.

FreeBSD

FreeBSD has been a platform that we’ve supported for a long time. But due to the small number of users on this platform, we can no longer justify the time and effort it takes to maintain it.

The discontinuation of FreeBSD includes the discontinuation of support for FreeNAS, aka TrueNAS CORE.

We suggest TrueNAS CORE users migrate to TrueNAS SCALE, which is based on Linux and can run the Linux version of Channels DVR Server or Docker.

Channels Raspberry Pi Image

The Channels Raspberry Pi Image that we’ve provided is no longer being maintained and is being discontinued.

You can still host your Channels DVR Server on your Pi using the normal Linux instructions with Raspbian installed on your Pi.

Raspberry Pi Hardware Support

Raspberry Pi 4 hardware will still be an eligible hardware platform for Channels DVR Server using the normal Linux instructions with Raspbian installed on your Pi. But some support will be discontinued.

Hardware acceleration for transcoding will no longer be supported on Raspberry Pi 4. Directly playing back video to your Channels clients will continue to work as expected. But, any quality settings that require transcoding will no longer work.

You should notice almost no difference when using Channels with a Raspberry Pi 4 as a host for your Channels DVR Server while at home. Remote Streaming will also continue to work, but only with Original quality settings.

If you’re currently using a Raspberry Pi 4 for your Channels DVR Server and need to transcode, you should consider migrating to something like a Beelink Intel n95 based mini PC. We have stopped suggesting Raspberry Pi 4 as a host for Channels DVR Server for quite some time now as they are no longer a real value for the performance they provide.

Am I effected?

If your Channels DVR Server is hosted by one of the above platforms, you are effected.

What do I need to do?

If you are running Channels DVR Server on one of the effected platforms, you should migrate your Channels DVR Server to a new platform as soon as it is convenient for you.

Migrating Channels DVR Server is not complicated and we have a guide on how to do it here.

What platform should I move too?

Channels DVR Server runs great on a variety of platforms. Here’s a list of options for hosting Channels DVR Server, and why you might consider them:

  • NAS - Designed to always be on with built in storage and redundancy.
  • Intel n95 based mini PC running Linux - Incredible value for hosting Channels DVR Server or any other self hosted services.
  • Apple Mac Mini - A great managable system for hosting Channels DVR Server with incredible transcoding performance. macOS 11 and up.
  • Old Windows PC - A great cheap way to host Channels DVR Server that can be free in some cases. Windows 10 and up.

What happens if I don’t migrate?

After May 1st, 2025, we will no longer provide new versions of Channels DVR Server for these platforms.

Your server will continue to work and run, but over time, things will break and degrade as the Channels app improves and gains features that your server will not support.

Community Support

If you have any questions about migrating your Channels DVR Server to a new platform, where to migrate to, or anything else, be sure to utilize the amazing Channels Community.

You can also discuss this impending change here: Channels DVR Server Platform Sunsetting for 2025.