Channels Blog

Disney and its Family of Networks are No Longer Available via TV Everywhere Providers

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Disney, and its family of networks, are no longer available in Channels via TV Everywhere providers.

This includes, but is not limited to: ESPN, Disney Channel, Freeform, FX, National Geographic, your local ABC affiliate, and more.

Disney has adjusted their streaming technology to a format that is incompatible with Channels. This is not something we can adapt to, and ends their compatibility with Channels.

Your local ABC affiliate is still, and will continue to be, available via over the air antennas.

Is there an alternative way to get these networks into Channels?

You can add ABC, and all of your local channels, with an antenna and HDHomeRun networked TV tuner. Add this to your Channels setup to add all the free channels you receive locally via your antenna.

Utilizing the Custom Channels feature, you may find community projects that can add some of these channels back into your lineup, but these are not official sources for Channels.

Channels 7.0 for Apple TV & iOS

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:01 +0000

Rich art, movie extras, multiview, and intro detection. Channels is 10 years old now, and this is 7.0 for Apple TV & iOS.

This fall makes it 10 years that we’ve been delivering you the best TV experience possible. So to celebrate, we’ve been working hard on Channels 7.0 to bring you a fresh new look and feel.

Let’s dig in.

Rich Art & New Layouts

Movies and TV shows are now gorgeous and meta-rich making browsing your library a joy.

Channels now displays beautiful backdrops, logos, cast & crew information, and more. But it’s not just about looking good, these new layouts do an even better job of helping you discover your library.

Movies

Movies have never looked better in Channels. The new layout surfaces more information, including cast, directors, and writers.

It goes further than looking great, it helps you discover more of your library.

Explore movies in your library from the same cast, directors, or writers
Browse and watch any Extras you have added for the movie
Jump to other movies in the same franchise
Explore Library Collections the movie belongs to
Browse similar movies from your library

TV Shows

TV Shows get the same rich treatment, but we’ve simplified things to get you watching faster. The next unwatched episode is now prominently displayed so you can jump right back in.

Like movies, you can explore more of your TV show library from the same cast or creators. You can also explore any Library Collections the show is part of and simlar shows from your library.

Customize Artwork

Now, this wouldn’t be a Channels update without customization.

All backdrops and logos can be customized to your liking. Not only that, we’ve added support for picking art directly in the app!

Use the Manage Artwork option in the context menu of the movie or show to pick from a large selection of backdrops and logos to make your Channels library look just how you want.

Movie Extras

Movie Extras are now supported via your Personal Media sources.

Add trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and more to your movies. Channels will scan and display them right alongside your movie.

Extras appear in a dedicated row below your movie. Trailers get special treatment with their own button so you can preview before you watch.

Supported extra types include:

Trailers
Behind-the-scenes
Deleted scenes
Interviews
Featurettes
Gag reels
Shorts

Simply organize your extra files alongside your movies using the proper naming conventions and Channels will find them automatically.

Learn More → about adding Movie Extras to your library.

Multiview

Watch up to four live TV channels at once with Multiview.

Available on Apple TV 4K and iPad, Multiview lets you keep an eye on multiple games, news channels, or any live TV you want. Launch it via the context menu of anything in your Guide or On Now. Add more channels with the built in Quick Guide.

Multiview supports multiple layouts to give you as many options as the number of channels you’re watching! You can manage any of the channels by selecting and holding them with your remote.

Multiview works with live TV channels. Virtual Channels and library content can not be viewed in Multiview.

Learn More → about using Multiview.

Intro & Credits Detection (Preview)

We’re introducing intro & credits detection as a preview feature in Channels 7.0.

While it’s very close, it’s not quite ready for prime time, so we’re making it opt-in for now.

Once enabled, Channels DVR Server will analyze your episodes to detect intros and credits. Like other features in Channels, you have the option to skip intros automatically or be prompted with a button. These options are available globally, on a per-show basis, and even on your Virtual Channels.

Credits detection improves Auto Play timing so you are prompted for the next episode at just the right moment, rather than making you sit through the credits.

Intro & Credits detection is opted-in on a per show basis. You will have better success on shows with at least 10+ episodes in your library.

While the detection is pretty good, it’s not perfect yet. We’re continuing to improve it and welcome your feedback as you try it out.

Learn More → about enabling Intro & Credits Detection.

10 Years!

It’s incredible to think that we’ve been at this for a decade now. Channels started as a simple app for watching live TV, and has grown into a full-featured experience.

We couldn’t have done it without you, our amazing community of fans. Thank you for your support, feedback, and enthusiasm over the years. We’re excited to continue moving forward building the best TV experience possible.

Channels 6.2 for Apple TV & iOS

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:01 +0000

Full Dolby Vision playback, Franchise support, and more. Channels 6.2 for Apple TV & iOS is now available.

Dolby Vision

Channels now supports Dolby Vision playback. If you have a compatible TV and content, Channels will play it back in Dolby Vision. It works exactly like the existing HDR support. This is available on both Apple TV and iOS.

Dolby Vision Profiles 5, 7, and 8 are all supported. While profiles 5 and 8 will play back in Dolby Vision, Profile 7 will fall back to HDR mode.

There’s nothing you need to do. Just update your Channels app and start watching.

Franchises

Channels 6.2 has added optional support to stack your movies into franchises. You can toggle this in the Library section of Settings.

Franchise Stacking

When browsing all your movies together, your movies will be stacked based on their corresponding franchise, rather than appearing individually. This is a great way to refine your list of movies while browsing all of them.

Your movies will only be stacked if you have more than one movie that belongs to the same franchise.

Franchise Browsing

There’s a new “Franchises” option in the Movies section if you have Enhanced Library Browsing enabled. This will show you a list of all the franchises in your library. Selecting a franchise will show you all the movies in that franchise.

Kids Section

Franchises also respect Library Visibility, so all the same things work in the Kids Section, where franchises can be even more helpful.

More!

There’s even more little changes and fixes in this release.

View upcoming airings of a show, sport, or movie directly from the context menu in Guide and On Now.
A Watch Channel button is now available in the details modal of a an upcoming sporting event, allowing you to tune to the channel right away.
Long Personal Section titles now render correctly in the Sidebar navigation.

You can read the full release notes on the Releases page.

Channels DVR Server Platform Updates for 2025

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 08:00:00 +0000

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.

Windows on 32-bit Intel Processors
Windows 7 & 8
macOS 10.xx & below
FreeBSD
Channels Raspberry Pi Image

Our new minimum requirements for Channels DVR Server for Windows and macOS are:

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

For all other platform support for Channels DVR Server, please see our DVR Server page.

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 affected?

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

What do I need to do?

If you are running Channels DVR Server on one of the affected 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.

Sunsetting Channels DVR Server on Nvidia Shield

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:00:00 +0000

On March 1st, 2025, we are discontinuing support for Channels DVR Server on Nvidia Shield. This means that Channels DVR Servers running on Nvidia Shield will no longer get updates.

Channels, the streaming app, will continue to work on Nvidia Shield. This change only affects the Channels DVR Server software.

Why?

Nvidia Shield was an early platform for Channels DVR Server and served as a quick way to get going with Channels. But due to changes in rules of the Google Play Store, and other technical limitations of hosting Channels DVR Server on an Android system, we stopped officially supporting it.

Technical support for Channels DVR Server on Nvidia Shield was discontinued over two years ago. We stopped suggesting it as a viable platform for some time now. But in that time, updates have still been made available for it as we updated the software for all other platforms.

It’s now time to officially end support for it.

Am I affected?

If your Channels DVR Server is installed to your Nvidia Shield streaming device, you are affected.

If you are running Channels DVR Server on any other platform, like a NAS, Mac, or PC, you are not affected.

What do I need to do?

If you are running Channels DVR Server on Nvidia Shield, 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.
Old Windows PC - A great cheap way to host Channels DVR Server that can be free in some cases.

What happens if I don’t migrate?

After March 1st, 2025, we will no longer provide new versions of Channels DVR Server for the Nvidia Shield.

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 be able to 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 utilie the amazing Channels Community.

You can also discuss this impending change here: Sunsetting Channels DVR Server on Nvidia Shield.

Channels 6.0 for Apple TV & iOS

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:00:01 +0000

Customize your entire Channels experience with Personal Sections. Channels 6.0 for Apple TV & iOS is now available.

We’ve been quiet for a while, but we’ve been busy. We spent all summer working on something we’ve wanted to deliver to you for a long time.

Personal Sections let you create your own custom sections allowing you to curate your entire media experience with Channels.

Channels 6.0 brings even more improvements including Theater Mode when watching movies, design refinements, and…the Sidebar is finally on iPhone and iPad allowing the same navigation customizations you’ve enjoyed on Apple TV for years.

Let’s get into it.

Pesonal Sections

Personal Sections allow you to create an entirely custom experience while using Channels.

Built in your Channels DVR Server’s web admin, Personal Sections let you browse your library in a way that makes sense to you. You can create sections for family members, your favorite genres, sport teams, or just replace an existings section in Channels that you don’t like.

Customized Sections

We all have different tastes and preferences. Channels has long given you the ability to customize your experience with its multitude of tweakable settings. But all this time, you’ve been restricted to browsing your library of media the way we decided.

Today that ends!

With Personal Sections, you can design your own sections that show exactly what you want, in the order you want, with the artwork you want. You can adjust how the items are displayed and even choose from 3 optional layout designs.

Our famous Smart Rules are here too. Using Smart Rules, you can not only filter the displayed content in your sections, but they will keep your sections up to date as your library changes.

Want a section that:

shows recently added Sitcom episodes
but only ones that have not been watched yet
and also show Sitcoms that are currently airing on live TV

You can do that!

Personal Sections are added to your Channels experience by adding them to your Sidebar navigation. They live right next to all of the other main sections in Channels.

Not only that, using Button Rows, you can link to any section in Channels allowing for a completely customized navigation of Channels. Buttons can even link out to other apps or URLs.

With all of this, you have the ability to completely define your Channels experience.

Have Fun!

In a time when software is getting less and less features, and you are getting less and less agency over how you use things, we’re excited to give you the power to make Channels your own.

Personal Sections are availble on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. They’re a great way to watch TV your way. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Learn More → about how to build and manage Personal Sections.

For years, the Sidebar has been a staple of Channels on Apple TV. With the ability to adjust its navigation items, it’s a great way to curate how you use Channels. In Channels 6.0, we’ve finally brought it to iPhone and iPad.

Previously, Channels for iPhone and iPad used the native tab bar. Tab bars have a limited amount of items they can display. This meant iPhone and iPad could not particpate in the navigation customizations you made on Apple TV.

That’s all changed! The Sidebar on iPhone and iPad is customized the exact same way as it is for Apple TV. And if you’ve customized it via Server Side Settings, your Sidebar will be customized the second you open it up on your device.

Even better, there’s an entirely new way to manage the items in your Sidebar, via Server Side Settings, that allow you to set the order of items any way you want.

Theater Mode

Theater Mode is a fun new addition to watching movies in Channels.

When turned on and configured, Theater Mode will play multiple trailers and a feature presentation pre-roll before starting your movie. It’s a fun way to get the full movie theater experience at home.

There are lots of options to configure how it works. You can learn more in it’s documentation:

Learn More → about configuring Theater Mode.

More!

In addition to the big stuff already mentioned, there were a lot of little additions that really improve the Channels experience.

Durations throughout the apps are now presented in a 1 hr 26 min format rather than 86 mins.
Recording playback progress now displays timecode instead of minutes in the timeline.
Video Groups can now participate in Up Next.
All new and more reliable Picture in Picture implementation for iOS.
Hide a TV show or Video Group from Up Next via its context manu
Performance improvements for larger libraries.
More design refinements throughout the app.
Lots of little bug fixes

You can read the full release notes in the Releases section.

Channels 5.8 for Apple TV & iOS

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:00:01 +0000

Playlists, better management, recently watched channels, and more! Channels 5.8 for Apple TV & iOS is now available.

It’s been a while since we’ve delivered an update to Channels for Apple TV and iOS. We’ve been hard at work on some great new features and quality of life improvements. We’re excited to finally get them in your hands.

Oh, and Channels is now available on Apple Vision Pro and visionOS via iPad compatability mode.

Channels 5.8 is chock full of new features and great refinements. Let’s get into it.

Playlists

Playlists allow you to create your own lists containing movies, episodes, and videos. Create a playlist for what movies to watch next, all of the Simpsons’ Tree House of Horrors episodes, your all time favorite TV episodes, and more.

Playlists can contain movies, episodes, or videos, all in the same list. Once created, they’ll be found in the Playlist section in Channels. You can even create and manage them directly in Channels for Apple TV and iOS.

Playlists will automatically play back their items in order, starting from the first one you watch. They even have their own customizable Auto Play settings.

And of course, Playlists support Smart Rules, so they will update automatically as your library changes.

Learn More → about Playlists.

Management Improvements

The context menus in Channels have been refined, reorganized, and leveled up.

If you have never used Force Touch (on iOS), or select-and-hold (on Apple TV), then you’re missing out on a lot of functionality in Channels. From the context menus, you can do a whole lot in Channels. And in 5.8, we’ve made them even better.

The context menus have been organized to make it easier (and faster) to find the things you want to do. Additionally, we’ve made them even more functional. For example, you can now add items directly to a Library Collection from the context menus. You can even create a new Library Collection right from the context menu!

Even better, they’re now available on Channels for Apple TV. This has really improved the experiance and usability in Channels.

Recently Watched Channels

Channels now keeps track of the last 20 channels you’ve watched.

There is a new built in channel collection you can enable that shows these channels in Guide or On Now. You can also optionally have the last 3 channels show at the front of the list in the Quick Guide.

Better Guide + Library Integration

With Channels 5.8, items in your library will now be indicated when browsing On Later, viewing in the Guide, or in search results. Upcoming airings will even show if the item is already in your library.

This goes a long way to helping you add more content to your library by ensuring you know if certain content is already in your library.

Apple Vision Pro

Channels for iPad is now available on Apple Vision Pro via the compatibility mode. After using it on real hardware, we made some tweaks to make it work a little better with eye tracking and using it on Apple Vision Pro.

Big Fixes

Some really old bugs were finally knocked out with this release as well. You may be familiar with them.

Since tvOS 17, the PIP button was getting focused randomly, preventing the timeline from dismissing. This is now resovled.

Since tvOS/iOS 17, you may have heard crackling audio while watching, or when a notification came in, or while using Siri. This is now resolved.

Lots of other fixes with the navigation sidebar, seeking, and more.

So Much More!

In addition to the big stuff already mentioned, there were a lot of little additions that really improve the Channels experience.

TV Shows and Video Groups now have their own discrete Auto Play settings.
Optionally use the Thumbnail for TV Show episodes and Video Group videos when displayed in Virtual Channels.
A Siri Shortcut action for Search was added.
Force playback to be in landscape on iPhone. Useful for those with rotation lock enabled.
All sections are now available via the Start Up setting and the Siri Shortcut action.
More consistent and better icon usage across the app.

You can read the full release notes in the Releases section.

Security Update for Docker Deployments

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Channels DVR Server has received a security update that may potentially disrupt how you access it on your home network.

This includes accessing the web admin and your Channels clients connecting to it locally.

What is the issue?

We’ve found that there are certain Docker deployments that do not properly operate iptables, which causes the source IP address to be discarded when using bridged networking.

This impacts our ability to properly secure your Channels DVR Server installation as it allows anyone from anywhere full access to your install.

Because we can not easily identify if a Docker deployment has this issue directly, we are proactively requiring authentication for the IP of the gateway address of the Docker deployment using bridged networking.

The main source of these Docker deployments with this issue is Docker running on Synology DSM systems.

Am I affected?

If you are NOT running Channels DVR Server via Docker, you are NOT affected. You can ignore this post.

If you ARE running Channels DVR Server via Docker AND using bridged networking, you MAY be affected.

Because we can not easily identify if a Docker deployment has the issue that we are resolving, we can only say that if you are hosting Channels DVR Server with Docker, then you will need to pay attention to this post.

What will happen?

If you are affected by the issue, you will no longer be able to freely connect to your Channels DVR Server web admin from your local network. You will be prompted to authenticate with a token.

Additionally, your Channels clients will no longer be able to connect to your Channels DVR Server.

What do I need to do?

You need to change the Docker networking mode for your Channels DVR Server to use host networking.

Once you do this, you will be able to continue using Channels DVR Server and your Channels clients as you were before.

Docker Compose

If you are using Docker Compose, you will need to change your network_mode to host.

network_mode: host

Docker CLI

If you are using the Docker CLI, you will need to add --network=host to your docker run command.

docker run --network=host ...

UI Managed Docker

If you are using other software that manges your Docker deployment, you will need to change the networking mode to host for your Channels DVR Server container.

You will need to reference the documentation of your UI managed Docker deployment to determine how to do this.

Fall 2023 Server Update

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and the smell of pumpkin spice is in the air. It’s Fall, and that means it’s time for a big new Channels DVR Server update.

We’ve refreshed the web admin’s UI a bit, organized the settings, added built in Tailscale support, leveled up the Troubleshooting, and more

This update is packed with new features and improvements. Let’s dive in.

Refreshed Web Admin

The first thing you’ll notice is that we’ve changed up the web admin’s UI a bit. Like the Spring, the Fall deserves a little cleaning as well.

A new landing page, Settings are finally organized, TV and Personal Media sources together at last, an improved first run experience, and more. Let’s explore.

New Landing Page

The landing page no longer shows 1,000 settings and instead shows a snapshot of your Library, like the Library section in the Channels apps.

Now, when you visit the web admin, you’ll get a little window into your library to hopefully get you to the content you were looking for faster.

We understand this is a big change as the landing page showed your settings for…ever. But we think this is a better experience for most people.

We’ve added a new setting to allow you to specify which page shows when you visit the web admin. You can set it to Settings or any of the other major sections of the web admin. We think this not only helps with dealing with the change, but is also a usability improvment overall. I have mine set to the Manage section.

You can adjust this at Settings > General > Interface > Home Page.

Settings are in the Settings Section

Settings have finally been organized into their own sections to help you find them faster.

Gone are the days of scrolling and scrolling to find the setting you’re looking for. They’re now all organized into their own contextual sections.

Source Management

Both Live TV sources and Personal Media sources have been grouped together and can now be found under Settings.

This should hopefully make it easier to find and manage them all.

Improved Onboarding

The first run experience has greatly improved putting less emphasis on Live TV and HDHomeRun tuners. This will make it easier for those who just want to use TV Everywhere or Personal Media.

Other Improvements

An activity indicator has been added to the navigation bar to let you quickly see all current activity on your server.
Trash has been moved from the main navigation and is now found under Library.
There have been many improvements on management interfaces while on a mobile device.
Huge performance improvements on the Content Picker used while managing a Library Collection or Virtual Channel for larger libraries.

Tailscale

We’ve added built in support for Tailscale to automatically add your Channels DVR Server to your tailnet and make it easier to use Remote Streaming.

Some Internet providers use the CGNAT technology, like T-Mobile. This type of provider does not support port forwarding, which is required for Remote Streaming.

Using the built in Tailscale support, you can simply authenticate with your Tailscale account and your Channels DVR Server software will be added to your tailnet, making it securely available from anywhere in the world.

Once you’ve added your server to your tailnet, all you have to do is install and enable the Tailscale app on your device to have a direct secure connection to your server, without any port forwarding.

Learn More → about how Tailscale works in Channels DVR Server.

Troubleshooting Improvements

The Troubleshooting page has been greatly improved to help you diagnose even more issues you may run into with your server.

You can now optionally test I/O with disk and internet speed tests.
You will now be alerted if your HDHomeRun tuner has not had a lineup applied to it.
You will now be alerted if your Internet Provider is of the CGNAT type, which prevents port forwarding for Remote Streaming.
You will now be alerted if your DNS server is detected to be an ad blocker which impacts TV Everywhere functionality.

Metadata Inheritance

Recorded and imported content will now inherit certain metadata from their parent. After being recorded or imported, items will adopt the Categories and Genres set on their parent TV Show or Video Group.

While most won’t find this advantageous, this provides some tools for advanced users to create less work for themselves.

If you have a large library of concerts that you use Video imports for, you can now rely on the server to automatically apply certain metadata to them without you having to edit them manually.

If you decide that a TV Show should have a different genre than it originally had, like Sports Talk, you can expect the server to automatically apply that genre to each episode. This is helpful if you want to force something into the News or Sports sections.

Other Tidbits

The Custom Channel limit has been increased from 500 channels to 750.
Movie trailers are now automatically available for imported movies.
Personal Media scanning has been improved and is more reliable.
PlayOn Cloud stability was increased to resolve an issue where you may have been routinely logged out.
Recordings are scanned after completion to apply correct audio and video format metadata.

Thanks!

That’s it for now. As usual, you can read the full release notes for this release on the Release History page of our site.

If you’re not fully aware of all the great features that Channels has to offer, be sure to learn about all the great ways its media library can help you watch TV the way you want to watch it.

Channels + Callsheet

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

With the latest versions of both Channels and Callsheet, they now work together even better than before.

Channels.

The latest iOS version of Channels will now open anything from your library directly into Callsheet. Use Callsheet to get more information about your content than even Channels can give you.

Callsheet.

Callsheet’s latest update adds a Now Playing row at the top that will show exactly what you’re currently watching in Channels. This makes it even easier to get more information about what you’re currently watching.

About Callsheet

Callsheet is an iOS app that allows you to look up movies, TV shows, cast, and crew. It has a lot of thoughtful features and using it is a delight. So throw away your IMDB app, and get something made by someone that cares about you.

Learn more about Callsheet’s latest update here.

News & Sports Sections

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Channels for Apple TV and iOS now offer dedicated News and Sports sections. Turn them on to group all of your news or sports into a single destination.

When turning on the News or Sports Sections, Channels will place all of your news and sports content into their own easy to browse section and hide them from the rest of the Library. This includes:

On Now - See what news or sports are currently airing on live TV
Recently Aired - Get to your recorded news or sporting events faster
On Later - See what news or sports is coming on later in the day
Your Shows - See all of your news or sports shows in one place

You can turn the News or Sports Sections on in Library settings at Settings > Library.

What For?

Some of us like news and sports. And some of us are complete junkies. With these new sections, the junkies can find what they want to watch faster.

They now have a single destination to see what’s on right now, what’s coming up later, what’s been added to their library recently, and all of their shows.

News and sports content can clutter up our libraries as well. Enabling these sections helps remove that content from your main TV Show and Movie libraries to make browsing that much nicer.

Not Just Recordings

The News and Sports Sections don’t just work with recorded content, all of your imported Personal Media and even Videos are supported as well.

Learn More → about how the News and Sports sections pull in their content and how to make sure your content shows up there..

Fine Tune

The News and Sports Sections both have some options to let you customize them. You can optionally add Sports Talk shows to the Sports section, and News Magazines to the News section.

Want to only see live events in your Sports Section? You can do that too.

NBC and NBC Sports Networks No Longer Available via TV Everywhere Providers

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

NBC, and its regional sports networks, are no longer available in Channels via TV Everywhere providers.

NBC is still, and will continue to be, available via over the air antennas and cable card tuners.

NBC has adjusted their streaming technology to a format that is incompatible with Channels. This is not something that we can adapt to, and ends compatibility with Channels.

Updated 4/18/2023: All NBC owned networks, including Bravo, SYFY, USA, MSNBC, and CNBC, are no longer available via TV Everywhere providers.

My NBC channel is still working

Your NBC affiliate has not migrated yet but it will within time. So while it works right now, it assuredly will become unavailable.

Is there an alternative way to get NBC into Channels?

You can add NBC, and all of your local channels, with an antenna and HDHomeRun networked TV tuner. Add this to your Channels setup to add all the free channels you receive locally via your antenna.

Will other NBC owned networks be affected?

At the time of writing, all other NBC owned networks are still working. We expect them to transition to the new streaming technology in the future and will eventually become unavailable in Channels as well. But time will tell.

Updated 4/18/2023: All NBC owned networks, including Bravo, SYFY, USA, MSNBC, and CNBC, are no longer available via TV Everywhere providers.

Join the Community

You can follow along and discuss alternatives to getting NBC back into Channels with our Community.

Reclaim your Media Library with the Kids Section

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Channels is a great way to build up a huge library of TV shows and movies. But if you have kids, sometimes that content can take over your whole DVR and media library. You’ve probably run into this problem in the past.

Channels has a solution for that: the Kids Section.

The Kids Section puts all of your kids’ content in an easy place for them to find what they want to watch. And even better, it keeps that content out of your main library. Now you don’t have to browse through tons of kids movies just to find a Comedy to watch.

Kids Section

Kids watch things differently than adults. Because of this, the Kids Section is organized a little differently than what you’ll find in your main library. We want Channels to be optimized for them too!

The first row is Recently Watched movies. This is the primary list because kids watch the same things over and over again. Showing Recently Watched first allows them to find what they’re looking for faster.

The second row is Recently Added movies. This is a great way for your kids to find new movies you’ve added to their library.

The Kids Section gives your kids a destination in Channels to find and watch exactly what they want, all without having to dig through a library sprinkled with content that might not be appropriate for them.

How Does it Work?

Channels has a feature called Library Visibility. This allows you to tell it where you want content. The options are:

Library
Kids
Both
Hidden

When you set a TV show or movie’s Library Visibility to Kids, Channels will only show that content in the Kids Section. If you choose Library, it only shows in the main library. Choosing Both will make that content visible in both places. And finally, Hidden will hide it from both places.

You can set this option for your content via your Channels DVR Server web admin. Navigate to a show or movie’s details page, and you can set the Library Visibility with its options on the side.

You can also do this directly in Channels by using the options for the TV show or movie. Select and hold the TV show or movie with your remote to get these options. Alternatively, go to the TV show or movie’s details view and select the More button for more options.

Turn On Kids Section

Once you’ve classified your TV shows and movies, you’ll need ot turn on the Kids Section. You can do this at Settings > Library > Kids Section. You can also do this via Server Side Settings to turn it on for all your clients.

Once you’ve turned it on, you can find the Kids Section in the main navigation.

Wrap Up

The Kids Section isn’t just a great way for your kids to find what they want to watch, it also gives you back your own media library. No longer will you have to dig through a bunch of content you only added for your kids, just to find something that you want to watch.

Keep in Sync with Channel Collections

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Channels lets you mark your TV channels as favorites and provides groups of channels based on certain criteria, but what if you could create your own group of channels? That’s where Channel Collections come in.

Channel Collections let you create your own custom groups of channels for On Now and Guide. Even better, these groups are applied to all of your clients, so you can use them to keep your channels in sync across all of your devices.

Channels fans know that Channel Collections are indespensible, but maybe you haven’t explored them yet. Let’s take look at Channel Collections, how they work, and how you can use them.

What are Channel Collections?

You’re probably familiar with the groups in On Now and Guide that break your channels into different lineups based on the content that’s currently playing on them. Movies shows movies, Sports show sports, News shows news, etc.

Channel Collections let you replace those groups with your own. Create collections for members of your family, based on types of content, or in any other way you want.

How do I use Channel Collections?

Channel Collections are managed from Channels DVR Server. You’ll find Channel Collections under the Live TV section of the web admin.

Simply add a new collection, give it a name, and choose which channels you want it to contain. You can order them any way you’d like.

Once you’ve created some collections, you’ll need to add them to your clients.

Channel Collections are not automatically added to your clients. This allows you to keep some Channel Collections around, while not always using them. This is great for collections you might only want during certain parts of the year like the holidays or say, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Add them when you need them, remove them when you don’t.

Using Server Side Settings, you can add Channel Collections to your clients. Set them globally for all of your clients, or set them per client so that certain rooms in your home have their own custom set of channels.

Read more about the power of Server Side Settings in one of our previous posts.

You’re probably seeing something like the image below by now. You’ll notice that you have extra filters/collections still showing. These collections, All, HD, and Favorites are built in to Channels.

You can’t remove them, but you can hide them. Visit Settings > General > Live TV to hide them. We like to keep the All collection, and turn off HD and the local Favorites collections, so we can use our own.

Do this with Server Side Settings so that it applies to all of your clients. Now you should see something more like the below image, perfect!

Great Collection Examples

Channel Collections are super powerful and you can get extremely creative with them. Here are a few fun examples of collections you can create:

Olympics - Add all the channels that are airing the Olympics to get to them faster. Add the collection while the Olympics are happening, and remove them when they’re done.
Holiday - Use Automatic Channels to pull in channels that are currently airing holiday movies or specials. Make a one stop shop to find all the holiday content you want.
Music - Have a bunch of music channels you like to throw on for background music? Create a collection just for them, to get music going faster.

The possibilities are endless with Channel Collections. If you’re using Channels, you should absolutely be using Channel Collections.

New Blog, Tips, and Videos

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 14:00:00 +0000

For years, we’ve reported all new features and changes from our News section, but today we’re transforming it into a true blog.

The changes we’ve made allow us to be way more creative in the content was can share with you. Previously, all of our written posts were simply announcements. With the changes we’ve made, we can now talk about features in depth, good use cases for them, and even get a bit more technical.

What’s Changed?

Besides the title going from News -> Blog, we’ve added a few things.

Sections

The new blog allows us to create different sections for different types of content. Stay tuned for all kinds of different content to help you learn about and use Channels even better.

RSS Feeds

Along with the main RSS feed, each section of the blog can be subscribed to via RSS.

New Content? Videos?

We’re mostly excited to write about the great and unique features for Channels. We’ve never had a great way to get into how some of the features can improve your experience, or solve really common problems. Now we can.

We’re also working on video content on our YouTube channel that will pair with our written posts. Expect a nice simple video to go along with the Tips & Tricks posts.

So Yeah, It’s just a Blog

So yeah, there’s nothing incredibly exciting here, it’s now just a normal blog. But that’s great, blogging is back baby!

We’re totally excited to be able to share more content with Channels fans, so keep a look out for more to come.

Ease your Life with Server Side Settings

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Channels has a lot of settings. A LOT OF SETTINGS. We think you should be empowered to curate your own TV experience, but we also know that it can be very time consuming to set up each client individually.

What if you could adjust your settings in one place, and every client that connects to your server would adopt those settings as if you had painstakingly managed them yourself on each client? This is why we have Server Side Settings.

Wha? How does it work?

Server Side Settings live in your Channels DVR Server. All of the settings available in the Channels app are available. Pick a setting, add it to your list, adjust its value, and voila. That setting will then apply to every client that connects to your server.

By default, settings are added globally and will be adopted by every single client. If your client has had one of these settings set already, the server will override it. If the client has a setting set that is not in the list of Server Side Settings, it will be respected.

It gets better though. You can override any global setting on a per client basis. This means a client will adopt all of the global settings you have set, but then adopt certain settings you have set for just that client.

And even better, when a setting is set server side, it cannot be changed on the client.

In this example, this Apple TV will adopt all of the global settings, which includes NOT SHOWING the timeline when seeking through Sports. But it has been set to SHOW the timeline when seeking through Sports, so it will.

As you can see, Server Side Settings are very simple, but extremely power. Ok, let’s get into some examples of how they can be used.

Protect your Content!

You’ve spent a long time filling up your Channels library. The last thing you want is someone in the house deleting things out of it. While you can easily set your client to not allow deletion, you’re going to have to do it on EVERY device, not to mention remembering to do it when you add a new device in the future. And even then, someone can just go adjust the setting right on the client to turn deletion back on!

Server Side Settings to the rescue!

Boom. Now, not only is every client set to disallow deletion for imported Local Content, only those with access to the server can change the setting. Now your content is safe.

Lock Down the Kids

The Kids Section in Channels is great for a family. It gives the kids an entire section of the app. This is great for TVs in common areas like the living room.

But what if your kids have their own device? Enter Kids Only Mode. With a single Server Side Setting, you can turn on Kids Only Mode for a specific client locking their Channels down to only show content from the Kids Section. It turns their iPads into a full Channels app only showing their content.

Preserve the Data Plan

Have you set up Remote DVR to let you stream while you’re away from home? If so, you might be concerned about the data usage on your cellular plan.

Worry no longer. Using Server Side Settings, you can set the max quality settings for all your clients. And again, these can not be changed from the client. It’s official, they are LOCKED DOWN.

The Possibilities are Endless

Server Side Settings are a powerful tool. They allow you to set up your clients once and never have to worry about them again. They don’t just save you time now and in the future, they allow you to craft a TV experience with Channels that your family will love.

2022 Year in Review

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

2022 was the year of quality of life improvements for Channels. After giving you more ways to add content to your library and more unique features for watching it last year, we spent all of 2022 honing in on it.

Thanks for all of your support and feedback. We couldn’t have done it without you. Here’s a few highlights of how the Channels platform has grown in 2022.

Automatic Channels

2022 kicked off with a huge improvement to Channel Collections.

Using a set of rules, Channel Collections can now automatically pull in channels based on the metadata of currently airing programs.

Want your collection to show all live sports? Or maybe you want a collection of just crime dramas? Automatic Channels has you covered.

Learn More → about how Automatic Channels works.

Offline Downloads

In 2022, we delivered one of the most sought after features for Channels: Offline Downloads.

Queue anything in your library to download to your device, and it will download immediatly and in the background. Downloads never expire and watch state syncs back to the server when your device has an available data connection.

It couldn’t be simpler.

Learn More → about how Offline Downloads work.

Videos Section

Channels has imported local Movie and TV Shows for a while. Using metadata, these imported files show beautifully in your Channels library.

But what about all of the other videos you have? In 2022, we added a way to import videos that aren’t exactly TV Shows or Movies. Things like home movies, concerts, old sporting events, etc.

But what about the metadata for Videos? We helped out there too…

Metadata Editing & Art Picker

This year, Channels DVR Server received a full metadata editor allowing you to update any of the content in your Channels library. Now, you can fix titles, edit descriptions, or even pick different posters for your content.

We even added a way to upload and manage your own images for every type of art that Channels uses.

Channels on Windows

Thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Android available in Windows 11 in 2022, you can now run Channels on Windows.

Virtual Channel Improvements

2021 gave us one of our most popular features, Virtual Channels. But we didn’t stop there. We spent 2022 improving Virtual Channels to make the experience as nice and useful as possible.

New options that defined what happens when you tune into a Virtual Channel gave us more control in how we experience them. Want to always start a Virtual Channel’s current program from the beginning, we gave you that. Want to be prompted? We did that too. You can even have the option to start from the beginning after tuning in.

New sort options like Mini Marathon and Season gave us more creative ways to build our Virtual Channels.

Future Virtual Channel airings on the Guide got a Watch button added. Now you can tune into the channel starting at that point in time and will continue playing from there.

Virtual Channels also got way more flexible. Seeking around the timeline no longer has any limiations based on time. Feel free to just seek to the end of the current program to get to the next.

Audio Only Mode

Lot of Channels fans love its streaming features while on a long drive. So in 2022, we added an audio only mode.

Utilizing our streaming features, you can now tune in live or listen to a recording using just audio. This is great for saving data and not being distracted while doing other things.

Picture in Picture Improvements

2021 gave us Picture in Picture for iOS. This year, PIP got a lot of love.

We worked out a lot of the experience issues and added automatic PIP for iOS when task switching.

On Later Improvements

On Later saw its first custom sections in 2022. While On Later is great for finding upcoming shows, movies, and sports, 2022 gave us a way to browse exciting global events.

The Winter Olympics, World Cup, and fun content for Halloween and the holidays were highlighted inside On Later, giving us an even easier way to find the big things to watch.

So Many Quality of Life Improvements

Besides the aformentioned big features, Channels got a ton of smaller quality of life improvements across 2022.

Improved search
MPAA and TV ratings for content
Options to keep timeline hidden while seeking
Watch Random - Start a show with a randome episode and continue watching in order
Refresh the metadata of something directly from the Channels app
Limit the live TV sources a client can use via the server
Hide or allow library content a client can see via the server
Live commercial detection
Calendar view of scheduled recordings
Edit the sort title for content
Channel Collections in the web guide
Improved pass creation and editing in the web admin

2022!

Wow, that was a lot! We wrapped up 2021 with an explosion of features that made the most of the content in your library. 2022 let us really refine a lot of that to make things as nice and easy to use as possible.

We couldn’t have done it without the support of our community. The feedback and ideas you all have shared have been invaluable in making Channels the best it can be. We really enjoy hearing from you (and debating) every day.

Learn More

If you haven’t taken a look at Channels in a while, please explore everything it has to offer. Channels has become the best way to not only watch and record live TV, but the best way to manage your entire media library.

We’re dedicated to giving you as many options as possible to let you control your experience. From Kids Only Mode to Virtual Channels to Channels Collections, we really think Channels has become a powerhouse for your media library.

Channels on Windows

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 04:06:00 +0000

Thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Android available in Windows 11, you can now run Channels on Windows.

How It Works

Windows 11 now includes a new subsystem to run Android apps. This is a full Android environment. It’s not a virtual machine or emulator, but a real Android environment that runs on top of Windows.

Included, is the Amazon App Store, which you can use to install Android applications. This includes Channels.

Read Here on how to get the Windows Subsystem for Android set up and the Amazon App Store installed.

Install Channels

Once you have the Amazon App Store installed, search for Channels and install it.

Now you can use Channels right on your Windows 11 PC. When running on Windows, Channels will use the Android tablet presentation. This is just how the Windows Subsystem for Android works.

Big Android & Fire TV Updates

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 04:01:00 +0000

Channels for Android and Fire TV have been getting a lot of attention recently, and we thought it was time to catch up on some of those great updates. Some are big, some are small, but they all add up to a lot of really great quality of life improvements.

On Later Arrives on Android and Fire TV

On Later is the best way to browse and record upcoming shows, movies, and sports. We launched it last year and it’s finally landed on Android and Fire TV.

On Later presents upcoming items that may be of interest to you. Browse new shows that are premiering. Browse shows and movies by genres. Browse sports by sport league. On Later attempts to dig deep into your guide to help you find things to record.

By fine tuning its results with your personalizations, it will do an even better job at suggesting things to watch and record.

Learn More → about how On Later works and how you can tune it to give you more personalized results.

Library Collections

Library Collections were launched to give you a fun way to organize your library even more.

Combine movies or TV shows together in creative ways to help find them faster or just to show them off. Group your content by franchise, by family member, or any other fun way you can think of.

Library Collections let you really customize them as they support custom images, numerous sorting options, Smart Rules, and more.

Learn More → about how Library Collections work and how you can curate them in your library.

Video Groups

Add your family movies, concerts, old sporting events, and more tor your Channels library.

Videos were added as a new import type as a way to get videos that aren’t necessarily proper Movies or TV Shows into Channels. Since videos do not get metadata added to them directly, you have the full metadata editing and image tools at your disposal to dress up your videos.

Quality of Life Improvements

Automatic Channels were added to let you magically pull channels into your Channel Collections based on a series of rules. Want a collection to show all currently airing sporting events, just add it to your rule.

MPAA and TV ratings were added to give more insight into your content, along with the ability to browse your movies by MPAA rating.

A new resume option was added to let playback start immediately, with a button appearing giving you the option of starting from the beginning.

Virtual Channels now use this experience by default, allowing you the option to start the content from the beginning. Virtual Channels also received new options for tuning in, including the ability to always start content from the beginning, start live, or be prompted every time.

New seek options let you decide if the timeline should appear when doing quick seeks. This option can be set specifically for sports, movies, or everything. This has been a long requested feature for sports fans.

Playback speed can now be set per show. If there’s a show you always want to watch at 1.5x, set it in its options and Channels will use that speed by default.

New progress bars on the guide show the percent completion of currently airing items.

So Much More

There are many more updates, bug fixes, and tweaks added as well. You can follow our progress with our detailed release notes.

Channels Subscription

All of these features are part of the Channels ecosystem. If you’re not already a Channels subscriber, learn more about what makes it so great!

iOS & tvOS 16 Device Name Changes

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Happy iOS & tvOS 16 week! With these updates, Apple has limited the use of the custom name you give to your devices. Here’s how to get your Channels apps reporting with their correct names again.

tl;dr

Apple has removed the ability for apps to use the unique name you give your devices.
This causes all of your devices to report as Apple TV or iPhone in Channels.
You can edit the display name yourself with the latest versions of Channels and Channels DVR Server.

iOS & tvOS 16 Changes

Starting with iOS and tvOS 16, Apple devices will no longer allow apps to use the custom name you have given your devices. Instead, it will just report the generic model name.

This becomes problemantic for Channels, as it uses this name in a few ways.

Our Play To feature lets you pick what you want to watch with your phone and have Channels play it on TV. Previously, you would recieve a list of all your unique device names to choose from. Now, it will just be a list of model names.

This unique device name is also used when showing you the list of clients in your Channels DVR Server’s web admin, and used when creating Shortcuts.

This certainly doesn’t make for a good experience.

How to fix it

With the latest versions of Channels DVR Server and Channels on the App Store, we’ve added a way to provide a custom name yourself.

Within Channels, you can visit General > Display Name in Settings and enter the unique name you would like Channels on that device be presented as.

In Channels DVR Server, find your device in the list of clients in the Clients section. Select it, and edit the name. For iOS and tvOS versions, this name will propogate down to your apps, just like Server Side Settings.

Be sure your Channels DVR Server is at version 2022.09.14.2324 or higher and your Channels app is version 5.5.0 or higher.

More updates where that came from

Along with this, there were a lot more updates and quality of life improvements in the latest update. Check out the release notes here: Channels for iOS, Channels for Apple TV, and Channels DVR Server.

Improved Virtual Channel experience
New resume options
Options to hide the Timeline while seeking
Watch a show in Random mode - It randomly picks an episode and plays back continuously in order.
An absolute ton of other bug fixes and improvements

Channels Blog

Disney and its Family of Networks are No Longer Available via TV Everywhere Providers

Is there an alternative way to get these networks into Channels?

Channels 7.0 for Apple TV & iOS

Rich Art & New Layouts

Movies

TV Shows

Customize Artwork

Movie Extras

Multiview

Intro & Credits Detection (Preview)

10 Years!

Channels 6.2 for Apple TV & iOS

Dolby Vision

Franchises

Franchise Stacking

Franchise Browsing

Kids Section

More!

Channels DVR Server Platform Updates for 2025

Platform Sunsetting

Why?

Windows & macOS

FreeBSD

Channels Raspberry Pi Image

Raspberry Pi Hardware Support

Am I affected?

What do I need to do?

What platform should I move too?

What happens if I don’t migrate?

Community Support

Sunsetting Channels DVR Server on Nvidia Shield

Why?

Am I affected?

What do I need to do?

What platform should I move too?

What happens if I don’t migrate?

Community Support

Channels 6.0 for Apple TV & iOS

Pesonal Sections

Customized Sections

Customized Navigation

Have Fun!

Sidebar Navigation comes to iPhone and iPad

Theater Mode

More!

Channels 5.8 for Apple TV & iOS

Playlists

Management Improvements

Recently Watched Channels

Better Guide + Library Integration

Apple Vision Pro

Big Fixes

So Much More!

Security Update for Docker Deployments

What is the issue?

Am I affected?

What will happen?

What do I need to do?

Docker Compose

Docker CLI

UI Managed Docker

Fall 2023 Server Update

Refreshed Web Admin

New Landing Page

Settings are in the Settings Section

Source Management

Improved Onboarding

Other Improvements

Tailscale

Troubleshooting Improvements

Metadata Inheritance

Other Tidbits

Thanks!

Channels + Callsheet

Channels.

Callsheet.

About Callsheet

News & Sports Sections

What For?