Comparison of DVR software packages

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This is a comparison of digital video recorder (DVR), also known as personal video recorder (PVR), software packages. Note: this is may be considered a comparison of DVB software, not all listed packages have recording capabilities.

Contents

General information

Basic general information for popular DVR software packages - not all actually record.

Name Windows MacOSX Linux BSD Android Price License Latest stable releaseNotes
Beyond TV YesNoNoNoNoDiscontinued Proprietary 4.9.3 (Build 6535)
October 15, 2010;
13 years ago
Not compatible with DVB tuners. While Snapstream is providing minor fixes for Beyond TV, they are no longer actively updating and developing the software as they are focusing on commercial applications. Despite the lack of a new version, their fanbase (in the forums) remains active and the program is still available.
DVB Dream YesNoNoNoNoUS$49 Proprietary 3.7.1
March 14, 2019;
5 years ago
[1]
Focused on DVB and live TV
DVBViewer YesNoNoNoNo€20 Proprietary 6.1.5
July 22, 2019;
4 years ago
[2]
Emby
(formerly Media Browser)
YesYesYesYesYes
(client only)
Crippleware [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] GPL & Proprietary 4.6.7.0
November 21, 2021;
2 years ago
[5]
Compatible with SiliconDust HDHomeRun tuners. [6]
EyeTV NoYesNoNoNo Bundled Proprietary 3.6.9 (build 7521)
January 10, 2017;
7 years ago
Bundled for no extra charge with all Elgato USB tuners, but also sold separately for use with other tuners.
Hauppauge WinTVYesNoNoNoNo Bundled Proprietary 8.5 (build 37122)
May 2, 2019;
5 years ago
Bundled for no extra charge, only works with Hauppauge TV cards and peripherals.
InterVideo WinDVR YesNoNoNoNoDiscontinued Proprietary 5.2
March 29, 2010;
14 years ago
Discontinued. Used to be bundled for no extra charge with various TV tuner devices.
Jellyfin YesYesYesYes
(unofficially)
Yes
(client only)
Free GPL 10.8.13
November 29, 2023;
7 months ago
JRiver Media Center YesYesYesNoYesUS$59.98
(multiple installations)
Proprietary 29.0.22
March 22, 2022;
2 years ago
[7]
DirectShow video player, madVR, LAV filters, HD audio, images, 10 foot GUI, Remote control, DLNA, Android/iPhone interface, automatic meta-data lookup for Audio, TV and Movies, fully customizable database
Kodi
(formerly XBMC)
YesYesYesYesYesFree GPL 21.0 "Omega"
April 6, 2024;
3 months ago
[8]
Cross-platform free and open-source software media center application, able to watch live or recorded TV, music, photos and has one of the most expansive collection of plugins/addons, enabling the system to do anything from browsing the web or downloading movies, to dimming the lights in the sitting room.
MediaPortal YesNoNoNoNoFree GPL MP1: 1.23
October 4, 2019;
4 years ago
[9]
MP2: 2.2.2
October 7, 2019;
4 years ago
[10]
built on the .NET 2.0 Framework
MythTV Limited [lower-alpha 3] YesYesYesNoFree GPL 33.1
February 5, 2023;
17 months ago
[12]
Under heavy development since 2002, and now contains most features one would expect from a good DVR.
NextPVR YesYesYesYesYes
(client only)
Free Proprietary 6.1.5.231022
October 22, 2023;
8 months ago
[13]
Personal video recorder application for Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac and Docker. Supports a wide variety of devices, and a good set of features. Free for personal use. Commercial use requires a license.
SageTV Yes [lower-alpha 4] YesYesNoYes
(client only)
Free
(was US$79.95/server, US$29.95/client)
GPL
(was Proprietary)
9.2.2
May 16, 2020
Java based. SageTV was purchased by Google on June 20, 2011, and on August 10, 2015, it was announced that the project was converting to open-source development. [14]
Showshifter YesNoNoNoNoDiscontinued
(was £30)
Proprietary 3.12.2945
May 14, 2005;
19 years ago
Supports some older TechnoTrend/Hauppauge boxes which are not BDA compliant, such as the Dec 2000-t/3000-s and first generation Nova-t USB boxes, which are unsupported by other PVR software.
tvtimeNoNoYesNoNoFree GPL 1.0.2
November 10, 2005;
18 years ago
[15]
High quality television application for use with video capture cards on Linux systems. tvtime processes the input from a capture card and displays it on a computer monitor or projector
Video Disk Recorder NoNoYesYesNoFree GPL 2.4.1
June 17, 2019;
5 years ago
[16]
TV Done Right, VDR can use one to eight video cards and support DVB-S, DVB-C and DVB-T. Record and read any DVB flux with a lot of plugins.
Windows Media Center YesNoNoNoNo
  • Windows 8/8.1: US$69.99
  • Windows 8/8.1 Pro: US$9.99
  • Windows XP/Vista/7: Free
Proprietary 6.3.9600.16384
February 23, 2011;
13 years ago
Included with Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions and Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions. Was available for Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8.1 Pro as part of the Media Center Pack add-on, until it was discontinued on October 30, 2015. [17] Available for Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 unofficially through a windows command script installer. [18] Not available for Windows RT.
V@Home YesYes [lower-alpha 5] YesNoNo Bundled Proprietary 2.59
April 14, 2018;
6 years ago
[19]
Bundled for no extra charge with VBox Home TV Gateway - Network TV Tuner, Manage and schedule recordings from any web browser, local or over the internet
Name Windows MacOSX Linux BSD Android Price License Latest stable releaseNotes
  1. Emby Server is available for free under GPL which provides web access to the library. Client software is generally free when connected to an Emby Premiere-licensed server, though some, like Emby on the Windows Store, cost $4.99. [3]
  2. Premiere license costs $4.99/month, $49.99/year, or $99.99 for lifetime. [4]
  3. Porting MythTV to Windows is under development. [11]
  4. There is also a Windows Home Server Edition
  5. Manage and schedule recordings

Features

Information about what common and prominent DVR features are implemented natively (without third-party add-ons unless stated otherwise):

DVRSubscription free electronic program guide (EPG) Power management Multiple TV tuner cards support CableCARD support CAM support ATSC tuner supportAutomated commercial skipping Teletext Schedule timed recordingsPersonalized intelligent recording and scheduling [f 1] DRM supportDVB (T/T2, S/S2, C) tuner supportSmartphone/tablet playbackSmartphone/tablet syncingSmartphone/tablet remote control
Beyond TV YesYes [f 2] YesNo ?YesYesNoYesYesNoNo ? ? ?
EyeTV DVB; [f 3] other guide info varies by region [f 4] YesYesNo ?YesExternal add-onYesYesYesYesYes ? ? ?
WinTV YesYesYesLimited [f 5]  ?YesNoYesYesYesNoYesYes ? ?
Kodi (formerly XBMC)YesYesExternal add-onExternal add-onExternal add-onExternal add-onYesExternal add-onExternal add-onExternal add-onExternal add-onExternal add-onUsing PluginUsing PluginUsing Apps
NextPVR Yes [f 6] YesYesPartial [f 7] YesYesYesYesYesYesUn­knownYesYes ? ?
MediaPortal DVB [f 3] /XMLTV [f 9] YesYesPartial [f 10] Supported on some specific cardsYesUsing PluginYesYesYesPartial supportYesYes [f 11]  ?Yes [f 11]
MediaPhoenix/ShowShifter DVB [f 3] Un­knownYesNo ?Un­knownNoNoYesYesUn­knownYesNoNoNo
MythTV DVB; [f 3] other services region dependent [f 12] YesYesLimited [f 13] Yes [f 14] YesYesYesYesRequires external add-on [f 15] NoYes [f 16] Yes [f 17] NoYes [f 17]
SageTV Yes (with former purchased license)YesYesPartial Using Plugin [f 18]  ?YesUsing Plugin [f 19] NoYesYesNo ? ? ? ?
Video Disk Recorder YesYesYesNoYesYesNoUsing PluginYesUsing PluginNoYesUsing PluginNoUsing Plugin
Windows Media Center YesYesYes [f 20] Yes [f 21]  ?YesExternal add-on [f 22] YesYesYes [f 23] Yes; also respects "do not record" flagSupports DVB-T/T2 and DVB-S/S2; does not support DVB-C [f 24] YesYesYes
VBox@TV DVB Guide info varies by broadcaster and TV service providerNoYesNoYesYes ?YesYesYes ?YesYesYesYes
  1. A system similar to TiVo's which enables the DVR/PVR application to record programs based on past viewing habits and interests.
  2. To take advantage of operating system power management with Beyond TV, the main user interface must be closed.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Supports over-the-air EPG when using cards/boxes which support this functionality, and in areas where such a service is available. For example, over-the-air 7-day programme data is available in the UK for DVB-T services (Freeview, TopUp TV etc; DVB-T2 listings for Freeview HD are encrypted) and Freesat (DVB-S/S2). [f 8]
  4. Elgato's contract with TitanTV for the US market expired in 2010. When it expired, TV Guide became the sole EPG provider for EyeTV in the United States. There, one year of TV Guide EPG service costs $19.95. [20] [21]
  5. Support is limited to content broadcast as 'copy freely' (DRM Free)
  6. Natively supports broadcast EPG. Able to use alternative EPG, like XMLTV and Schedules Direct in countries that don't provide a decent broadcast EPG.
  7. Support is limited to content broadcast as 'copy freely' (DRM Free)
  8. Unlike the UK DVB-T EPG, the Freesat EPG uses its own channel and thus must be specifically set up in order to be used. Consequently support for DVB EPG may be insufficient to access it.
  9. Supports XMLTV programme data which is provided by various sources for various costs depending on territory. For example, the (supported) 14-day Radio Times feed for the UK is free of charge.
  10. Version 1.5.0 or higher required - only 'Copy Freely' support - No Encrypted 'Copy Once' support [22]
  11. 1 2 via aMPdroid app; requires WifiRemote and MpExtended plugins [23]
  12. Subscription-free EPG is available in areas where program listings data is freely available without violating copyright laws or data owners' Terms of Service. In North America, Schedules Direct provides legally-licensed EPG data for a nominal fee of $25 per year. [24]
  13. Support is limited to content broadcast as 'copy freely' (DRM Free)
  14. Supports hardware-based CAMs supported by LinuxTV framework.
  15. External third-party plug-in required, e.g. "tvwish", "MythMiner"; not supported.
  16. Supports any tuner card supported by LinuxTV framework.
  17. 1 2 The official MythTV plugin MythWeb allows users to browse the programme guide, schedule recordings, manage media and playback video via a Flash-based player, which works on Android phones and tablets. [25]
  18. Support is limited to content broadcast as 'copy freely' (DRM Free) - Smartphone and tablet control of the full range of Windows Media Center features is possible on iOS and Android. [26]
  19. Supported by 3rd party plugins: ComSkip and ShowAnalyzer
  20. Windows Media Center supports two NTSC (Analog) tuners and two ATSC (Digital) tuners out of the box. Using additional tuners requires registry modifications. Windows 7 Media Center supports up to 4 tuners of each type out of the box, DVB-T, DVB-S, NTSC/PAL.
  21. Windows Media Center supports CableCard when used on CableLabs certified OEM Hardware. [27] Windows 7 Media Center supports CableCard on any hardware that passes the Digital Cable Advisor tool in MCE. [28]
  22. Requires an external plug-in such as "DVRMSToolbox", "Lifextender" or "MCEBuddy"; not supported by Microsoft.
  23. Vista Media Center can do partial intelligent recordings based on keywords, actor(s) name(s), or genre.
  24. DVB-C is achievable using certain cards that are detected as DVB-T tuners. And also using addons such as DVBLink

Video format support

Information about what video codecs are implemented natively (without third-party add-ons) in the PVRs.

DVR MPEG-1 MPEG-2 MPEG-4 ASP (MPEG-4 Part 2), i.e. DivX, XviD H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (MPEG-4 Part 10) HEVC (H.265) VP8 VP9 WMV AVI ASF QuickTime MP4 RealVideo MKV
Beyond TV YesYesYesYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesYesUn­knownNoNoNoUn­known
EyeTV YesYesUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­known
WinTV Un­knownYesYesYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­known
NextPVR Un­knownYesYesYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­known
Kodi (formerly XBMC)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
MediaPortal YesYesYesYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesYesYesNo [v 1] YesNo [v 1] Yes
MediaPhoenix/ShowShifter Un­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­known
MythTV YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
SageTV YesYesYesYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesYesYesYesYesUn­knownYes
Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre YesYesYesYesUn­knownNoUn­knownYesYesYesYesYesYesUn­known
Windows Media Center YesYesYesYes [v 1] [v 2] Un­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesYesYesYes [v 1] [v 2] Yes [v 1] [v 2] No [v 1] Un­known
VBox@TV YesYesYesYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­known
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Possible with third-party software.
  2. 1 2 3 Windows 7 only

Network support

Each features is in context of computer-to-computer interaction. All features must be available after the default install otherwise the feature needs a footnote.

DVR Tuner Sharing Hard Disk Pooling Shared Media Database Home Automation Media Extenders Placeshifting/Spaceshifting Two-way Remote Control Second Screen
Beyond TV YesYesNoNoYesYesNoUn­known
EyeTV Un­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­known
NextPVR YesUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­known
Kodi (formerly XBMC)YesYesYesYes4YesUn­knownYes3Un­known
MediaPortal YesYesYesYesYesYesYes4Un­known
MediaPhoenix/ShowShifter Un­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­knownUn­known
MythTV YesYesYesYes3YesYesYesUn­known
SageTV YesYesUn­knownUn­knownYesYesUn­knownUn­known
Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre YesYesYesNoYesYesNoUn­known
Windows Media Center Yes6Yes7YesYes2YesYes5Yes2Un­known
VBox@TV YesUn­knownYesUn­knownUn­knownYesYesUn­known

1 Yes with registry change
2 Yes with retail third-party plugin
3 Yes with free supported third-party plugin
4 Yes with free unsupported third-party plugin
5 Yes with free third-party software Web Guide 4
6 Yes with add-on software called DVBLink Server
7 Yes with using symlinks, or just adding folders in settings

TV tuner hardware


TV gateway network tuner TV servers
DVRs require TV tuner cards to receive signals. Many DVRs, as seen above, can use multiple tuners.

HdHomerun has CableCARD Models (HDHomeRun Prime) and OTA Models (HDHomeRun Connect) that are networked TV Tuners

See also

Notes

  1. "DVB Dream". www.dvbdream.org. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  2. "DVBViewer 6.0.0". DVBViewer community forum. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  3. "Emby Windows App". Microsoft . Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  4. "Emby Premiere". Emby . Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  5. "Emby: Latest Versions". Emby . 2022-01-13. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
  6. "Introducing the new Live TV for Emby (and a new Emby Server beta)". Emby . Archived from the original on 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  7. "Release Notes MC25". JRiverWiki. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  8. "Kodi". 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  9. "MediaPortal 1.23 Final Regeszter Edition". MediaPortal. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  10. "MediaPortal 2.2.2 Release". MediaPortal. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  11. "MythTV on Windows". MythTV Official Wiki. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  12. "Release Notes - 33". MythTV Official Wiki. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  13. "6.1.5.231022 Available (22nd October 2023)". NextPVR Forums. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  14. "SageTV is Open Source!!!". SageTV Community. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
  15. "tvtime: High quality video for Linux". tvtime.sourceforge.net. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  16. "ANNOUNCE - VDR Version 2.4.1". VDR Portal. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  17. "Windows 8 and 8.1 Pro Pack and Media Pack are no longer available to buy". support.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  18. Allan, Patrick (10 September 2015). "Get Windows Media Center Running on Windows 10 in a Few Easy Steps" . Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  19. "Guides and Downloads". www.vboxcomm.com. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  20. "Why is there a fee for the EyeTV Program Guide?". Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  21. "How do I use TV Guide with EyeTV?". Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  22. "Support for CableCard Tuners". Archived from the original on 2015-01-29. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  23. "aMPdroid - Android Apps". Google Play . Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  24. "Schedules Direct". mythtv.org.
  25. "MythDroid".
  26. "LimitlessLED: 2.4Ghz Wireless Remote Light Bulbs for iPhone and Android". Archived from the original on 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  27. "CableCARD certification rules out home-built Windows MCE boxes, possibly other DIY solutions". 31 January 2006.
  28. "The Cable Chronicles: Win7 Digital Cable Advisor Released".

Related Research Articles

A digital video recorder (DVR), also referred to as a personal video recorder (PVR) particularly in Canada and British English, is an electronic device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card, SSD or other local or networked mass storage device. The term includes set-top boxes (STB) with direct to disk recording, portable media players and TV gateways with recording capability, and digital camcorders. Personal computers are often connected to video capture devices and used as DVRs; in such cases the application software used to record video is an integral part of the DVR. Many DVRs are classified as consumer electronic devices. Similar small devices with built-in displays and SSD support may be used for professional film or video production, as these recorders often do not have the limitations that built-in recorders in cameras have, offering wider codec support, the removal of recording time limitations and higher bitrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodi (software)</span> Free software media player

Kodi is a free and open-source media player and technology convergence software application developed by the Kodi Foundation, a non-profit technology consortium. Kodi is available for multiple operating systems and hardware platforms, with a software 10-foot user interface for use with televisions and remote controls. It allows users to play and view most streaming media, such as videos, music, podcasts, and videos from the Internet, as well as all common digital media files from local and network storage media, or TV gateway viewer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MythTV</span> Free and open source home entertainment application

MythTV is a free and open-source home entertainment application with a simplified "10-foot user interface" design for the living room TV. It turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a network streaming digital video recorder, a digital multimedia home entertainment system, or home theater personal computer. It can be considered a free and open-source alternative to TiVo or Windows Media Center. It runs on various operating systems, primarily Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home theater PC</span> PC meant to be used in a home theater setting

A home theater PC (HTPC) or media center computer is a convergent device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that focuses on video, photo, audio playback, and sometimes video recording functionality. Since the mid-2000s, other types of consumer electronics, including game consoles and dedicated media devices, have crossed over to manage video and music content. The term "media center" also refers to specialized application software designed to run on standard personal computers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hauppauge Computer Works</span> Company focusing on computer software

Hauppauge Computer Works is a US manufacturer and marketer of electronic video hardware for personal computers. Although it is most widely known for its WinTV line of TV tuner cards for PCs, Hauppauge also produces personal video recorders, digital video editors, digital media players, hybrid video recorders and digital television products for both Windows and Mac. The company is named after the hamlet of Hauppauge, New York, in which it is based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic program guide</span> Television term

Electronic programming guides (EPGs) and interactive programming guides (IPGs) are menu-based systems that provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus that display scheduling information for current and upcoming broadcast programming. Some guides also feature backward scrolling to promote their catch up content. They are commonly known as guides or TV guides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MediaPortal</span>

MediaPortal is an open-source media player and digital video recorder software project, often considered an alternative to Windows Media Center. It provides a 10-foot user interface for performing typical PVR/TiVo functionality, including playing, pausing, and recording live TV; playing DVDs, videos, and music; viewing pictures; and other functions. Plugins allow it to perform additional tasks, such as watching online video, listening to music from online services such as Last.fm, and launching other applications such as games. It interfaces with the hardware commonly found in HTPCs, such as TV tuners, infrared receivers, and LCD displays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreambox</span>

Dreambox is a series of Linux-powered DVB satellite, terrestrial and cable digital television receivers, produced by German multimedia vendor Dream Multimedia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Media Center</span> Digital video recorder and media player created by Microsoft

Windows Media Center (WMC) is a digital video recorder and media player created by Microsoft. Media Center was first introduced to Windows in 2002 on Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE). It was included in Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista, as well as all editions of Windows 7 except Starter and Home Basic. It was also available on Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8.1 Pro as a paid add-on. It was discontinued as of Windows 10 and the operating system also removes all of Windows Media Center during an upgrade from previous versions of Windows, although it can reportedly be unofficially reinstalled using a series of Command Prompt commands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SageTV</span> Software for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux

SageTV Media Center, now open source, was a proprietary, commercial DVR and HTPC software for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. It requires that the host computer have a hardware-based TV tuner card. The SageTV software has an integrated Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) that is updated via the Internet. The program provides a television interface for DVR, music, and photos on Windows and Linux. SageTV Media Center typically records in standard MPEG2, making it possible to transfer recordings to laptops or other devices. It also has a built-in conversion feature to transcode files into other formats compatible with iPod, PSP, cell phones and other portable devices.

ShowShifter, now obsolete, was a proprietary, commercial digital video recorder (DVR) and home theater PC (HTPC) software for Windows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HDHomeRun</span> TV tuner product family by SiliconDust

HDHomeRun is a network-attached digital television tuner box, produced by the company SiliconDust USA, Inc.

InterVideo WinDVR is a commercial digital video recorder (DVR) software package for Windows operating systems. It allows PCs to work as a TV set and a DVR at the same time, using a hardware-based TV turner card. It has an integrated electronic program guide (EPG) that is updated via the Internet. Its direct competition came from CyberLink PowerVCR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GB-PVR</span> DVR software brand

GB-PVR was a PVR application, running on Microsoft Windows, whose main function was scheduling TV recordings and playing back live TV. GB-PVR is no longer under active development and has been superseded by NextPVR, also known as nPVR.

Unibox is a satellite, cable and terrestrial digital receiver. It has been distributed widely for use with Pay TV. It also enables the receiver to store digital copies of MPEG TS on internal harddisk or networked filesystems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DVBViewer</span>

DVBViewer is proprietary, commercial software for viewing & recording of DVB TV & Radio using a TV tuner card or box and a Media Center for viewing Music, Video and Pictures. Among its other features are an Electronic Program Guide (EPG), remote control support, on-screen display, teletext, time shifting and picture-in-picture. Besides the support for BDA adapters, there is also the ability to use the Hauppauge MediaMVP with DVBViewer. The software also allows Unicable, DiSEqC and usage of CI-Modules with most adapters. The worldwide charge for the application is 15 euro or 22 US Dollars. Additional functions such as video on demand, TV series and movie management, home network distribution of TV to network devices including iPod Touch, iPhone & iPad & Android devices, and a recording service with web interface are provided by free plugins. A plug-in offering MHEG-5 and HbbTV support is available for a license fee of 12 euros.

A TV gateway is a television headend to a network UPnP router that receives live digital video broadcast (DVB) MPEG transport streams (channels) from terrestrial aerials, satellite dishes, or cable feeds and converts them into IP streams for distribution over an IP network.

VBox Home TV gateway is a network-enabled live TV tuner and PVR HDTV set-top-box produced by VBox Communications Ltd.

DVB Dream is a proprietary software for watching & recording of digital TV & radio with help of a digital TV tuner card. It supports the standards DVB-S (satellite), DVB-C (cable), DVB-T (terrestrial), ISDB-T, ISDB-S and ATSC.