📹 IPTV DVR / Recording Guide
Record IPTV broadcasts, time-shift and catch-up. All methods explained.
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3 ways to record IPTV
1. 🥇 Client-side DVR (in the app)
Your IPTV app records to local storage. The fastest setup, the least flexible.
TiviMate Premium (€9.99/yr)
- Records to local or external storage (USB)
- Schedule via the EPG: tap a program → "Record"
- Series recording (automatically record every episode)
- Works on Android TV / Fire TV / Android phone
OTT Navigator
Comparable DVR features, cheaper (€19.99 lifetime).
Kodi PVR
Full DVR via PVR IPTV Simple Client + Pseudo-TV. Free but complex.
2. Server-side DVR (Plex/Jellyfin/Threadfin)
Record centrally on your own server; all devices watch through the Plex/Jellyfin app.
Plex Live TV + DVR (€5/mo)
- The best DVR experience
- Requires Plex Pass
- Works with M3U + XMLTV
- Stream to any device
Jellyfin Live TV (free)
- Open source alternative to Plex
- Completely free
- Built-in DVR
- See our self-host guide
Channels DVR (€8/mo)
Commercial product, slick UX, paid.
3. Catch-up TV (provider-side)
Some IPTV providers offer built-in catch-up — rewatch programs from the past 1-14 days without recording.
- No storage needed — it already sits on the provider's server
- Often works via the Xtream Codes EPG
- Tap a past program in the EPG → it plays
💾 Storage requirements
| Quality | Per hour | For 100 hours |
|---|---|---|
| SD | ~1 GB | ~100 GB |
| HD (720p) | ~2.5 GB | ~250 GB |
| Full HD (1080p) | ~4 GB | ~400 GB |
| 4K (2160p) | ~15 GB | ~1.5 TB |
Use an external USB disk or NAS for storage. An SSD is not needed (sequential writes).
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