Media App Showdown
For ages I was quite content with Infuse as a front end for my Jellyfin server and Channels DVR for live TV viewing. But over the past couple of months there has been a sudden proliferation of apps in this space - some combining live TV and Jellyfin into one app, some with new UIs that push the envelope, and occasionally an app that does both. Let’s take a look.
Max
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS, macOS, visionOS.
- Via: TestFlight.
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex/Emby/Silo, live TV, HomeKit cameras.
- Sports integration: No.
- Subscription required? “Free to try on Apple TV, iPad and iPhone while it is in beta.”
- https://max-iptv.app/ 1
There are some super weird design decisions, one being that different content sources are kept segregated from one another by default. If you’re looking at your Jellyfin server, your live TV tab has nothing in it but a prompt to add a source. You can edit this to combine them… but why even offer the option? The default home layouts are pretty lacking as well, especially on a live TV source. The HomeKit camera integration is unique, but as I don’t have any I can’t tell you how well it works.
Bottom line: Skip this one unless the HomeKit camera integration is useful.
Plozz
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS.
- Via: App Store.
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex/Emby/Silo, live TV, WebDAV/SMB/NFS/FTP/SFTP shares.
- Sports integration: No.
- Subscription required? No.
- https://plozz.app/
More of a traditional media player, with a focus on the content you already have. Sensible defaults, plus an All Libraries view that mixes up movies & TV instead of keeping them segregated - which I like, though if I had a bigger library I might not. EPG is a bit plain, but does offer an option to view all channel groups.
Bottom line: No-frills, easy to use.
Rivulet
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS.
- Via: App Store (tvOS only), TestFlight (adds iOS, macOS, visionOS).
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex, live TV.
- Sports integration: No.
- Subscription required? No.
- https://gurleystudios.com/rivulet
Really similar to Plozz, in a lot of ways - it’s the featureset of Plozz plus the layout of Max. Also has an all channel groups view, which more clients need. Only allows one Jellyfin server though, so it’s a no from me.
Bottom line: Has potential, but too limited right now.
Strand
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS, macOS.
- Via: App Store (though Apple has taken it down, yet to be seen if it’ll be readmitted).
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex/Emby/Silo, live TV, WebDAV shares.
- Sports integration: Yes.
- Subscription required? Yes, $59.99 AUD per year (monthly and lifetime options available).
- https://watchstrand.app/
For me this is the best of the bunch so far, with the only downside being the uncertainty over its future. Strand inverts the paradigm for media apps: instead of choosing what to watch from what you have, it defaults to showing you lists from sources like TMDB - new or trending movies and shows, genres, movies by decade - and then playing it if it can find it from the sources you connect. This makes less sense if you’re using it as a front end for your media server (in which case you can make it behave more like a traditional client) but is a great approach if you have something like Stremio hooked up to it.
Strand wins for me due to a lot of tiny UI and functionality decisions that add up to a delightful user experience. For example: when you’re watching something from your media server, Strand automatically runs a Shazam query (in the background) on the soundtrack. You can either touch your Siri remote to show it immediately (along with the show/movie name, description, etc) or you can swipe down to bring up a pane that includes all music you’ve heard so far in the episode or movie.
For live TV, Strand offers a solid guide that’s reasonably configurable. I have some minor gripes about scrolling behaviour and the lack of an option to show all channel groups at once, but its guide is among the prettiest of the apps I’ve reviewed.
Sports integration is solid: you can choose teams and/or leagues you want to follow, and you can add a shelf to your home view that shows scores and links to a stream if available. There’s also a dedicated Sports screen, and a Match Info overlay for live TV that shows scores and stats.
Bottom line: Although expensive, Strand is the app to beat so far. Fingers crossed that the dev can resolve Apple’s concerns…
UHF
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS, macOS.
- Via: App Store.
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex/Emby, live TV.
- Sports integration: No.
- Subscription required? No, but UHF Pro ($29.99/yr) is required for some features - see below.
- https://getuhf.com
It’s fine… except the following things are pay-gated:
- A proper EPG, instead of a list of channels.
- Cross-device sync, which is table stakes in this space.
- “No ads or watermarks” - what the fuck?
Bottom line: I don’t mind paying for apps, but withholding basic functionality is a cynical cash grab.
Vesper
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS, macOS, visionOS.
- Via: TestFlight.
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex/Emby/Silo, WebDAV shares.
- Sports integration: No.
- Subscription required? Yes - free while in beta, will be $24.99 USD yearly with 7-day free trial.
- https://watchvesper.app/
Really pretty - probably the best-looking app here. Also unique in that it has the ability to hand off to other apps on your device - streaming services that carry a show you want to watch, or Spotify/Apple Music/YouTube Music/Tidal for songs it’s recognised. Some nice quality of life features, like automatic subtitle syncing. Frequent updates with comprehensive release notes. One downside: no live TV.
Bottom line: If they added live TV, I would seriously consider switching… 3rd place until then.
Zaply
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS.
- Via: App Store.
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex/Emby/Silo, live TV, WebDAV/SMB shares.
- Sports integration: Yes, if somewhat basic.
- Subscription required? No, but will put up a 10-second nag at launch to subscribe to Zaply+ - $14.99 AUD per year (monthly and lifetime options available).
- https://goodfolks.fr/zaply/
Zaply runs a close second to Strand. It’s a bit less customisable, a bit less pretty, a bit less intuitive (in particular, adding new sources is needlessly complicated). It uses the same “find content, then see if you have a source for it” approach as Strand, but if there’s an option to disable this I couldn’t find it. You can’t select which teams you follow, or even look at scores - unless you’re watching a game, in which case it shows you the score for the game you’re watching - a bit pointless. On the plus side, as of the most recent release it integrates with Philips Hue bulbs to emulate a Hue Sync experience without actually buying a Hue Sync box.
Bottom line: The price is right, and it does almost everything I want. Silver medallist for now.
Zuno
- Platforms: iOS, tvOS, macOS.
- Via: App Store.
- Handles: Jellyfin/Plex/Emby, network shares.
- Sports integration: No.
- Subscription required? No, but some features require Zuno Pro ($22.99/year).
- https://www.zunoplayer.app/
Zuno has a couple of unique things: the main one is Zuno Live, a built-in version of Coax that turns your content into linear “channels”. As of the latest release it also includes a Hue Sync-like feature similar to Zaply’s. Unfortunately, these and other features (notably such basic things as home view customisation) are behind a pay gate.
Bottom line: No live TV + very basic free experience = no thanks.
If you’ve got another app I should check out, let me know!