On this page
- The picks at a glance
- Server tools: channels anyone on the network can watch
- Tunarr
- ErsatzTV legacy
- Threadfin
- EXStreamTV
- TV apps: the cable feeling with no server admin
- QuasiTV
- NostalgiaTV
- Coax
- Kodi: channels inside Kodi itself
- PseudoTV Live
- Emby, Kodi, and the arr stack: what works with what
- Head to head: what actually differs
- Moving from dizqueTV to Tunarr
- Which one should you pick
A virtual channel turns your own movies and shows into simulated live TV: scheduled channels, a program guide, and channel surfing instead of endless scrolling. If you already run one of the servers in our media server comparison, this is the natural next step, and it fits the same home lab starter setup most readers already have.
The tooling churned hard in 2025 and 2026. One major project renamed itself legacy, one switched version schemes, one died outright, and two TV apps now release almost monthly. Every version and status claim below was rechecked against the live GitHub, App Store, Play Store, and project sites on October 3, 2026, so this page reflects what is actually maintained right now.
- Tunarr is the default pick for server owners. It is the most active project, the direct successor to dizqueTV, and the only option with a full scheduling engine plus daily Docker builds.
- ErsatzTV split in two: legacy is frozen except security patches (v26.10.0, Sept 2026), and next is an experimental Rust streaming engine with no scheduling yet. Neither is the right fresh install for most people.
- dizqueTV is dead for practical purposes. Version 1.5.5 gets no feature work. Migrate to Tunarr instead of patching it.
- Android and Fire TV only: QuasiTV (with sync server) or NostalgiaTV. Apple only: Coax. These are viewer apps, not server tuners.
- Only need to clean up an existing IPTV playlist? That job is Threadfin, not a channel creator.
- Kodi users: PseudoTV Live builds channels inside Kodi itself, or point Kodi's IPTV Simple Client at the M3U and XMLTV from Tunarr or ErsatzTV.
- Sonarr and Radarr work alongside all of these, but none has a direct integration. New episodes reach a channel through your media server library scan.
The picks at a glance
| Pick | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Tunarr | Default for Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby servers. Most active, full scheduling. |
| ErsatzTV legacy | Keep only if already running it. Frozen, security patches only. |
| Threadfin | M3U and XMLTV proxy. Pair with Tunarr, not a replacement for it. |
| EXStreamTV | Tinkerers mixing YouTube and Archive.org with local media. |
| QuasiTV | Best for synced Android TV and Fire TV households. |
| NostalgiaTV | Strongest retro cable feel on Android, works without a media server. |
| Coax | Zero-setup surfing for Apple-only homes on Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby. |
| PseudoTV Live | Kodi-only homes. Channels built from the Kodi library, no extra server. |
Server tools: channels anyone on the network can watch
Tunarr
Tunarr grew out of dizqueTV and is now close to a full rewrite. It ingests Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, and local libraries, builds channels with flexible programming (marathons, time slots, filler, custom schedules), and exposes them as a spoofed HDHomeRun tuner plus M3U and XMLTV. That combination is why it wins: the channels show up inside the server apps your household already uses, including Plex Live TV and DVR flows. Emby works as both a source and a viewer, but Tunarr's Emby setup page still reads "instructions coming soon", so expect to follow the Jellyfin steps. Kodi is not in the official client docs, though the M3U and XMLTV URLs load in Kodi's IPTV Simple Client like any other IPTV source.
Activity is the moat. The releases history shows v1.3.13 on August 15, 2026, then a switch to calendar versioning with v2026.9.3 on September 29, 2026. Roughly 176 open issues and 42 open PRs at check time signal a living project, and Docker images are pushed frequently, which matters because most users run Tunarr alongside their media server in Docker. The official docs live at tunarr.com, and the Discord linked there is the fastest path for migration edge cases.
- Replaces
- dizqueTV
- Runs on
- Docker host; hardware transcoding for mixed libraries
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Licence
- Free and open source
- Skip if
- You only watch on one TV and will never run Docker
ErsatzTV legacy
The original .NET project rebranded as legacy in early 2026. It still gets security updates and occasional patches, with v26.10.0 landing September 21, 2026, but no new feature development. If it already runs your channels, there is no emergency: keep it, keep it updated, and plan a slow move. If you are choosing today, Tunarr gets the new features while this gets the patches, so do not build new setups on it unless you need one specific legacy behavior. One legacy edge: it is the only server tool with an official Kodi setup page (IPTV Simple Client), and it syncs Emby libraries one way with path replacements.
- Runs on
- Docker host you already run it on
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Licence
- Free and open source
- Skip if
- You are starting a fresh setup in 2026
Threadfin
Threadfin is the maintained xTeVe fork: it proxies and filters M3U playlists and XMLTV guides into Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby. It does not create channels from a media library, which is the single most common misunderstanding. The latest tag is v1.2.37 from September 2025, so roughly a year without a release at check time: trustworthy for proxy duty, not fast moving. Run it in front of your server for third-party IPTV cleanup, and run Tunarr separately if you also want library-generated channels.
- Replaces
- xTeVe
- Runs on
- Any always-on host; negligible CPU
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Licence
- Free and open source
- Skip if
- You want to create channels from your own library
EXStreamTV
EXStreamTV merges StreamTV and ErsatzTV-style ideas: local media plus YouTube and Archive.org sources, scheduling, hardware transcoding, and HDHomeRun emulation.
- Runs on
- Docker host; patience for wiki docs
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Licence
- Free and open source
- Skip if
- Your library is local files only
TV apps: the cable feeling with no server admin
QuasiTV
QuasiTV is an Android TV and Fire TV client for Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin that simulates live TV, plus an optional self-hosted sync server so every TV in the house shares profiles, channels, and schedules. The project blog confirms client 3.0.4 (late September 2026, Emby playback fixes) and sync server 1.0.3 (September 10, 2026, Windows installer added). The July 2026 posts document the Jellyfin 12 fix: Jellyfin removed legacy Emby-era APIs, and QuasiTV moved to the modern APIs in both client and server, so Jellyfin 12 needs 3.0.2 or newer. Note the sync server requires the Ultimate in-app purchase. Setup docs are at gonemadsoftware.github.io/quasitv-sync.
- Runs on
- Android TV, Fire TV, or Google TV device
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Licence
- Freemium (Ultimate tier for sync)
- Skip if
- Your house is all Apple TV
NostalgiaTV
NostalgiaTV connects Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, or plain local folders and auto-generates channels with a 24/7 schedule, program guide, retro sounds, CRT effects, and channel numbers. The Play Store listing is live at a 5.0 aggregate with 500-plus reviews and 10K-plus downloads, updated September 24, 2026, with Kodi NFO support, new display modes, and Docker HDHomeRun playback in the changelog. Trackers show versions 0.10.2 through 0.10.12 in September 2026, a fast cadence that is good for features but occasionally produces sync edge cases on very large Jellyfin libraries. The differentiator is depth: 85-plus prebuilt themed channels, decades from the 1950s to the 2020s, seasonal lineups, PIN-protected profiles, Chromecast, and 4K and HDR support. It also accepts M3U, XMLTV, and HDHomeRun inputs, so it doubles as a live TV front end.
- Runs on
- Android phone, TV, or Fire device
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Licence
- Free with in-app purchases
- Skip if
- Anyone in the house needs an iOS app
Coax
Coax is Apple-platform only and deliberately simple: connect Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby and it generates a channel guide from existing metadata. No server container, no M3U plumbing. The App Store page is live at 4.2 across 41 ratings, and the pitch is explicit: no pausing, no skipping, only channel changing, with optional custom lineups like Saturday morning cartoons.
- Runs on
- iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision, or Apple TV
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Licence
- Free with in-app purchases
- Skip if
- Anyone watches on Android
Kodi: channels inside Kodi itself
PseudoTV Live
PseudoTV Live is a Kodi add-on that turns your Kodi library and sources into live channels and shows them in Kodi's own TV guide through the IPTV Simple Client. No Docker, no tuner emulation, nothing to run outside Kodi. Development happens on the nightly branch (v0.8.0, last commit September 16, 2026). The master branch sits at v0.6.1q, and there are no tagged releases, so you install it from its own repository zip. It needs Kodi 19 or newer, which covers Kodi 21 Omega. Kodi 22 support is not stated yet.
Already run Tunarr or ErsatzTV? You do not need this. Add their M3U and XMLTV URLs to IPTV Simple Client and Kodi gets the same channels as every other TV in the house.
- Runs on
- Kodi 19 or newer with IPTV Simple Client
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Licence
- Free and open source
- Skip if
- Nobody in the house uses Kodi
Emby, Kodi, and the arr stack: what works with what
| Tool | Emby as source | Watch in Emby Live TV | Watch in Kodi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunarr | Yes | Yes, HDHomeRun or M3U | Yes, M3U in IPTV Simple Client (not in official docs) |
| ErsatzTV legacy | Yes, one-way sync | Yes, M3U tuner | Yes, official Kodi doc |
| Threadfin | No, proxies playlists only | Yes | M3U output, not documented |
| QuasiTV | Yes | No, app only | No |
| NostalgiaTV | Yes | Yes, through its Docker server | Its server M3U should work, untested |
| Coax | Yes | No, app only | No |
| PseudoTV Live | No, Kodi library | No | Yes, native |
Emby needs Emby Premiere for Live TV. Feeding Tunarr, ErsatzTV, or Threadfin into Emby's Live TV section requires a paid Emby Premiere key, the same way Plex needs Plex Pass. The TV apps that read your Emby library directly (QuasiTV, NostalgiaTV, Coax) do not need it.
Sonarr and Radarr work, but only through your library. None of these tools has a Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, or Bazarr connector. The chain is: the arr app downloads and imports, Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby picks up the file, then the channel tool sees it on its next library sync. What differs is how fast a new episode reaches a channel:
- ErsatzTV legacy: library refresh runs on a set interval in hours, and the scheduler keeps extending playouts, so new episodes join without a rebuild.
- Tunarr: scans libraries on a schedule, but channel schedules are precalculated. Smart collections pick up new items only when the schedule is regenerated.
- QuasiTV and NostalgiaTV: read the server library and rebuild their guides on their own (QuasiTV every 15 minutes), so new episodes show up once the server has them.
Turn on Sonarr's Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby connection so the server rescans on import. That removes the slowest link in the chain.
Head to head: what actually differs
| Question | Tunarr | ErsatzTV legacy | ErsatzTV next | QuasiTV / NostalgiaTV / Coax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creates channels from Plex, Jellyfin, Emby | Yes | Yes | No, needs external playout JSON | Yes, client side |
| HDHomeRun plus M3U and XMLTV output | Yes | Yes | HLS, M3U, XMLTV engine output | Varies, apps mostly consume rather than serve |
| Scheduling control | Strongest | Strong but frozen | Out of scope by design | Good, simpler |
| Maintenance momentum | Highest | Security only | Active but pre 1.0 | Active, mobile cadence |
| Setup effort | Medium, Docker | Medium, Docker | High, JSON playouts | Low, install and sign in |
The practical split: server owners who want channels available in every client, including Plex DVR and recording flows, should run Tunarr. Viewers who want the cable feeling on the TV with minimal infrastructure should use QuasiTV or NostalgiaTV on Android, or Coax on Apple.
Playing spoofed HDHomeRun channels through Plex Live TV and DVR requires a Plex Pass, same as our media server comparison notes for native tuners. Emby has the same gate: its Live TV and DVR need Emby Premiere. Jellyfin is the only server with no paywall for this flow, and the TV apps above do not need either subscription.
Moving from dizqueTV to Tunarr
dizqueTV pioneered this category for Plex users, but feature development stopped years ago at 1.5.5. The only 2026 commit in its history is a policy file, not code. Migrate, do not start new setups on it.
- Back up the dizqueTV config and note the channel numbers the household expects.
- Install Tunarr via Docker alongside Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby. Do not reuse the dizqueTV ports.
- Reconnect media sources first, then rebuild one channel and confirm HDHomeRun discovery and M3U playback before migrating the rest.
- Recreate filler and time-slot logic natively rather than importing XML verbatim. Tunarr programming primitives differ enough that a literal port disappoints.
- Update clients to the new Tunarr M3U and XMLTV URLs, keep dizqueTV stopped (not just paused) for a week, then remove it.
Which one should you pick
Pros
- Full scheduling engine with filler, marathons, and time slots
- HDHomeRun plus M3U and XMLTV output for every client
- Most active development in the category
Cons
- Needs Docker and an always-on host
- Frequent updates can bring breaking changes
- Overkill for a single TV
The pros and cons above are Tunarr's. The rest of the field trades the opposite way: less infrastructure, less control.
- Plex server plus mixed clients: Tunarr. Expose HDHomeRun to Plex, add the M3U to secondary players.
- Jellyfin 12 or Emby with Android TVs: QuasiTV 3.0.4 plus sync server 1.0.3, or current NostalgiaTV. Both fixed modern Jellyfin API issues in 2026.
- Apple only: Coax with Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby. Zero server work, best surfing metaphor.
- Kodi boxes: PseudoTV Live for a Kodi-only house, or Tunarr's M3U in IPTV Simple Client when other TVs need the same channels.
- Local folders with no media server at all: NostalgiaTV (local folder channels) or Tunarr (local file sources).
- Third-party IPTV cleanup: Threadfin in front of Jellyfin, Plex, or Emby, plus Tunarr separately for library-generated channels.
- YouTube and Archive.org mixed with local: EXStreamTV, with wiki docs and manual tuning.
- Already on ErsatzTV legacy: stay put and updated, but plan the slow move. New installs go to Tunarr.
If the server itself is still undecided, start with our media server comparison before adding channels to it.
Is dizqueTV really dead?
Is ErsatzTV dead?
Do I need Plex Pass for virtual channels?
Can I watch these channels in Kodi?
Does this work with Sonarr and Radarr?
Tunarr or Threadfin: which one do I need?
What about transcoding load?
What changed since most 2026 roundups?
Amit loves new tech and apps that make life easier, he writes about apps, games and useful websites on TheTechBasket.
