Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LibreELEC VS Tvheadend

Compare LibreELEC VS Tvheadend and see what are their differences

LibreELEC logo LibreELEC

LibreELEC is ‘Just enough OS’ for Kodi, a Linux distribution built to run Kodi on current and...

Tvheadend logo Tvheadend

Redmine
  • LibreELEC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-06
  • Tvheadend Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-16

LibreELEC features and specs

  • Lightweight
    LibreELEC is a minimalistic, lightweight Linux-based operating system specifically built for running the Kodi media center, which means it is optimized for performance and consumes fewer system resources.
  • Easy Installation
    The installation process is straightforward and user-friendly, designed to get you up and running with minimal hassle.
  • Optimized for Kodi
    Since LibreELEC is designed expressly for Kodi, it offers better performance and stability for this media center compared to more general-purpose operating systems.
  • Wide Hardware Support
    LibreELEC supports a broad range of hardware platforms, including the Raspberry Pi, x86 PCs, and various ARM devices, providing flexibility in terms of device compatibility.
  • Automatic Updates
    The system includes automatic updates, ensuring that users always have the latest features and security patches without manual intervention.
  • Community Support
    LibreELEC has a vibrant community that provides support, plugins, and additional features, making it easier for users to customize their setup and solve any issues they might encounter.

Possible disadvantages of LibreELEC

  • Limited Functionality
    Being a specialized OS for Kodi, LibreELEC lacks the versatility of more general-purpose operating systems, meaning it is not suitable for tasks outside of media consumption.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Beginners
    Although installation is easy, new users might find it challenging to navigate and customize the system to their needs if they're unfamiliar with media center setups.
  • Limited Application Availability
    Because LibreELEC is specifically tailored for Kodi, there is a limited range of additional applications that can be installed compared to more general operating systems.
  • Dependency on Kodi
    The entire user experience is tied to Kodi. If Kodi encounters any bugs or issues, it can severely impact the usability of the whole system.
  • Less Frequent General Updates
    While LibreELEC includes automatic updates, major changes and new features in the underlying OS might not be as frequent as with more active, general-purpose Linux distributions.

Tvheadend features and specs

  • Open Source
    Tvheadend is open-source software, meaning its source code is freely available for users to inspect, modify, and distribute, promoting transparency and community-driven development.
  • Versatile Support
    It supports a wide range of network interfaces, including DVB, ATSC, IPTV, and SAT>IP, providing flexibility in how users can access and record live TV content.
  • Web-based Management
    The web-based user interface makes it easy to manage Tvheadend settings, configure channels, and schedule recordings, enhancing user accessibility and convenience.
  • Multi-user Environment
    Tvheadend can handle multiple users and stream to various devices simultaneously, which is ideal for households with multiple viewers with different needs.
  • EPG (Electronic Program Guide) Support
    It supports multiple EPG sources for obtaining program listings, allowing for advanced scheduling and better viewing experiences.

Possible disadvantages of Tvheadend

  • Complex Setup for Beginners
    The initial configuration might be complex for users who are not familiar with networking or server setup, potentially requiring a steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Limited Official Documentation
    While there are community resources available, the official documentation may be lacking in details, making it difficult for new users to troubleshoot problems effectively.
  • Reliance on Community Support
    As open-source software, much of the support comes from the community which can be inconsistent and may not always meet user needs promptly.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    Users might experience compatibility issues with specific hardware tuners or software setups, requiring additional research or workarounds.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running Tvheadend, especially with multiple streams or recordings, can be resource-intensive, demanding significant CPU and memory use on the host device.

LibreELEC videos

LibreELEC Raspberry Pi 1 2 3 Or Zero Quick Look Kodi For Raspberry pi

More videos:

  • Review - Raspberry Pi 4B on LibreELEC 9.2 with Kodi 18.3
  • Review - Kodi Compendium [Part 3]: Raspberry Pi OS Selection, Comparison, Performance Test LibreELEC vs OSMC

Tvheadend videos

Tvheadend Live TV on Android TV

More videos:

  • Review - Raspberry Pi TVheadend Server
  • Review - Raspberry Pi TVheadend & Kodi Server #1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LibreELEC and Tvheadend)
Video
70 70%
30% 30
Media Player
73 73%
27% 27
Watch Movies Online
100 100%
0% 0
Video Recording
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using LibreELEC and Tvheadend. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare LibreELEC and Tvheadend

LibreELEC Reviews

Top 10 Best Linux Media Server Software
LibreELEC also has special builds for single board computers like Raspberry Pi. You can install this special operating system on your Raspberry Pi and get a media center device ready in minutes.
Source: itsfoss.com

Tvheadend Reviews

We have no reviews of Tvheadend yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LibreELEC should be more popular than Tvheadend. It has been mentiond 66 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

LibreELEC mentions (66)

  • Raspberry Pi 5
    - Two LibreELEC (https://libreelec.tv/) mediaplayers in house (yes, one is not enough in my big family). - One for hosting low usage applications at home network (Unifi controller and some more). - Octoprint (https://octoprint.org) connected to the 3d-printer. - One on my desk for hardware hacking – mostly as just a PC with GPIO. - Some Raspberry Pi Zeros as security cameras. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Plex to block all servers hosted at Hetzner
    You might be interested in the https://libreelec.tv/ project. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Looking for a distro to replace Roku Stick
    I'm aware of solutions such as LibreELEC but that (if I understand it) is just a Kodi thing. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Watch Jellyfin content on non-smart TV
    Kodi is a media client as it provides a UI for you to browse, search for and view media. I have it running on my Raspberry Pi as LibreELEC. It connects to the same media sources that Jellyfin uses via SFTP. They support the same scrappers and folder structures so they can share the same media sources. If you're not adamant about using Jellyfin on the Raspberry Pi, this could be an option. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Does anyone know why Kodi will not continuously run on a windows 11 machine?
    Thats not a Kodi issue... It is a Windows and hardware issue... If the only job of the pc is Kodi then use LibreELEC's Kodi... 1000 times better! https://libreelec.tv/. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Tvheadend mentions (16)

  • Configuring Tvheadend for ATSC in North America
    Here's how I configured Tvheadend for ATSC (North America). - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Diappearing Autorecs
    I posted this yesterday on the tvheadend.org board, but it's silent so far. I thought I'd try here:. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • MythTV 33 Released – open-source All-in-one DVR
    Fwiw, Xbox One Digital TV Tuners and some RTL-SDRs (with an extra decoder chip) are able to pick up DVB-T2 and are usually £10~20 on eBay. https://tvheadend.org/ can be useful for interfacing with the tuners over USB and exposing web streams. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • DVR/Live TV in the UK?
    If your USB tuner works with Linux, you can use it with TVHeadend, and connect it to Jellyfin via the official plugin. I use it here and it works fairly well. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Getting freeview TV live via internet directly
    They're expensive for what they are, though. If you're techy minded you can make your own using something like a Raspberry Pi, some USB TV tuners and TVHeadend. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing LibreELEC and Tvheadend, you can also consider the following products

Kodi - Kodi is an award winning free and open source media player that got its start on the Xbox console.

DVB Dream - DVB Dream is DVB player with many nice and unique features (more below), it supports standards...

OSMC - OSMC is a free and open source media center built for the people, by the people.

DVBViewer - DVBViewer allows you to experience Digital TV on your PC.

OpenELEC - OpenELEC, which stands for Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center, is a Linux operating system that makes the host computer a Kodi media center. The software was the winner of the Swiss Opensource Award in 2014.

ProgDVB - ProgDVB - the universal and very power software for watching digital TV and listening to radio...