# Kaleidescape Second Screen vs HDHomeRun

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Kaleidescape Second Screen at 75% against HDHomeRun's 27%. Kaleidescape Second Screen also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.6) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). HDHomeRun's advantage is ratings volume (476 vs 6) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Kaleidescape Second Screen holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HDHomeRun has 476 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Kaleidescape Second Screen's written reviews are positive against 27% of HDHomeRun's.

Kaleidescape Second Screen ships an update every 8 months, HDHomeRun every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kaleidescape Second Screen | HDHomeRun |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidescape-second-screen/id487056316/reviews)** | [2.6 (476 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hdhomerun/id949582631/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **476** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 26.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 17 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Kaleidescape, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/381807672) | [SiliconDust USA, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/949582630) |

## What reviewers say

### Kaleidescape Second Screen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidescape-second-screen/id487056316)

Enhance your home entertainment system by browsing and controlling your movie and music library. Discover details about titles, cast, and scenes, and instantly play content on your TV.

**Highlights:** Browse movie and music libraries, High-resolution cover art display, Instant playback of scenes and songs, Create favorite scenes, View movie ratings and details, Control Kaleidescape players, Create and save mix albums

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HDHomeRun

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hdhomerun/id949582631)

Stream live, over-the-air, and cable TV channels directly to your iOS device. Pause, rewind, and fast-forward live broadcasts. Access program guides with images and logos for an enhanced viewing experience.

**Highlights:** Live TV streaming (OTA & Cable), Pause, FF, RW live TV, HD channel support, Program guide with images, Fast channel changes, Intuitive UI controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fastest TV app
- 📺 Great picture quality
- 🔍 Picks up more channels than TV tuner
- 🔌 Works reliably
- 🔨 Decent hardware

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔍 Unreliable channel detection
- 🤖 Clunky and unintuitive UI
- 🔇 No independent volume control
- 🔒 Lacks DRM support

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to detect tuner device
- Channels not loading
- Playback issues after updates
- Crashes on channel change
- Compatibility problems with iOS 15+

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Channel favorites and filtering
- Improved DVR functionality
- Manual IP address entry
- Native Apple TV app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kaleidescape Second Screen free?

Kaleidescape Second Screen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HDHomeRun free?

HDHomeRun is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Kaleidescape Second Screen or HDHomeRun?

Kaleidescape Second Screen is rated higher. Kaleidescape Second Screen averages 4.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while HDHomeRun averages 2.6 from 476 ratings.

### Do Kaleidescape Second Screen or HDHomeRun have ads?

Neither Kaleidescape Second Screen nor HDHomeRun shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kaleidescape Second Screen or HDHomeRun?

Kaleidescape Second Screen ships an update every 8 months, and HDHomeRun every 2 months. Most recently, Kaleidescape Second Screen was updated on October 23, 2026 and HDHomeRun on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*