Comparison

DS video vs Infuse

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DS video

Stream your video collection from your Synology NAS to your mobile device. Automatically retrieves movie information and organizes content into libraries. Record and manage TV programs remotely if you have compatible HDHomeRun devices connected to your NAS.

Highlights
  • Stream video collection from Synology NAS
  • Automatic movie information retrieval
  • Organized video libraries
  • Record and manage TV programs
  • Remote TV schedule management
Features
Read full description

**You must own a Synology NAS to run this app, and be running the latest Video Station 2.3.0 to get the complete set of features** Use DS video to stream your video collection on your DiskStation from your iOS mobile device. Browsing is made easy as your videos are sorted in different libraries, and each movies has its information retrieved online automatically. And if you have connected HDHomeRun devices with DVB-T standard to the same local area network as your Synology NAS, you will also be able to record TV programs, as well as view the TV program to manage the recording schedule even when on the move. Find all detailed features about the app on our website: www.synology.com > NAS > DSM 7.1 > Apps > Mobile Apps > Software Specs https://www.synology.com/dsm/software_spec/mobile#DSvideo

About

Infuse

A versatile video player that supports a vast array of formats and streaming options. Enjoy smooth playback, HDR, and Dolby audio, with integrated subtitle downloads and Trakt sync. Stream content from various devices and cloud services without conversion.

Highlights
  • Plays virtually any video format
  • Stream from Mac, PC, NAS, and cloud services
  • Supports HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby/DTS audio
  • Integrated subtitle downloads
  • Trakt 2-way sync
  • AirPlay & Google Cast support
Features
Read full description

Ignite your video content with Infuse – the beautiful way to watch almost any video format on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and Vision. No need to convert files! Infuse is optimized for iOS 27, with powerful streaming options, Trakt sync, and unmatched AirPlay & subtitle support. Gorgeous interface. Precise controls. And silky-smooth playback. - PLAY MORE VIDEO TYPES A powerful video player that plays just about anything, including MP4, MKV, M4V and MOV – plus many others. Includes support for HDR, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, plus Dolby and DTS audio. - STREAM FROM OTHER DEVICES Browse and play videos stored on your Mac, PC, NAS, Wi-Fi hard drive, apps like Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin, or from cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, pCloud, Yandex.Disk, MEGA, Aliyun Drive, and others – no syncing required! - AIRPLAY & GOOGLE CAST OPTIONS Stream a wide variety of videos types such as MKV, MP4, M4V, and others over AirPlay & Google Cast with full surround sound and subtitles. - TRAKT 2-WAY SYNC Connect with Trakt to sync watched history, submit ratings and post comments. - OPTIMIZED SUBTITLES POWERED BY OPENSUBTITLES Bring your own subtitles, or download them on the fly (for free) in virtually any language. ===== “Looks great, plays anything you throw at it...surprisingly powerful” - Lifehacker “The best media player for iPhone and iPad...superior to VLC.” - Cult of Mac “I can't give the UI high enough praise. It's great.” - 9to5Mac “I see no reason whatsoever to remove Infuse from my Home screen anytime soon.” - iDownloadBlog “A beautiful UI.” - Trakt co-founder “A mini Kodi!” - Infuse user ===== MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE THE BASICS - Silky-smooth video player (plays full 4K w/ HDR & Dolby Vision) - Stream from a Mac, PC, NAS or Wi-Fi enabled hard drive - Connect with Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi (XBMC), WMC and other media servers - Beautiful layout with quick access to video info - Artwork and metadata added automatically - Split View & PIP - Spatial audio SUPPORTED FORMATS - Video: 33GP, AVI, AV1, ASF, BDMV, DIVX, DVDMEDIA, DVR-MS, FLV, H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), ISO/IMG, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MTS/M2TS, MXF, OGM, OGV, RMVB, TS, VC1, VIDEO_TS, VOB, VP9, WEBM, WMV, WTV - Audio: AAC, AC3/E-AC3, DOLBY TRUEHD, DTS, DTS-HD MA, FLAC, MP3, OGG, PCM, WMA - Subtitles: DVB, DVDSUB, MICRODVD, MPL2, PGS, SMI, SSA/ASS, SRT, SUB, SUP, TIMED TEXT, TXT, VOBSUB, VTT, XSUB PLAYER FEATURES - Multiple audio tracks - Chapters - Gesture controls - 8 video zoom options - Continuous playback - TV out via HDMI or VGA adapter - Deinterlacing EXTRAS - Folders - One-click subtitle downloads from OpenSubtitles - Scrobble plays to Trakt - Download videos from networked devices - Drag and drop uploads via web browser - Get extra onboard storage with SanDisk iXpand and other USB drives GET MORE WITH INFUSE PRO! - Play even more video formats - Stream video trailers for movies and TV shows - Enjoy high-resolution Dolby® and DTS® audio - Access videos stored in cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, pCloud, Yandex.Disk, MEGA, Aliyun Drive, and more - Stream a wide variety of video types over AirPlay and Google Cast - Sync libraries, settings, watched history, and playback progress between devices ==== Note: DRM-protected movies & TV shows purchased from the iTunes store are not supported. Metadata and artwork provided by TMDB, which is a community maintained movie and TV show database. ==== Infuse Pro is available as a optional subscription, and includes a free trial period that begins once your purchase has been confirmed with your iTunes Account. When the trial period concludes, your subscription will start and renew automatically. Your iTunes Account will be charged for the upcoming period unless you disable auto-renew or cancel your subscription in your Account Settings at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Visit firecore.com/terms-privacy for full terms and privacy policy.

Screenshots

DS video4 screens
Infuse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Infuse at 4.7 against DS video's 2.8. Infuse also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 28%) and ratings volume (28K vs 257). DS video's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Infuse sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. DS video asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Infuse holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Infuse has 28K ratings behind it against 257, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of DS video's written reviews are positive against 60% of Infuse's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DS video ships an update every 2 months, Infuse fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
DS video versus Infuse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS videoInfuse
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (257 ratings)4.7 (28K ratings) — better
Positive reviews27.7% of reviews60.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings25728K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#189 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB197 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynology Inc.Firecore, LLC

Customer experience

DS video

All ratings257 ratings
Positive37.4%
Neutral12.8%
Negative49.8%
Written reviews271 reviews
Positive27.7%
Neutral18.5%
Negative53.9%

Infuse

All ratings28,414 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews2,698 reviews
Positive60.4%
Neutral8.1%
Negative31.5%

User reviews

DS video

From 257 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Simple and fast
  • ⭐ Excellent ability to stream to Chromecast
  • ⭐ Automatically fetches metadata
  • ⭐ Allows sharing with family/friends
  • ⭐ Works flawlessly with Synology NAS

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unstable, crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Playback issues, video doesn't start or stops unexpectedly
  • 🐛 Doesn't support common video formats like MKV, HEVC, DTS
  • 🐛 Transcoding/download issues, videos don't play properly
  • 🐛 Buggy on newer iOS/tvOS versions

Infuse

From 28K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent video playback
  • 🔍 Automatic metadata fetching
  • 👍 Seamless integration with Apple devices
  • 🔊 Supports high-quality audio formats
  • 📂 Easy file management and organization

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Subscription model
  • 🐛 Metadata issues and incorrect tagging
  • ⏱️ Slow library loading and indexing
  • 🔍 Limited customization options
  • 🤔 Confusing user interface

Bugs and requests

DS video

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Playback controls not working on Apple TV
  • Subtitle display issues
  • Inability to play videos over encrypted connections
  • Synology NAS integration problems

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add support for more video formats
  • Improve playback controls (skip forward/backward, resume, etc.)
  • Implement auto-play next episode for TV shows
  • Add Picture-in-Picture support on iPad
  • Improve Chromecast and AirPlay support
Show 1 more
  • Enhance parental controls and content filtering

Infuse

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Connectivity issues with network shares
  • Playback problems with certain video formats
  • Sync issues between devices
  • Unreliable subtitle downloads

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to edit metadata manually
  • Support for more media file types (photos, music)
  • Improved TV show organization and episode handling
  • Picture-in-picture controls and gestures
  • Customizable library views and sorting options

In-app purchases

None

DS video

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Infuse

Subscriptions4
  • Infuse Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Infuse Pro - Monthly1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Infuse Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$16.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Infuse Pro - Yearly1 Year trial$16.991 Year
One-time3
  • Dolby AudioFree
  • DTS AudioFree
  • Infuse Pro - Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is DS video free?
DS video is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Infuse free?
Infuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DS video or Infuse?
Infuse is rated higher. DS video averages 2.8 out of 5 from 257 ratings, while Infuse averages 4.7 from 28K ratings.
Do DS video or Infuse have ads?
Neither DS video nor Infuse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DS video or Infuse?
DS video ships an update every 2 months, and Infuse fortnightly. Most recently, DS video was updated on October 8, 2026 and Infuse on October 17, 2026.

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