Comparison

DS video vs SenPlayer

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

SenPlayer

This app is a powerful multimedia player supporting 4K/8K video, high frame rates, and HDR. It streams from various cloud services and media servers, offering a seamless playback experience with custom controls and advanced subtitle support.

Highlights
  • 4K/8K Ultra-HD playback
  • Supports Plex, Emby, Jellyfin media servers
  • Stream from cloud services (WebDAV, SMB, FTP)
  • Custom gesture controls
  • Blu-ray ISO disc playback
  • Enhanced subtitle support
  • Cross-device sync
Features
Read full description

SenPlayer — Your personal media player, wherever you are. Enjoy videos from local storage, cloud drives, NAS, and your favorite media servers on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. From catching up on a series while traveling to movie night at home, make every title in your collection a pleasure to watch. • Your Media, Connected 
Connect to Emby, Jellyfin, Plex, and fnOS, or access your computer and NAS via SMB, WebDAV, and FTP. Stream from 115, 123 Cloud Drive, Aliyun Drive, and Baidu Netdisk, bringing your media sources together in one place. • Stunning Picture, Immersive Sound 
Enjoy popular formats including MKV, MP4, and MOV, with support for 4K, 8K, 120fps, hdr high resolution and high-frame-rate video.While Atmos and spatial audio deliver immersive sound with compatible media and devices. • Explore Your Blu-ray Collection 
Play Blu-ray ISO files, browse disc playlists, and navigate chapters. Switch between the main feature, bonus material, and other included content without extracting or converting files beforehand. • Enhance Your Viewing Experience 
On supported devices, use AI upscaling to improve clarity, frame interpolation for smoother motion, or SDR-to-HDR conversion to expand brightness range. Choose the ßenhancements that suit your videos and viewing preferences. • Your Collection, Beautifully Organized 
Browse posters, synopses, ratings, and cast details in your media libraries. Search across servers to find what you want, and bookmark favorite videos and folders for easy access. Keep everyday favorites close at hand as your collection grows. • Subtitles and Danmaku, Your Way 
Use embedded subtitles, load external files, or search for subtitles online. Display two subtitle tracks at once for movies or language learning. Adjust fonts, size, color, position, and timing during playback, with support for Simplified and Traditional Chinese subtitle conversion. Import danmaku files or connect custom sources, then personalize the style, speed, and display area of on-screen comments. • Flexible Playback, Everyday Convenience 
Adjust playback speed, switch audio tracks, navigate chapters, and skip intros and credits. Preview the timeline to find a scene, use Picture in Picture while multitasking, or casting and external display support bring your viewing experience to a bigger screen. • Pick Up Across Devices 
Sync server configurations, favorites, and playback history through iCloud. Add a media source on your iPhone and browse it on your iPad, Mac, or Apple TV. Continue Watching takes you back to where you left off, so it’s easy to move from one screen to another.

Screenshots

DS video4 screens
SenPlayer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SenPlayer at 84% against DS video's 27%. SenPlayer also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.8) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). DS video's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). 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. SenPlayer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. DS video asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SenPlayer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 257 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of DS video's written reviews are positive against 84% of SenPlayer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DS video ships an update every 2 months, SenPlayer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DS video versus SenPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS videoSenPlayer
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (257 ratings)4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.7% of reviews83.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2571.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB137 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynology Inc.军 王

Customer experience

DS video

All ratings257 ratings
Positive37.4%
Neutral12.8%
Negative49.8%
Written reviews292 reviews
Positive26.7%
Neutral18.5%
Negative54.8%

SenPlayer

All ratings1,231 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews668 reviews
Positive83.8%
Neutral5.2%
Negative10.9%

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

SenPlayer

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app with many features
  • 🚀 Smooth and fast playback
  • 💡 Highly customizable interface
  • 🔒 No ads or data collection
  • 🔥 Excellent Jellyfin/Emby support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or playback issues
  • 🔋 High battery consumption on some devices
  • 💤 Lack of AirPlay support
  • 📚 Limited subtitle customization options

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

SenPlayer

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Playback issues with certain video formats (e.g., TS, ISO)
  • SMB connection problems on some networks
  • Subtitle display bugs in landscape mode
  • Inconsistent behavior when using Bluetooth headphones

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Plex, Google Drive, and other cloud storage
  • Implement a playlist feature
  • Allow dual subtitle display
  • Provide an Apple TV version of the app
  • Add a download option for media files

In-app purchases

None

DS video

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

SenPlayer

One-time5
  • Lifetime Pro(Upgrade to Suite)$6.99
  • Lifetime Pro(iPhone+iPad)$9.99
  • Lifetime Pro(AppleTV)$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Lifetime Pro(Mac)$9.99
  • Lifetime Pro(Suite)$12.99

Questions

Is DS video free?
DS video is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SenPlayer free?
SenPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DS video or SenPlayer?
SenPlayer is rated higher. DS video averages 2.8 out of 5 from 257 ratings, while SenPlayer averages 4.7 from 1.3K ratings.
Do DS video or SenPlayer have ads?
Neither DS video nor SenPlayer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DS video or SenPlayer?
DS video ships an update every 2 months, and SenPlayer every 9 days. Most recently, DS video was updated on November 9, 2026 and SenPlayer on November 12, 2026.

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