WinTV Extend vs HDHomeRun
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WinTV Extend
Stream live TV and recorded shows from your PC to your iOS device. Watch your favorite channels and programs anywhere on your home network or the internet via Wi-Fi. Requires a compatible Hauppauge WinTV Extend or PCTV Broadway device.
- Stream live TV from PC
- Watch recorded shows from PC
- Supports Wi-Fi streaming
- Adjustable video bitrate and resolution
- Supports various TV channel types
- HD-PVR and Colossus support
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WinTV Extend enables you to stream live TV and recordings from your PC at home to your iOS device. This easy to use application lets you watch your favorite TV channels and shows across your home network or the internet using Wi-Fi. To use this application, you must have a Hauppauge WinTV Extend installed on your PC with a supported TV tuner, or a PCTV Broadway. TV connections can be roof top antennas, cable or satellite set top box, or a cable TV connection. Features - Supports iPhone, iPad and iPod. - Watch Live TV from your PC - Watch Recordings from your PC - Adjustable video bitrate and image resolution to suit your network connection - Supports Analog, ClearQAM, ATSC, DVB-T, DVB-S/S2 and DVB-C channels - Supports all common digital television codecs including MPEG-2 and H.264 video, and MPEG1, AC3, E-AC3 and HE-AAC audio. - Supports HD-PVR and Colossus, for high definition capture from set top box receivers or game consoles - Auto fullscreen when the device is rotated to landscape Supported devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, running iOS 7.0 or later.
HDHomeRun
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.
- Live TV streaming (OTA & Cable)
- Pause, FF, RW live TV
- HD channel support
- Program guide with images
- Fast channel changes
- Intuitive UI controls
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Enjoy free over-the-air TV throughout your home on Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Mac with HDHomeRun and a TV antenna. Simply connect your HDHomeRun to your TV antenna and home network to enjoy a modern TV experience throughout your home. Discover shows, explore a beautiful guide, see what's on now and next, and start watching with fast channel changes and an intuitive interface. Add a USB hard drive to your HDHomeRun for DVR across your home. Pause and rewind live TV, record your favorite shows, and watch your recordings on Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Watch NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) where available with the HDHomeRun FLEX 4K. Features: • Watch free over-the-air TV from your TV antenna on Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Mac • Discover shows with a beautiful guide • Pause and rewind live TV • Fast channel changes • Record your favorite shows with HDHomeRun DVR • Schedule series and movie recordings • Watch your HDHomeRun DVR recordings on Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Mac • Watch NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) with the HDHomeRun FLEX 4K where available Requirements: • HDHomeRun connected to your TV antenna and home network • Wi-Fi or wired home network • Internet connection for guide data
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HDHomeRun at 2.6 against WinTV Extend's 1.9. HDHomeRun also leads on review sentiment (27% vs 10%) and ratings volume (476 vs 27). WinTV Extend's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HDHomeRun holds the better App Store score, 2.6 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HDHomeRun has 476 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of WinTV Extend's written reviews are positive against 27% of HDHomeRun's.
WinTV Extend ships an update monthly, HDHomeRun every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WinTV Extend | HDHomeRun |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.9 (27 ratings) | 2.6 (476 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 10.3% of reviews | 26.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 27 | 476 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Hauppauge Computer Works | SiliconDust USA, Inc. |
Customer experience
WinTV Extend
HDHomeRun
Bugs and requests
WinTV Extend
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
HDHomeRun
Reported bugs
6 issues- Fails to detect tuner device
- Channels not loading
- Playback issues after updates
- Crashes on channel change
- Compatibility problems with iOS 15+
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- Lip-sync issues
Requested features
5 requests- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Channel favorites and filtering
- Improved DVR functionality
- Manual IP address entry
- Native Apple TV app
In-app purchases
WinTV Extend
No in-app purchases
HDHomeRun
No in-app purchases
