Clear answers.
Less guesswork.

Your personal server uses the media and authorized sources you connect. It does not provide access to a paid TV service or a movie catalog. Future FAST, on-demand and provider partnerships are roadmap plans, not included access today.

The initial plan is Windows PC, Roku and web, with Android mobile a possible addition. The web option works on compatible PCs and iPad, with AirPlay where supported. Android TV is first in the app pipeline, followed by iPhone and Apple TV. Availability can change as testing progresses.

Yes. Your devices stream from that PC, so it must remain awake, running TideView and connected to the network. Saving a Home Screen icon or signing in through the website does not move the library into the cloud.

Control is for server administration: users, sources, settings, backups and active playback. Media is the library and player viewers use. Give people the profile permissions they need rather than access to server administration.

The owner first invites your Google account email and assigns a TideView profile. Accept the invitation with the same verified account within seven days. Open Watch, choose Sign in with Google and select that account. The browser opens your personal server; there is no device code to enter on this page.

The Google account that owns the active server license connects automatically to the administrator profile. Use that account at Watch. Invitations link other people to their household profiles.

Gmail works, but another verified email associated with a Google account can also work. Use the exact email the owner invited. Google sign-in does not ask TideView to read your inbox.

An owner opens Control → Users → Generate device code. Enter the six digits in a compatible client app. Current Roku and Android pairing then shows the household profile picker, with a four-digit profile PIN if configured. Codes last 10 minutes and are single use; ask for another if it expires.

No. A Device Code connects a client to the household server. A profile PIN protects access to a particular profile. Keep both private and only share a connection code with someone you authorize.

Choose the exact invited account and ask the owner to verify your invitation/profile assignment. The owner should check the PC is awake, remote access is healthy and the server is reachable from outside the home. For app pairing, use a fresh Device Code. Remote connection steps.

In Control, open the profile’s authorized apps to revoke an individual session or choose Sign out all. Removing that person’s Google link also revokes the profile’s app sessions.

Yes: open the connected Media home in Safari, use Share and Add to Home Screen, then open its icon. Sign-in may be needed again. AirPlay requires a compatible receiving device and the same Wi-Fi, and depends on player/media support. iPad and AirPlay steps.

Current ordinary playback ceilings are 20 concurrent Live TV playback feeds and 25 movie/show sessions, shared across home and remote viewing. These are feeds/sessions, not guaranteed people counts. Tuners, providers, hardware, upload speed and lower profile limits can reduce capacity. How the limits work.

Each playing channel counts as a feed. Multiview supports up to four and draws from the shared 20-feed Live TV pool. Shared capture of the same channel can reduce upstream tuner use, but each admitted viewer feed still counts.

TideView is designed for personal media and authorized household use. The software uses fixed limits for personal home use. It is not intended as unrestricted channel resale. Your provider’s own stream limits, entitlements and sharing rules still apply.

While playing a supported movie or episode, open Watch Together, choose Start Watch Together and select the users to invite. They open their notifications and join. Everyone needs access to the title and a compatible client; the server must remain reachable.

The ordinary movie/show session ceiling is not a published Watch Together room participant limit. Watch Together uses its own playback flow, and its capacity is still being validated during testing.

Remote playback also depends on the server’s internet upload connection and the viewer’s download connection. Large original video files can need substantial bandwidth. Check server/network activity, try fewer simultaneous streams and verify the source is compatible with the client.

The owner controls DVR permission per profile. With Live TV and DVR allowed, Limited access can record the remainder of a current airing being watched. Full/Admin access can also schedule future or series recordings. Tuner availability and recording storage still apply; home versus remote is not itself the permission difference.

A portable backup includes the server setup, users/permissions, watched state, viewing history, resume positions, My List and catalog. It does not include the media itself. Manual title artwork and per-title theme editor state are currently omitted. See the coverage table.

Use Create portable backup instead. Its password-protected .tvbackup is the new-PC format; ordinary ZIP restore points are for the same computer. On the replacement PC, use Recovery and select Restore all TideView data. Detailed PC migration steps.

The DVR schedule/index is included, but recorded videos are not. Theme audio beside movies or shows travels with your media folders. Encrypted photo/video vault contents also need a separate backup/transfer; retain the vault password.

TideView does not store the recovery password and cannot recover the file without it. Keep it separately from the backup. If the old server is available, create a new portable export with a password you can keep safely.

A data restore does not transfer the old PC’s machine-bound activation. Sign in with your existing account and choose Activate this computer. Use an available slot, or replace the old server if at capacity. You do not need another subscription purchase just because you moved.

Do not assume so. Existing sessions may remain usable if tokens and the address still work, but a new address, router or PC can require pairing again. Verify remote access, credentials and actual playback on each device before retiring the old PC.

Yes. Our first priorities are launch, a sustainable subscriber base and hiring. After launch and staffing are in place, we want community feedback to influence what comes next. Community feedback will open when the team is ready to respond.

Our initial team is small, so replies may be delayed and some emails may go unanswered. A dedicated staff member responding to support emails is one of our first hiring priorities. We want support to be handled by people who know TideView and care about your experience.