NextPVR

Our Review

NextPVR can be installed not only on Windows computers, but also on iOS and Android devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones and tablets, Apple TV, and Android TV. There’s also a lighter client for NextPVR called Nlite, which runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Before reading our NextPVR review, let’s check out the system requirements, installation, interface, and features.

We’re also showing you how to add channels, record TV, set up audio and video decoders, as well as watch TV and schedule recordings with this PVR software tool.

NextPVR system requirements

Before downloading and setting up the TV tuner tool on your Windows PC, check for these system prerequisites:

• Pentium 4, AMD 1.4 GHz or better processor
• At least 512 Mb RAM
• Video card
• Plenty of hard disk space for recordings
• Tuner card, remote control, IR blaster (optional)
• .NET Runtime 4.0
• Windows Installer 3.1 or newer
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 and DirectX 9.0c runtimes
• Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and even older (either 32-bit or 64-bit)

How to install NextPVR on your Windows PC

Setting up NextPVR is a simple task that requires little effort on your behalf. Besides accepting the license agreement, you can pick the destination folder. From that point on, NextPVR handles the entire installation on its own. It might open a console window to test the recording service. No desktop shortcuts are created.

NextPVR interface

When it comes to the graphical interface, NextPVR has a standard window with a neat structure, providing quick access to the TV guide, recordings, live TV, a search tool, music, videos, pictures, and DVD playback.

To access the settings panel, right-click anywhere on the screen to open a menu and select Settings.

There are several UI preferences that you can customize, like changing the skin and preferred style. It’s also possible to pick a different UI language, TV shape, UI mode, and resolution, as well as start in fullscreen by default.

How to add channels to NextPVR

After launching the application, you can explore the settings panel and head over to the Devices tab to make some tweaks. In this area, you should see a list of autodetected recording devices. Click an entry to switch to setup mode and add channels. It’s also possible to import multiple channels at once from a channel list by URL.

Because you added new channels, NextPVR offers to update the electronic program guide (EPG) in the following step, which you should accept. When you return to the main application window, you should be able to access the new channels in the TV guide.

How to record videos with NextPVR

To record videos with NextPVR, you must go back to the settings area to set up the DVR from the Recording tab. You might see the default Videos location for saving all recordings, but you can remove this folder and add new ones.

There are also default options set for blocking shutdown while recording, using the S01E01 file naming format if possible (for TV series), avoiding duplicate recordings, and matching the exact title.

Set up audio and video decoders

If you receive an error from NextPVR related to MPEG decoders, then you must make additional modifications to the program before you’ll be able to record TV channels the right way.

Unfortunately, the software application can’t automatically download missing codecs, so you have to do this yourself, depending on what’s missing and what the TV channel requires.

To make sure that you won’t have any problems, it’s a good idea to download all supported audio and video decoders: MPEG2, H.264 and HEVC video, as well as MPEG1, AC3, E-AC3, AAC and HE-AAC audio. Once you find them online and get them on your PC, head over to Settings -> Decoders to force NextPVR into using these audio and video codecs.

Watch TV and schedule recordings with NextPVR

Once you successfully make all the requested changes, you can flip channels and watch TV on your Windows PC. Standard navigation controls are available, so you can pause, resume, rewind, and fast-forward the video.

You can instruct NextPVR to automatically record video footage by configuring TV guide settings. It’s only necessary to pick a show and set the recording mode to quick (applies default settings) or normal mode if you want to capture all episodes within a season.

A great PVR tool for capturing TV channels

Taking everything into account, NextPVR delivers a simple and straightforward solution for using your PC as a DVR to capture footage from TV channels. It gives you the possibility to schedule recordings, play media content, and even use a remote controller.

It might be a bit rough for casual users to figure out how to properly configure NextPVR’s settings. Fortunately, there’s rich help documentation available online that should clarify all of its aspects. And, if you prefer the Emby or Kodi interface, you can access NextPVR in those applications as an addon.

FAQ: Learn more about NextPVR, IPTV and TV tuners

• How do I install NextPVR?

To install NextPVR, click the Download button on this page. You can download NextPVR for Windows only or multiple platforms. Then you can follow the installation instructions we provided earlier.

• Can you record on IPTV?

Yes, you can record on IPTV using certain kinds of IPTV software. NextPVR is a great example since can be used to watch TV on the Internet and to also record streaming videos on IPTV.

• What is the best TV tuner for PC?

We think that NextPVR is one of the best TV tuner software for Windows PC. However, if you want to check out other similar products, we suggest taking a look at Kodi, Emby, and Media Portal.