Questions &
answers.

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.

On the server PC, open Control → Remote access → Set up Direct HTTPS and follow the connection and router instructions shown. Check that remote access is healthy and test from outside your home network. The PC must stay awake and connected.

For web viewers, invite their Google account email and assign a profile in Control. They accept the invitation and open Watch on TideView.tv. Compatible client apps can instead pair with a six-digit Device Code. Remote sign-in connects to your server; it does not upload your library to TideView.tv.

Some internet connections need router changes or do not allow the required incoming connection. Use the checks shown in Control before inviting viewers, and give each profile only the access it needs.

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.

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—watch through Safari and add TideView to your Home Screen.

1. Open Watch on TideView.tv in Safari and sign in with your connected Google account. Invited viewers first accept the owner’s invitation; the licensed owner uses their license-owning account.
2. Wait for your server’s Media home to open. Tap Safari’s Share button and choose Add to Home Screen.
3. Turn on Open as Web App if offered, then tap Add. Save the connected Media home, rather than a temporary sign-in or invitation link.
4. Open the new TideView icon next time. You may need to sign in again in the web app. The server still needs to be awake and reachable; adding the icon does not download the library for offline use.

Apple’s Home Screen instructions

Yes, with AirPlay on compatible devices.

1. Connect your iPad and an AirPlay-compatible TV or Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi.
2. Open TideView on your iPad and play the movie, episode or supported video.
3. Where the player offers AirPlay, tap its AirPlay control and choose your TV or Apple TV. If the receiving device shows a code, enter it on the iPad.
4. Use the iPad to control playback. To return playback to the iPad, open AirPlay again and select the iPad or stop AirPlay.

Availability depends on the receiving device, browser and media. This web option is separate from our planned native Apple TV app.

Apple’s AirPlay instructions

Each personal server has one shared maximum of 20 concurrent Live TV playback feeds and one shared maximum of 25 movie/show playback sessions. The 25 includes ordinary viewing and every Watch Together participant across all rooms, at home or remotely. Starting another room does not create another allowance.

These are feeds/sessions, not guaranteed people counts. Tuners, providers, hardware, upload speed and lower profile limits can reduce capacity. Multiview uses a feed for each playing channel, up to four.

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.

There is one 25-session movie/show limit for the entire personal server, shared with ordinary playback. Each participant watching in Watch Together uses one slot. Multiple rooms share that same pool; a room does not receive 25 slots of its own.

For example, 10 ordinary sessions and 15 Watch Together sessions fill the server’s 25 slots. The next playback start or join is refused until a session ends. Starting Watch Together while ordinary playback is still active can briefly require an additional slot.

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.

Use Create portable backup instead. New portable .tvbackup files do not require a password. Ordinary ZIP restore points remain for the same computer.

To move your server, use the steps below. Older encrypted portable files still need their original password.

Use the portable export and Recovery tools. Keep both your old setup and media until the new PC passes your checks.

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.

New portable backups do not require a password. Create a new portable backup in Control, save the verified .tvbackup, and select it in Recovery on the replacement PC.

If you have an older encrypted backup, it still needs its original password. TideView does not store that password and cannot recover the encrypted file without it. If the old PC is available, create a new portable backup there.

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.

Use Request Closed Beta underneath the server plan. Beta testers host TideView on their own Windows PCs. Tell us about your server PC, devices, media, Live TV sources and testing availability, and whether you are willing to provide feedback, work with our team and help promote TideView when it is ready. No payment or provider credentials are needed.

The account page shows available beta and paid places from the current admissions policy. Requests do not reserve a place. Our team reviews them and replies manually from support@tideview.tv; when the beta is full, a request can be reviewed for the waitlist. Access is not guaranteed.

The beta application sends the answers you provide for review. It does not upload your media files, library or watch history or give our team remote access to browse them. Account and licensing services process sign-in, license and computer activation details.

Metadata lookups can include titles or media identifiers; a lookup is not proof that you watched a title. Support reports you choose to send can include activity, titles, filenames, paths and technical details. Generated reports mask recognized credentials and tokens, but sensitive context can remain. Review a local bundle before sharing. See the Privacy Policy for details.

Free access may have an end date or no expiry; we will tell you the term if you are approved. Expiry never starts or resumes billing automatically. Continuing with paid access requires you to explicitly agree to the price and any charge in Stripe when paid admissions are open. Existing subscriptions and any access period already agreed remain subject to their original terms.

Yes. Manage subscription keeps the billing portal available. On your installed server, open License & subscription to sign in, activate an available existing paid place, or redeem a complimentary code. Closing new signups does not cancel an existing subscription.

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.