A UHF alternative with no ads and no watermark.
Nothing sits over the picture on the free tier, and the files on your NAS land beside your channels.
- Apple TV
- iPhone & iPad
- Mac
- M3U & Xtream
- XMLTV guide
- Catch-up
- Plex & Jellyfin
- SMB shares
Mostly the same app. Four rows each way.
Both play the same playlists, build the same kind of guide and connect the same media servers, so the ties are the honest majority of this table. What is left is a short list in each direction, and it is the only part worth reading twice.
| Capability | Spectati | UHF |
|---|---|---|
| Native on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac | Yes | Yes |
| M3U, M3U8 and Xtream playlists, with an XMLTV guide | Yes | Yes |
| Catch-up from your provider’s archive | Yes | Yes |
| Plex, Jellyfin and Emby libraries | Yes | Yes |
| SMB and network shares, with no media server | Yes, in beta | No |
| The same film on two servers merged into one entry | Yes | No |
| Free tier with no ads and no watermark | Yes | Pro removes both |
| Plays a real film before you connect anything | Four sample films | No |
| Recording to a DVR you host | No | Yes |
| Built-in VPN client | No | Yes |
| Chromecast, alongside AirPlay | No | Yes |
| Minimum operating system | tvOS and iOS 26 | tvOS 17, iOS 16 |
Written by Spectati and checked against UHF's own site and App Store listing in August 2026. Spectati is not affiliated with UHF or Short Wavelength Applications; feature sets change, so check theirs before you decide.
Free is the whole app, not a demo with a logo on it.
Spectati puts nothing over the picture and never interrupts a channel to sell you something. Browsing, live TV, the guide, your servers and playback work with up to 2 sources running at once, and there is no trial clock counting down behind any of it. Free direct-plays your 4K remuxes with no transcoding, in SDR. HDR and surround sound are what a subscription adds.
- No ads, no watermark and no countdown to a trial ending
- 4K remuxes direct-play at full bitrate, with no transcoding
- Up to 2 sources running at once, of any kind
- Favorites, hiding, renaming and sorting, channel by channel
- Parental PIN, age-rating limits and per-provider locks
Your NAS is not somebody else's problem.
Both apps connect Plex, Jellyfin and Emby, so that part is a tie. The difference shows up when some of your library is loose files on a share with no media server in front of it. Spectati reads SMB directly, fills in artwork and metadata, and drops those files into the same library, search and Continue Watching row as your live channels. It is newer than the rest of the app and carries a beta badge, which matters if a NAS is your whole library.
- SMB shares read directly, with no Plex or Jellyfin server needed
- Plex, Jellyfin and Emby servers beside them
- One search across movies, shows, episodes and live channels
- The same film on two servers merged into one entry, best copy played
- Direct play of high-bitrate 4K remuxes, with your server CPU idle
Press play before you connect anything.
A new install is not an empty shelf asking for a server address. Four films are already on Home, and they play in seconds with no account, no playlist and no card. It is the real player on your own television, not a demo mode.
- Four Blender open movies, ready the moment you open the app
- Singularity is served in HDR10, so you see what full quality buys
- Nothing to sign up for and nothing that expires
- Connect Plex, Jellyfin or a playlist whenever you feel like it
HDR10
1440p
1080p
720pBlender open movies, licensed CC BY. Spectati streams them to a fresh install so there is something to watch before you connect anything.
Free to use. Pay only for full quality.
No ads, and nothing to decide before you have watched something. Free direct-plays your 4K remuxes with no transcoding, in SDR. HDR and surround sound are what a subscription adds.
Free
No account neededInstall it and press play. There is no trial clock and no card.
- Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, IPTV and SMB file shares
- Up to 2 sources running at once
- Direct play of high-bitrate 4K remuxes, no transcoding
- Live TV with a full XMLTV program guide
- Favorites, hiding, renaming and sorting, channel by channel
- Parental PIN, age-rating limits and per-provider locks
Full quality
OptionalOr $2.99/month, or $99.99 once and never again
- HDR and surround sound
- More than 2 sources at once
- Offline downloads
- IPTV catch-up and on-demand
- Bulk channel tools and program reminders
- iCloud sync across your devices
- Automatic subtitles
- SIMKL watch-history sync
Bought inside the app, whenever you decide you want it. Apple handles it via In-App Purchase, with Family Sharing. The annual plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Manage or cancel anytime from your Apple ID.
- Unlimited devices
- All providers
- tvOS, iOS, iPadOS and macOS
- Family Sharing
- Cancel anytime
Switching questions, answered.
Weighing the two up with UHF already installed? Get in touch.
Keep both installed. Decide with the remote.
Spectati is free on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac, and nothing here asks you to uninstall anything first. Press play on a sample film, scan the QR code to put your playlist in from your phone, and keep whichever one you reach for.
Also on Apple TV, iPad and Mac
Requires tvOS, iOS, iPadOS or macOS 26