Support

VirtualChannels is in development for macOS on Apple silicon. Until launch, the fastest way to stay informed is the launch waitlist — we email system requirements, beta opportunities, and release timing there.

Before launch

Have a compatibility question (Plex, Emby, Channels DVR, Jellyfin, or your Mac model)? See the FAQ, or reach out directly.

Media & codec compatibility

VirtualChannels transcodes your source files on the fly using your Mac’s GPU (Apple VideoToolbox). H.264 and HEVC (H.265) libraries are hardware-accelerated on every supported Apple silicon Mac.

AV1 source files are a special case. Hardware-accelerated AV1 decoding is only available on Apple silicon with an M3 chip or newer (the M3, M4, and M5 families) — Apple added a dedicated AV1 decoder starting with M3 in late 2023. M1 and M2 Macs have no AV1 hardware decoder, so AV1 content can’t be hardware-transcoded for always-on channels on those machines. If your library includes AV1, plan on an M3-or-newer Mac; otherwise H.264/HEVC sources work everywhere.

On the output side, VirtualChannels transcodes to H.264/HEVC — the formats every supported client plays reliably. It does not output AV1 (mainstream Apple silicon has no AV1 hardware encoder).

Contact

Email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you.