Troubleshoot Home DVR

Begin with the failed stage

Home DVR has several independent stages: the desktop service starts, Odyssey connects, a source is authorised, a recording is scheduled, media is written and a player opens it. A success at one stage does not prove that the later stages work.

Start with the last confirmed result. Record the device, app version, approximate time and exact visible error. Keep management codes, source passwords and sharing links out of screenshots or copied reports.

The companion will not open

Use the current installer from the downloads page. The Mac signing repair was separately checked for installation and launch; that does not establish end-to-end recording on your setup.

If macOS reports an older download as damaged, replace that download with the current signed, notarised installer and follow its installation guide. Do not turn off Gatekeeper or delete security attributes as a routine workaround.

On Mac, Odyssey Home DVR is a menu-bar application. Open its menu and choose Settings… if you do not see a normal application window. Opening Settings still does not start the recording service.

The app cannot connect

1. On the service host, check whether Home DVR is running. The Mac companion has Refresh Status and Check Configuration.
2. In Odyssey, open Settings → DVR → Open Home DVR and inspect Manage Connection where available.
3. Check the server address and port. Use the intended HTTPS endpoint, not an unencrypted backend listening on port 3000.
4. Verify that the certificate covers the address and is trusted on this client device.
5. Check the DVR username and password, or use Reconnect Saved Connection for a valid saved connection.

“Trust this HTTPS server” records your choice of server; it does not make an invalid certificate valid. A local address that works at home may not work from an outside network.

Recording or sharing is unavailable

Check the active profile and the source’s current permission. The source policy distinguishes Record and Restream. A changed source can invalidate a previously approved configuration.

Use Refresh Source when offered, then review the current status. The service can report a disabled, unsupported or unconfigured source. It can also apply account eligibility rules. Do not infer a product price or entitlement from an old screenshot; follow the current service response.

For sharing, check whether the programme is actually on air. A future programme may be schedulable but is not yet a live share.

The recording action timed out

If the screen offers Check Action, use it before creating another recording. A timeout can leave the client uncertain whether the service accepted the first request. Repeating the action without checking can make the situation harder to interpret.

Use Refresh Recordings and inspect Scheduled for the intended programme. Confirm its title, start time and status. Only retry creation when you understand the outcome of the earlier action.

A programme was missed, failed or interrupted

Inspect the job in Library → Recordings → Scheduled. Check whether the host was awake and the service running at the required time. Review storage availability, free space, source reachability and allowed connection limits.

Then inspect the guide timing. A programme that started early, ended late or changed channel can differ from the original schedule. Padding can help with expected timing differences, but cannot recover media from an offline recorder or a past unrecorded start.

Closing the player window is different from stopping the service. On Mac, Install DVR deliberately leaves the service stopped until the required setup and start steps are complete.

A recording exists but will not play

Access denied: review the profile, source permission and whether a sharing link expired or was revoked.

Stream no longer available: refresh the recording and sharing status. An old player can outlive the link or item it opened.

Companion or source is busy: wait briefly and check current streams and connection limits before starting additional sessions.

Recording changed or could not be seeked: reopen it. The player needs the current media state.

Unsupported video stream: verify the companion’s source and media response. A network retry does not change an unsupported format by itself.

Worked example and next step

A scheduled recording is absent from Recorded. The owner checks Scheduled and finds it marked Missed. They then discover that Home DVR was installed but never started. They complete configuration, start the service and test a short future recording. They do not claim that the missed programme has been recovered.

If the issue remains, contact support with the failed stage, device and app version, host platform, time and redacted error. Say whether a short authorised test recording succeeds. That evidence is more useful than “DVR is broken” and does not require sharing credentials.