Record IPTV with GridStreamr DVR on Docker and Synology NAS

Running GridStreamr Home DVR in Docker on a Synology NAS (or any Linux host) keeps IPTV recordings on your volumes, schedulable from the GridStreamr app, without leaving a desktop PC powered on 24/7. This guide walks through image selection, compose file, Synology Container Manager setup, LAN pairing and day-to-day scheduling from Smart Collections.

What you need before starting

Download page with compose snippets: /download/dvr

Feature overview: Home IPTV DVR

Choose the correct Docker image

GridStreamr publishes two images on Docker Hub:

Check architecture:

uname -m

x86_64 → amd64. aarch64 → arm64.

On Synology without SSH: read DSM Control Panel → Info → Model and vendor specs, or inspect Container Manager when pulling multi-arch manifests.

Sample Docker Compose file

Create docker-compose.yml on the NAS (or paste into Container Manager project):

services:
  gridstreamr-dvr:
    image: gridstreamr/gridstreamr-dvr-amd64:latest
    container_name: gridstreamr-dvr
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      GRIDSTREAMR_BIND_ADDRESS: "0.0.0.0:8787"
      GRIDSTREAMR_DATABASE_PATH: "/data/dvr.db"
      GRIDSTREAMR_RECORDINGS_PATH: "/recordings"
      TZ: "America/New_York"
    ports:
      - "8787:8787"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
      - ./recordings:/recordings

ARM Synology: replace image with gridstreamr/gridstreamr-dvr-arm64:latest.

Timezone: set TZ to your locale so schedules match programme times in EPG.

Volumes:

• ./data → SQLite job database (dvr.db)
• ./recordings → finished media files

On Synology prefer absolute paths to shared folders:

volumes:
  - /volume1/docker/gridstreamr-dvr/data:/data
  - /volume1/video/dvr-recordings:/recordings

Create folders in File Station first; grant the container user read/write (often via high-privilege container user or ACL adjustment on DSM 7).

Synology Container Manager setup

Option A — Project from compose (DSM 7.2+)

1. Open Container Manager → Project → Create
2. Name project gridstreamr-dvr
3. Paste compose YAML (adjust paths and image arch)
4. Build/Deploy — pull image and start container
5. Confirm container Running and port 8787 published

Option B — GUI container create

1. Registry → search gridstreamr/gridstreamr-dvr-amd64 → Download
2. Container → Create from image
3. General settings — enable auto-restart
4. Port settings — map local 8787 → container 8787
5. Volume — mount /data and /recordings to shared folders
6. Environment — add variables from compose (GRIDSTREAMR_BIND_ADDRESS, paths, TZ)
7. Start container

Firewall

If Synology firewall enabled, allow 8787/tcp from LAN subnets so phones can pair.

Verify the dashboard

On a PC browser on the same LAN:

http://YOUR-SYNOLOGY-IP:8787

You should see the GridStreamr DVR dashboard with pairing code area and job list (empty initially).

Closing the browser does not stop the background service — same as desktop installs.

Default port constant: 8787 (see dvr-downloads.ts reference implementation on site).

Pair from GridStreamr app (Premium)

On iPhone or Android (same Wi‑Fi):

1. Open Settings → DVR → LAN
2. Tap Find on Wi‑Fi or enter http://192.168.x.x:8787 manually
3. Enter one-time pairing code from dashboard
4. Select recordings storage path if prompted (container path /recordings maps to your volume)
5. Confirm paired status in app and dashboard

mDNS caveat: Docker bridge networking often fails Bonjour/mDNS discovery. If Find on Wi‑Fi misses the NAS, always fall back to static LAN IP — documented on /download/dvr.

Schedule your first recording

1. Open a Smart Collection with live channels from your Xtream or M3U source
2. Tune into a channel or pick from guide (EPG mapping helps titles)
3. Choose Record or Schedule (wording varies by version)
4. Set start/end or duration; save job
5. Watch dashboard — active jobs show FFmpeg progress
6. Files appear under /volume1/video/dvr-recordings (or your mount)

GridStreamr bundles pinned FFmpeg inside the image — no separate FFmpeg install on Synology.

Cloud Relay for remote job control

Away from home, enable Cloud Relay in dashboard and link under Settings → DVR → Cloud in app. This maintains an outbound secure tunnel for scheduling without port forwarding.

Important: Cloud Relay does not stream recordings over the internet by itself. Playback or download still needs LAN access, VPN home, or your own public reverse proxy you trust.

Documentation: Home DVR setup

Desktop alternatives (Windows and Mac)

Not using NAS? Native installers from /download/dvr:

Installers register launchd or Windows Service, same port 8787, same pairing flow. Recordings land on local disk paths you choose during setup.

Linux without Docker: build from gridstreamr-dvr-releases and install systemd unit (advanced).

Storage and retention tips

HD IPTV recordings consume ~2–4 GB/hour depending on bitrate — plan volumes accordingly.

• Use ** BTRFS free space alerts** on Synology
• Rotate recordings with Hyper Backup or simple cron move to cold storage
• Separate SSD for metadata (/data) and HDD volume for recordings if hybrid NAS

Pair with Jellyfin on same NAS to browse finished files — optional workflow outside GridStreamr player.

Troubleshooting Synology Docker

Container exits immediately

• Check logs in Container Manager → gridstreamr-dvr → Log
• Verify volume paths exist and permissions allow write
• Confirm correct amd64/arm64 image

App cannot find DVR

• Use http://nas-ip:8787 not hostname
• Same subnet — guest Wi‑Fi isolation blocks LAN
• Firewall rule missing 8787

Recordings empty or zero bytes

• Upstream IPTV stream offline — GridStreamr records provider stream, not synthetic content
• Job ended before FFmpeg connected — retry live channel first in player

Clock skew

• Set DSM NTP sync and correct TZ env var — EPG schedules rely on accurate time

High CPU during record

• Expected for transcode-heavy streams; prefer direct record when provider codec matches container settings

Security checklist

• Do not expose port 8787 to 0.0.0.0 on the public internet without hardening
• Use VPN (Synology VPN Server, Tailscale, WireGuard) for remote admin
• Treat dashboard like admin credentials — pairing codes grant schedule control
• Record only content your provider terms allow personal recording of

Unraid and generic Linux

This Synology guide transfers directly:

1. Create appdata and recordings paths on array/cache
2. Paste same compose in Compose Plugin or Portainer
3. Pair with LAN IP of Unraid server

ARM home servers (Pi 4/5) use arm64 image — adequate for one concurrent HD job; scale expectations for 4K.

Next steps after DVR works

• Schedule recurring series from EPG alerts
• Organize recordings in Jellyfin library folder
• Read IPTV DVR feature page for TimeShift vs DVR differences
• Share live lineup separately via Smart Collection tokens — recordings stay local

Related reading

• DVR download page
• Home IPTV DVR feature
• Smart Collections
• EPG guide
• Documentation → DVR
• TimeShift blog