Recording Streams

Receiving TV on your PC

Using your PC as a television offers several advantages: recording is easier, you don't need an extra screen, and the picture quality is often better than with old TVs. Several paths lead to the goal:

Three reception methods

• Internet TV (Web Streams) — channels like ARD, ZDF, ProSieben, RTL stream their live program directly in the browser. Free, but often without recording functionality.
• TV card or USB stick — DVB-T2, DVB-C or DVB-S receivers for the PC. Classic, high-quality picture, standalone.
• Software solutions with curated streams — programs that bundle hundreds of live channels and present them clearly.

What do you need?

• Internet connection with at least 6 MBit/s (HD), preferably 16 MBit/s
• Current browser or the respective software
• For TV cards/sticks: suitable reception (antenna for DVB-T2, cable connection for DVB-C, satellite dish for DVB-S)

IPTV overview

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television – meaning television that comes via the internet connection instead of antenna, cable, or satellite. The crucial difference: it uses your internet connection as the transmission path, but it's still linear television with a fixed schedule.

IPTV vs. Streaming – the difference

Who offers legal IPTV in Germany?

• Telekom MagentaTV — via IP connection, combined with internet tariffs
• Vodafone GigaTV — Cable and IPTV solutions
• 1&1 HD-TV — HD television via DSL/fiber optic
• waipu.tv — independent provider, no contract binding
• Zattoo — Swiss provider, active in Germany

Using media libraries

The media libraries of ARD, ZDF, Arte, and private broadcasters are goldmines: documentaries, reports, films, series — all usually available for free. However, only for a limited time.

The most important media libraries in Germany

• ARD-Mediathek — all ARD channels (Das Erste, BR, NDR, WDR, etc.)
• ZDF-Mediathek — ZDF and 3sat
• Arte-Mediathek — German-French program, often available for longer
• RTL+ / Joyn / ProSiebenSat.1 — Private broadcasters (often with advertising or premium model)
• 3sat-Mediathek — Culture and science
• Funk — young content network from ARD and ZDF

Availability to consider

• Own productions: often available for 30 days to one year on ARD/ZDF
• Licensed content (films, series): often only 7 days
• Sports broadcasts: usually only 24 hours, sometimes not at all
• Geo-blocking: often not accessible from abroad

Recording streams

A show that only stays in the media library for 7 days? A live TV segment you missed and can't watch on repeat? A concert recording that only airs once? This is where recording streams helps — if you do it right.

Two types of stream recordings

1. Recording video streams

Films, series, TV shows, streaming content. Software like MovieJack records the running video and saves it locally as a file – similar to old VHS recorders, but digital.

2. Recording audio streams

Music from streaming services, podcasts, web radio, audiobooks. Recordify specializes in audio and cuts streams directly into clean individual tracks – with ID3 tags, cover artwork, album structure.

What to look for?

• Maintain original quality: Good recording software saves streams without loss of quality
• Useful file formats: MP4 for video, MP3 or FLAC for audio
• Retain metadata: Title, artist, description should be automatically adopted
• Speed: Some tools can record faster than real-time — nice to have

What is legally allowed?

One of the most common questions regarding streaming recordings. The honest answer: It's complicated, but there are clear areas that are harmless and others that become sensitive.

✅ Clearly legal

• Live TV recordings from your own reception — just like with a VCR back in the day. Private copy according to § 53 UrhG (German Copyright Act).
• Downloading media library content for private use — as long as you don't share it
• Own streams (e.g., webcam recordings, own podcasts)
• Content explicitly offered for download (some media libraries have a download button)

⚠️ Grey area

• Recordings from streaming services like Netflix or Spotify – the providers' terms and conditions usually prohibit this, but it is not unambiguously illegal as a private copy under copyright law. Risk: Account suspension.
• Recordings of paid live streams (e.g., sports pay-TV) – similar to the above

❌ Clearly illegal

• Circumventing copy protection – § 95a UrhG (German Copyright Act) prohibits breaking DRM, even for private copies
• Distributing or uploading content – file-sharing networks, re-uploads to YouTube, etc.
• Recording from illegal sources – pirate streams, illegal IPTV lists
• Circumventing geo-blocking to copy content – e.g., if you record foreign streams using a VPN