Nova Core does the core headend job — turn DVB-S/S2/T/T2/C tuners into HTTP-TS, UDP and M3U streams with a built-in EPG — as a single static binary with a modern web UI. No license fee, no dependency hell.
An honest side-by-side. Nova Core deliberately keeps a small surface — a fast, modern live streaming headend — rather than trying to be a full PVR or transcoding suite.
| Capability | Nova Core | TVHeadend | Astra | Flussonic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Paid | Paid |
| License | Free binary | Open source (GPL) | Commercial | Commercial |
| Install | Single static binary | Package + deps | Binary | Binary / package |
| DVB-S/S2/T/T2/C input | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| HTTP-TS / UDP / M3U output | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Built-in EPG (EIT → XMLTV) | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Modern web UI | ● Yes | ◐ Dated | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Runs on ARM / Raspberry Pi | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes | ◐ Limited |
| Footprint | Tiny | Medium | Medium | Heavy |
| Transcoding | — Passthrough | ◐ Basic | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| DVR / recording | — No | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Descrambling (CI / CAM / BISS) | Enterprise | ◐ Plugin | ● Yes | ● Yes |
Comparison reflects typical configurations; competing products are powerful and may fit needs Nova Core intentionally leaves out (PVR, transcoding).
Nova harvests the DVB EIT straight off a mux and publishes XMLTV. One budget-mode tuner on the EPG transponder gives you the guide for the whole bouquet — preview it right in the web UI.
Nova Core's built-in EPG preview — a TV-guide grid generated from live DVB EIT.
If you only need to re-stream free-to-air DVB to IP — not record — Nova Core is far quicker to stand up: one binary, a clean web UI, and EPG that just works. No plugins, no compile.
Astra is a capable commercial headend. Nova Core covers the same DVB-to-IP core for free, with a modern UI and a single dependency-free binary that runs anywhere from a server to a Raspberry Pi.
Flussonic is a full enterprise media platform with a price to match. If your job is "DVB in, IP out, with a guide," Nova Core does exactly that without the license cost or the heavy footprint.
Download the single binary for your platform, point it at a tuner, scan, and stream. Free to use.