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Nova Core vs TVHeadend, Astra & Flussonic

An honest side-by-side of the main DVB-to-IPTV headends. Nova Core does the core job — turn DVB-S/S2/T/T2/C tuners into HTTP-TS, UDP and M3U streams with a built-in EPG — as a free, single static binary with a modern web UI. No license fee, no dependency hell.

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Nova Core Free

Single ~4 MB binary, modern web UI, built-in EPG, self-healing tuners. Closed-source but free for FTA.

Best for: a fast, modern, zero-dependency DVB→IP headend

TVHeadend Free

Mature open-source (GPL) PVR with recording and a big plugin ecosystem. Heavier, dated UI, more setup.

Best for: open source & DVR recording

Astra

Capable commercial headend with transcoding and descrambling. Lua-configured, license required.

Best for: operators wanting a proven paid stack

Flussonic

Full enterprise media platform — transcoding, DRM, catch-up. Powerful, heavy, premium pricing.

Best for: large media platforms with budget

Full feature comparison

Nova Core deliberately keeps a small surface — a fast, modern live streaming headend — rather than trying to be a full PVR or transcoding suite. Where it says “no”, that’s a deliberate scope choice, not a missing feature.

Capability Nova Core TVHeadend Astra Flussonic
PriceFreeFreePaidPaid ($$$)
License modelFree binaryclosed-sourceOpen sourceGPLCommercialCommercial
InstallSingle static binaryno dependenciesPackage + depsBinaryBinary / package
Time to first stream~5 minModerateModerateModerate
ConfigurationWeb UIWeb UI + filesLua scriptsWeb UI + config
DVB-S/S2/T/T2/C input● Yes● Yes● Yes● Yes
HTTP-TS / UDP / M3U output● Yes● Yes● Yes● Yes
UDP / multicast egress● Yes● Yes● Yes● Yes
Built-in EPG (EIT → XMLTV)● Yes● Yes● Yes● Yes
Modern web UI● Yes◐ Dated● Yes● Yes
Live per-tuner signal/quality● Full DVB v5◐ Basic● Yes● Yes
Self-healing / auto re-tune● Yes— Manual◐ Partial◐ Partial
Runs fully offline (no license check)● Yes● Yes— License— License
ARM / Raspberry Pi● Yes● Yes● Yes◐ Limited
Footprint~4 MB, low RAMMediumMediumHeavy
Transcoding— Nopassthrough only◐ Basic● Yes● Yes
DVR / recording— No● Yes● Yes● Yes
Descrambling (CI / CAM / BISS)— NoFTA only◐ Plugin● Yes● Yes

Comparison reflects typical configurations as of 2026. TVHeadend, Astra and Flussonic are powerful products that may fit needs Nova Core intentionally leaves out (PVR, transcoding, DRM).

Built-in EPG, no external grabber

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 EPG preview — TV-guide grid with channels, time axis and programmes harvested from DVB EIT

Nova Core's built-in EPG preview — a TV-guide grid generated from live DVB EIT.

Why teams pick Nova Core

Coming from TVHeadend?

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, no dependency chase.

Coming from Astra?

Astra is a capable commercial headend configured in Lua. 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 — no license server.

Coming from Flussonic?

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.

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about how Nova Core compares — including where it isn’t the right tool.

Is Nova Core open source?
No. Nova Core is free to use but not open source — it ships as a closed-source, single static Linux binary. If you specifically need open-source software, TVHeadend (GPL) is the main option. If you want a free, zero-dependency, modern-UI DVB-to-IP headend that installs in one command, Nova Core is built for that.
What is the best free DVB to IPTV headend software?
The two leading free options are Nova Core and TVHeadend. Nova Core is a free, single-binary live streaming headend with a modern web UI, built-in EPG and zero dependencies — fastest to deploy for re-streaming free-to-air DVB to IP. TVHeadend is open source (GPL) and adds DVR recording, at the cost of a heavier setup. Astra and Flussonic are powerful but commercial (paid).
How is Nova Core different from TVHeadend?
TVHeadend is a full open-source PVR: it records, has a large plugin ecosystem, and a steeper setup with package dependencies. Nova Core focuses on being a lightweight, modern-UI live streaming headend — one ~4 MB static binary, no dependencies, fast to deploy, with self-healing tuners. It does not record (no DVR). Pick TVHeadend if you need open source or recording; pick Nova Core if you want a fast, clean DVB-to-IP headend.
How is Nova Core different from Astra and Flussonic?
Cesbo Astra and Flussonic are powerful commercial products with paid licenses and license checks. Nova Core is free and covers the core headend job — DVB to IP with EPG — in a single dependency-free binary that also runs on ARM and Raspberry Pi. It is free-to-air only; transcoding and CI/CAM/BISS descrambling are outside the scope of the free Core.
Does Nova Core record TV (DVR / PVR)?
No. Nova Core is a live streaming headend, not a PVR — it turns DVB into IP streams (HTTP-TS, UDP, M3U) with an EPG, but does not record. If you need recording, TVHeadend or a separate recorder is the better fit.
Can Nova Core descramble encrypted channels (CI / CAM / BISS)?
Nova Core handles free-to-air (FTA) DVB only. It does not descramble encrypted channels (CI/CAM, BISS) and does not transcode — it streams the original transport as-is.
How do I convert DVB to IPTV with Nova Core?
Download the single binary for your CPU, run sudo ./nova-core -install to register a systemd service, then open the printed web UI URL, add your tuners, scan, and each channel is published as HTTP-TS, UDP/multicast and in a /playlist.m3u — with EPG. No ffmpeg, Python or other dependencies required.

Try it in five minutes

Download the single binary for your platform, point it at a tuner, scan, and stream. Free to use.

Download Nova Core Installation guide