ChannelOS is a local-first Windows TV system that turns media you already own into persistent, programmable channels. Build your own stations, give them schedules, browse a live cable-style TV Guide, watch On Demand, and switch channels from a couch-friendly interface. No account, cloud service, or media upload required. The current alpha is free and open source under MPL-2.0.
Hey! I’m the guy who made ChannelOS. xD
It mostly exists because I got tired of the fact that I could own an entire library of movies, shows, and recordings, but actually watching them still meant digging through folders and choosing individual files.
I missed the feeling of television turning it on, seeing what’s already playing, flipping through channels, finding something halfway through, and just watching it.
So I kept coming back to one question:
If I own the media, why can’t I also own the television network?
That became ChannelOS.
The current Windows alpha lets you point it at media you already own, build persistent channels, give them schedules, browse a TV Guide, channel surf, and use the same library for On Demand playback.
It’s still early, and that’s part of why I’m putting it out now. If you try it and something breaks, feels awkward, or makes you think “why the hell doesn’t it do this?” I genuinely want to hear it.
Thanks to anyone willing to give this weird little television project a shot. :)
Half my local library is in formats my TV refuses, so I convert a lot. Does it transcode on the fly or does the file need to be right already?
About ChannelOS on Product Hunt
“Turn your local media library into cable-style TV”
ChannelOS launched on Product Hunt on September 1st, 2026 and earned 98 upvotes and 7 comments, placing #12 on the daily leaderboard. ChannelOS is a local-first Windows TV system that turns media you already own into persistent, programmable channels. Build your own stations, give them schedules, browse a live cable-style TV Guide, watch On Demand, and switch channels from a couch-friendly interface. No account, cloud service, or media upload required. The current alpha is free and open source under MPL-2.0.
ChannelOS was featured in Windows (12.8k followers), Open Source (68.8k followers), GitHub (41.4k followers) and Entertainment (2k followers) on Product Hunt. Together, these topics include over 51.3k products, making this a competitive space to launch in.
Who hunted ChannelOS?
ChannelOS was hunted by Captainkoopa42. A “hunter” on Product Hunt is the community member who submits a product to the platform — uploading the images, the link, and tagging the makers behind it. Hunters typically write the first comment explaining why a product is worth attention, and their followers are notified the moment they post. Around 79% of featured launches on Product Hunt are self-hunted by their makers, but a well-known hunter still acts as a signal of quality to the rest of the community. See the full all-time top hunters leaderboard to discover who is shaping the Product Hunt ecosystem.
Want to see how ChannelOS stacked up against nearby launches in real time? Check out the live launch dashboard for upvote speed charts, proximity comparisons, and more analytics.
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