UNDERSTAIRS

Every feature

What each app can do.

Here is the plain list, app by app. Some things need a certain server or device. A small number points to the note about it at the bottom of the page.

  • Yes It does this.
  • N/A Not something this device does, like downloads on a TV or video in CarPlay.
  • 1 A small number points to a note at the end of this page.

Fire TV and Android TV are the same TV app. Apple Watch and CarPlay come with the iPhone app. Nothing is in a store yet.

Which feature each app has. Yes, or N/A where it is not something that device does. A small number after a Yes points to a note at the end of the page.
FeatureFire TVone app, every Fire TVAndroid TVand Google TViPhoneand iPadAndroid phoneand tabletApple Watchwith the iPhone appCarPlaywith the iPhone app
Downloads and offline
Smart downloadsN/AN/AYes1Yes1N/AN/A
Downloads for offlineN/AN/AYesYesYesN/A
NotificationsN/AN/AYes1Yes1N/AN/A
Watching
Continue Watching and Up NextYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Title logosYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Skip intro and skip creditsYes2Yes2Yes2Yes2N/AN/A
Next episodeYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Your audio and subtitles stay putYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
No needless convertingYes12YesYesYesN/AN/A
Surround soundYes13YesYes10Yes10N/AN/A
Quality choiceYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Subtitle sizeYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Subtitle colour and backgroundYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Playback speedYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Sleep timerYesYesYesYesYesN/A
Picture-in-pictureYes9Yes9YesYesN/AN/A
Scrub preview picturesYes6Yes6Yes6Yes6N/AN/A
Live TV and recordingsYes3Yes3Yes3Yes3N/AN/A
Cast to a TVN/AN/AYesYesN/AN/A
TrailersYes7Yes7YesYesN/AN/A
Cast and crew pagesYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Music, in the car and on your wrist
MusicYesYesYesYesYesYes
SearchYesYesYesYesYesYes
People and servers
Who is watchingYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
All your servers in one appYesYesYesYesYesYes
Easy sign-inYes8Yes8Yes8Yes8N/AN/A
Favourites and WatchlistYes11Yes11Yes11Yes11N/AN/A
Make it yours
Home you arrangeYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Seven colour themesYesYesYesYesN/AN/A
Problem reportYesYesYesYesN/AN/A

Pick your app:

Fire TV

Coming soon to the Amazon Appstore

A small number points to a note in Good to know, at the end of the page.

What it does

  • Continue Watching and Up NextOpen the app and your film or your next episode is one press away.
  • Title logosEach title shows its own logo on Home and in the player. If your server has none, you see the name.
  • Skip intro and skip creditsOne press jumps over the intro and the credits. You can also switch on skipping for you.2
  • Next episodeWhen an episode ends, the next one is ready: a button, or it just plays.
  • Your audio and subtitles stay putPick your language and subtitles once. Change the quality or press Retry, and they stay as you picked them.
  • No needless convertingThe app asks your device what it can play and sends it as it is. Your server converts only the rest.12
  • Surround soundDolby sound goes to your soundbar or TV as it is, and so does DTS. Prefer plain stereo? Switch it off.13
  • Quality choiceChoose Auto, Original, 1080p, 720p or 480p. You can set a default quality, and pick your audio language.
  • Subtitle sizeMake subtitles bigger or smaller.
  • Subtitle colour and backgroundChange the colour, background and height of your subtitles.
  • Playback speedWatch faster or slower than normal.
  • Sleep timerFall asleep to a film or an album and it stops by itself. Choose 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
  • Picture-in-pictureKeep the film in a small window while you do something else.9
  • Scrub preview picturesWind through a film and see the pictures, not just a number.6
  • Live TV and recordingsWatch live channels, open the guide, record a programme or a series, and start a live programme again from the beginning.3
  • TrailersWatch the trailer from a title’s page.7
  • Cast and crew pagesA page for the cast and crew of each title.
  • MusicBrowse albums, artists and playlists. You can play next and add to the queue.
  • SearchSearch across your libraries.
  • Who is watchingEveryone gets a profile of their own, with their own history. Add a PIN if you like.
  • All your servers in one appAdd Jellyfin, Emby and Plex side by side and switch in a moment. The app looks for servers on your network.
  • Easy sign-inApprove a sign-in from another device instead of typing it on the remote. That works with Jellyfin Quick Connect, the Plex link code and Emby Connect.8
  • Favourites and WatchlistKeep a list of what you want to watch. Jellyfin and Emby use Favourites. Plex uses your plex.tv Watchlist.11
  • Home you arrangeChoose and order the rows on Home, and which libraries show.
  • Seven colour themesMidnight, Slate, Ember, Crimson, Forest, Dusk and Cinema. There is also a Light theme and OLED black.
  • Problem reportSomething wrong? One screen gathers the details so you can send them to us. On a TV it shows a QR code to scan with your phone.
  • Hold OK for a quick menuHold OK on any card for a quick menu. The hints on screen match your remote.

In the phone apps: Smart downloads, Downloads for offline and Notifications.

Android TV and Google TV

Coming soon to Google Play

It is the same TV app as Fire TV. A small number points to a note in Good to know.

What it does

  • Continue Watching and Up NextOpen the app and your film or your next episode is one press away.
  • Title logosEach title shows its own logo on Home and in the player. If your server has none, you see the name.
  • Skip intro and skip creditsOne press jumps over the intro and the credits. You can also switch on skipping for you.2
  • Next episodeWhen an episode ends, the next one is ready: a button, or it just plays.
  • Your audio and subtitles stay putPick your language and subtitles once. Change the quality or press Retry, and they stay as you picked them.
  • No needless convertingThe app asks your device what it can play and sends it as it is. Your server converts only the rest.
  • Surround soundDolby and DTS sound go to your soundbar or TV as they are. Prefer plain stereo? Switch it off.
  • Quality choiceChoose Auto, Original, 1080p, 720p or 480p. You can set a default quality, and pick your audio language.
  • Subtitle sizeMake subtitles bigger or smaller.
  • Subtitle colour and backgroundChange the colour, background and height of your subtitles.
  • Playback speedWatch faster or slower than normal.
  • Sleep timerFall asleep to a film or an album and it stops by itself. Choose 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
  • Picture-in-pictureKeep the film in a small window while you do something else.9
  • Scrub preview picturesWind through a film and see the pictures, not just a number.6
  • Live TV and recordingsWatch live channels, open the guide, record a programme or a series, and start a live programme again from the beginning.3
  • TrailersWatch the trailer from a title’s page.7
  • Cast and crew pagesA page for the cast and crew of each title.
  • MusicBrowse albums, artists and playlists. You can play next and add to the queue.
  • SearchSearch across your libraries.
  • Who is watchingEveryone gets a profile of their own, with their own history. Add a PIN if you like.
  • All your servers in one appAdd Jellyfin, Emby and Plex side by side and switch in a moment. The app looks for servers on your network.
  • Easy sign-inApprove a sign-in from another device instead of typing it on the remote. That works with Jellyfin Quick Connect, the Plex link code and Emby Connect.8
  • Favourites and WatchlistKeep a list of what you want to watch. Jellyfin and Emby use Favourites. Plex uses your plex.tv Watchlist.11
  • Home you arrangeChoose and order the rows on Home, and which libraries show.
  • Seven colour themesMidnight, Slate, Ember, Crimson, Forest, Dusk and Cinema. There is also a Light theme and OLED black.
  • Problem reportSomething wrong? One screen gathers the details so you can send them to us. On a TV it shows a QR code to scan with your phone.
  • Hold OK for a quick menuHold OK on any card for a quick menu. The hints on screen match your remote.

In the phone apps: Smart downloads, Downloads for offline and Notifications.

iPhone and iPad

Coming soon to the App Store

A small number points to a note in Good to know, at the end of the page.

What it does

  • Smart downloadsKeeps your next episodes ready on your phone, and clears them once you have watched them. It is off until you turn it on in Settings > Downloads.1
  • Downloads for offlineSave films, episodes and albums for the plane or the train.
  • NotificationsA nudge for new episodes, finished downloads and finished recordings. Recording alerts need a recorder on your server. New-episode alerts are not instant. Your iPhone decides when the app can check, so they can be hours late. Open the app to see what is new straight away.1
  • Continue Watching and Up NextOpen the app and your film or your next episode is one tap away.
  • Title logosEach title shows its own logo on Home and in the player. If your server has none, you see the name.
  • Skip intro and skip creditsOne tap jumps over the intro and the credits. You can also switch on skipping for you.2
  • Next episodeWhen an episode ends, the next one is ready: a button, or it just plays.
  • Your audio and subtitles stay putPick your language and subtitles once. Change the quality or press Retry, and they stay as you picked them.
  • No needless convertingThe app asks your device what it can play and sends it as it is. Your server converts only the rest.
  • Surround soundSurround sound goes to an Apple TV, a HomePod, AirPods or a receiver as it is.10
  • Quality choiceChoose Auto, Original, 1080p, 720p or 480p. You can also set a lower limit for mobile data, and pick your audio language.
  • Subtitle sizeMake subtitles bigger or smaller.
  • Subtitle colour and backgroundChange the colour, background and height of your subtitles.
  • Playback speedWatch faster or slower than normal.
  • Sleep timerFall asleep to a film or an album and it stops by itself. Choose 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
  • Picture-in-pictureKeep the film in a small window while you do something else.
  • Scrub preview picturesWind through a film and see the pictures, not just a number.6
  • Live TV and recordingsWatch live channels, open the guide, record a programme or a series, and start a live programme again from the beginning.3
  • Cast to a TVSend a film to a Chromecast if your server is Emby, or to an AirPlay screen from any server.
  • TrailersWatch the trailer from a title’s page.
  • Cast and crew pagesA page for the cast and crew of each title.
  • MusicBrowse albums, artists and playlists.
  • CarPlayYour music on the car screen. Browse, search by voice, switch server and see what is next. It plays music only, no video.4
  • Apple Watch appYour music on your wrist. It works on its own with saved albums and playlists, or as a remote for your iPhone. It plays music only, no video.5
  • SearchSearch across your libraries.
  • Who is watchingEveryone gets a profile of their own, with their own history. Add a PIN if you like.
  • All your servers in one appAdd Jellyfin, Emby and Plex side by side and switch in a moment. The app looks for servers on your network.
  • Easy sign-inApprove a sign-in from another device, so you type less. That works with Jellyfin Quick Connect, the Plex link code and Emby Connect.8
  • Favourites and WatchlistKeep a list of what you want to watch. Jellyfin and Emby use Favourites. Plex uses your plex.tv Watchlist.11
  • Home you arrangeChoose and order the rows on Home, and which libraries show.
  • Seven colour themesMidnight, Slate, Ember, Crimson, Forest, Dusk and Cinema. There is also a Light theme and OLED black.
  • Problem reportSomething wrong? One screen in Settings > About gathers the details so you can send them to us.

Android phone and tablet

Coming soon to Google Play

A small number points to a note in Good to know, at the end of the page.

What it does

  • Smart downloadsKeeps your next episodes ready on your phone, and clears them once you have watched them. It is off until you turn it on in Settings > Downloads.1
  • Downloads for offlineSave films, episodes and albums for the plane or the train.
  • NotificationsA nudge for new episodes, finished downloads and finished recordings. Recording alerts need a recorder on your server. New episodes are checked about every 15 minutes, less often when your phone is idle. Open the app to see what is new straight away.1
  • Continue Watching and Up NextOpen the app and your film or your next episode is one tap away.
  • Title logosEach title shows its own logo on Home and in the player. If your server has none, you see the name.
  • Skip intro and skip creditsOne tap jumps over the intro and the credits. You can also switch on skipping for you.2
  • Next episodeWhen an episode ends, the next one is ready: a button, or it just plays.
  • Your audio and subtitles stay putPick your language and subtitles once. Change the quality or press Retry, and they stay as you picked them.
  • No needless convertingThe app asks your device what it can play and sends it as it is. Your server converts only the rest.
  • Surround soundSurround sound goes to a soundbar or receiver as it is.10
  • Quality choiceChoose Auto, Original, 1080p, 720p or 480p. You can also set a lower limit for mobile data, and pick your audio language.
  • Subtitle sizeMake subtitles bigger or smaller.
  • Subtitle colour and backgroundChange the colour, background and height of your subtitles.
  • Playback speedWatch faster or slower than normal.
  • Sleep timerFall asleep to a film or an album and it stops by itself. Choose 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
  • Picture-in-pictureKeep the film in a small window while you do something else.
  • Scrub preview picturesWind through a film and see the pictures, not just a number.6
  • Live TV and recordingsWatch live channels, open the guide, record a programme or a series, and start a live programme again from the beginning.3
  • Cast to a TVSend a film to a Chromecast if your server is Emby.
  • TrailersWatch the trailer from a title’s page.
  • Cast and crew pagesA page for the cast and crew of each title.
  • MusicBrowse albums, artists and playlists.
  • SearchSearch across your libraries.
  • Who is watchingEveryone gets a profile of their own, with their own history. Add a PIN if you like.
  • All your servers in one appAdd Jellyfin, Emby and Plex side by side and switch in a moment. The app looks for servers on your network.
  • Easy sign-inApprove a sign-in from another device, so you type less. That works with Jellyfin Quick Connect, the Plex link code and Emby Connect.8
  • Favourites and WatchlistKeep a list of what you want to watch. Jellyfin and Emby use Favourites. Plex uses your plex.tv Watchlist.11
  • Home you arrangeChoose and order the rows on Home, and which libraries show.
  • Seven colour themesMidnight, Slate, Ember, Crimson, Forest, Dusk and Cinema. There is also a Light theme and OLED black.
  • Problem reportSomething wrong? One screen in Settings > About gathers the details so you can send them to us.

Apple Watch

Comes with the iPhone app

It plays music only.

What it does

  • Downloads for offlineKeep albums and playlists on your watch.
  • Sleep timerFall asleep to your music and it stops by itself.
  • MusicBrowse albums, artists and playlists.
  • SearchSearch across your libraries.
  • All your servers in one appIt takes its servers from your iPhone.

It has no video. The iPhone app does the rest.

CarPlay

Comes with the iPhone app

It plays music only.

What it does

  • MusicBrowse albums, artists and playlists.
  • SearchSearch across your libraries.
  • All your servers in one appSwitch server on the car screen.

It has no video. The iPhone app does the rest.

The small print

Good to know.

Each note says who it affects, what you need, and why. The small numbers on this page point here.

  • 1. Smart downloads and alertsSmart downloads and alerts are for the phone apps. Smart downloads are off until you turn them on once in Settings > Downloads. Then you choose each show or season from its own page. New-episode alerts are not instant. Android phones check about every 15 minutes. On iPhone, iOS decides when the app can check, so an alert can be hours late. Opening the app checks straight away. With Plex, a title downloads only if your Plex server allows it.
  • 2. Skip intro and skip creditsThese need the marks your server holds. Jellyfin and Emby give both. Plex gives them where your Plex server has already found them.
  • 3. Live TV and recordingsYou need a TV tuner on your server. Emby needs Premiere, or recording permission for your account. Plex needs its recording feature set up first.
  • 4. CarPlayCarPlay is for iPhone, and it plays music only, with no video. Voice search is an extra. You switch it on once in your iPhone’s Settings, and it uses Apple’s speech recognition.
  • 5. Apple WatchThe watch app plays music only, with no video. It takes your servers from your iPhone, which you pair with the watch once.
  • 6. Scrub preview picturesThe pictures come from your server, so it needs to make them first. In Jellyfin, Emby and Plex, that is a setting for each library.
  • 7. TrailersA trailer needs to be on your server, for a film or a series.
  • 8. Easy sign-inApproving a sign-in from another device works with Jellyfin Quick Connect, the Plex link code and Emby Connect. For Emby Connect, your Emby user needs to be linked to an Emby Connect account first.
  • 9. Picture-in-picture on TVOn Fire TV, Amazon lets the small window stay only inside the app. So your film can wait in the corner while you browse UNDERSTAIRS, but not while you use another app. On Android TV and Google TV it needs Android 14 or later. A few makers switch it off on TVs with little memory.
  • 10. Surround sound on a phoneOn a phone, surround sound needs something that can play it. That is a soundbar or receiver on an adapter. From an iPhone, it can also be an Apple TV or HomePod over AirPlay, or AirPods with spatial audio. The phone’s own speaker and ordinary Bluetooth headphones play stereo only.
  • 11. Favourites and WatchlistJellyfin and Emby use Favourites. Plex uses your plex.tv Watchlist, so you need to sign in to plex.tv.

Fire TV devices running Vega OS

Amazon runs these on its newer system, Vega OS. They are the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the Fire TV Stick HD and the Fire TV Stick 4K (3rd Gen). Its other Fire TV devices run Fire OS. The app works the same on them, Sign in with Plex included. Here is what differs.

  • 12. Your server does more of the workAmazon’s player on these devices can’t jump around inside MKV files, a common kind of film file. It can also get stuck when a film starts partway through. So your server converts the film as it plays when you skip ahead in an MKV file. It does the same when you carry on watching any film more than a minute in. Your server needs to be able to convert video. On Jellyfin and Emby, 4K films need a powerful server. Plex only repackages the picture, which is light work.
  • 13. Surround soundWhen a film plays as it is, Dolby sound goes to your soundbar or TV unchanged. When your server converts a film for these devices, you get 5.1 surround sound instead. In our tests, Dolby sound inside a converted film went silent on them.

Read more

The details, app by app.

The TV appsThe phone appsTell me when it is out