Original playback is the headline feature. Supported single-file media can play in Default or Original mode. Original preserves source video characteristics such as HDR and Dolby Vision when the title, device, and connection allow it.
Original playback is more complete. Remux HLS supports Picture in Picture, handles Dolby Digital (AC3) audio more reliably, and explains why each playback option is or is not available.
ShowShark Web now has HLS playback. Browser playback (which is extremely beta) can use HLS with a compatibility fallback, improving startup, controls, and long-session behavior.
Profiles can now limit content access. Admins can protect profile switching with a passcode and restrict content by folder, rating, and media type. Restrictions apply across browsing, search, playback, downloads, recommendations, and history.
Search, Browse, and History are easier to use. File filters can be combined, recent items use clearer date groups, and TV episode history can jump to the episode or its show.
Live TV, YouTube, updates, and admin screens received focused reliability and polish fixes.
Original Playback
Original playback is a new playback mode beside Default adaptive playback. Default remains the compatibility path.
Original supports Direct File for MP4, MOV, and M4V, and Remux HLS for compatible MKV and other containers. Remux HLS preserves video without changing it when possible.
Original playback can preserve HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision Profile 5, 8.1, and 8.4 on capable devices and displays.
Playback Mode shows Default and Original choices before playback starts, including connection limits, track compatibility, audio conversion, and clear Original-unavailable reasons.
Original is preselected on LAN when available. Remote and relayed tailnet connections stay on Default; direct tailnet connections can use Original when the media URL is reachable.
Original Remux HLS can convert selected audio to AAC, including Dolby Digital (AC3) when needed, so ShowShark can preserve the original video while using audio the device can sync and play.
Picture in Picture works with Original Remux HLS on supported platforms.
Original playback failures now return to details so you can choose a playback mode again. ShowShark does not silently switch modes.
Remux HLS resume, seek, restart, and idle cleanup are more reliable, with safer bandwidth reporting and better handling of files whose seek points are far apart.
Device capability checks are more accurate, so Original eligibility reflects the current hardware, OS, route, and playback support.
Output Resolution controls are disabled in Original mode because only Default playback can scale video output.
Playback controls, seeking, subtitles, scrub previews, remote commands, and history reporting now work through the active playback mode.
Web Playback
ShowShark Web now uses HLS playback when the browser and server support it. The earlier web player remains available as a fallback.
The server can provide browser-compatible HLS, including transcoded HLS when the original media is not directly playable in the browser.
Web playback starts, reports status, and stops more cleanly, including long sessions and fallback transitions.
Profile Restrictions
Profiles can be passcode-protected so protected profiles require an unlock before switching.
Admins can restrict profiles by folder, rating, and media type from the profile editor.
Restricted content is hidden and blocked throughout ShowShark, including lists, search results, recommendations, playback, downloads, thumbnails, and direct media requests.
Offline downloads respect profile restrictions. Restricted downloads stay tied to the profile policy that created them, and profile changes refresh scoped content.
The profile picker is cleaner and easier to use, with full-width rows, simpler labels, and improved unlock controls on iPad.
Streaming Reliability
Live IPTV HLS startup is more tolerant of slow providers, redirects, CDN certificate problems, playlist and segment timeouts, and slow preroll.
Live IPTV avoids replaying stale media by detecting short timestamp rollbacks and logging redacted diagnostics for providers, URLs, stream setup, and timestamp issues.
Stopping playback is safer after adaptive bitrate updates, reducing a Server crash risk during stop, disconnect, or stream cleanup.
Long YouTube streams now use a longer video read timeout and end downstream streams cleanly after decode failures.
Playback-end logging is more reliable when playback ends before any video batches are sent.
Browse, Search & History
The Files search tab now supports combined filters. ShowShark keeps matching results visible, updates available filter choices, and disables choices that cannot match the current selection.
Browse Locations now shows and filters by raw file and folder names instead of metadata titles for physical media entries.
Recently Added, History, and Discover now use clearer date groups, including Today, Yesterday, This Week, Last Week, and older Week of MM/DD sections.
TV episode history has clearer actions. You can view the episode directly or open the parent show with the episode targeted.
tvOS History and show-detail navigation are more reliable, with steadier focus, larger episode labels, and better behavior for single-item Today rows and long titles.
Browse, Search, and genre selectors use a more consistent tab style across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and visionOS.
Mac tab controls now have clearer hover feedback in Browse, Search, and Library genre views.
Compact-width tab bars can scroll horizontally instead of squeezing labels on narrow screens.
The thumbnails gallery can generate missing per-minute thumbnails on demand instead of showing only cached placeholders.
Search, actor, genre, and favorites grids are less prone to layout jitter while scrolling.
Server & App Experience
ShowShark Server now prompts for Photos access shortly after launch when iCloud Photos support is enabled.
Manual Check for Updates works after Sparkle prepares an automatic update, instead of requiring an app restart before another check.
The metadata provider Add sheet now dismisses correctly after a successful save and avoids duplicate provider saves.
Server Status now shows live HLS sessions, YouTube titles, and channel or show names instead of internal paths.