Settings → Recordings

Settings MaciPhoneiPadApple TV Last updated: 9 October 2026

Sentence at the top of the area: “Where recordings are saved and how much is captured before and after a programme.”

How recordings are made, what MKV is and what the devices can do is explained under Recordings and Timeshift. This page is only about the settings.

Recordings (Mac)

iPhone	iPad	Apple TV

Destination

Where: Settings → Recordings · Mac, iPhone, iPad (Apple TV: always network storage, because it has no storage of its own for recordings)
What it does: “Where new recordings are saved.” Recordings already running stay where they started.
Default: Local (“Folder on the Mac” or “On this device”)
Options:
- Folder on the Mac / On this device – “On this device; automatically turned into an .mkv file when finished.” Advantage: no network storage needed, fast. Drawback: playable on this device alone; on iPhone/iPad in the app’s folder (Files app › Neverlag).
- Network storage – “On your network storage (WebDAV), playable from all your devices.” Advantage: one recording, all devices; for the Apple TV this is the sole way to record. Drawback: needs a NAS in your home network with WebDAV; if it is unreachable, the recording ends incomplete.
When to change: To network storage if you want to watch recordings on several devices or want the Apple TV to record.
What it costs: Storage on the device or NAS (one hour of HD around 2–4 GB, 4K correspondingly more). Data volume: recordings fetch the stream just like playback; playback and recording of the same channel share one connection.
Works together with: Choose folder, Set up network storage, Recordings and Timeshift

Where: Settings → Recordings · Mac only
What it does: “Choose a different folder, including a connected network share.” Opens the macOS folder picker. If a chosen folder on a network share is unreachable, recordings go to the default folder for the time being, with the notice “Recording folder on the NAS unreachable – recordings are saved locally for now”.
Default: – (button; the default is Neverlag’s default folder)
Options: none
When to change: If recordings should go to an external drive or a network share connected via the Finder.
What it costs: Nothing; storage on the chosen drive.
Works together with: Use default folder, Recording destination

Where: Settings → Recordings · Mac only
What it does: “Saves to Neverlag’s default folder again.”
Default: – (button)
Options: none
When to change: If a chosen folder no longer exists or you want to go back to the default.
What it costs: Nothing.
Works together with: Choose folder

Where: Settings → Recordings · Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV · called “Change network storage …” once one is set up
What it does: “Enter or change the address and login of your network storage.” Neverlag finds the NAS via Bonjour, or you enter the WebDAV address. Before saving, the app does a write test (create a file, read it back, delete it) and shows the free space if the server reports it. Credentials are kept in the keychain.
Default: – (button; no network storage set up)
Options: none
When to change: Before you choose “Network storage” as the recording destination; on the Apple TV it is required for recordings.
What it costs: Nothing; storage on the NAS.
Works together with: Recording destination, Send to Apple TV, Recordings and Timeshift → NAS

Where: Settings → Recordings · Mac, iPhone, iPad · only with network storage set up
What it does: “Sends the network storage setup to an Apple TV so it can record there.” Same route as for the provider: find the Apple TV in your home network, enter the code. The Apple TV does the write test itself before saving.
Default: – (button)
Options: none
When to change: Once per Apple TV, instead of typing the NAS address with the remote.
What it costs: Nothing.
Works together with: Set up network storage, Providers → Send to Apple TV

Where: Settings → Recordings · Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV
What it does: “How much earlier a scheduled recording starts – in case the programme begins early.” Applies to recordings from the TV Guide, not to “Record now”.
Default: 1 minute
Options:
- None – “Starts exactly at the listed start time.” Advantage: no superfluous minutes. Drawback: if the programme starts early, the beginning is missing.
- 1 minute – “One minute of margin for small deviations.” Advantage: covers most deviations. Drawback: one minute of the preceding programme.
- 2 minutes – “Two minutes, covers most shifts.” Advantage: safer. Drawback: slightly more storage.
- 5 minutes – “Five minutes, safe for channels with imprecise times.” Advantage: copes with imprecise programme data too. Drawback: five minutes of adverts or the preceding programme.
- 10 minutes – “Ten minutes, if you don’t want to miss anything.” Advantage: maximum safety. Drawback: occupies the connection earlier; with providers that allow just one connection, playback ends correspondingly earlier.
When to change: Higher if your recordings often miss the beginning.
What it costs: Storage and data volume for the extra minutes; with single-connection providers, an earlier end to current playback.
Works together with: Post-roll, Recordings and Timeshift → Connection limit

Where: Settings → Recordings · Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV
What it does: “How long a recording keeps running after the scheduled end – in case the programme overruns.”
Default: 5 minutes
Options:
- None – “Ends exactly at the listed end time.” Advantage: no superfluous minutes. Drawback: if the programme overruns, the end is missing.
- 5 minutes – “Five minutes for small delays.” Advantage: enough for most programmes. Drawback: not for sport with extra time.
- 10 minutes – “Ten minutes, the usual choice.” Advantage: covers delays well. Drawback: more storage.
- 15 minutes – “Fifteen minutes for programmes that often overrun.” Advantage: safe for shows. Drawback: even more storage.
- 30 minutes – “Half an hour, for example sport with extra time.” Advantage: extra time and penalty shoot-outs included. Drawback: half an hour more storage per recording.
When to change: Higher for sport and live shows.
What it costs: Storage and data volume for the extra minutes; the connection stays occupied longer.
Works together with: Pre-roll, Recordings and Timeshift