VOD, catch-up, and timeshift: what is the difference?

The line between "on-demand" and "live" has blurred over the last few years. VOD, catch-up, and timeshift all let you watch something that is not strictly live, but they are different things under the hood.

VOD (Video on Demand)

VOD is a library of pre-recorded content — films, series, documentaries. The catalog is curated and the content is there permanently. VOD is what you would call "movies on demand" in plain English.

Catch-up

Catch-up is a feature of a live channel that lets you rewind the live stream to a point in the recent past — usually the last 3 to 7 days. Catch-up is only available on channels that opt in, and only for content that was actually broadcast on the channel. It is not a separate library; it is the same channel, rewound.

Timeshift

Timeshift is a player feature. It pauses and rewinds the live stream within the current buffer — usually 30 seconds to a few minutes. It works on every channel because it is a local feature of the player, not a service feature.

When to use which

• You missed the start of a live broadcast by an hour → catch-up.
• You missed a broadcast by two weeks → VOD (if the content is in the library) or accept that you missed it.
• You need to pause the live stream to answer the door → timeshift.
• You want to watch a specific film → VOD.