If you want to watch live TV, such as the Paris Olympics, you don’t have to pay a huge monthly bill — there’s a way to get it for free. If you live in a city or town with good over-the-air reception, putting up a TV antenna is an easy way to cut the cord and get access to a wealth of television programming. Pair an affordable antenna with an OTA recorder, and you’ll be able to pause live TV, save your shows for later and fast-forward through commercials. Many of the DVRs we’ve tested will even let you stream your recorded content to multiple TVs or when you’re away from home.
A basic DVR like the Nuvyyo Tablo 4th Gen ($100) is essentially what you’ll pay for a month of cable TV or live TV-streaming services like Hulu Plus Live TV and YouTube TV. And there’s no ongoing fees to worry about!
What is the best OTA DVR?
Every OTA recorder has its own unique features, tuner and capabilities, but there’s one I’d recommend to beginners and old hands alike: Nuvyyo Tablo 4th Gen. At $100 (or $130 with a bundled antenna) the lack of ongoing fees means the Tablo offers an astonishing value. It has enough storage space for 50 hours onboard and can be expanded while its ability to stream and record FAST channels helps boosts its worthiness. It’s good now, and will only get better with time.
Meanwhile, one of our main recommendations for the longest time — the TiVo Edge for antenna — is no longer available. If you’re able to find one second-hand with service built in it would definitely still be worthwhile.
The Tablo range has been a favorite of cord-cutters for many years, but now the selection has been whittled down to a single model: the Tablo 4th Gen OTA DVR. While previous Tablo models have always skewed to the enthusiast side of the cord-cutting world the 4th Gen 4 is instead designed with a broad appeal. Even better, there’s no monthly fee. The Tablo 4th Gen DVR is easy to use, it’s very affordable and it works straight out of the box. It’s the model to get if you just want to watch and record OTA TV at the lowest possible price.
The AirTV 2 has its pluses, especially as it’s the equal-cheapest of our OTA DVR recommendations and also works without incurring a monthly charge. Yet this OTA DVR is really designed to complement a $40-a-month Sling TV subscription by adding local channels. And you need to add an external hard drive (not included) to make the AirTV 2 function as a true DVR, though it lacks live TV pause. If you want pause functionality it’s worth upgrading to the $200 AirTV Anywhere which includes an onboard 1TB hard drive.
There are two main types of DVRs: a traditional set top, which connects directly to a single TV via an HDMI output; or a networked TV streamer, which streams to all of your devices over your network and/or the internet. The AirTV 2 and Tablo 4th Gen are straight networked TV streamers.
A set-top is best for people who usually watch TV on a single screen, while a network device is for people who want to watch on multiple devices — a streamer like a Roku or other devices like phones and tablets. In general, a networked TV streamer is the more flexible OTA DVR option, and can better complement live TV streaming apps or services like Netflix.
Regardless of which style of OTA DVR you choose, there are some features common to both that you should look for.
- Two or more HD tuners: One tuner is just not enough. When it comes to HD (or eventually 4K) tuners, the more your device has the merrier. The bare minimum is two so you can record two channels at the same time, or watch one while you record another, but heavy antenna heads will appreciate even more.
- 1TB or more of storage: Depending on the device you have, a terabyte of built-in storage space should offer about 150 hours of program content. But if you choose a recorder such as the TiVo, which automatically records shows it “thinks you like,” you could run out very quickly. Which is why you also need…
- The ability to add extra storage via USB or SD card: An external hard drive is an excellent option, providing your DVR doesn’t need a proprietary model. Generally, a 1TB external hard drive is cheap at around 60 bucks.
A 14-day program guide is essential on a modern DVR.
- 14 days of guide data: While seven days is really the minimum useful amount, two weeks gives you more flexibility.
- No ongoing fees: Most people cut the cord to save money, so paying yet another monthly fee doesn’t make a ton of sense. TiVo does offer a lifetime service option so you pay for the device and guide data upfront.
The next version of the ATSC broadcast standard, called NextGen TV, is now available in over 70% of homes. NextGenTV promises visuals in up to 4K resolution in the future, as well as interactive features not possible with standard broadcast. While some TVs have onboard NextGen tuners, there’s at least two DVRs available for it — the HDHomeRun Flex 4K and the ZapperBox M1 — but the drawback is that DRM requirements are still seemingly in flux. Meanwhile, the competitive Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad HDMI OTA DVR has been delayed or even discontinued. The important thing to note is that ATSC 1.0 antennas will work with ATSC 3.0, so there’s no need to buy a new one.
While TiVo famously runs on a monthly subscription — or after paying extra for “lifetime service” — there are an increasing number of DVRs which work without paying more. Both the Tablo Gen 4 and the AirTV 2 will work without a susbcription fee, though the Tablo is better suited to this as it’s a standalone device and not tied to a service like the AirTV and Sling TV.
TiVo made its name by making DVRs for cable services but there are a number of DVRs which work with OTA TV. Brands like Tablo, HDHomeRun, TiVo and AirTV all offer HD recording in the home with just a simple indoor (or outdoor) antenna.
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