Most of us are looking for ways to save our family money. Cancelling expensive cable or satellite subscriptions, known as “cutting the cord”, has become a popular way to do just that. If you do decide to eliminate cable, you don’t have to give up your DVR capabilities. Here are a few good options to record antenna TV.
The Channel Master DVR+ box is a great way to get DVR recordings, streaming services, and more on your TV without a subscription. The menus are easy to navigate and it has Youtube, SlingTV, VUDU, and Pandora built-in. It’s missing Netflix and Amazon Prime Video so you will need another box for those services. Otherwise, for $249 the DVR+ is a great subscription-free option.
If you’re looking for the flexibility to watch your favorite live TV and recorded shows away from home on your tablet or smartphone, there are two good options. Tablo TV ($220) and HdHomeRun Connect ($99 and up) bring antenna TV to your home network. You can watch and record TV using apps on a set-top box and your tablet or smartphone. Unlike the DVR+, both of these boxes require an additional subscription to access TV guide listings. They run from $50 to $60 per year.
If you still can’t part with your favorite cable channels but want to save some cash, check out the newest streaming TV services including SlingTV, Playstation Vue, and DirecTV Now. Their channel lineups are limited but may suit your needs and most run $20-$50 per month.
Kirk Yuhnke is a father of three, self-admitted technology geek, and morning news anchor on Fox31’s Good Day Colorado.
