How to Record Live Streaming When You Don’t Have Cable
The latest millennial craze is old-school TV antennas, at least according to The Wall Street Journal published last month. Combined with standalone services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now, the addition of a $ 20 wireless antenna to your arsenal makes cable cutting easier than ever. There is only one problem: not having a cable box also means losing the capabilities of the DVR. Fortunately, there are many devices and services available to help you record live TV without a cable box.
There are many reasons to cut your cord, but it often comes down to savings. So before we dive into your options, it’s worth considering how much you’ll save with each one. According to a 2016 FCC study , the average cost of a cable was $ 69.03 per month, while an independent study by Leichtman Research Group reported an even higher price of $ 103.10 per month. Depending on where you live and how high the competition is, you will likely end up paying somewhere in that range.
That’s a lot of money for a DVR along with a bunch of channels that you probably never watch, but as we said, you have options. Whatever you use, the basic concept is the same: a set-top box that acts as an intermediary between your antenna and your TV, transmitting the signal while recording live TV broadcasts. However, there are a few key differences depending on what you want and how much you are willing to spend.
Best User Interface: TiVo Roamio
TiVo’s live video recorder offers the best all-around device if you’re looking for something simple and familiar, but not cheap. For $ 400, you get a beautiful box with 1 TB of internal storage and the ability to record four shows at the same time. It also has a well-designed menu that offers access to your recordings, apps like Netflix, and a unified search. So even your technophobic parents should be able to use Roamio without asking you for help.
$ 400 is a lot to pay up front, but you will still save money by being without cable for a year or just a few months, depending on your plan. You can also buy a used old version on Amazon for $ 132 , but that will only give you 500GB of storage and you’ll have to pay an extra $ 12.50 to use the service (which comes with the $ 400 version).
Cheapest Option: Mediasonic Homeworx HW180STB 3
The Mediasonic DVR is only $ 35 on Amazon with no additional subscription fees and offers pretty basic features. You can record a live stream and program it in advance, but you can only record one show at a time. It doesn’t offer onboard storage, so you’ll need a USB stick or external hard drive as well. You may already have one of them. If not, here are some recommended options .
It’s not the best option (judging by Amazon reviews, you might run into some technical difficulties), but it’s a good place to start if you’re not sure what to cut the cord. And in a month without a cable, you will already be saving.
Watch your notes on any device: Tablo
Tablo offers several different products with the same hook: Record live TV shows and watch them on almost any device using the company’s app. The best option is the $ 199 Tablo DUAL OTA DVR , which has built-in storage and the ability to record two shows at the same time.
The company also offers Tablo TUNER , a USB dongle that turns your Android TV device into a DVR. It only costs $ 69.99, but you have no way to watch these recordings on your other devices.
The scoreboard does not require a subscription to work, but for an additional $ 4.99 per month, you get some bonus features, including a 14-day TV guide menu. Without a subscription, you only get a one-day guide. You can also pay $ 49.99 for a year of service or $ 149.99 for a lifetime subscription.
Other options
One of these three options should help, but if you’re still not satisfied, there are other solutions on the market. Channel Master DVR + offers a nice compromise at $ 249 with 16GB of internal storage (plus external storage support) and the ability to record two shows simultaneously. Or you can try the HDR DVD / DVR Recorder , which offers the added bonus of being able to burn your recorded shows to DVD. Finally, if you don’t feel like buying new hardware and don’t mind doing a little extra tweaking, you can use Plex to record live TV directly to the cloud.
Enjoy your viewing (and re-viewing).