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    Best DVR for cord cutters

    Our cable rates went up AGAIN. That's it! We watch a lot of recorded TV so I will need to replace the DVR (I guess only for OTA, right?) and was wondering what folks like best. …..and is there one that works with HS?

    THANKS in advance!

    .

    #2
    I cut the cord a couple years ago. I went to youtube TV. It's $50/month and has unlimited DVR. My Internet is limited to 1tb per billing cycle and I have never exceeded. The DVR is built into the app so not much reason to tie it into homeseer. I ripped all my DVD and BR and put files on a NAS and use Kody on a Rpi for movies.

    Here is a review by PCMAG

    https://www.pcmag.com/review/352926/youtube-tv

    The best feature is you can eliminate channels you don't watch from showing up in live TV. So if you hate - fox/msnbc/cnn/we/ etc you don't have to have them in the list. You get local channels. While I was on vacation earlier this year (at the beach in another state during superbowl sunday) it worked. You cast to chromecast or firestick. You can watch 3 shows simultaneously on 3 different TV's for the $50. I have mine on a samsung tablet.

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      #3
      Are you looking to record only OTA programming? The two major contenders are Tablo and Fire TV Recast. I've used Tablo for years and find it to be very reliable.
      Mike____________________________________________________________ __________________
      HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.548, NUC i3

      HW: Stargate | NX8e | CAV6.6 | Squeezebox | PCS | WGL 800RF | RFXCOM | Vantage Pro | Green-Eye | Edgeport/8 | Way2Call | Ecobee3 | EtherRain | Ubiquiti

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Uncle Michael View Post
        Are you looking to record only OTA programming?
        Well, I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that everything else would be on demand. I am a 35 year cable subscriber so I don't know any better.....

        Originally posted by Uncle Michael View Post
        The two major contenders are Tablo and Fire TV Recast.
        I looked at Tablo a few weeks ago from a FireTV. It was an app. And the hardware version requires a FireTV or other, PLUS storage. So maybe the app on a recast?
        .

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          #5
          Silicondust has a new model HDHomeRun Scribe that comes with a 1 TB hd for recording OTA content. According to reviews it's a higher resolution image than the Tablo. I have ordered one from Best Buy's Black Friday sale but it has not arrived yet so I can't tell you might opinion yet.

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            #6
            Originally posted by outbackrob View Post
            I looked at Tablo a few weeks ago from a FireTV. It was an app. And the hardware version requires a FireTV or other, PLUS storage. So maybe the app on a recast?
            Tablo is a device, but it does require an app, either on a smart TV or on a streaming device like a Roku. The Roku would be my first choice.

            The Fire TV Recast is also a device and it also requires a smart TV or streaming device, but AFAIK it's restricted to Amazon streaming devices only, like a Fire stick or Fire TV.

            Mike____________________________________________________________ __________________
            HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.548, NUC i3

            HW: Stargate | NX8e | CAV6.6 | Squeezebox | PCS | WGL 800RF | RFXCOM | Vantage Pro | Green-Eye | Edgeport/8 | Way2Call | Ecobee3 | EtherRain | Ubiquiti

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              #7
              Originally posted by jim@beersman.com View Post
              Silicondust has a new model HDHomeRun Scribe that comes with a 1 TB hd for recording OTA content. According to reviews it's a higher resolution image than the Tablo.
              Interesting. Do you have a link to a good review? I'd like to learn more.

              Mike____________________________________________________________ __________________
              HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.548, NUC i3

              HW: Stargate | NX8e | CAV6.6 | Squeezebox | PCS | WGL 800RF | RFXCOM | Vantage Pro | Green-Eye | Edgeport/8 | Way2Call | Ecobee3 | EtherRain | Ubiquiti

              Comment


                #8
                The forumn keeps stripping out the URL that leads directly to the reviews in the link.

                So I'm just going to try and drop the link here: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/silicon...?skuId=6354199

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by jim@beersman.com View Post
                  So I'm just going to try and drop the link here: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/silicon...?skuId=6354199
                  Maybe I'm just too suspicious, but I tend to treat "customer" comments on product performance with considerable skepticism, especially rave reviews for new products. I was hoping to find a head-to-head comparison between the latest Amazon Fire TV Recast, the latest Tablo, and the new HDHomerun Scribe on something like thewirecutter.com.

                  Mike____________________________________________________________ __________________
                  HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.548, NUC i3

                  HW: Stargate | NX8e | CAV6.6 | Squeezebox | PCS | WGL 800RF | RFXCOM | Vantage Pro | Green-Eye | Edgeport/8 | Way2Call | Ecobee3 | EtherRain | Ubiquiti

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I have an older 2 tuner HDHomeRun Extend device that I have had for about a year. I have been very happy with the picture quality and it's reliability. I do agree with others that the UI is not the best but it is functional. Works with Windows, Linux, KODI, Android, XBOX and Roku devices around the house. This older model did not have built in DVR which is why I'm upgrading to the scribe device, plus going with the 4 tuner version. Once it arrives and I get a chance to play with it I will update this post.

                    You can also try this link which should give you several articles to view. https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/?s=H...&submit=Search

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Here utilize HDHomerun tuners with KODI and MythTV (still) and due to WAF keep DTV (used to be DTiVOs).

                      TV here is OTA and Satellite (DTV since the beginning). (used a BUD (Houston Tracker XX) and FTA (many generic do all boxes) a few years back)

                      With KODI these days you can save just about anything you stream with it. Years ago used a satellite card (Nexus S) inside of my mythTV box and did record a bunch of stuff.

                      Today I am not a TV watcher here and wife is and records everything (junk TV ==> judge judy and cooking shows mostly)

                      Just today went on the AT&T forum and asked about a free upgrade letter I got a couple of weeks ago.

                      Looks to me like AT&T is slammng my account like they did when they purchased DTV and like Frontier did when they purchased the Verizon accounts in FL.

                      I did read some place that AT&T wants to sell DTV now. (all this new 5G stuff).

                      Might be time to switch to DISH (I have had both a while back).
                      - Pete

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                        #12
                        Hdhomerun with ota. Channels dvr with Apple TV’s spread across all tvs.

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                          #13
                          I'm using an HDHomeRun Extend and like it. I have it set up in Plex but rarely (actually never) use it there. I prefer using Silicon's apps for live TV and DVR to it. I also have an old Hauppauge 2250 PCI card that still works like a clock. Their WinTV-dualHD USB tuners are very popular, but I couldn't speak to that personally. I only know that I have used Hauppauge for years and never had anything but great service from their ISA/PCI line of tuners. One drawback of the Hauppauge products is the lack of a guide. I think they still utilize Titan TV for that, which is a pain. Their recording and scheduling software is very good and highly flexible. Another thing is, they tend to support their tuners forever and their WinTV software as well. That's hard to find these days with any product.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I use Plex media server which records off a HDHomeRun dual tuner. Plex launched their DVR feature years ago but it's only recently reached an acceptable standard imo.

                            They (Plex) have also recently launched an ad driven content on demand feature.

                            You can setup and run Plex locally on your LAN for free, though I think DVR recording is a premium feature. Remote streaming of content outside your own network will require a premium sub (they call it Plex pass). I bought a lifetime subscription years ago, not sure nowadays but the lifetime sub used to be equivalent to ~24 months in cost.

                            It's a solution similar to Pete's, for people with their own server and storage hardware already in place who want to roll their own, it's not an off the shelf solution.

                            A third entry also in a similar field to Kodi and Plex is Emby. This used to be a totally free open source alternative to Plex, which bore a lot of similarities. But they've recently forked the project and apparently new features going forward will require a premium tier. With a pricing model again very similar to Plex...

                            Plex decouples the server and client components and has clients available on all platforms (including consoles and Roku boxes) as well as practically every smart TV.

                            Kodi (used to be called XBMC when I used it) is the server/storage and player on the one PC. So you typically have a media PC/HTPC connected directly to your TV.

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                              #15
                              well I have a habosh of stuff...

                              hd homerun connect quatro - ota quad tuner
                              hd homerun prime - cable card - requires subscription but 3 tuners on network
                              nextpvr - app on windows that has a great dvr feature to record - had to subscribe to channel guide
                              plex - setup for all the dvr recordings
                              mce buddy to rip commercials out and reencode, drop on plex

                              while I had all of this working, I dropped comcast cable tv and went with DirecTV Now which is now renamed to AT&T Live TV. They keep jacking up the prices, just cancelled plans but im grandfathered in but if this crap keeps up... im gonna switch...

                              since I went att live tv, I don't dvr or do any of that anymore but may start looking back at it.

                              at&t live tv dvr has been beta for over a year and also it only does 20h... so I went playon and now dvr that way...

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