Help! Which DVR should I get?want

It sounds like a TiVo Roamio would be the right option for you. If you just use Hulu primarily for watching current shows, then you can probably cut that subscription and just record everything you want to watch.

Like you said, WMC is basically dead. Tablo is an okay option for some people, but TiVo is superior to it. I think TiVo's whole-home system with Minis is better than the Tablo model. And SkipMode alone makes the TiVo worth it.

Channel Master also has an OTA DVR, but it is quite inferior to a TiVo. The only thing it really has that TiVo doesn't is a Sling TV app.

 

You seem to be pretty price sensitive, so I'd probably recommend going for the Roamio unless you really have to have 4K streaming. The Bolt does have MoCA and streaming capabilities built in, so if you want that with the Roamio you will need to purchase a TiVo Stream or a MoCA adapter separately.

 

There's a couple more options that you may want to consider which would bring OTA DVR capabilities to your Apple TV 4. Both options would require you to buy an HD HomeRun OTA network tuner from Silicon Dust. (Each unit contains two tuners, starting around $99 per unit. You could buy two units if you need four tuners. Each unit must be connected to your home router via ethernet.) Both options would also require you to have an always-on computer (Windows or Mac) or NAS on your home network to record and store the shows streamed to it from the tuners. If you already have a computer or NAS that you could use, the overall price of these options may be acceptable to you. If you had to buy a computer or NAS, the overall cost would probably be so much more than a TiVo Roamio OTA that it wouldn't be worth it to you.

You could use either the Channels app or the Plex app on your Apple TV 4 to view both live and recorded TV and manage your DVR. The Channels app is a one-time $25 purchase and has live TV features. To add DVR functionality, it costs $8/mo. The Channels app is very slick and Apple-like and offers a traditional program guide grid. The Plex app is free but both live TV and DVR functionality are premium features that require a Plex Pass membership, which costs $5/mo, $40/yr or $120 for lifetime. (Plex also offers a lot of other media management features besides OTA TV.) Plex is a great app IMO but unfortunately their TV/DVR feature doesn't offer a traditional guide grid. (You could also use the Channels app for live TV and Plex for DVR if you wanted.)

I guess it sorta comes down to whether you want the Apple TV to be your main/only box for TV viewing. It undoubtedly has a slicker UI and is a far superior streamer than the TiVo Roamio. (And the Apple TV will finally gain an Amazon Video app this fall.) That said, the Roamio is a first-class OTA DVR and it does have Netflix and Amazon apps, although they're kinda slow and sometimes buggy.

 

The Stream is no more. Gone from TiVo's web site and Amazon. weaknees has them for $200 (ouch)

 

Depends on what model TiVo you buy. For the Roamio OTA you need to add a TiVo Stream, which is no longer made. For the Bolt you can steam to the iPad without any additional hardware, on my home network it works well with my android tablet.

 

You can watch Netflix, Amazon and pretty much anything else in a web browser on a Windows PC. That said, I know very little about using a PC as a home theater box. Not sure what the UI/UX would be like.

Another option is the Nvidia Shield Android TV (either the base model with a USB hard drive added or the more expensive model with a built-in hard drive). It supports live and DVR OTA TV using either the HD HomeRun network tuners or various USB tuners. You can pay for DVR service for use with apps from Plex, HD HomeRun, or Tablo Engine. Or you can get free (but lesser featured) DVR service from Google in their Live Channels app. And the Shield has apps from Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Showtime and lots of other services.

But again, it's more of a streaming box with DVR capabilities added. If what you really want is an OTA DVR that feels and functions a lot like a traditional cable box, complete with full-featured remote, then go with a TiVo. Just know that it's not a great streaming box. (Well, the Bolt may be, but the Roamio is not.) If you get a Roamio OTA like I have, you may find yourself just going back to your Apple TV for streaming. That's what a lot of us Roamio owners do. If you don't mind switching inputs, that will probably be the best solution for you.

 

Honestly, I'd probably suggest just buying a SlingBox rather than a TiVo Stream anyway if you wanted streaming capabilities.

 

We have been using OTA for 10 plus years now. Wecut the cord about 4 years ago, opting for Hulu for the samereasons, for broadcast channels as we did not have a dvr. Pluswe also have amazon prime andnetflix. Savings over the dish was about 70 a month with those options. Itworked fine andsaved money.

A year ago we added a roamio ota to the mix, and now hulu is basically superfluous. I would drop it and save 12 bucks a month, but my wife prefers warching tv on the ipad, so we still have it. But for me, roamio ota, plus amazon and netflix supply all i would need.

As you likely know, yhe exception is espn, pac 12 network, etc. i only get to see football on the major broadcast networks.

So yes, i think you can pay for the cost of the roamio in 4 yearsor so by dropping hulu and if your antenna setup works, you will be happy. However, i would getthe outdoor antenna up and going first before getting the roamio, to ensure you getthe reception you want, we have a big ol channel master with an amplifier mounted on the mast, and that pulls in our stations from 50 miles away and feeds two roamios and a third tv just fine, but your mileage may vary ofcourse.

Forgive spelling, am on an ipad at the airport.

 

I like the Bolt. But the Roamio OTA is half the cost, with lifetime, and does basically all the same, save streaming or MoCA (for which you would need a TiVo Stream (if you can find one)/Slingbox and external MoCA adapter). Oh, the Bolt does 4K resolution (not yet prevalent) and is lightly peppier, esp. with apps. But is it worth double the $?

 

Bolt for now and future proof. Way faster than Roamio!!!

 

If you like wasting money, sure.

 

Apple may introduce a new Apple TV with 4K and HDR at their September 12 event. Worth waiting until then.

Can you put an antenna in your attic? That may help reception and protect the antenna from wind and storms.

There are larger capacity 3.5" drives for the Roamios that work well. You may want this extra capacity for your archive. TCFers have had problems with >3TB drives on Bolts.

And $100 off when it is on sale.

Sounds like you should wait for Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals.

 

I'm coming in on the side of Roamio OTA. I've tried a half dozen OTA setups with the Bolt and had significant OTA reception problems that switching to a Roamio solved. In fact the Bolt I own is moth-balled in the closet because it wouldn't pick up many of the channels I can get with the Roamio. Others on this forum report good reception with Bolt but I suspect they simply have excellent signals to work with so YMMV.

My priority is also having a great DVR. Netflix and Amazon count for a smaller portion or our viewing but I really like having them built into the TiVo. I find the apps built into the Roamio satisfactory even though I also have an Apple 4 box that I use for my Directv Now streaming subscription. I have never used Tablo, HD Homerun, or the Channel Master DVR but I've done serious reading of reviews for all of those and haven't come away feeling that they would be a better option than a one time purchase of a TiVo Roamio OTA. Just much less muss and fuss with TiVo. We've happily been OTA for 8 years now. We've had Hulu off and on a few times but didn't find it worth the $ since we could record most of the available programming off the antenna.

I do have a TiVo stream with my setup but hardly ever use it. We simply added a smaller 32" TV (so cheap these days) and a Mini in each location around the house so watching on an iPad isn't needed. In home streaming works well enough with stream but out of home has never been all that reliable for me. (You have to have great upload speeds with your internet for out of home)

Lastly I do suggest getting a proper outdoor antenna (or at least attic mounted). It improves reception greatly. The right antenna will depend on your location but I've had very good results with the Clearstream 2V or updated (Max) version if you're within 25 miles or so of towers. But do your research for the reception in your location.

 

You might also consider SageTV. It's free except for the guide data which you'll need from Schedules Direct ($25/yr). If you go with the Nvidia Shield as your client device, you also have a capable streaming device that can support 4K content with Netflix. The downsides to Tivo which are really irritating to me are the Rovi guide data issues and the lack of 4K options on the Mini's (or even 1080P via Plex). The Mini issue will be fixed with the new hardware being released later this year. I don't think there's any fix to the guide issues and they really ruin an otherwise nice product. The downsides of SageTV is no DRM support for cablecard (not an issue for you) and slow channel changes compared to Tivo -- it's also a DIY solution so there's the positives and negatives of that.