I decided to go with TiVO so that I could get all of the OTA channels in my area and have DVR capabilities on them. TiVo also has multiple tuners which is nice since I do have a few shows that overlap here and there.
TiVo hardware is a one time cost of anywhere from $199 to $299. I got my TiVo Bolt on sale for $269.99 with a 1 TB HDD. This claims it can do 50 hours of recording so that should be decent. With the multiple tuners I can record all 4 major networks at once if needed. It also has a skip button that apparently allows you to skip commercials similar to the hopper. The monthly fee for TiVo is $14.99, which is a few dollars more than my locals from Dish but I get access to all of the sub-channels and I get CW in HD which Dish does not offer.
I setup the TiVo and used the small interior antenna I had, right away I noticed it was actually not as good as my TV which I assume is because of the multiple tuners basically splitting the signal as it comes in. Hopefully once I get the new antenna fully mounted this will resolve itself. It took a lot longer than I thought it would to setup the TiVo also. After going through the startup guide it told me there was no information for my area. I found this odd and did some searching. Apparently the shipping software is not compatible with the update info and you need to get the firmware updated. Some people posted about having to plug the unit into their network and leave it for up to 48 hours. I happened to find the guide that allowed for “kickstart” and after 4 reboots it finally let me continue and start watching TV.
The guide is nice and recording was easy. I have not gotten into using it to download from web sources but it claims it can do some of that and create a list for your shows and easily pull all of the content together. I really just need it to grab the newest episodes of the locals and go from there. It also has some other streaming apps so now I have 5 devices connected to and including my primary display that can all stream Netflix. I set up a few shows right away and noticed that within minutes of one of the shows finishing recording the skip option was showing as available. I have not had a chance to use it but look forward to seeing how well it works.
The new antenna I bought was a little lower quality than I was expecting so I hope it works out once I get it on the roof. I was able to hold it and point it out the window and get decent signal. The coax that came with it feels pretty thin but I will be using the existing Dish cable the is RG-6. Inside the house everything is also a good high quality coax since I will be splitting this connection off and connecting it to 3 other TVs. The kids will still only have their smart TVs and streaming but the book says there is a Fire TV TiVo app so I might look into buying a few more Fire TV sticks for their TVs later on but for right now they only watch Netflix or things like the Disney Now app. If the FireTV apps work then I can save money and not have to buy the TiVo Mini’s to connect to my other TVs which will be a pleasant surprise.I’ll be testing it out a little more this evening and seeing what I can all do with it but until I get the antenna mounted signal is hit or miss so I won’t be relying on it for a week or so yet once I get the antenna up and Dish is fully canceled. I’ll be doing that once I settle on my streaming service. I am also looking forward to 4K OTA but considering the area I live in that might be a while.
I am starting to really dislike “cord cutting” since you almost have to have an internet connection and generally that comes in on a cord.
New monthly TV fees are $14.99, too bad I need a streaming service otherwise that would be a huge difference from having Dish. Now to go get a trial for Hulu live and see if that can take over from Playstation Vue as my preferred streaming service.