Cord–cutting is the newest, run-of-the-mill practice and why shouldn’t it be? Cable TV makes sure to burn a big hole in your wallet every month and if there are ways to enjoy better entertainment content while being subject to your budget, why not avail them? Most people have started subscribing to Spectrum plans as a means to access streaming platforms as means to suffice their entertainment appetite. Especially the year 2020 would be crafted as the golden year when the history of streaming services would be addressed. During the pandemic 2020, reports suggest that 62% of U.S. adults were subscribed to at least one streaming service. Streaming Video–On-Demand services or better known as SVOD, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and many more have shifted the scale of binge-watching and entertainment. Since 2018, these streaming services have produced more original content than traditional cable TV and their prices and convenience of sharing accounts with family and friends has pushed people to cut the cord permanently.
While cutting the cord seems like the perfect choice, many still resist the idea because some TV genres need to be consumed live like reality shows, sports, and news. Although, live streaming services are a great option to throw this one second of doubt they can be costly. However, thanks to the ‘Switch to Digital’ initiative that ordered broadcasting networks to transform their signals from analog to digital, you can access local broadcast TV channels free of charge. Putting up an antenna allows you to watch local channels without paying any costs. Now, this is the description of what ideal looks like.
Furthermore, by the benefit of Digital Video Recorder, famously called DVR, you can record content on these local channels and then watch it, later on, being able to skip unnecessary commercials and stream on multiple devices, in some cases. In this article, we have put together a list of the best DVRs that the cord–cutters can take up in 2021 for smooth and uninterrupted entertainment.
AT A GLANCE
- TiVo Bolt VOX DVR
- Amazon Fire TV Recast
- Hopper 3
- AirTV 2
- Nuvyyo Tablo Quad
TIVO BOLT VOX DVR
This DVR takes the legacy of the TiVo brand one step further. TiVo Bolt offers you 150 hours of content storage with its 1 TB storage capacity. It is available with four tuners allowing you to record four different broadcast channels at the same time. The TiVo DVR comes along with a power controller that helps to schedule recordings or simply
record content, and change channels by voice commands. Moreover, it lets you skip ads with the touch of a button.
The inclusion of 4K and in-built voice controllers are easily the best aspects of this piece of technology. Another great feature is that you can even stream recorded content on your smartphone. Although, with everything this nice, you will have to pay somewhat hefty subscription fees.
AMAZON FIRE TV RECAST
This DVR option is ideal for those who already own Amazon products especially Alexa and Fire TV stick. Amazon Fire TV Recast allows you to record live sports, TV shows, movies, news, and everything that you think is worth recording. Originally, this DVR gives you the choice to record two different channels at the same time but you can increase this number to four easily by upgrading it. If you figure out that you can work with just two tuners, you would have almost 75 hours of record time while for those who upgrade it to four tuners, the upgraded record time is increased to 150 hours. With the change in tuners, record time changes but in both the scenarios, storage space remains the same which is 500 GB.
One of the best features of Fire TV Recast is that it is compatible with Alexa allowing you to use voice commands to guide, manage, and record content. If you decide onto getting Amazon Fire TV Recast, you would be happy to know that there are no monthly scheduled charges.
HOPPER 3
Hopper 3 brings a ravishing experience to the users with the availability of sixteen tuners allowing you to record sixteen different channels at the same time. If you live with your family and everyone has different TV interests, this is the best DVR for you. Furthermore, its in-built voice control function and skip commercial feature make it even better.
Well, there is a downside – it can only be availed alongside a hefty DISH subscription and for every additional connected TV, a small DVR called the Joey would be required.
DIRECTV GENIE
This is the best DVR for sports fanatics. DIRECTV Genie allows you to record content from your smartphone application which means that you can now go for groceries, play catch with your kids, work late, even on important sports events because your Genie friend will take care of it, for you.
DIRECTV Genie also allows you to pause and rewind live HDTV for almost ninety minutes which is an added benefit when you forget to record something important. You also get 200 hours of HD storage with this DVR.
NUVYYO TABLO QUAD
The Nuvyyo Tablo Quad comes with an inclusion of four tuners that allow you to record
four different channels at the same time. You can control everything from recording to setting up schedules through the Tablo app. It can record almost 4000 hours of HD content and offers an easy user interface. This device is compatible with both wireless and wired technologies and gives excellent quality imaging, anywhere and at any time.
If you are a heavy user, this might just be the best choice for you. Although, it is expensive and you should research well and know your requirements before investing in this piece of technology.
AVERMEDIA EZRECORDER 130
The Avermedia Ezrecorder 130 offers unlimited and expandable storage due to the availability of its external storage. This DVR helps you to record PC and console gaming in addition to the TV recording which makes it a popular option among young people. Its snapshot feature allows you to edit video clips and shots without using your computer, as well. One drawback of the Ezrecorder 130 is that it does not support voice commands.