Time to put my foot down. Seems like everything is soaring in price right now – some even without cause. I understand that labor and equipment cost more these days. But that justification gets lost on me with some items. For instance, Spectrum inexplicably raised my internet service by 40 percent. And when I called to ask why, the rep told me it was due to “rising prices”…when I asked specifically what was rising, he could not answer. I swear companies like this are just gouging for the sake of gouging. Likewise, my TV streaming service just raised its price. And I’ve had enough.
Which is why I’m extra thankful that Nuvyyo – a Canadian maker of clever over-the-air DVRs – just came out with its new 4th Generation Tablo TV device that’s a whole-house DVR. It looks like a white hockey puck. Just connect a TV antenna to it, sync it up with your home’s WiFi and you have free TV and a recorder without ever paying another dime. Its TV show guide interface looks similar to that of Amazon’s or Google’s smart TVs and works with about any streaming device you can think of. It will store 50+ hours of recordings on its built-in drive, lets you record two shows at once and also allows you to add storage.
I have used one of the brand’s older tuners for several years, on and off. That’s mostly because we live in a hilly area of Southern California where TV signals don’t get through well. Tablo doesn’t need to be near any TV. So I have plugged it in near a window in the back of our home, put the antenna in the window, connect the two and get most of the Los Angeles TV stations. When the air is right, it works amazing. When it’s not, then the recordings get muffled and pixelated. And it’s frustrating to rely on.
But I have a lot more confidence in the latest version. That’s because it includes a built-in antenna amplifier. And its operating system is much more stable than in previous versions.
The moment I got the new model up and running, I scanned for channels and got much clearer signals to the TV stations than the previous model – and more channels. Plus, the new version includes roughly 40 of its own streaming channels, as well. The guide is much more visual now and easier to navigate. If you’ve used YouTube TV, Roku or Amazon, you’re good to go. If you haven’t, the learning curve will be quick. Depending on where you live and where you place your antenna, you can watch and record over-the-air TV programs from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ION, Bounce, PBS, CW, etc. – for free and in high-definition.
Not sure about you, but aside from tuning into sports and news, we don’t watch live TV at all any more. And of the 200 channels our streaming service offers, we watch five of them. Plus when I see the current streaming subscription monthly prices – Hulu + Live TV ($91), FuboTV ($75), YouTube TV ($73) and DirecTV Stream ($75) – I think it’s ridiculous to waste money when you can get it for free.
Tablo’s 4th Gen device costs $100, or you can get it bundled with a 35-mile indoor antenna for $110. If all goes well in our home – and so far it has – I will be cutting our streaming service soon.
