I found a new way cord-cutters can watch and DVR broadcast TV

Scissors cutting a coaxial cable in front of a television

(Paradigm credit: Shutterstock)

Everybody likes to relieve money, which is why cut the cord on cable TV is such a popular topic here at Tom'southward Guide — for staff members and readers alike. Last calendar week, I wrote nigh discovering a new fashion to cut the cord (well, new to me, at least). After the article went up, I heard from a lot of readers who tipped me off to a dissimilar cord-cut method that allows you to get over-the-air local channels and DVR functionality.

Many of them wrote to me well-nigh network Tv tuners, peculiarly SiliconDust's HDHomeRun line along with Tablo products. I was unfamiliar with them, and mayhap yous are, as well. Looking into them, I recall it'south an an fifty-fifty ameliorate string-cut method than an USB TV tuner. If y'all desire to picket and record local channels like ABC, CBS, Play a trick on and NBC, and lookout man on them multiple televisions and devices, then a network TV tuner may be the all-time solution for y'all.

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What is a network Television set tuner?

HDTV network tuners have been around for years. They connect to an antenna (or cablevision line) via coaxial cable and to your router through an ethernet cable. The tuner takes the digital Idiot box signals from the antenna, then distributes them over your habitation's network.

That means any device that uses your Wi-Fi network can admission the channels. Y'all tin scout the feeds on multiple televisions, smartphones, tablets, and some gaming consoles and streaming devices. You can too hook information technology up to a personal media server like Plex.

The great thing about a network tuner is that you no longer accept to figure out how to thread a coaxial cablevision from the antenna's location (which may be exterior your house) to wherever your television is located. Oh, and that's television set, atypical, unless you use a coaxial splitter. Cable length absolutely affects the quality of Telly signals. With a network tuner, you accept more flexibility because you can place it closer to the antenna. Tablo'due south tuners take Wi-Fi congenital in, then you don't even need to hardwire information technology to your router.

When I wrote final calendar week'due south cord-cutting commodity, I did information technology in response to a reader who specifically wanted a USB TV tuner for a MacBook. The options were more limited for Mac than for PC. Network TV tuners don't have that issue. HDHomeRun products are uniform with most major devices, including: Windows 10 PCs; Mac computers, laptops, iPhones and Apple TV; Android phones and tablets; Amazon Fire TV sticks and televisions; NVIDIA Shield; and Plex. Tablo works with this listing and adds Roku and and Chromecast.

Sounds cracking, what's the downside?

Tablo tuner and multiple screens — (Prototype credit: Tablo)

For the flexibility and compatibility network TV tuners deliver, y'all're going to have to pay upward. They're fairly expensive: both the HDHomeRun Flex Duo and Tablo Dual Low-cal are over $100. The four-tuner models are even pricier.

This is a sometime cost, just if yous want a programme guide and DVR functionality, you're going to have to pay up some more — and on a monthly or almanac basis.

Both HDHomeRun and Tablo's devices are accompanied past an app. HDHomeRun'southward app is free and lets you lookout live channels on multiple devices and view the EPG for the side by side 24 hours. However, if you desire DVR service, you will pay a $35 annual subscription.

Similarly, you tin can use Tablo for free, only it'south a lot easier it you get their Television set guide service. Information technology has a 30-day gratis trial, but after that it costs $five per month, $fifty per year or $180 for lifetime. They also offer a Premium Service subscription with advanced DVR features for $2 per month or $twenty per year.

If you lot calculate the costs over a long period of fourth dimension, a network TV tuner will salve you lot a lot of money by letting you lot cutting the cord on cable. Y'all will have to have a express channel selection, since they simply pick upward over-the-air signals. Personally, I need some cable channels, which is why I decided to use Sling to go rid of cablevision. If yous're fine with that, and so this might be the answer to your string-cutting dreams.

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Kelly is a senior writer covering streaming media for Tom'south Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, Tv Guide and other outlets. When she'southward not watching TV and movies for work, she's watching them for fun, seeing alive music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.