Tivo systems are generally thought of as cable recording devices, but if you want to record your favorite shows without having a cable or satellite TV subscription, you still have some options. Using a recorder compatible with HDTV antennas, you can record free over-the-air TV, capturing all your favorite shows and series exactly the way you like. One such antenna-based recording system is the TiVo Roamio OTA1 TB DVR, which is currently $30 off on Amazon, where it earned an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 2,000 customer reviews.
The TiVo Roamio OTA 1TB DVR is almost identical to the regular TiVo Roamio, except that it won’t accept a CableCard, and instead receives channels over an antenna. The Roamio OTA otherwise provides the same experience as the Roamio, granting you access to streaming services and the TiVo interface. The device allows you to record four shows at once and up to 150 hours of HD programming. If the included 1 TB of recording capacity isn’t enough, you can easily add an external hard drive or a TiVo-ready Netgear ReadyNAS to get even more storage.
Thanks to SkipMode, which skips entire commercial breaks of recorded shows with the press of a button, pausing and rewinding is easy, as is skipping commercials. You can also quickly watch slow-moving programs using the QuickMode feature, which speeds through recorded and buffered shows 30 percent faster than normal, without any audio distortion.
To use the recorder, you can start by seeing what’s on tonight, or anything up to two weeks in advance — the TiVo Roamio OTA gives you a two-week program guide so you see what’s coming up. You can also search TV and streaming content simultaneously, as the device integrates access to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, VUDU, and other streaming apps. Best of all, you’re not only cutting cables but also costs — the recorder is a one-time purchase and requires no monthly subscription fees.
The TiVo Roamio OTA 1TB DVR normally retails for $400 but is currently marked down to $370 on Amazon, giving you a $30 discount for a limited time.
