Danny Whitt6d ago

RE: https://mastodon.social/@drwhitt/116013020072945187

I’m officially a cord-cutter many, many years after it came into vogue. All of my content is strictly OTA or from streaming services.

Me and my family will greatly miss decades of happily using #TiVo CableCard-based DVRs. As @siracusa has lamented, paraphrasing, there’s really no good equivalent. Took a look at Channels but despite @caseyliss being quite enthusiastic about it, it just seems like a little too fiddly (not to mention that it’s just another subscription cost).

#cordcutting

Show threadLee6d ago
@drwhitt I’m using Channels for over-the-air only without any recording. I had planned to setup the Channels server on my Mac Mini, but haven’t tried it yet.
Show threadDanny Whitt6d ago
@leemoknows Weirdly, the app I am viewing OTA on a recent Sony Bravia TV running Google TV is labeled “Channels” but it doesn’t seem to be the https://getchannels.com app. That, as you infer, requires setting up a local server, i.e., the aforementioned fiddly part. How are you using Channels for over-the-air?
Channels — Watch TV Your Way

Watch and record your favorite programs on every TV and device. A joy to use and simple to set up.

Show threadLee

@drwhitt I’m using a HDHomeRun device and viewing through the Channels app on AppleTV. I believe the app was $25..? The HDHomeRun has an ethernet connection so you can stream through your network. I can watch TV on my phone or iPad using the Channels app through this device. I haven’t setup the part of it that records yet, though. Seems to work pretty reliably. My device is the non-cable card version, but I don’t remember the model number.

https://getchannels.com/hdhomerun/

Channels — HDHomeRun

Watch and record from your antenna or cable subscription.

Mar 17 at 7:25pmWeb
Show threadDanny Whitt6d ago
@leemoknows Hmm, yeah I did know about the HDHomeRun device but thought, "Do I really want add another device?" and the answer was, "No." It would be fair, also, to acknowledge that I probably scanned the information assuming that it, too, required the subscription-based Channels server app running on yet another dedicated device or, at least, in a container on one of my existing always-on servers.
Show threadDanny Whitt6d ago
@leemoknows Instead I opted for a simple indoor antenna that provides 7 HD stations (the local network affiliates) and another 56 other SD stations. That's quite a bit of content for 0.00 dollars, as they say on the old-folk tee vee commercials. :)
Show threadLee6d ago
@drwhitt For now, I’ve paid for the HDHomeRun device and the Channels app. I don’t think you pay a subscription until you setup a server to record content and serve it up inside and outside your home (like watching on vacation etc). That was a couple years ago when I set it up. Home that still applies. We see quite a few channels over the air like you’ve seen as well. I thought I’d be eager to start recording, but I really haven’t wanted to as of yet.