roamioota
Latest
TiVo's cord-cutting DVR gets more storage and drops subscriptions
TiVo's Roamio OTA was supposed to fulfill the dreams of cord-cutters who wanted a big-name DVR without the burden of a conventional TV subscription, but it didn't quite live up to that ideal. You could only record so many shows on its 500GB hard drive, and that $15 monthly subscription hurt the appeal for the cost-conscious. Thankfully, those two problems have just been solved: TiVo has unveiled a 1TB Roamio OTA model that shakes things up. The new set-top doubles the storage, as you've no doubt guessed, but the big deal is the shift in pricing strategy. Instead of a low up-front price and a monthly fee, you pay $400 outright -- while that's expensive at first, it promises to be less costly in the long run.
TiVo OnePass finds your favorite show no matter where it is
TiVo DVRs have been powering binge-watching since they first hit the market, but now that means something different. Instead of diving into an archive of recordings or even disc-based boxed sets, we're usually queuing up a few seasons from a streaming internet service, and now TiVo can help with that. An update coming to Roamio, Premiere and Mini devices will evolve the old "Season Pass" recording into OnePass, which searches out episodes across the multiple video apps the boxes have access to. It doesn't matter if they're recorded, have yet to air, pop up on streaming (Amazon, Netflix, Comcast VOD, Hulu, Vudu -- you get the idea) or are just coming soon to streaming, they all show up in one easy-to-navigate screen. It's a simple extension of what TiVo's various boxes already do, but it's something you won't get from cable/satellite, and set-top boxes like Roku or Apple TV usually don't have access to traditional TV sources.
TiVo Roamio OTA review: Finally, TiVo makes a DVR for cord-cutters
Cable TV and TiVo go together like peanut butter and jelly, or at least they did until now. The company that, for all intents and purposes, invented the DVR has, after 14 years, released one specifically designed for people who don't want to pay for a TV subscription. If you look past the marketing, the $50 TiVo Roamio OTA is actually the same as the standard-edition Roamio, but with a nonfunctional CableCARD slot and no option for Lifetime Service. So, is this the one box a cord-cutter needs? Just as important, is the price right?
TiVo's first box just for cord cutters is the Roamio OTA DVR
For the past eight years, a CableCARD and a TiVo DVR have gone hand in hand. No more! Within the next few weeks, the limited edition TiVo Roamio OTA DVR will be available from select Best Buy stores for an initial price of $49 (plus $15/month service with a one-year commitment). That's $150 cheaper than the existing base model TiVo Roamio, and still boasts the four tuners, 500GB of storage, integrated WiFi and the same software and accessories (TiVo Stream and TiVo Mini). The main missing feature, for a fourth of the price, are a CableCARD slot. This means you'll need an antenna and (ideally) to live somewhere with decent over-the-air reception. It's an especially interesting offering for those looking to cut the cable/satellite cord, while keeping access to new shows from the big networks. TiVo might not be kidding about this being a limited edition either: The company is clear in pledging its allegiance to its cable TV customers while at the same time attempting to appeal to those not interested in paying more than 20 bucks for a monthly TV subscription. So, depending on the reception from customers and partners, we could see TiVo axing the Roamio OTA if things don't work out.
