NextPVR is a free DVR solution for home theater PCs with optional Kodi integration.
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You won’t get more than a day’s worth of guide data, but the software does provide some granular recording options, such as the ability to set buffer times, avoid reruns, and keep only a defined number of recent episodes. Now that Windows Media Center is dead, NextPVR is the best way for home theater PC diehards to record over-the-air channels without a subscription. MTS files, which you can transfer to another device or stash on a Plex server. And unlike the other options on this list, the Mediasonic records video as unprotected. Navigation is slow, conflict management is non-existent, and your list of recordings will be an unorganized mess, but it only costs $35, plus the price of a USB hard drive and antenna.
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This box has been around for years, and its crude interface for manual recordings is reminiscent of an old VCR. The Mediasonic Homeworx HW180STB is a good example. If you want to keep over-the-air DVR costs to the bare minimum, just buy a cheap tuner/converter box. Then, head to Settings > Storage & reset, select your USB drive, and select “Format as device storage.” Bear in mind this will erase anything that’s on the drive currently. To set up Live Channels, plug in your USB tuner and follow the guided setup process. Worst of all, recordings are protected by the system, so you can’t transfer the video files or set up a Plex server to stream video to other devices. Live Channels also lacks a search tool, so you’re limited to those 48 hours of guide data when looking for shows to record. For series recordings, you can limit them to a specific channel, but you can’t automatically delete older episodes or avoid recording reruns. (Unfortunately, the thumbnail goes away when you start watching another video.) Jared Newman / TechHiveĪndroid TV’s Live Channels app offers basic DVR for free.Īs for what’s missing, there’s no way to create manual recordings, or pad out series recordings with start and stop buffer times.
The Shield TV even supports a picture-in-picture mode for watching TV in a small thumbnail while you play games or browse other apps. The app also includes show descriptions and artwork, and you can sort through live programs and recordings by genre. Live Channels provides clear warnings when you’ve run out of tuners for recording, along with a scheduling tool to weed out conflicts, and it doesn’t waste a second tuner when you’re both watching and recording a single channel. For a free service, Google’s solution isn’t bad.