Channels DVR vs Hulu

Channels DVR Server
#1

So I use the Channels app on my Apple TV and the service is great. My window antenna picks up perfect quality HD feeds for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW, PBS, and a few others. I can quickly pause and rewind live TV from these stations and the Channels interface makes it so easy to view what to watch. My Hulu subscription allows me the same functionality for most previously aired shows on these stations, plus many other stations as well. And it requires no additional equipment.

I almost purchased a NAS for the sole purpose of using as a DVR for the Channels DVR service. I had around $500 of hardware in my amazon shopping cart and then decided to put that purchase on hold. Broken-out over a 2-year timespan, the NAS hardware + Channels DVR subscription is equivalent to paying $29 per month. And I would need to maintain the hardware myself. I also would probably need to mount a ventilation fan in my media cabinet so that the NAS drives don’t get too hot.
But I already get all the live channels with no subscription or additional hardware. And for $12 per month, I get all of the Hulu shows with no commercials. Additionally, the Hulu app integrates perfectly with the TV app on my Apple TV.

So, it seams to me that Hulu is cheaper than Channels DVR, has more content than could ever be recorded from just the broadcast networks, and I don’t have to think about the fact that my HDHomeRun has 2 tuners and plan around that for recording timeslots.

But it would be fun to setup my own NAS DVR. I just don’t seem to have a good reason to do this, though.
What benefits does the Channels DVR service have over the regular Channels app + Hulu?

#2

Simple. Live TV and local programming. i.e.; home team sports, news, community events, etc.

If you don’t need or care about live or local content then Hulu sounds like a good approach.

#3

Hulu does’t have surround sound, so screw them.

Also, they might have more “content” but they don’t have a lot of shows that I record.

#4

Interesting…I’m in the same place.

New to Channels and love it but thinking hard if I really need the DVR. Most content that was on our previous cable DVR was network primetime programs. I can get that content through the network apps with CBS the only app charging me. Without the DVR function, I will lose those times when we need to record local channel programs as well as time shift those channels by a few hours. I also lose DD5.1. I plan to live without the DVR to see how the family adapts.

I’ll need to look into Hulu to see what advantages that has over the Apple TV app and Network apps.

#5

I think Live Sports is probably a big part of it, if that’s nothing something you need, you might be better off without it.

#6

Yes, the best use case that I can think of is to watch recorded sports games or local news. While I do occasionally watch some NFL teams, I don’t record games to watch later. News is also content that is not as relevant when not live.

It seems like the best case for having a DVR is to watch prime-time TV shows after the original air date/time. But there are already inexpensive internet-based services that allow this.

I used to have fancy 5.1 setups on my TVs. I remember doing those kind of setups back in the 1990s and early 2000s. And having DVD and Blu-Ray players too. But I have kind of evolved into simpler setups using only streaming, a soundbar, and a subwoofer. Everything is much cleaner, there is more space in my living room without all those speakers, and IMO, it sounds great!

But I can see 5.1 as a reason for some people to go for the Channels DVR. Without the need for this, nor a need for recorded sports or local news, there is not really a good justification for me to invest in such a service.

#7

On second thought, Hulu is not the best solution. I have also been trying Sling, DirecTV Now, and PSVue. The best combination for reliable on-demand plus HD locals is Playstation Vue along with the Channels app. This gives quick access to recently recorded programs, and channels gives live HD for the missing networks. The access basic is $30, but this method not only gives DVR functionality for recently aired programs, but it also adds a good number of networks. PSVue is much more reliable and the on-demand is much more complete than DirecTV Now.