I got it! I will admit, as much of a pain to set it up as it was, the fire stick app is actually very user friendly.
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The nvidia shield is just a media player...like the Firetv only made by nvidia. Not a recommendation to buy from best buy, but this is it.
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Ah interesting! And I could download the DVR right onto that? That definitely sounds worth checking out. The only reason I had the fire stick was because of the Recast I had but I'm getting rid of that now so if I could integrate everything all in one that would be great.
Yes the shield pro can be both a client and server, the one big caveat being that it will not work with YouTube TV as a TVE provider.
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That would be okay as I don't have, or plan to get, YouTube TV as it's more expensive than my local cable would be lol. I'm selling my antenna and recast set up right now so maybe I'll just put the money towards a used Nvidia Shield. Is there a certain "model" I need to look out for or will any of the Nvidia Shield TVs be compatible?
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Is there a reason why the ts4k is not recommended as a simple starter DVR. Plug in usb c drive install server and client and your done. I've had one set up for my 9 year old now for over a month and it works fine and she loves having her own DVR.
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Well, the talk around the boards is to stay away from the tube model, as it is 32 bit and might be problematic. I run channels on my synology nas, so I can't comment on it running as a server on the shield..just know it is possible
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@jsundlyle a Shield can be a lot of fun especially if you're a gamer, and certainly does more things while being less expensive than most NAS configurations. But based on many posts on this forum we should warn you that keeping Channels DVR working on a Shield may require more frequent attention. An NAS is pretty much just set and forget. I use a Synology DS718+ hosting a pair of 4TB hard drives.
Even as just client device, a Shield would be OK but a Fire TV Stick is much more of a plug-and-play thing. I guess in the end it depends on your budget and how much you want the other Shield features.
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Definitely a lot to consider. I'm intimidated by the NAS option because I just today learned what one is. But the set and forget option definitely seems nice. They seem pretty spendy though even for a used one.
As far as the shield, I do like to do some gaming - mainly Xbox but nothing too intense so I may have fun playing around with that too.
OK, as long as it will be fun, go for it! If you search for "Shield" you'll find many threads of interest here.
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WD MYCloud PR2100 is the NAS I use as my DVR. This model has CPU with enough horsepower to run Channels DVR. I also have multiple (3) ShieldTVs and a Sony TV with built in Android TV for playback. All support the Channels App. In my situation FIOS feeds 2 HDHOMERUN Prime Tuners which feeds the NAS. Channels App finds my NAS on my network with little intervention. FYI, Channels App needed frequent attention until I set each device to static IP. Everything good now.
I initially set up Channels DVR server on a Mac. On a Mac, the energy saver has an option called "Power Nap," which allows the computer to perform various system services, such as backups, updates and the like. I was able to put my Mac to sleep and the Channels DVR server still worked, since it functions as a service. It continued to record shows and I was able to watch from various clients without having to wake my Mac. If you're not using a Mac, your system may have a similar functionality — smile
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A basic NAS is a good option. Very low power consumption when not in use. It's pretty easy to get up in running. Synology, and the rest of the vendors probably, have made things quite user friendly with getting started guides and directions. It's essentially a computer without a monitor or keyboard, with enough horse power for applications like channels and file serving, but without the bloat of a full featured OS like Windows or MacOS. They even update themselves these days as a good hardware appliance should. It's also pretty dead simple to add your own hard drive(s). You don't even have to open them up anymore.
I assume you are using a HDHomeRun or something for the tuner?
Is there any reason that prevents using Apple TV as a Channels DVR server even when storage is somewhere on the network?
If Shield works why not ATV?
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The reason is Apple. tvOS is not the same as Android OS.
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The Raspberry Pi is great for Channels DVR. The Pi does not use a lot of power. I have one set up since Friday night. It’s amazing. These folks have done such great work. Love it.
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No I don't have the HD Home Run at all - I use Locast and Philo for channels. Unfortunately in my area I don't get good antenna reception.
I saw those online when I started googling! Interesting little set up. Not sure I would know how to work it lol.
It sounds a lot like you would benefit from getting a Shield. You would get more from it than buying a NAS, and it just sits there, and since you already have an external drive. The Pro model has two usb ports so go Pro, tube only has one, and ideally, hook your drive to the shield, but it will work connected to the router as a "NAS". Just be sure to connect it as network storage in the shield settings menu, then Channels will see it as a drive it can record to. Having it hooked to the shield just eliminates the need to go through the network for recording, file operations etc, since technically the drive is directly connected to the server. Don't get the tube model, you'll be limited to what it's capable of without extra unnecessary measures. The 2019 Pro model has 4k AI upscaling, and it works in Channels. Once you get more familiar with AndroidTV, it's hard to go back to anything else. As far as maintenance is concerned, it will be making sure the shield is on with the server running.
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Wow, that's an interesting distinction about the Shield, I hadn't heard that one before, thanks for mentioning it. I do use YouTube TV as a TVE provider so that would be a dealbreaker for me. I wonder why only YTTV doesn't work in this context, and the other TVE providers do?