Sling is bringing some new competition with AirTV Anywhere

Channels DVR Server
#1

https://www.airtv.net/products/airtv-anywhere/

New 4 tuner/1tb WiFi OTA DVR that integrates with the Sling app. No subscription necessary, and it's $200.

Seems like a nice turnkey solution and the Sling app is probably fairly polished (and not purple... I kid I kid).

Few things I noted. Only one stream allowed outside the home. Seems like a bummer on a family Vaca with kids wanting to watch one thing and the parents another.

No TVE integration for those that are used to having it.

No fee. Seems. Like you pay your $200 and that's it since the Sling app is free, and it says no subscription required.

#2

Bet it is just like the Scribe Quatro where you can not move recordings to external storage 1TB is hardly enough space for OTA. I still rather get a connect Quatro and store recordings where I want.

#3

Seems similar to the Recast

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#4

I think they're just not giving a price for the Sling subscription on that page, and there's probably a deal somewhere for signing up, but in the long run all these companies live for recurring revenue. No subscription required to integrate locals and maybe other stuff into the Sling UI, but to get a Sling package eventually we'd have to pay.

#5

Yeah I remember that total failure.

#6

Or Tablo.

#7

Don't know if it transcodes or does native.

#8

The Air tv was too heavily transcoded for me and took out DD. Iā€™m sure this does the same. Also no OTA and Sling support on the Apple TV

#9

It says right next to the image " $25 Sling Credit" so, obvious to me, you still have to pay for the monthly Sling subscription to use it with the normal Sling service.
Free is just meaning the free ota channels u may get via sling, or antenna.
I tried Sling once, hated it. and later on, they dropped nearly all the channels i wanted.
Philo, i find far far better.

#10

Anything without TVE is a nonstarter for me. I can't remember the last time I opened my ATT TV Now app.Channels rocks

#11

$25 credit if you subscribe to a sling package. It clearly says no sub required. Like most companies, they're giving you a promo credit if you subscribe. Duh.

And yet Philo doesn't integrate OTA.

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#12

In the "how does it compare" it also says no monthly fee. So I don't see how there would start charging if you don't have to have a pay subscription and there is no fee for OTA.

Granted for me, I'm fine paying the $80 for this since I get TVE. Not sure how the dvr side of thing compares, but I don't feel like shelling out for another tuner setup right now. Happy to sit and wait to see how it shakes out.

But for all we can discount it, some people like simpler turnkey setups. This was still fairly easy for me to setup, but I still needed a computer (or others would need a Nas depending on what they want. This isn't Amazon centric like recast. And outside of appletv, it works on most streamers. Could probably airplay it from an apple device to atv though, I would guess if you're in that camp. Can't imagine it wouldn't be coming soon. Seems like it would be a dumb decision to not support atv directly at all.

#13

Sling is a paid service, i would think inoder to "integrate" that OTA tuner DVR thing ,into it, you have to pay for the service in the first place. I recall Sling having such a OTA device like this "new" AirTV before, back when i first looked at and tired them, years ago. Where u buy, hook up antenna, and connect the device to you account, and prestro, you now see antenna channels in your Sling app. This just new model of that it seems.

But there are better ways. If OTA is only your need, then use the HDHR software, or the native "Channels" Android tv app that has built in DVR ability and full guide.

This also is clearly and overly expensive branded device meant to draw one into the Sling ecosystem.
I can buy at Best Buy or Microcenter for under $99, a whatever brand OTA tuner DVR box with 1TB and expandable storage and use that to make records i can move to my computer with no strings attached. Sure, it don't integrate or run a Sling app...but it does works fine for those who dont care or have ability to use sling(u have to have internet to use Sling)

Sling, is the worst as far as channel offerings, the worst when it comes to TVE offerings....imo. I hardly see them as any sort of real competition. they are over hyped and last i read, their cloud dvr still had many issues and was not reliable.

#14

They still do. The original AirTV is a 2 tuner model with 10/100 ethernet. This new model is 4 tuners with wifi.

#15

Shocking. Company with a cable replacement streaming service offering an OTA device to further tie you into their paid service. Never knew things like that happen. :roll_eyes: Maybe Amazon and Apple should do things like that... Oh wait...

And while you can integrate into their paid service, you don't have. You can still use their app for just the OTA from their Anywhere device.

That said, 720p and stereo sound kinda suck. If you live on your phone and tablet, maybe that works. And if you're already a sling customer and just have to have the integration. Otherwise my two 100" plus screens will say no thank you.

This day and age I don't see the point in buying anything that ties you into a single platform/company. Much rather have an hdhomerun and let the best software company fight for my business. Was looking at PVR Live, but the dev is overseas and can't easily test US based stuff. But he seems to be trying to do something similar to Channels. I asked about TV Everywhere, but it's a US think so he's locked out.