Total cost?

Channels Android TV
#1

So am trying to compare apples to oranges. Looks like the total cost to get a CHANNELS DVR system running is

  1. server $100
  2. hd home run $100
  3. software $8 monthly
  4. hard drive $50

Assuming you already have a client android or fire tv on your HDTV.

Compared that to a used TABLO $150 with hard drive. Plus $5 a month service.

Yes know that a CHANNELS is more flexible than a TABLO as it can record streams. Maybe that is what makes it worth the $100 more.

Has anyone been able to get a CHANNELS system at a lower price with creativity ?

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#2

Tablo is a fine all in one box. However it only does OTA. I cannot knock the product. Its good. Its basic, simple, limated features. But it just works. I would give one to grandma without a second thought.

but

Channels DVR
OTA (with HDHR)
Canle Channels (TVE , philo, canle etc)
Free Channels (Pluto, stirr, samsung etc)
Virtual channels (local content playing like live tv)
Local content management (kinda like plex)

All inside one unified TV guide.

Cheapest route

Server: $0-$200
Server, find any old laptop or old conputer with a dual core or better cpu and it will probably work. Someone you know has a 10year old laptop collecting dust

Storage: $0-$150.
Either the hard drive in server or a quality USB drive

Channels DVR: $80-$96 a year (annual vs monthly)

OTA: $0 - $300 (Tuner + antenna)
OTA channels are not required. But nice to have. You will need a tuner HDHR and a antenna.

Free Channels: $0
Use custom channels such as Pluto, Samsung etc.

Cable Stations: $25 - $100 a month
Philo is $25 a month and gives you most of your cable stations.
*Free option is if you have a friend with a cable or satalite subscription is to get them to share there online login. It will not affect their service. You just need credentials

Depending on what things you have or can source for free. Will dictate cost.

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#3

Did not realize that PHILO will record to CHANNELS. Nice option.

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#4

Philo, YourubeTV, Hulu Live, Sling, etc.

They work with channels by using your login information to authenticate TVE live streams.

Check what TVE stations are available by provider

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#5

Is TVE going to disappear in a year? Or is that a nasty rumor?

1 Like
#6

@tmm1
What are yourvthoughts on if TVE is going away..

IMO. TVE wont last forever. However considering most major TV stations do offer TVE currently. I don't think it's going away in the short term (within a year). However I do have concerns if TVE will be around in 5 years. Reason I say that is Broadcasting, tv markets, streaming is rapidly changing. I think TVE will be relevent as long as linear TV is relevant. Linear TV is something only us dinosaurs still like.

Don't make your TV decision based on what might happen in 5 years. You have to base your decision on whats available now. Because you want to watch tv now.

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#7

Understood

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#8

Also included in the DVR subscription is outstanding support 7 days a week.

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#9

If you have a PC you can try Channels DVR for a couple of months and see. It doesn't require a dedicated server. It will run along with other services on the family PC. With a PC, Channels DVR, and a streaming stick (not Roku), you can test it out with your current cable channels (if you have it) using TVE and custom channels like Pluto, Stirr, Samsung TV, etc. If you like it (you likely will), you can then choose to spend money on an HDHomerun and/or a dedicated platform to run it on. If you are comfortable with running docker you can even integrate a Tablo (but it is complicated compared to the HDHomerun). For $8 per month for a couple of months, it is a cheap eperiment.

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#10

Yep, I'm running the server on my daily driver, along with Plex and a host of other stuff. The most important thing is to be hardwired and not WiFi--and not for speed, but to minimize jitter and latency.

As others have said, you can try it all free for a month, and WHEN you love it, you can pay $80 for the year, making it $6.67/month.

3 Likes
#11

The reason to get Channels is because of TVE. There are better options if you don't need or want TVE.

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#12

What better options ??? there are none. The other options do not have any type of advanced passes. That is just one of the things others cannot match.

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#13

This!

To me, that's a killer feature for a DVR.
When I found out about advanced passes in Channels DVR, I was sold!

If you know about TiVo's Wishlist feature, Channels DVR's advanced passes are more flexible and powerful!

#14

I don’t think linear TV is going away completely, certainly not anytime in the immediate future, but I do think it is transitioning away from traditional cable to online offerings such as YouTube TV and Philo. I actually think services like Sling and Philo will eventually win out over YouTube TV and Hulu Live because you can pay less, especially for people like me who don’t really care about sports at all. Especially because sports channels are what drive the price of cable up and there often isn’t an option with a traditional cable provider to get a completely sports network free package.

I think that as long as there is some form of linear TV there will probably continue to be some form of TV everywhere. Though it could certainly end up behind DRM, blocking Channels ability to record it (as happened earlier this year with PBS). If that ever happens I’ll likely drop Channels since I use it exclusively with TV everywhere currently. But since it’s an annual subscription, I can just drop it if that ever happens. All that to say that I agree with jake.joycelyn that you should consider what you want now, and not what might happen a few years down the line.

3 Likes
#15

This is an interesting discussion about Emby vs Plex vs Jellyfin vs Channels DVR vs TIVO vs ...... I am sure we all have our favorites for different reasons and for different missions. I personally use Channels DVR as much as I can, but since I am a Roku user, I don't have Channels apps on my home televisions. So, I route Channels through Jellyfin to get access at home.

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#16

Everyone has their own "killer feature" that makes them jump onboard and stay. For me, it was Stream Links. I was literally trying to develop my own content aggregation engine after being so disappointed in TiVO, Google, and everyone else. Channels was the first and remains far-and-away best method to get all my content in one place.

Yet, I've talked with people on this very board that HATE Stream Links and see no reason for it. So whatever is your reason or someone else's, we can just live and let live.

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#17

I am patiently waiting for DVR better options.... and why?

#18

I agree. Basically, enjoy while you can! :slight_smile:

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#19

Well, I'm a Channels subscriber but still use Emby as a front-end to Channels just for the TVE functionality. I can't see using Channels as my main until they improve upon their UI with respect to a live TV guide -- the quick guide doesn't cut it. A full guide with PIP or simply as a transparency over the live TV has been a feature of almost every cable box/Sat provider/Tivo/etc but not Channels. Maybe this is a feature of the Apple product but it's not there with AndroidTV -- I use Nvidia shields as clients.

The library feature is also not nearly as good as Emby or Plex. The passes are probably nice but my recording needs are pretty simple -- normally just weekly recordings of "new" shows. I'll admit having a search function is sorely needed in Emby for finding shows rather than having to manually search the guide. So bravo to Channels for having that feature.

Channels's guide mapping to TV sources is also better than Emby but isn't a killer feature.
Channel's would quickly become my sole TV app if they'd just look a bit more on how Plex or Emby do video collections and implement a full guide feature without having to exit live TV or whatever you might be viewing to access it.

If you only care about OTA TV, a Tivo or SageTV would probably work better than Channels. The killer feature that Channels has is still TVE.

#20

I use all of them and the BEST DVR is still Channels .... The others except SageTV are media players pretending to be a DVR. I like a DVR to work for me to record what I want Genres, Actors decades etc... the only one that does this is Channels DVR. Right now, I have Channels DVR recording New Prime Time shows as I do not have time to research Show names or release dates. Which all the pretend dvr Require I do the work.

Channel CONTAINS 2.1 
Channel CONTAINS 6.1 
Channel CONTAINS 8.1 
Channel CONTAINS 32.1 
Channel CONTAINS 6000 
Channel CONTAINS 6001 
Channel CONTAINS 6003 
Channel CONTAINS 112 
Channel CONTAINS 12.1 
Tags CONTAINS New 
Tags CONTAINS Premiere 
Tags CONTAINS Season Premiere 
Tags CONTAINS Series Premiere 
Time CONTAINS 8pm 
Time CONTAINS 9pm 
Time CONTAINS 10pm 
Genres EXCLUDES News 
Title EXCLUDES SIGN OFF
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