#channelmaster

Get 80+ HD channels, record, pause and rewind live TV and access streaming services from one device. No monthly subscription needed.

By Grant Clauser This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After spending more than 20 hours attaching many antennas to multiple TVs in two different testing locations...

Original post: SlashGear

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One of the few major drawbacks of Sling TV is that it doesn't license the big broadcast channels, but there's an easy fix for that now. Channel Master announced at CES that its DVR+ products -- which are built to catch your local broadcast channels v...

Original post: Engadget

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$249.99 will buy you a ChannelMaster DVR+, which isn’t cheap, but in a month or two of no cable bills, you’ll be paid off and you’ll watch TV for free for ever after. Take that cable bill, burn it, and with the money you’ll save, you can rent all the movies you want.

The DVR

The ChannelMaster DVR+ not only lets you program and record over the air HD broadcasts, but also lets you integrate online streaming services.  No more multiple remotes or flipping switches for your multiple inputs.

With just the ChannelMaster remote, you can browse the programming guide, select channels, pick streaming content or select from 1,000’s of shows on VUDU.

The DVR itself is super slim (1/2”) with USB ports for external DVR storage. Additional ports cpver Ethernet cable for online services, antenna and HDMI out.  The unit supports SD and HD video up to 1080i and 1080p. Dual tuners let you watch one program and record another.

The Antenna

The $59.99 ChannelMaster SMARTenna can be used inside or out.  It comes with a table top stand and a mounting bracket for outside.  I didn’t try it outside, opting instead to place it next to a window facing Cleveland.  Even though we live 25 miles from the nearest big metropolitan area, and even though the antenna was inside, I was still able to haul in 19 crystal clear HD stations.

The antenna is omni-directional so there’s no aiming or tuning necessary. Making antennas since 1949, if there’s one thing ChannelMaster knows…its antennas.

The Hard Drive

With the DVR’s internal memory, you’ll only be able to record and playback about 2 hours HD programming…so you need an external drive.  I tried the Seagate 1TB external drive ($99) which plugged right in and worked with no setup needed.

With a 1TB drive, you can expect 160 hours of recording capacity.  Seagate is one of the drives I place the most faith in, so you can expect it to serve you well for many years.

Wrapping it up

All in all, there’s not a better solution out there for getting local programming, news and sports along with the capability to record them and play back on your schedule.  A modest investment now and you’ll be saving for years.

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