Tablo Metro DVR lets cord-cutters record TV shows for a minimal monthly fee.
One thing that’s hard to give up for those canceling expensive pay-TV service is the DVR, especially if you’re a sports fan.
One of the newer brands to offer DVRs to cord cutters is Tablo, which has a series of boxes with a low monthly service fee. At the Consumer Electronics Show, Tablo introduced its newest DVR, the Tablo Metro, which has two tuners so you can record two shows at the same time. Plus, it has a built-in antenna to better capture those over-the-air channels like Fox, ABC and CBS.
The Tablo Metro is aimed at people who live in metropolitan areas and can easily grab broadcast TV signals without having to put an antenna on the roof.
Inside the Tablo Metro DVR is a built-in antenna (the raised lines that look like star patterns).
The Tablo Metro DVR is $250. To access Tablo’s program guide, so you can schedule the recording of future shows, the service is $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. Tablo also offers a “lifetime” subscription of $150 on the box. You can now. It ships in March.
Two other options include a for $219 and a for $299.
For all Tablo options, you’ll need a hard drive, Internet and an HDTV antenna (except for the Metro).
Another alternative for people who have canceled their pay-TV service is TiVo. Remember TiVo? The original personal digital recorder is still around. And it offers a DVR for people with just an antenna on their TV. Its TiVo Roamio is $50 for the box and service is $14.99 a month. Not a bad price for the box, which records up to 4 shows simultaneously on its 500 GB hard drive. Apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus and YouTube are also accessible from the TiVo guide.
For either option, you’ll need to put an antenna on your roof to better capture the local TV signals.
View all posts about this year’s CES by clicking the . Or follow my .
