TiVo is announcing a new set-top box, one that can record over-the-air broadcasts from a HD antenna and, like the TiVo Bolt, lets you skip over commercials at the touch of a button.
And, to sweeten the deal, TiVo's also axing its $15-per-month subscription fee.
The device is called the TiVo Roamio OTA 1TB … it's kind of a mouthful. But the idea here is to offer cord-cutters all the features they'll want including access to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Instant Video and YouTube, without paying a recurring fee at the end of the month.
The device will come packed with a 1TB hard drive, four tuners to record multiple shows at one time, SkipMode (the ability to jump past commercials) and QuickMode, which lets you speed up content by 30% to binge-watch even more content in the same amount of time. Of course you'll also be able to download recorded shows to your iOS and Android Amazon devices or stream them to your Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV in another room.
TiVo has a divisive track record with cord cutters. But when the community wanted a 4K streaming device that had the potential to record over-the-air broadcasts, the company delivered the TiVo Bolt.
That device was fast, powerful and gave us the ability to skip over commercials at the touch of a button. Problematically, however, there was always a pesky $15-a-month fee that cut into your savings.
The TiVo Roamio OTA 1TB, therefore, is a better fit for cord-cutters who are more apt to make a large one-time payment for the right tech and avoid recurring subscriptions as much as possible.
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
The new Roamio will be available starting on May 2 for $399.
Nick Pino is Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar's sister site, Tom's Guide. Previously, he was the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He's also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he's not using if anyone wants it.