Tablo TV : Stream From Your Antenna

Tablo reinvents the way to watch OTA TV

Cordcutting hit Canada in record numbers last year with pay TV subscriptions falling flat and a surge of interest in alternative options such as internet streaming services and digital over-the-air TV. So wouldn’t this be the best time for Canada’s innovative tech industry to launch its own cordcutter hardware into the mix? Ottawa-based Nuvvyo thought so and introduced their new product geared at cordcutters, Tablo TV.

Tablo is classified as an over-the-air (OTA) DVR, but fact is it’s more of a “cloud DVR” than a typical set-top product. Don’t think about a conventional DVR that you would get from a cable company; with no remote control and no way to connect directly to a TV, Tablo is best described as network-attached storage powered by dual or quad OTA tuners with one heck of a high-end software interface.

 

Hello, Tablo! Promotional photo provided courtesy of Nuvvyo.

Tablo definitely comes in with cutting-edge technology and is by all means not targeted at the traditional OTA crowd as having an antenna is not the only pre-requisite. You’ll need a fairly modern home network, a spare hard drive and a Roku, AppleTV or a Chromecast and to get Tablo up and running on your big screen.

So is Tablo worth taking the plunge? Here’s what we think based on our trial:
 

Model: Tablo 2-Tuner OTA DVR

Size: 7" wide x 4 1/2" deep x 1 3/8" high

Package includes: TabloTV, power supply, ethernet cable, owner’s guide

Inputs/Outputs: RF connector (F-type coax), Ethernet, USB x 2, Power, Dual band WiFi

Pros: Robust and innovative software, beautiful user interface, bulletproof program guide info for two weeks (requires subscription), good OTA tuner, true “whole home” and cloud DVR functionality, excellent streaming quality even over busy networks, free apps for most devices, one subscription covers multiple Tablo devices with several payment options available, works well with all the most popular streaming players, excellent customer support, remote web access and Wifi capabilities already included.

Cons: Pay subscription required for full functionality, interface only available in English, no live signal strength data or ability to tune / add channels in real time, unit runs warm, limited search functionalities.

 

Appearance

The Tablo unit is a discreet black box, a mix of matte and glossy black finishes with no buttons (including ON/OFF) or switches present besides a discrete reset button recessed on the back panel. All connection ports are lined up in the back and easily accessible. The look is clean and sleek, the base is solid metal with what looks like a black powder-coated finish, the top and sides are a high-quality plastic. A blue LED in the front center is the only signs of life the unit will display when powered up, and can be turned off if so desired via the Tablo web browser interface or app.  The LED also acts as indicator of when the unit is doing something special, such going into tech support mode.

 

Tablo is compact and good-looking; it is compact enough to be used almost anywhere and with its cool look, fits in great with any high-end home theatre setup.

 

Build Quality

The unit comes well packaged and is solidly built, no flimsy components or cheap finishes here. The I/O connections are tight and the chassis fits well together with close tolerances.  Early units had an issue where the internal RF shield could come loose, resulting in a rattling sound inside the unit, but the issue was promptly addressed by Nuvvyo and the design was changed on newer models. The unit we received had excellent build quality.

 

Made in Canada: When buying a Tablo you’re not just signing up for excellent quality workmanship, you’re also supporting the local economy.

 

Installation

The setup of Tablo requires a few steps but is easily accomplished. The first step is adding a USB harddrive and be warned; not all harddrives will work and you can find a detailed list of them in the Tablo Community Forum thread. The basic requirement is that the hardrive must not exceed 2TB and that it should not be externally powered. For purposes of our tests we stuck with the recommended Seagate model. Although there are two USB ports, the current firmware allows only hooking up one hardrive. Tablo mentions that future developments may allow a second drive to be added and even for hard drives to be interchangeable between units (which would be a cool feature for sharing recordings with friends or archiving recorded series).

 

There are plenty of compact HDD options that work with Tablo.
 

The next step is to connect an antenna to the RF input and then power on the unit. Although each Tablo comes equipped with dual-band WiFi, it is recommended that it is hard-wired to a home network Ethernet port using the provided 3-ft cable. 

 

Step by step, Tablo's awesome start-up guide is easy to use and well-illustrated for an easy and fast setup.
 

Now that the unit is powered on and communicating on the network, setup is done through the free web interface or the free apps available for iOS or Android devices. As advertised by Tablo, the web interface will work best with Google Chrome – we tried Internet Explorer and FireFox and the system would hang or not display properly.  The setup steps are easy and user-friendly, and will require formatting your hardrive, obtaining your location for guide info and other basic home network setup properties.

The one speedbump we found was that the Tablo software does not provide real-time signal strength information from the antenna, except when running a full setup scan. This made it a bit difficult to aim the antenna as we had to keep running re-scans, and becomes somewhat annoying when trying to find the right balance / compromise between several stations coming in from different angles. Another drawback is that there is no way to manually add a single channel; a whole re-scan needs to be done if you somehow missed a weaker station.

Signal strength is only captured once, during the initial scan. It is not live (real-time), making it difficult to use when aiming your antenna.
 

Once the initial scan is done, guide data will begin downloading and the Tablo interface will start populating. By default, each Tablo unit comes with 30-day trial period, after which you can make a decision on purchasing the subscription packages. Without the subscription, Tablo’s functionalities become significantly crippled. In our opinion, if you’re not going to go with the subscription, you may as well forego Tablo altogether for many of the awesome features we will describe below (that make it totally worthwhile) will not be active.

For testing purposes, we ran Tablo on an iPad (iOS 7) and a Roku 2. We chose the Roku 2 since our initial research showed that Tablo runs like a breeze with the Roku 3, but there could be Roku 2 as that would really give us the worst case scenario.

On the iPad, installation was easy as we downloaded the free app and merely synched it with the Tablo on the network. Everything simply auto-detected and worked like a charm. For Roku 2, we used the custom Tablo channel provided on the Tablo website. Again, things worked beautifully and once added to our Roku account, our Tablo channel popped up in the menu like any other Roku channel. The Roku channel does not have any setup options as opposed to the iOS app which does. Both instances work well, respond quickly and are very easy to use and user-intuitive.

 

 

Free Tablo apps  are available for most devices (top), while a custom Roku channel (middle) adds Tablo to your Roku menu (bottom)
 

Of course, we were also able to watch Tablo programming on our PC using the Google Chrome Tablo web portal we used for the initial setup.

Features and Performance

Features

First and foremost, let us re-iterate that Tablo is not a conventional set-top DVR; you’ll be scratching your head for a long time looking for the HDMI-out. Tablo is essentially a local area network “cloud” DVR, and with that comes a plethora of cool superpowers which we will discuss below.

But before we jump into that, let’s talk about what really sets Tablo apart from the pack, its distinct and innovative user interface.

The Tablo UI

Tablo reimagines the way to view OTA TV. Traditionally, OTA TV watchers were ruled by the programming grid – what is on what channel at what time. Tablo redefines OTA TV by turning its user-interface and program guide into essentially a Netflix-style concept. Instead of thinking about what is on at what time, Tablo will show what content is available via your antenna.

Although Tablo has traditional OTA guide capabilities, the beauty lies in how it categorizes and shows you what content is available out there. It’s like a Netflix-style layout for your OTA channels content. Note how available episodes are organized by seasons.

To be honest, we were at first taken slightly aback by the concept. Where are my channels? What’s on at 7PM? In playing with the unit over several weeks we realized that Tablo is right on track with the way people and cord-nevers (the younger generation that will watch AppleTV instead of cable) are currenty using the ol’tube.

Save for live sports, more and more people are watching TV via recording or on-demand content, either for binge-watching or to skip commercials. Tablo basically gives that power now to OTA users by showing them all that is available via antenna and allowing them to identify the content they’d like to record, and then watch it when it’s most convenient for them.

By having programming options presented to you by content rather than time/channel, it’s easier to sort and categorize. Tablo can filter and show you all the programs over the next two weeks that are identified as sports, movies, premiere showings or fall into genres that range from agriculture to westerns.

As a bonus, this type of user interface actually allowed us to discover interesting shows that we didn’t even know aired by browsing through the titles in the Tablo guide, usually because it was at certain ungodly hours of the night or morning.

Although Tablo commands, menus and the overall UI is only available in English, programming synopsis and descriptions will display in their native language, like French (above).

For example, the teen music-video show Juicebox is a hit with the kids – but usually only available via cable. With Tablo’s interface, we stumbled upon a 2-hour recurring session that airs at 6AM on a local CTV affiliate, making it perfect to record and playback when the kids are actually awake to appreciate it.

Watch Live OTA TV

Tablo allows you to watch live OTA TV to streaming boxes like Roku and Apple TV as well as your iPad, Android tablet or PC web browser. Think of it as streaming from your antenna instead of the internet, saving you quite a bit of internet cap space, and giving exceptional picture quality considering most DTV signals come in uncompressed at 19Mbps at a quality of 720p or 1080i. With the hard drive attached, you can also use Tablo to pause live TV or rewind back.

The Tablo guide for live TV on tablets is a traditional layout with a large preview pane that provides more program details. Unfortunately, the guide only goes 24 hours into the future, even with a full subscription. On streaming boxes like Roku, it is reduced to merely a list of shows currently airing.

 

Tablo’s Live TV guide on tablets (above) resembles a traditional layout but leverages Tablo’s excellent guide info. Only drawback (like all the other Tablo menus) is that you can’t browse and still watching live TV in the background. Unfortunately on Roku it is reduced to a list of programs that are currently airing.

Now about that “live” TV - there is actually a short buffer delay on live TV which we measured at about 11 seconds behind the live feed. This buffer helps give good quality streaming and for the most part doesn’t really impact your TV watching. Well, maybe those of you with thin walls may want to tell the neighbours on the other side to tone down the goal celebrations during the hockey game (spoiler alert, please). Overall we found the streaming quality excellent, with hardly any artifacts, lagging or ghosting. Fast-moving images and action sequences were on par with other streaming devices we’ve seen in the past. In cases where there was lagging and such with live TV, merely pausing the feed for a few seconds to allow the buffer to fill would resolve the problem.

The streaming quality from Tablo is excellent; one of the best we’ve seen.

Tablo comes in dual and quad tuner models, meaning it can receive two four live OTA TV channels at a time. Streaming is basically dependant on your network, as long as your network can handle it, you can have many devices accessing Tablo at the same time either for live TV or recorded programming. The best part is that if you do go for a Tablo subscription, you’re covered for that unit and not dependent on the number of devices you use to access it (since the apps/channels are all free); so whether you’re streaming to one or ten devices it’s all the same subscription price.

Whole Home DVR

The main advantage to having Tablo as a network DVR over a set-top box is the whole-home capability. Start watching a recording on the big screen, pause and resume on a tablet without missing a beat. Tablo has this feature ready to go right out of the box, no need to pay more for extra hardware or a special subscription package.

Paused recordings can be resumed on any connected device.

Recording can be done automatically (with a guide subscription) or manually. Recordings are smart enough to only record new episodes and will extend most live event recordings (sports) in case they run late. The recordings are easy to find in a dedicated recording menu and episodes are automatically grouped by program, which means you won’t be scrolling around trying to find your shows. Settings allow older shows to auto-delete if you start running low on hard disk space, ensuring your new shows record and helping you manage free space on your hard drive.

The playback interface is easy to use and the functionalities are on par with standard DVR offerings. On the web and tablet interface, you can easily fast forward or rewind back by using the sliders. Conventional skip fwd / skip back buttons are provided as well for jumping commercials. On Roku, the DVR works directly off the remote control commands. Overall, a good offering of standard playback functionalities.

Make your own replays and scroll back in time during live TV, especially easy and fluid on tablets (above)

 

Cloud DVR

Tablo also can be used as a “cloud” DVR when away from home. By setting up TabloConnect, another pre-loaded feature ready-to-go out of the box, you can access your Tablo remotely via a secure web portal. Impress your friends with cable by streaming your OTA feed directly to your smartphone at their house. Hey, maybe they can actually watch some of the real SuperBowl commercials?

TabloConnect can be enabled in the settings menu and allows streaming anywhere there is an internet connection and a suitable web browser.

One caveat is that TabloConnect may not be easy to set up on certain home networks, but that isn’t Tablo’s fault. Many “out-of-the-box” LAN setups with the big internet providers come with default firewalls and other imposed security features that may not like the idea of remote access to an attached device, so buckle yourselves in for a fun evening of playing around with port mappings and other modem router configurations before getting the feature up and running.

Menus and Navigation

The menu on the tablet interface is very well done and consists of a sidebar that has the most popular options and the advanced settings required to configure Tablo. This sidebar is always accessible through an icon in the top banner area and all menu selections respond and load quickly. The menus and the items are glossy, fluid and fun to use.

Glossy, full-coloured illustrated menus take full advantage of touch-enabled tablets; this interface is what truly makes Tablo stand out from the rest.

On streaming boxes, the menu is fairly standard and there are no advanced settings. The simplified menu makes it easy to navigate to the important and most popular features, especially with reduced remote controls like the 12-button Roku. Due to this simplicity, you will always need the web interface as a minimum to be able to configure Tablo.

On streaming boxes such as the Roku 2, a simpler menu allows for easy navigation using remote controls.

The guide information is rich and detailed. Each show is grouped by its title, which contains a brief description of the series. In each of these groupings, available or recorded episodes are grouped by seasons. Each episode contains a fairly detailed synopsis. Programming in other languages, such as French, will have French descriptions and episode synopsis. While great for providing the user with a very visual and detailed description of programming content, the only disadvantage we saw was that sometimes grouping by seasons made it harder to find certain episodes. Ideally, it would have been great to have a setting that would list all episodes in one list. For example, with many episodes of Seinfeld recorded from various seasons, it takes a bit longer to find the “Soup Nazi” episode for playback (Geez, was it season 7, 8 or 9? Guess I’ll have to look through all the pages.). Having the option to also show the episodes as one recorded list and then sort by season or title could have made these pages a bit easier to navigate.

 

 

Search

If there was one area of Tablo that we found could use improvements, it was its search functionalities. Currently there is basic categorization such as sports, movies and show premieres. A search function allows to search by title, but it seems that’s about it. This is a bit unfortunate because seeing as the end user is paying good money for the guide subscription and that the guide is so rich and detailed, it would have made sense to allow users to search by things such as actor names, synopsis keywords or dates (i.e. let’s search for Clint Eastwood movies). When asked for comment, the team at Tablo said this is something they may work on improving in future firmware releases.

Tuner Sensitivity

Our testing showed that Tablo is equipped with a very good ATSC digital TV tuner. We noticed that it was fairly sensitive: don’t expect it to pull in extra channels, but it will keep a stable lock on the channels it does receive. Due to the sensitivity of the tuner, you are better off providing a good, clean signal rather than an over-amplified noisy signal, especially in situations where co-channel interference or multipath could be present. We noticed the tuner would sometimes balk at signals if this type of interference was prevalent.

Tablo's tuner is very good, but will not magically solve issues related to antenna performance such as multipath or co-channel interference. As with any sensitive ATSC OTA tuner, use a good quality antenna, aim it properly and ensure distribution of your TV signal is as noise-free as possible.

Operation

The unit is completely silent when operating as there are no cooling fans; the internal components are passively cooled using the metal bottom plate as a heat sink. In testing, the unit got quite warm but never exceeded the published value of 48C, with values under stress-testing (streaming to two devices at the same time for prolonged periods) peaking at 46C. If you’re packing Tablo in a tight or filled-to-the-brim cabinet with other electronics that require convection cooling, you may want to make sure the enclosure is properly ventilated for the sake of your other boxes.

Customer Support

Tablo is blessed with a great support team and, in general, a really good customer support system. Besides being available through contact info on their website, the customer support team is also active on Twitter with a dedicated account and Facebook. On top of that, there is a great Tablo community forum available on their website where a Tablo owner can consult the existing knowledge base for common issues, receive updates or simply ask questions to other members. The best part for Canadians? With Tablo being based in Canada, there is excellent support for updating and correcting guide info for Canadian broadcasting chains and Canadian postal codes.

Prices and Where to Buy

There are many different options available to Canadians to purchase Tablo. Best Buy and Future Shop sell Tablo online in Canada. All models can also be bought directly off the Tablo website. Other online retailers such as Newegg.ca and Amazon.ca may offer better details from time to time. For the uber-frugal, Tablo also sells factory refurbished units on its website at a discount which may make the price-point more interesting for certain people. Shop around and compare shipping fees as prices will vary; and if you are truly interested in owning a Tablo, be sure to follow them on social media as Nuvvyo will have promotions or contests advertised through their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

In general the hardware prices make sense, in particular seeing that the device comes fully loaded without the need to buy additional accessories such as a Slingbox for streaming or other dongles just to access your WiFi network. Whether you go for the 2-tuner or 4-tuner model depends on your viewing habits; if you are a family that watches lots of network and live TV, and/or you will be using Tablo as your primary source of TV you may want to have those extra tuners on the 4-tuner model available. For most casual TV viewers or people that stream specialty programming rather than watch network shows, dual tuners should do the trick.

Now for the big question – what about the subscription fees? Many cordcutters ditched cable because they didn’t like monthly fees, so signing up to pay for guide data seems somewhat contradictory to the cause, no?

Well, first and foremost we do not recommend Tablo without a subscription. One day of guide info is OK, but nothing special considering most OTA stations will sometimes send out almost a week worth of guide info via PSIP (data passed along with the TV signal). Also, being able to only set manual recordings and losing most of the nice Tablo interface features isn’t really setting you up for a great user experience. On top of that, there are many other devices that can do those things and be more const-effective.

The good news is the cost of the subscription is fairly low, it is per user and not per device which means you don’t need to double up your fees if you double-up your hardware and if monthly fees really bother you, a one-shot lifetime subscription is also available. The price of the Tablo subscription is also considerably less than its prime competitor, Tivo, which is generally 3 times more expensive, in particular for its lifetime subscription at a whopping $500 USD.

Tablo is sleek, it's sexy, and you will never look at OTA TV the same way again - but is it right for you?

So what's our recommendation? Well, if you already have a streaming box, the choice as a no brainer – check the number of free channels in your area and see if it’s worth adding some OTA via Tablo. Trust us, your internet streaming cap will thank you. If you’re a new cordcutter, grab yourself a deal on the hardware (Tablo + a HDD + OTT box) and factor the cost of a lifetime membership in the equation. With the nearest option of dual-tuner OTA DVR that can sort of (but not really) match up to Tablo, coming in around $400, you may find it’s worth taking the plunge with Tablo for all the extra features that come with it.

Conclusion

Tablo delivers the goods in terms of overall quality and end-user experience. Tablo performs well and is easy to use, and will only get better with future firmware updates. While the cost is a considerable investment, this product will be a hit with current streamers and new cordcutters alike.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

For more information or to purchase a Tablo unit please visit the Tablo TV website.

 

Channel Master DVR+

Channel Master gets it right for OTA TV viewers and cordcutters with its new DVR+

ChannelMaster is considered as one of the most reputable antenna and broadcast television hardware manufacturers in the world. Established in 1949, ChannelMaster recently moved from being solely an antenna hardware and accessory manufacturer to providing specialized set-top tuner boxes and personal recorders for over-the-air digital TV and the growing Pay TV cordcutting movement. Its newest product launched into that market is the DVR+

Now this is not ChannelMaster’s first attempt at an OTA DVR as the DVR+ is a follow-up to two predecessors: the popular but completely unsupported CM7000PAL (great device, but not even one SW update provided) and the largely unsuccessful CM7400 (short-lived and rumoured to overhear, plagued with software bugs and tuner issues to the point that some OTA retailers actually pulled it from shelves and sold old CM7000PALs again).

So what is one to make of ChannelMaster’s newest DVR? Is this something that people can finally put in their TV unit and enjoy... or is this another half-attempt at a true cordcutter OTA DVR that falls short of expectations like many others on the market? Let’s take a closer look…

 

Promotional photo courtesy of ChannelMaster.com

Model: ChannelMaster DVR+   CM-7500GB16  

Size: 10" wide x 8 1/4" deep x 3/4" high

Package includes: DVR+, remote control, power supply, instructions and warnings

Input: RF connector (F-type coax), Ethernet, USB 2.0 x 2, Power, IR extension port

Output: HDMI, Optical audio

Pros: Uber-compact form factor, beautiful guide and user interface, easy and reliable dual tuner recording, excellent tuner sensitivity, expandable storage, great features, versatile and adaptable to your needs, plenty of accessories, able to have streaming apps, low power consumption, stable software, no monthly or yearly fees, compatible with SlingBox

Cons: Out-of-box recording capability somewhat limited, currently only one streaming app (Vudu) supported and is not available in Canada (see update below) , somewhat basic remote control

 

Appearance

If we could describe the DVR+ in one word, it would be: sleek. Slightly larger than an iPad, the unit is compact, flat and modern in design. There is only one button (power) on the front and one discreet LED light that goes from dim blue in Standby mode to bright blue for ON or red for Recording. There is no visible hardware from its main vantage point.

All connection ports are in the back and you can see that the Ethernet port was the final limit on its thickness. With this compact form factor, some things had to go and that includes the older output ports such as component and composite, leaving only a HDMI port out.

The entire unit is a flat powdercoat black and the ChannelMaster logo is tastefully embossed on the top surface. The unit blends in easily to any high-end home theatre setup and is compact/lightweight enough to be placed anywhere your heart desires. This cool looking unit is definitely a far cry from the ostentatiously over-branded clock-boxes some Pay TV services are forcing on their customers.

The minimalist look is in: With its sleek appearance the DVR+ won’t distract the eye

The remote control is simple, well-labelled and non-cluttered with most buttons being well-placed for the functions having the most frequent use. What you see is what you get as there are no features such as a QWERTY keyboard or any fancy backlighting. The coloured buttons assume different functions depending on what menu is being accessed.

Keeping it simple: No fancy form or splashy features with the DVR+ remote

Build Quality

The unit comes professionally packaged and with a trilingual basic guide (English, Spanish, French). What’s great is the DVR+ is actually built with a metal casing. The finish on the box is of high quality and is fairly scratch resistant. The unit itself seems solid, safe and well-built.

 

Installation

Initial setup of the DVR+ is easy and user-friendly. There are very few connections to make and the unit launches very easily. Upon first startup, the unit prompts the user for their basic preferences and location for proper guide / time setup. Afterwards, a graphic guides you in setup of the inputs followed by a channel scan. The channel scan took an average of about 4 minutes to complete.

 

 

 

 

 

The above screenshots show the main setup sequence

The one drawback we found was there was no guidance or chance to aim the antenna during the setup before the channel scan. Other DVRs usually have a “point antenna” screen during the setup process where fine tuning can be done for channels of your choice to ensure the first scan will run with the antenna in its optimized position. This means if you missed some channels, you have to tune the antenna manually through the Setup menu and either add the channels or re-run a complete scan.

The initial guide population requires some patience. If you are not using the internet connection, you can speed up PSIP acquisition for the OTA TV signals by running through all the channels manually with the remote “channel up/down” buttons. If you are using an internet connection, the Rovi guide can take up to 24 hours for the guide to fully populate (2 weeks of info, channel logos). We found that in Canadian areas near the US border, it was faster to plug in a local US ZIP code at first, causing the US network info to load quickly and then change the location to the Canadian postal code which then loaded the Canadian stations.

Installing an external hard drive was also surprisingly easy. For our evaluation we used a Seagate 1TB USB 3.0 drive which was immediately recognized once connected to the USB port. In a few steps the drive was automatically formatted, initialized and the DVR+ rebooted itself with over 150 hours of storage added when all was said and done.

 

 

 

Features and Performance

Features

While some maligned the DVR+ for its lack of features “out-of-the-box”, we found that the add-on capability is the actually quite advantageous. ChannelMaster has taken an interesting approach here in that they offer a base model that is still appealing to most OTA users and any customization can be done as add-ons by the customer; when they choose and for only the features they deem necessary. Want to go WiFi? Add it on. If you don’t, well you aren’t burdened with this option in the price of the base unit. The hard drive is the same option, the built-in storage is a paltry 2hours of HD recording, good enough for a show and pausing live TV. Adding a 1 TB external hard drive is fairly economical these days (available from ChannelMaster but can be found even cheaper on certain online sites or during sales) and instantly adds 150 HD recording hours. If you want more, well then the option is all yours. All to say the add-on versatility appears to save DVR+ owners quite a bit of cash in the end as it gives them ability to shop around to get the best price for their optional hardware.

As in the above advertisement for TiVo’s Roamio DVR, the difference between the Plus and the Pro model is 300 hours of HD recording (equivalent to about 2TB) at a price difference of $200 charged by TiVo. By going with a “bring your own harddrive approach”, DVR+ owners get a much better bang for their buck as 2TB of storage can be found on sale from retailers for around $100 (or less) nowadays.

Remote

The remote control is basic and easy-to-use. There are no fancy features or backlighting (except for the TV or DVR power button when a command is pressed). Unfortunately it seems the ergonomics of the remote actually took a step backwards from the curvy remotes of the CM7400 and CM7000PAL devices. Despite this boxy simplicity, the layout is quite user-friendly though; it’s also lightweight and is fairly good on battery consumption.

The super-thin remote is powered by two CR2032 batteries (coin-cell type, included), which were chosen as they are probably the only ones that fit in there. Battery life is fair, but we recommend stocking a few extra as the size is somewhat uncommon in household applications when compared to AA or AAA.  As there are no buttons on the DVR+, once the batteries do go, you're working blind.

Menus and Navigation

The main menu is easily accessible and fairly with only four main options that pop up discretely on the side of the screen and are easy to scroll through. There is a dedicated page that relays signal strength information of the current channel to help with tuning. There are also options to re-perform channel scans to add new channels and a manual channel addition options. We also it found it noteworthy that in Preferences the “transparency” customization option for the menu screens was a nice touch. Highlights of the menu screens are shown below.

A factory reset option is also available in the menu as well if you ever need to take a mulligan and start over fresh.

 

Guide

The DVR+ guide and GUI is easily one of the best we’ve seen for an OTA set-top box. The guide comes in two versions, a base setup that does not require an internet connection and an upgraded version powered by online guide data company Rovi. What’s awesome about the DVR+ is that both versions are absolutely free, something that the DVR+‘s competitors seemed to miss the boat on as they charge monthly or yearly fees for their premium guides (something that appears odd considering most of the data is free online anyways, i.e. hellloooo there zap2it.com).

The DVR+ guide overlays nicely over the bottom half of the screen; transparency can be adjusted.

 

 

The guide does not interrupt your TV viewing experience as it is overlaid over the main image, with options on transparency level. Text is of a decent size and channels are clearly marked, the guide is easy to navigate using the page up/down buttons and the coloured buttons. Channels can be edited (removed from the list, handy for getting rid of SD subchannels of HD feeds) but not renamed. The guide flows well and there is almost no lag in the navigation. Browsing can also be done one a channel-by-channel basis by using the Info button and scrolling the up-down channel buttons one at a time.

 

 

You can also scroll through the channels one-by-one using the information bar.

 

The basic antenna-only/no internet guide version gets the job done. The only drawback is that the guide populates only based on PSIP information broadcasted by the TV station which in some cases may be a week’s worth of data, two days, a few hours or none at all. Results vary and this may limit the ability to record programs occurring in the somewhat distant future (will have to revert to a manual recording).

An internet connection fixes this issue as the Rovi guide provides a beautiful guide with channel logos and a full two weeks of programming data, refreshed on a daily basis. The guide is one of the best that we’ve seen to date, and even some people with pay TV service were envious (for example, Videotron’s guide does not have the overlay feature and Bell TV satellite subscribers don’t even have channel logos).

 The basic guide (above) is a standard grill populated by PSIP info only and does not require an internet connection. The guide however is only as good as the data sent out by the local stations, hence the reason some channels have no data at all the info stops after about 8-10 hours for others. The bottom photo is the same guide screen but with an internet connection. The grill is full of data and full-colour channel logos are present to ease navigation.

The only odd issue we found (although very minor) is that clicking Select on a program in the guide doesn’t actually change the channel but instead triggers a pop-up that asks you if you want to view the program or set a recording. Not a big deal but just requires more clicks when channel surfing.

Tuner Sensitivity

We were very pleased with the overall tuner sensitivity of the DVR+. The tuner was able to scan all the channels it was supposed to pick up in the given locations, both local and distant. Even in bad weather or low signal situations the tuner held on with a good lock on and decent picture quality.

Given the flakiness of the CM7400 tuner, we decided to really put the DVR+ tuner to the test so we split the incoming signal to another TV with two identical coax cables. We then slowly de-tuned our antenna on our weakest station see who would be first to give out. As the signal got worse, the TV (2009 purchase date) tuner gave out completely while the DVR+ was still able to resolve the sound and bring in a picture despite some macro-blocking. Further tests showed that the tuner was very robust in bringing in and holding weak stations even in bad weather. ChannelMaster also pointed out that the tuner is future-proofed as its firmware is upgradable via software update if need be.

 

 

Sniff-Sniff … why do you have to be so sensitive? The DVR+ (bottom) held on to even the weakest signals with visegrip-like tenacity, showing limited macroblocking while the TV tuner (above) threw in the towel at that point.

The only drawback we found was that as with all tuners of high sensitivity, the DVR+ tuner was more susceptible to multipath and co-channel interference than usual. We recommend not going too crazy on the antenna signal amplification as you are better off providing the DVR+ a clean, but weak signal (don't worry it'll pick it up) rather than a stronger, boosted signal with more noise.

Recording Capabilities

Recording capabilities are fairly limited out-of-the-box with the unit only able to pause live TV for 15 minutes and record about 2 hours of HD programming. Once you add external storage, the DVR+ really comes to life with its full dual tuner recording capabilities (save two shows at the same time). You can also not only pause live TV but you can now go back in time to an earlier point in the program even if you haven’t hit Record (and provided you haven’t changed the channel).

The DVR recordings can be scheduled multiple ways. The easiest way is selecting a future program via the guide, and then either choosing to make it a one-time event or to record all occurrences of that name. Other ways include through the Search menu, setting up a manual recording (channel + start/stop time) or through the extended DVR menu selections from the main screen. General options to start the recording earlier or end later are only available through the extended DVR menu, while more basic options are available in the first two. Manual recording is the only way to go if guide info is not available for whatever reason.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found the recording features were well organized and easy to use. The status of the recordings is clearly identified as well without the need to navigate to other screens (below). Programs that we set recorded consistently and the dual tuner recording is a great feature since we weren’t forced to choose between two shows.

In the event of conflict, there is a useful pop-up screen (below) that lets you resolve it on the spot, which is better than some DVRs that simply tell you the program cannot be recorded and then you have to fumble around to figure out what the conflict was.

 

 The only drawback we found was that smart recording is still not fully enabled. For example, the DVR+ even when connected to the Rovi internet guide does not have the option to record new instances of a given show. Channel Master did comment that they are looking at potentially enhancing smart recording capabilities in a future software release. (see update below)

 Playback and Timeshifting (Pausing Live TV)

For playback, DVR recordings can be accessed directly from the DVR button on the remote or through the extended DVR menu selections. The recordings list is well laid out with recordings of the same name automatically nested in folders for easy grouping and browsing (example: “The Simpsons” in the photo below). Manual recordings however do not display the name of the program playing.

 

 

Playback of the recording can be paused, fast forwarded or rewound at different speeds up to 64X and there is the convenient skip fwd / skip back buttons as well. A great feature of the DVR+ is these buttons are customizable and you can vary how far they skip ahead or back (below). Not all DVRs have this capability and it’s pretty convenient as someone who watches a lot of sports will most likely want different settings to make on-the-fly replays that someone who is primarily interested in skipping commercial breaks.

 

We also like that the Back button is a shortcut key to go back to live TV when watching a paused/timeshifted live program.

Storage

As mentioned above, the DVR+ has only minimal storage and recording capacity out-of-the-box, this provides about 2 hours of HD recording (6 SD) and the ability to pause live TV for a max of 15 minutes. Storage is accomplished via a USB 2.0 or 3.0 external hard drive; the drive however must be more than 80 Gigs in size or else the unit will assume it’s a USB key that is attached and look for SW updates rather than format the drive for use as DVR storage. Space is essentially unlimited as the DVR+ can handle drives in its two USB ports and works with even the largest 4TB drives (although the DVR screen GUI slows down considerably once you cross the 1000 title threshold).

The storage device is transportable between DVR+ units as the DVR+ will recognize the drive as a storage device and access the recordings, meaning it is possible to record shows on a DVR+ unit at your house, then bring the drive with you to your friend’s house to watch your recordings together on their DVR+.  Recognizing the recordings on a laptop or PC is not intended and unsupported by ChannelMaster, but possible if your computer can find a way to read the Linux EXT2 file system.

Internet Connectivity and Apps

The DVR+ connects to the internet via its Ethernet port or an optional WiFi add-on USB dongle on sale at ChannelMaster. A wired connection is recommended for streaming.

Currently, the only streaming app supported by the DVR+ is Vudu, which unfortunately is not available in Canada. Trying to change the location setting in the Setup menu will not work as Vudu bases itself on the location of your IP address. Having the streaming apps showing directly in the program guide starting at channel 200 is a cool feature, it makes browsing easier and keeps it simple rather than having to exit and go to another menu.

The Vudu app occupies the 200 channel position in the program guide for easy access but does not work in Canada.

There has been a lot of talk but no confirmation on when or if more apps will follow. Many people are most probably awaiting a Netflix app with the hops that it is also supported in Canada. It would appear the future success of the DVR+ will be directly linked to how many and which apps will become available on its platform.

Operation

Due to the overheating issues rumoured and reported with Channel Master’s previous DVR devices, we decided to do a stress test on the DVR+ under full operation in an enclosed environment. The CM7000PAL was reported to run hot due to its internal hard disk drive always spinning (even in standby mode) which generated unnecessary power consumption and heat, leading many to blame premature failure of the internal components on this. The short-lived successor CM7400 was apparently even worse, although not unsafe it was rumoured to run hot enough to cause software glitches and premature failures.

The experiment was done by enclosing the DVR+ and the attached external hard drive “under the dome” and running it for about 7 hours while recording two programs and displaying another program already recorded. At intervals, we took the temperature of the top of the DVR+ unit using a laser thermometer and as a reference also took the temperature of the hard disk drive (HDD) as well. This scenario is definitely a worst-case type of application: poor ventilation of the unit and pretty much the most taxing functionality on the CPU and motherboard. Using the DVR+ in a TV unit or stand would most likely be a better environment than this.

 

Feeling the Heat: We stress-tested the DVR+ to see if ChannelMaster had finally addressed the overheating issues that were rumoured to have plagued its predecessors.

We let the unit warm up to its steady-state operating temperature (about 30^oC) and then put on the cover and started the test. After a few hours the unit stabilized around 34^oC and maintained the same temperature. After not seeing a change over the next hours, we stopped the recordings after a little over 6 hours and the unit began cooling back down. Overall, a very satisfactory performance.

 

A cool customer that works well under pressure: The graph above shows that the DVR+ handles its workload very well in our test scenario

 

Prices and Where to Buy

Currently the DVR+ is only available for sale from ChannelMaster USA via the online store. There is no talk of any Canadian retailers picking it up for distribution north of the border at this time. The unit as tested currently retails for $250 US with shipping to Canada putting it slightly over $300 US. The pricetag is comparable to other DVRs but the one positive is that there are no monthly, yearly or lifetime fees to pay which in the long run will make the DVR+ quite economical. ChannelMaster seems to have hit the right chord with people in the market for free TV by not charging any fees after the initial purchase; other competitors can charge up to $50 a year for so-called “premium” guide info. Subscriptions to any streaming apps on the DVR+ would be extra of course.

For external hard drives compatible with the DVR+, ChannelMaster recommends certain models of the Seagate brand. We used a similar Seagate model hard drive bought from a local 3^rd party retailer in Canada and it worked fine while being less expensive than the ChannelMaster model, so for the HDD accessory we recommend that you shop around.

Conclusion

The DVR+ is the most advanced and fun to use OTA DVR set-top box currently on the market. We were thoroughly impressed with the overall quality of the unit from its fabrication, performance and versatility in optional consumer add-ons. This is a great DVR that can become excellent if ChannelMaster continues to invest in providing updates, support and more streaming apps.

Overall rating: 9/10

For more information or to purchase the DVR+ please visit the ChannelMaster website.

Update - November 2014

Channel Master has finally shown Canada some love - after adding the Pandora app (again, geo-blocked for us Canucks) earlier this year, the DVR+ got a new YouTube channel on November 21st that works great in Canada. The streaming quality is fantastic and the user interface is easy to use as well with the DVR+ remote.

 

On top of that, smart recording has also been enabled as the guide will now identify new shows (new episodes are clearly identified; see screenshot below).

Big points for Channel Master that these features were added for current owners of the device free-of-charge. If they keep this up and the DVR+ were to add a Netflix and/or Plex app, we may need to revise our score to a 9.5 ...