Customer Ratings & Reviews

This Fire Recast works great, great reception and we can record all the shows we use to watch on satellite. So long to the mega bills.

Had this FireTV Recast about 1.5 years now and am mostly pleased with it. The tuners don't seem quite as strong as the one in my 2009 Panasonic plazma TV but get the job done. It's key to have a good antenna set up and live in an area with strong signals from the stations. I'm not in the best location for reception but channels my Panasonic has no problem with the Recast has a little more trouble. I attribute that to less sensitive tuners. All in all my experience is acceptable. As a DVR it works pretty well and is fairly easy to set up and operate. Plenty of storage with 1TB and 4 tuners available to record multiple shows at the same time. I highly recommend the 4 tuner model over the 2 tuner version for this capability. The main annoyance I've had has been random disconnection from the Firestick, sometimes as often as 2 weeks, that causes it to not delete recordings. Everything else including recording shows works fine. Fixing it requires me to basically reconnect the device from scratch, like setting it up for the first time. Sometimes I have to totally reboot it by pulling the plug. Wouldn't be so bad if it just had an on/off button on the front! Other than what's mentioned, for the cost the Recast works pretty well and I'm happy enough with it. Just wish the tuners were a little stronger.

I did a video review of this device which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpoCDwJpXGk The Amazon FireTV RECAST is an amazing device... As of right now, January 2019, I consider it to be the "gold standard" DVR device for true cordcutters. There are several good DVR's out there for OTA (over-the-air) televison, such as: Tablo, AirTV & Tivo. However, what sets this product apart from the rest is that there are no recurring monthly fees or costs associated with the DVR after you own it. You set it up, and that's it... free OTA for life, with the ability to record directly to your own DVR. Amazon FireTV Recast has made the 14 day channel guide & DVR functionality completely FREE. The others (tablo, tivo, AirTV) charge a small monthly subscription fee to get the 14 day channel guide, and use the DVR functionality. The ultimate goal of cordcutting is to avoid extra service fees & costs, and SAVE MONEY. Since over-the-air (OTA) television is free, then why should I pay to watch and record it? With Amazon FireTV Recast, it's all included when you buy the device... the channel guide looks like what you would expect a typical on-screen TV guide to look like. It's easy to search for your favorite programs and record them. Plus since this is a streaming device, you can "cast" the OTA television from your antenna to all the devices in your home. If you want to watch it on your phone, you just download the Amazon FireTV app. I should mention that you do still need a FireTV stick for your television, IN ADDITION TO the Recast. The Recast simply takes your antenna signal and sends it to all the FireTV sticks in your house. But the real beauty of this product is the DVR functionality (without any DVR service fees) and the 14 day channel guide which Amazon provides free of charge. I highly recommend this device... and I suggest watching my review videos on YouTube OR HangerTV.com

Before this product I had three antennas, one for each of my TVs. After installing it I have one in the upper floor of my house. Now i have all the antenna tv channels I like and their the same on every TV since recast streams to all TVs with a fire stick in my home. It gives you a channel guide and a dvr to record, and it works with Alexa voice commands. It also allows you to install other apps which you can use. So it consolidates all your entertainment in one, especially if you have prime membership because you can watch prime video too. Lastly it allows you to watch remotely on your phone with firetv app. Some negatives are that voice commands with Alexa need to improve so that you can Tune to each channel with custom names. Major networks are fine, but some it gets confuse on some non major network channels. Also dvr recordings cannot be transferred without being a very tech savvy person and opening up the recast box. Sometimes remote access is difficult on public wifis where there is limited bandwidth. Overall though it has drastically improved our tv experience, so no regrets.

Even if you have a smart TV with Amazon Prime the Recast won’t function well without the FireTV Cube. Yes you can use it on other Wi-Fi devices through the app but if you’re looking to get a high-quality picture on your 4K TV you need the Cube. So spend the extra $80 and get the Cube right away. With the Cube this is the friendliest OTA/DVR system with 4K capability that I’ve used. Yes there are other DVRs but they all require a subscription or technical wizardry for full functionality. I do like my user friendly 4K Apple TV. But it’s definitely doesn’t compare to Cable without OTA and DVR capability, which AppleTV will probably never have. That’s way I switched to Amazon. However Recast does not have a new/repeat episode record option, and other search options top tier DRVs have. So it’s not a 5 star product yet

Easy to setup and use. I have had Dish Hopper, Spectrum DVR and TIVO DVR. All have plus and Minus. The Recast, you plug in and all of your Fire devices have access. Make sure and buy largest one to get extra storage and tuners.

This product just works. No paying for a channel guide and the ability to record mutltple (4) shows at once is key. Integration with the fire TV stick is great, going to try it out with the cube as well.

The streaming media recorder is useful for on air broadcasts whether streaming or recording. The tuner portion receiving over the air broadcasts is better than I expected. Set up is much easier if you watch the YouTube tutorials. The great part of this device that streams to any tv using fire sticks or amazon streaming device. Works on IOS system devices as well by downloading an APP. The main negative is price. Also the capability of the device subject to how good your antenna is. The video reoordings are good but are 720 P not 1080. For a 32 inch TV or small this no problem. Recommend this for the long run of cutting entertainment expenses.

Works great. It saves me about $90 a month over what I was paying for the satellite service that I had. Most of my TV viewing is from local networks that I now record with this and the Fire TV stick using an over the air antenna instead. The picture quality is just as good as far as I can tell and it's FREE. And using the Fire TV Stick, I can also get some streaming shows that are free. There are also some pay services if I wanted to and I would still be way ahead moneywise.

This is about as easy as it gets. Truly plug and play. The only 2 inconveniences are... First: The Remote doesn't have channel buttons with numbers which complicates ease of use for most of us. If there were to add a remote add on or a replacement remote control to really make channel surfing work they wouldn't be able to keep these in stock. Second: The TV Channel menu is not fluid or easy to use. Otherwise the hardware and its performance are first rate. There is plenty of storage on board the unit is silent and runs cool/warm. If your looking to cut the cable and save money this is an excellent place to start. You'll need the Fire Stick for an interface as well as an Antenna, some extra coaxial cable and a splitter to get the signal the devices ie, TV, Recast etc. With the right antenna you can get a wow HD picture that cable just can't deliver with all of it's signal compression.

Love this OTA DVR. Integrates perfectly with fire tv interface along with all other services. No monthly fees for 2 week guide like other competitors. Basically plug and play. Works while internet is down by only using local wifi network. Tuner catches more channels than the TV tuner.

I bought this over a year ago. It has been solid performer all the way. I used it to tune in and record local TV stations with the intent of doing away with satellite TV when my contract was up (at which time the satellite bill would nearly double). Plus it gets all the app content that I have come to expect from a Firestick. Recently, that satellite contract was up, and I said bye-bye. Now I'm using the Recast for all live local programming along with all the available apps. I don't miss the satellite TV at all, and I'm certainly not missing the satellite TV bills!

Reasonably priced (especially with the frequent sales) without any ongoing subscription expense. The Recast features a simple setup with seamless integration into the Amazon Fire TV system. Lots of features which figure to be expanded upon with time and updates. My only criticism is that there seems to be some signal loss between my antenna and the Recast box for a couple channels. Otherwise it is a nice way for cord cutters to maintain DVR functionality for OTA channels.

I bought this unit, mainly because there's no subscription. And I figured that Amazon might be more reliable than the Tablo and the SD Homerun, two companies I had never heard of before. I was also having issues with my TiVo, so I wanted something to replace it with. The issue rectified, so I'm currently using the TiVo, but have kept the Recast in case my unit dies completely. As a result, I've only used this for about a week. Fortunately, there was a big sale on when I purchased this (and the FireTV Stick), which also helped the decision significantly. The Recast is a good device. I had some minor challenges setting it up, but it wasn't overly complicated. I just would have liked more detailed instructions. You definitely need the FireTV Stick to use with this machine. I tried to find an app on my AppleTV and there isn't one. I'm not thrilled to have another streaming device connected to my TV, but if I want to use the recast, I have no choice. I had considered disconnecting the AppleTV, but the FireTV Stick doesn't have Britbox on it. I'm not sure if other apps are missing, but I pay for Britbox, so I need the AppleTV to watch it on my smart TV, which also doesn't include it. One of the downsides is that the Recast - or my Fire TV Stick - froze on me a couple of times even on the first day of use. I had to unplug the Stick to fix the issue. This was during playback of a show. I don't know if this is a bandwidth or a wifi issue, since both the box was situated near the TV and the Fire Stick. Another problem is that the program guide did not recognize some of the shows on some of the channels. It'll just be blank. I wanted to record a classic game show on Buzzr at 10pm weekdays and the program guide was blank at that time. So I have an issue recording a show as a series. I tried to set up manual recording, but that was a bit challenging, and it wouldn't let me set it up as a series, I'm not sure why that time slot is not being recognized, but that's what happened. Keep in mind that my TiVo also has this issue, but in that case the entire channel is listed as unavailable, not just a time slot. Video quality is excellent, though I haven't quite figured out how to watch shows on other devices in the house.

I wanted something to replace my aging Tivo and this was the right choice. One box connected to the antenna and the home network and you can watch it on any device that has Amazon app. Record or watch 4 shows at once. Easy setup. The only complaint I have is you cannot directly interface with it. To setup a recording you have to connect to it from a firestick. The Recast app only shows you some storage controls and existing recordings but you cannot schedule from that. Minor frustration for a good all around DVR with not additional or hidden costs with monthly fees or extra devices, unless this is truly your first Amazon device. But a playstation, smart TV or phone should do the trick if you dont have a FireStick....which I would also recommend.

had built a media server with a tuner to watch over-the-air channels and get rid of cable. It worked, most of the time, but was a little flakey. Got the Recast on the Deal Of The Day for a great price. It has 4 tuners, so we can record upto 4 shows at once and allows us to watch live over-the-air shows on any TV with a Fire Stick or on any PC/mobile device with the Fire TV app. Setup was very easy. The 1 TB drive means we can store a ton of shows, and you can add an external drive to add even more storage. Very stable, hasn't locked up or given us any issues since we got it. Would definitely buy it again and have been recommending it to my friends.

My initial impression was that setting up the Recast was too difficult compared to many other items out there. It took me 3 or 4 tries and several resets to finally get it to connect and complete the process. Within about 5 or 10 minutes the "DVR" option showed up on both of my Fire TV stick menus. After that it got better. Obviously you need some sort of an OTA antenna and you need to aim it for best reception. After that, seeing and recording programs is relatively straight forward. The guide Amazon provides is OK but does not seem to be anywhere near as easy to use or scan through as the guides in DIsh Network or DirecTV. It's a pretty basic guide and you need to adjust it so you don't end up scrolling through a bunch of channels you don't ever watch. Also, regarding the guide, while you have 14 days of guide available, you can only move forward 30 minutes at a time. SO if you want to record a show that comes on in 10 days, you'd spend several minutes just finding it so you can set it up to record. This REALLY needs to be fixed. I bought the 4 tuner version so I can do daily recordings on all the major local networks if I want to. Recordings are pretty good if you have a decent antenna and you can hook up an external hard drive to expand your storage. However, there's no way to back up your recordings or transfer them to a computer for safekeeping or later watching. So if your hard drive in the Recast or your external drive dies (and it will eventually), you'll lose all programming saved there. I'm still getting used to it because it's not quite as easy as the Dish Network system I'm trying to replace and hopefully I'll get over the annoyances and be able to save some money.

The GOOD: 1. Set up was pretty easy and the Recast actually pulled in about 6 channels I never received before--even using the same antenna! 2. The ability to use Alexa to navigate is nice (although I don't use it) - - especially since the user interface is awful (see below) . The BAD: 1. The absolute WORST thing about this is that the Channel Guide is buried and you have to scroll through several menus to actually find it. AMAZON, IF YOU'RE LISTENING : MOVE THE CHANNEL GUIDE! It should be the first thing you see on the home page, or at least put a link up in the top bar where you put everything else (Home, Live, DVR, etc.) 2. The user interface needs to be streamlined--it is way too busy. 3. Along those lines, there is no way to delete the apps you don't want on there, so we're stuck navigating through a bunch of stuff we are not interested in and will never watch. If Amazon would make the channel guide more accessible, this could be a 5 Star review!

Basically long story short there is not much in terms of customizational options you can do to this black box. However, once it is setup it effectively can turn every amazon enabled device with a screen into a TV screen for basic TV. I will say one minor issue. This box does have software to block cable providers. My HDHomeRun picks up local unencrpted channels just fine. This thing will straight up show nothing whatsoever when plugged in. So keep that in mind, it LITERALLY forces you to use a antenna, which isn't too much of a hassle, but it is disappointing because in a way, those channels are freely obtainable. Oh and also, something to note, the channel guide will automatically update itself accordingly, but in some locations you'll need to manually, and forcefully set a different zipcode where you want your channels. I had to call amazon to fix my box, and after 48 hours it was fixed and everything worked flawlessly. I would actually buy a second one of these, since I have 6 TVs but, we don't use all of those units at once, and secondly, you for some reason can only have ONE recast at a time, which is disappointing, but hey. I'm not that upset over it. Still worth the money.

Great item to cut the cord. This product has a lot of room to store your shows. It is easy to use. It works well with the firestick. It is a little pricey.