Customer Ratings & Reviews

I've had my Roamio OTA for about a month and we are really enjoying it. It does exactly what I hoped it would do and that was to give us very nearly the same features we liked about our satellite DVR from Dish Network. Do I miss satellite? Yes, a little. I miss Fox News and a few channels we can' together OTA but the idea of saving a wad of money and still being able to record shows we do watch and pause TV like satellite/cable makes up the difference. The Roamio OTA has performed flawlessly. The $50 price plus low subscription of $14.99 per month is well worth the price of admission.

Over-the-air DVRs are getting harder to find (at least ones that aren't part of a cable or satellite package). This TiVo model, the Roamio OTA, is one of the few remaining that I could find. Here are the PROs and CONs in my opinion: PRO: - can record up to 4 over-the-air channels at once - can do some streaming over the internet - the search feature is well thought-out and effective - playback quality is excellent - was available for only $49.99 at BestBuy before Christmas (on sale), but even at $99.99 it would be a pretty good value in my opinion - expandable - if you find yourself wanting to keep a lot of recordings and start running low on space, you can add an external hard drive to increase capacity - can feed a TiVo "Mini" so if you have multiple tv's you need not buy multiple Roamio units (each of which requires its own, separate paid subscription) - can pause/resume live TV CON: - requires a subscription through TiVo, which currently is $14.95/month (you can buy a lifetime subscription but I chose to go with the monthly option) - cannot be used with a cable TV service (not a big drawback for most people who buy this model, since they like me probably do not have a cable tv service) - unlike the cable-capable Roamio models, which can record up to 6 channels at once, this records only 4 at a time (this has not been an issue for me - I've yet to run in an instance where I want to record more than 2 shows at once) - cannot record to a Blu-Ray DVD for permanent storage/playback BOTTOM LINE: this is an excellent over-the-air DVR, one of the few remaining.

Purchased this TiVo in May. Very pleased with it's performance combined with a Mohu Leaf 50 Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna. FOUR TUNERS! Record four shows at the same time! WTF, Bright House HD box I had couldn't do that. Great picture, easy to set up, easy to use. Added a Netflix subscription a few weeks ago and I don't miss cableTV at all. I'm saving almost $90/mo. That's $90 each month that I get to keep and not send to Bright House for a ton of cr@p channels that I never wanted or even watched. A digital antenna is required as is the $15 subscription to TiVo. Says so right on the box. It was $50 at BB, the antenna was $70 from Amazon. Didn't think I could be a cord cutter and now I am! And the wife is happy - WIN!

Easy to setup, great TiVo front end and guide. Love the multichannel recording. Has allowed me to turn off my cable and with a $39 digital antenna record all the major networks. This plus Netflix and you can pretty much keep yourself amused while you save $150 a month. Get one now!!

I'm so happy that I came across this DVR online as I was looking for a good recorder. I thought about getting an old school vhs/dvd recorder from Toshiba but those still cost a lot about 220 bucks!! Plus it'd be a pain to try and record a bunch of shows on dvd or vhs because you have to actually be there to do it. With a DVR you set it and forget it and the TiVo does the rest. This Tivo Roamio OTA DVR was my best decision and investment of last year. It's affordable and only costs 49.99 upfront and the best part is you own it instead of leasing them unlike cable or satellite. Unfortunately you have to pay a 14.99 TiVo service fee monthly to activate it and create an account. While I don't like or agree with that price/fee like everyone else who has this DVR, it's still definitely worth it!! Because of all the great intuitive features and functionality it has. It's almost like having satellite again except the user interface is better on Tivos than any other DVR. What I love about this DVR is pretty much everything. It enhances your regular OTA experience making it better to watch and record regular tv shows. But what's also great is the seamless transition from watching your shows to streaming Netflix and Hulu, YouTube etc. You have so many options at your disposal. So if a show you like or are interested in is not available on tv, you can supplement that with Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Video especially for cable shows! Another great thing is if you need more space like I'm going to need because I had it for about a month and it's 58 to 60 percent full; you can buy additional external hard drive from 500 GB to 1 TB to plug in. I believe you can also transfer shows to watch on your computer or tablet with a usb stick or streaming to other devices by downloading the TiVo App! There's an Ethernet port for connecting to the internet or wifi and it's fast and simple to do when setting up! I don't know what else to say about this amazing DVR except if you don't have one, you really need to consider this model made specifically for over the air if your tired of paying outrageous prices on cable or satellite nowadays. :)

Tivo Roamio OTA is a great replacement for those who want to cut the cable with their provider and use the local TV aerial which in the LA Basin is great. The unit requires both an antenna cable hookup as well as an Ethernet cable tying back to your router. This allows you to tie into the programming/scheduling capabilities of Tivo a well as access your streaming sources such as Hulu, Netflicks or Amazon to name a few. That all said, be aware you need a $14.99/mo subscription with Tivo so you will see the programming/scheduling functions which are necessary to make recordings, plus any streaming fees. Also, if you wish to maintain minimum cable in order to lower your internet costs, DO NOT buy the $50 Roamio OTA as it will not accept the cable card. You will need to buy the $200 Tivo Roamio, but this at least will end the $17/mo rental fee for the DVR rentals. BOTTOM LINE, do your homework before you buy these unit to assure you get the right one for your specific need.

If you don't have cable or satellite, this is the way to go! 4 tuners, good sized hard drive and a DVR! When satellite just got too expensive, I hated the idea of giving up my DVR. It's one of those things that once you have it, you can't live without it. Well, The TiVo Roamio OTA solved that problem at a price that anyone can afford! And with 4 tuners, I don't miss any shows that I want to see. So, the switch to OTA was pretty painless. Love it! The set up was pretty easy. However, it takes a long time to start. Fortunately, it doesn't restart often. The guide is very easy to use. The DVR is wonderful with a very simple user interface. I've found that everything I hoped I would be able customize, could be. So, I've been very pleased with this purchase.

Finally got tired of paying Comcast and decided to cut the cord. Set up was easy, running my attic based antenna coax to the unit and then connected to the wireless network. The easy to follow menus made the initial setup a snap. Very pleased with the functionality and decided to purchase the TiVo mini and a MOCA adapter to stream to a second TV. Setup was just as easy. I have high praise for the mini as it was just as responsive as the TiVo OTA. It ran circles around the Xfinity X1's secondary box. The TiVo OTA has been maligned in some professional reviews due to its lack of lifetime subscription option. However, I don't look at it that way. The fact that it would take nearly three years to break even on a lifetime subscription I am sure technology will change over that time and I would be more likely to upgrade a $50 unit than a $200 to $500 unit.

The TiVo OTA (Antenna) works beautifully, as advertised. I suggest installing the biggest Antenna you can find. I was able to get 44 Channels over the air from my attic installed Antenna. I receive transmissions from 12 - 50 miles from my home. I wanted more than the factory 500GB provided, so I bought a 3TB SATA drive off the shelf from BestBuy for about $100. Super easy to upgrade. I simply dropped in the larger hard drive and TiVo automatically configures the drive and it works. Everybody has been talking "cutting the cable" lately, TiVo OTA really makes that possible. It integrates NetFlix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, VUDU, AOL On, and more via Wifi or Ethernet over the Internet. TiVo OTA also provides a great user experience for recording and finding shows available over-the-air. The Wishlist is Amazing! Add a favorite actor or keyword. TiVo will record every show it finds. The TiVo Roamio OTA really can't be beat.

This little TIVO-Roamio OTA DVR is a neat little device. I recently disconnected my TV cable for the first time in over 20 years. I am tired of ever increasing prices with little input allowed from the subscribers by the big cable companies. They just keep adding mostly junk channels. I want to have better control over what I am able to watch. This Tivo OTA model is strictly for picking up over the air broadcast channels. With the proper digital antenna you can pick up most of the local and national network channels. Getting & keeping a good signal is pretty much a matter of luck & location. I use a small inside HD antenna. It works pretty well,but does take quite a bit of adjusting. Your BEST set-up is going to be a quality outside mounted antenna with a motorized base. Because of homeowner association rules,that's not an option for me. The built-in DVR in this little rascal runs circles around the AT&T U-Verse DVR that I had. It's fast,intuitive,and has a great interface. The icing on the cake is the built in apps the Tivo has such as Netflix,Hulu-plus,and others. With a good internet connection,these apps work like a charm. And the programming is endless ! MUCH better than what the cable companies have to offer. I deducted 1 star for having to pay TIVO a $14.99 per month fee. Having said that,what the fee is really for is the TIVO's DVR function for recording OTA and loading apps. But still...the price is MUCH cheaper per month than the BIG BOX name brand Cable & satellite companies. Guess you've got to have a tradeoff somewhere.

Pros: -Price -Can be expanded to multiple tvs with the Tivo mini -The netflix app supports multiple users on the same account like xbox 360 and ps3 -Easy to use fast responding user interface -Uhf remote works trough walls -supports external harddrive for additional memory Cons -$15 a month fee with no opption for one time lifetime subscription -2 year contract.

We used to have Tivo with a major cable provider and then decided to cut the cord. Now we have this new model which is only made to work with an OTA (over the air) signal. We tried a few indoor HD antenna models and soon gave up, but then I decided to try the old roof antenna (which came with the house in the 90s) and it works really well. We get the occasional drop out when it is snowing, but only on the channels whose transmitters are farthest away. The picture is much better than basic cable was and we were pleasantly surprised with the alternative digital channels available in our area. We love the Tivo interface and the added bonus of the built-in Netflix and YouTube services (which we use) and other streaming services (which we don't). All in all, we are glad to have a quality DVR again.

I bought the Tivo Roamio OTA not realizing i couldn't use a cable card with it, Even got the cable card and was ready to use it. Then I realized this was an over the air only device. I couldn't bring myself to return this and get the Tivo Roamio that uses a cable card or HD antenna, I love my Tivo It has a beautiful guide for all my over the air HD channels, It has so many other functions, it learns from what i watch and will give me recommendations for other things to watch. It has so many online apps that I can choose from Amazon instant video VUDU, Netflix, Youtube, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, AOL ON, and more. With the 500 gig hard drive I have plenty of space for recording my shows and keeping some if I choose to. 4 Tuners make it possible for me to record anything I want. So I don't have to choose which I want the most. I have a Dish DVR that I use too. This is in addition to having satelite, but the over the air HD is the best quality I have ever seen. If I ever decide to cut the cord this is what I will use.

The Tivo OTA has 4 tuners and a 500GB DVR. We use it with an antenna mounted in the garage attic. The picture and sound is better than we got with the satellite provider for much less $$. We use the Tivo subscription service ($14.99) and also Hulu ($7.99), Vudu ($0) and Amazon Instant Video ($0). The Tivo subscription is very user friendly and finds content from all of these vendors and also NetFlix.

Easy to install and very good menu/guide. Streaming options are limited but has Netflix and Amazon the two primary streaming providers. Very please with ease of use and amount of storage. Great value!

First of all if you don't want to pay $14.99 monthly TiVo subscription its not worth much. If you want it for recording OTA tv programs its great if you have a good tv signal. It will not record Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu Plus. Network programs over the internet through Amazon aren't free unless there old shows.

I made the call to my Satellite provider and cancelled after four years of being a customer. My wife had called them about 6 months ago to have our monthly bill reduced. They wanted a new 2 year commitment with no true savings. When I called and turned off my service a discount was offered with no strings attached but it was too late as I had been using my new TiVo . Go Figure, now I was important to them but it was too late. The TiVo Roamio OTA works just as advertised and the picture is perfect plus I'm saving over a $100 per month.

I did a lot of research before I bought this DVR. I have a short review followed by some more details in case you're interested. Very short version: Excellent software but weak wifi reception with problematic recovery. If you need to connect more than 1 tv to it, know that they all need to be wired to your network (no wifi) and you'll likely need extra network equipment. The short version: Pros: Tivo has an excellent guide, excellent Fast Forward, 30sec skip, 10sec rewind, smart recording filters (I created one to record any movie with Liam Neeson, for example), access to streaming apps (and searches their content when you search for programs). Cons: Poor wifi connector always takes MANY tries before connecting on setup, and loses connection every now and then (and does not recover on its own, needing rebooting!). Buggy reprogramming of channels leads to duplicate channels; Difficult and more expensive than you expect to make it into a "whole-home" DVR (To add 2 extra TVs costs $400+tax and shipping). Whole home DVR can't use wifi, so it complicates the installation (use ethernet or special adapters to connect through your coaxial cable). The longer version (comparison with Tablo): I planned to dump directv, but once you go DVR it's hard to watch anything live, so although my antenna (leaf) works well, I needed an OTA DVR. I researched a lot and the options were the "tablo" or tivo OTA - both have 4 tuners. The tablo is a network DVR which connects to the TVs in the house via rokus or other such devices. Very simple setup, but according to the reviews, fast-forwarding doesn't show a picture (just shows time), so you have to guess how long the commercial or portion of the program is when advancing or rewinding. It doesn't currently have 30s skips (it does have 10s skips, but these are too short - you'd have to push it 18 times to skip over the usual 3min commercial break). However, it works over your wifi, so it's easy. My wife does not have patience to wait on app improvements, so Tivo had the upper hand. Tablo charges $5/month for the programming, $50/yr or $150 device lifetime. Tivo costs $15/month without any lifetime or yearly fee. The other advantage of tablo is that you can access its recordings from anywhere on the internet.

In our search for a streaming device to replace Dish, we stumbled upon this. It has been years since I have heard anyone mention Tivo, so it was a surprise to find it in Best Buy. It not only streams from Youtube, etc., but provides DVR functions as well. At a fraction of the cost of cable and combined with an HD antenna, it picks up 32 air channels. That's plenty.

This Tivo ota recorder is a great way to stream and record TV from a digital over the air antenna. Unfortunately, we can no longer program our good old VCR for free. This Tivo ota recorder works great for a low monthly fee of $14.99 which is much, much better than my past $100.00 monthly Directv bill. It is amazing how many shows you watch are on over the air broadcast.