Cutting the cord and switching to over the air (OTA) TV can be difficult, especially if cable TV’s DVR functionality has pampered you. Thankfully, a simple OTA box can make your free TV experience more akin to cable.
An OTA Box Turns Free TV into a Cable-Like Experience
To watch free over-the-air TV channels, all you need is an antenna—you don’t need an OTA box. But an OTA box adds quite a few features, including the ability to record channels.
At its core, an OTA box is a DVR for over the air TV. Even the most basic (or cheapest) OTA box can be programmed to automatically record your favorite shows, football games, and late night infomercials. You can play back these shows at any time and skip through commercials, just like you would with a cable DVR.
But the best OTA boxes go above and beyond DVR functionality. They effectively turn the free TV experience into something more akin to cable. Good OTA boxes add cable-like grid guides to free TV, have multi-channel and programmable recording functions, allow you to pause live TV, and bundle-in exclusive streaming features that rival any cable setup.
RELATED: How to Get HD TV Channels for Free (Without Paying for Cable)
Stream Free TV to Your Phone or Tablet
Do you ever sit around at work, daydreaming of a future where your phone can pick up over the air broadcasts? Well, until broadcasters and phone manufacturers get serious about ATSC 3.0, your daydream will never come true—unless you have an OTA box.
Premium OTA boxes, like the TiVo Bolt OTA or the Tablo Dual Lite, have companion apps that you can download on your phone, tablet, or computer. These apps allow you to stream live TV and recordings directly to your device, even if you’re far away from home. You can also use these apps to program your OTA’s DVR function remotely, so you don’t have to rush home to record a show.
This streaming feature can also extend an OTA box’s functionality to TVs and computers around the house. If a device can install your OTA’s companion app, then it can be used to watch OTA recordings and live TV. That being said, “dumb” TVs will need a streaming stick (like a Roku) to download an OTA box’s companion app.
Some OTA Boxes Can Replace Your Roku
There’s a good chance that your TV’s HDMI ports are already taken up by streaming sticks, game consoles, and Blu-Ray players. Thankfully, premium OTA boxes have streaming service apps and can be used as an alternative to a Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire TV, or whatever else you use to watch Netflix and other streaming services.
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Source : What is an OTA Box, and How Does it Enhance Free TV?
