Dish Network and its Sling TV division have announced the latest iteration of their AirTV product line, adding a 1-terabyte, quad-tuner DVR to their OTA-over-WiFi device.

Retailing for $199.99, the new AirTV Anywhere builds on the legacy AirTV 2 ($99.99), which is designed to take free local broadcast TV signals from an over-the-air antenna and put them on the user’s WiFi network, where they are picked up and streamed by a compatible OTT player, such as Sling TV’s $79.99 Android TV-powered AirTV Mini. 

AirTV Anywhere is also compatible with Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. 

Like the AirTV 2, AirTV Anywhere is designed to work with the Sling TV service, integrating the user’s local broadcast channels into their Sling TV program guide. 

The major $100 upgrade here is the addition of a DVR, which was an add-on for the dual-tuner-equipped AirTV 2.

AirTV Anywhere utilizes the Pixelworks XCode 5116 processor to transcode ATSC signals into IP video streams.

It’s exactly the kind of product development you’d expect from a satellite TV company perpetually at broadcast retransmission fee odds with station owners. 

"Too many people continue overpaying for TV because they think cutting cable is too complicated," said Adam Kucera, director of sales, Sling TV. "With Sling TV plus AirTV Anywhere, Americans can unlock the best kept secret in TV—free local channels that add up to hundreds in annual savings—all while making the switch to streaming with Sling TV at the best price.”

To date, Dish and Sling TV haven’t released sales figures on their AirTV product line. With Sling TV in recession—the service lost another 56,000 users in the second quarter—it’s hard to imagine the devices are moving like gangbusters. 

Dish Network has confirmed that it will cut its 16,000-member workforce amid the COVID-19-related economic slowdown.

It's unclear as to how many employees will be let go.

Even before the this latest recession, Dish, which lost 511,000 satellite TV subscribers last year, was already facing a wrenching transition. The Englewood, Colo.-based telecom company is seeking to take assets cut loose amid the $31 billion merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, and blend them with its own sizable spectrum holdings to create a fourth major U.S. wireless company, rich in 5G services.

“The pandemic has forced us to take a closer look at every aspect of our business, at our work volumes, our areas of focus and investments, and the performance of our team members,” chief executive officer Erik Carlson told employees in an internal memo, which was was published by TheLayoff.

“I want you to hear directly from me that we’ve made a series of difficult decisions to reevaluate parts of our business, particularly within In Home Services,” he added. “We are committed to entering the wireless business, bringing full, standalone 5G to America, and delivering unparalleled innovation that will benefit U.S. consumers. And we will continue to focus on enhancing and deploying Dish TV, Sling TV, Dish Media, Smart Home Services and other core products and business lines. We’ll hire for the strategic needs of today and tomorrow so that we have the Best Team, regardless of the circumstance.”

It’s already known that Mitch Weinraub, who led Dish’s AirTV product development team, has left the company. Light Reading, which was first to report on Weinraub’s departure, was told by Dish that the recently hired Jon Lin, who moved over from CBS Interactive, will assume his responsibilities.

The Android TV-based AirTV product line of OTT devices debuted in 2017 as an extension of Sing TV virtual MVPD service. But it’s unclear what kind of foothold, if any, AirTV has in the competitive OTT device market. 

Dish Network has rolled out the AirTV 2, the second generation of its device for distributing over-the-air broadcast TV reception over home WiFi.

Retailing for $99.99, the device connects to an over-the-air antenna, broadcasting the signal over the WiFi network and making it accessible to connected TVs and mobile devices.

The new iteration features a more vertically oriented stand-mounted, upright configuration—kind of like your home router—vs. the old boxy format of the original device, which was released in 2017.

Beyond a slightly cheaper price—the original retailed for $119.99—Dish says the AirTV 2 is equipped with an 802.11ac 2x2 dual-band WiFi for improved in-home coverage.

The device negates the need to attach an OTA antenna to every TV in the house. It also allows users to place their antenna in the most desirable location.

Users connect to the device via the Sling TV app, which can be used to access OTA channels delivered by AirTV 2, whether they have a Sling TV subscription or not.

Dish is packaging the AirTV 2 with an OTA for an additional $49, and also offering three months free of Sling TV virtual MVPD service.

For an additional $99, you can get the antenna, three months free of Sling TV, an the confusingly branded AirTV Mini, which is an OTT streaming dongle.

An additional $149 ads an additional AirTV Mini to the bundle.

"AirTV 2 takes a great idea and wraps it in an even better package, making it easy for cord-cutters to integrate their local channels with an OTT subscription," said Mitch Weinraub, director of product development for AirTV, in a statement. "The robust WiFi connection means customers can place the AirTV 2 anywhere in the home to get the best possible OTA signal without dealing with the wiring or placing the antenna near the TV.”

After teasing the world a month ago with a product development leak, Amazon has officially rolled out its network DVR, the Fire TV Recast.

Retailing for $230, the device connects to an HD antenna and a power source, but can live in any optimal area of the home. It has no video inputs or outputs—users tap into its streams via Wi-Fi using Amazon Fire TV streaming media players, Fire TV Edition TVs, or Echo Show devices. They can also use the all-new Fire TV app to stream on compatible Fire tablet, iOS and Android devices

Related; Amazon Developing Networked DVR for Fire TV: Report

It’s similar to Dish Network’s AirTV device, but the Fire TV Recast has its own storage. The base model includes a 500 GB hard drive, capable of storing 75 hours of HD programming, and two tuners. A primo $280 model bumps up the horsepower to 1 TB of storage (150 hours) and four tuners.

“We are focused on making Fire TV an easy way to watch all the entertainment you love, whether it’s through streaming video services, cable and satellite providers, or even local broadcast stations,” said Marc Whitten, VP of Amazon Fire TV, in a statement. “Now with Fire TV Recast, we’ve made it simpler to find, watch, and record live over-the-air TV at home and on your mobile devices.”

Looking build a full, robust pay TV feature set into its Sling TV streaming ecosystem, Dish Network today announced that it’s adding DVR functionality to its AirTV device.

The upgrade is free to AirTV users but it will require them to purchase an external USB hard drive up to 2 terabytes in size.

The new “Local Channels DVR” will let Air TV users record and watch local channels, both in the home and away, using the newly upgraded Sling TV app. Notably, Air TV users don’t have to have a subscription to the Sling TV virtual MVPD service to use the Local Channels DVR feature.

AirTV’s dual tuner lets users record up to two shows at once, with live and recorded content viewable from any device supported by the Sling TV app. The Local Channels DVR will show up next to the Cloud DVR content area of the app.

Sling TV is the most widely distributed vMVPD on the market, with more than 2.3 million users. And its $20-a-month base tier is among the least expensive, eschewing local broadcast channels.

Dish is trying to work around that with AirTV, a $120 device that sits on the users Wi-Fi network and connects to an over-the-air antenna. Through the user’s Wi-Fi network, the device streams local channels to mobile and OTT devices, both in and out of the home, that have the Sling TV app.

Dish has not disclosed how many AirTV devices it has sold.

"The Local Channels DVR rounds out the complete cord-cutting experience for those wanting to integrate free local channels and DVR with a streaming service like Sling TV," said Mitch Weinraub, director of product development for AirTV, in a statement. "Millions of Americans are embracing over-the-air antennas as part of their cord-cutting solution, and the ability to take their live and recorded content in and out of home with AirTV's Local Channels DVR is just an added bonus."

Dish Network’s Dish DBS Corp. officially launched its AirTV service Wednesday, an over-the-top, over-the-air service that gives customers access to dozens of over-the-air broadcast channels across multiple devices inside and outside of the home.

Dish originally introduced AirTV late last year in a limited soft launch of the device to test consumer interest. The company had also earlier debuted the AirTV Player, an Android TV based streaming device that allowed access to over-the-air content as well as Netflix, YouTube and apps on Google Play. The AirTV Player is still available – Dish also officially launched a cloud DVR for that product Wednesday, which it beta-tested earlier this year. 

RELATED: AirTV Tests Local Channel DVR 

The AirTV is a sleek portable box that connects directly to a home broadband connection utilizing Dish’s Slingbox technology to offer broadcast content both at home and on the go.

RELATED: Dish Unveils AirTV Player 

With AirTV, free local channels, like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS, are available for viewing via the Sling TV or AirTV app on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and iOS and Android phones and tablets. Local channel availability depends on the OTA signal availability at the user’s home location. In many major markets, customers can receive 50 or more local channels for free.

There is no monthly charge for AirTV. Customers just have to buy the equipment, which retails for $119.99 and the service can be integrated into an existing SlingTV subscription – meshing with the customers other pay TV channels – or as a standalone. Customers don’t have to subscribe to Sling TV to use the Sling TV app for the broadcast service.

   “Customers can mount their antenna connected to AirTV wherever the signal is strongest, whether it’s tucked away in an attic or hidden behind the living room TV,” AirTV director of product development Mitch Weinraub said. “AirTV wirelessly streams to AirTV-enabled devices visible to a home Wi-Fi network, so there’s no longer a need to run cables across the home to get OTA signals.” 

Existing Sling TV users can integrate AirTV directly into their accounts. Customers can also set up a free Sling TV account to access their local channels via AirTV, or create a free account with the stand-alone AirTV app. 

RELATED: Dish Soft Launches New AirTV Box 

The AirTV device also eliminates the need to wire multiple rooms with individual antennas – the box connects devices and TVs throughout the house via WiFi connection. The AirTV box also can be located anywhere in the house – making for optimal antenna placement – and up to two streams are available inside the home. One of those streams can be viewed outside of the home.

Weinraub said SlingTV hasn’t offered broadcast channels in the past specifically because of the cost and hassle for customers. Local broadcast channels can be pricey – he estimated that the typical pay TV customer spends between $10 and $15 per month to receive broadcast stations via their pay TV subscription.

“That’s a lot of money,” Weinraub said. “Our goal is to not make them pay that when they don’t have to.”

The device also helps Sling TV avoid retransmission consent fees – the national service has no carriage deals with local broadcast channels. Customers who buy an AirTV box also have to buy an antenna – which can vary in size from shelf units to roof-top mounted devices and can be purchased separately or through professional installers -- to access channels for free over the air. 

The AirTV box is available for purchase on Amazon.com, through regional retailers like Microcenter and via the AirTV website. Weinraub said Dish is talking to other retailers like BestBuy and hopes the equipment will be available through their stores soon.

With about 14 million homes without a pay TV subscription and more and more households cutting the cord every day, Weinraub said AirTV believes the market is ripe for the product. And he added that most customers don’t understand the level of content that is available for free over the air. In addition to the major broadcast networks ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, My Network TV, the CW and PBS stations, some metro markets have 50 or more digital channels available, ranging from station-affiliated networks like MeTV and Acorn TV and movie channels and lifestyle channels. In the New York area alone, 72 channels are available over the air in SD and HD quality. Customers can determine which channels are available in their areas via the AirTV website. 

In its latest stab at cord-cutters,  Dish Network has soft-launched a new device under the AirTV brand that lets users access and stream over-the-air TV channels in and out of the home.

The new AirTV product, a follow-on to the launch of the AirTV Player and AirTV Adapter early this year, is being offered online for $119.99, plus $8.99 for shipping, according to a live web page about the product. Dish is offering a 30-day money back guarantee and one-year warranty on parts for AirTV. The device is also integrated with Sling TV, Dish’s OTT TV service.  

RELATED: AirTV Firmware Update Stitches Over-the-Air Channels to Guide

A Dish official said the new OTA solution is currently available in limited release and soft-launched it to evaluate consumer interest. The company said it expects to share more detail in early 2018 following the soft-launch, making a formal announcement during next month’s CES 2018 likely.

In a different twist, the new AirTV apparently bakes in Sling Media’s place-shifting technology, as the new device, as ZatzNotFunny’s Dave Zatz points out, appears to be a repurposing of the original Slingbox M1 hardware.

That’s key because the new AirTV will allow users to access and stream local OTAs in and outside the home. Notably, viewing OTA signals outside the home is limited to one stream at a time, the AirTV web site points out.

Additionally, users need only one OTA antenna to stream local channels wirelessly to all TVs and devices that are on the home’s WiFi network.

Out of the chute, AirTV works with Sling TV, and has developed apps for iOS, tvOS, Android (mobile and TV), Roku devices, and Amazon Fire TV devices.

AirTV users will still need to obtain a separate OTA antenna and coaxial cable.

Per the specs, the device is outfitted with 802.11a 2x2 dual-band WiFi, 512 megabytes of memory, and two OTA tuners.

AirTV, the new OTA/OTT combo device for cord-cutters, has filled a gap in its functionality with the release of a firmware update that enables the guide to integrate local channels received over-the-air.

The update, spotted this week by CordCutterNews, is confirmed by the current AirTV FAQ, which notes that “OTA channels are now fully integrated into your My TV homescreen and Guide.”

Per the FAQ, AirTV Players should upgrade their firmware stacks automatically, but also points to a way for customers to do the update manually.

The Android TV-based AirTV Player and Adapter were introduced at CES in January, where it demonstrated the beta version of a full antenna integration capability that combined Sling TV’s OTT service with over-the-air TV channels on a unified interface.

RELATED: AirTV Still Lacks Complete Guide Integration 

However, that level of integration, viewed by some as a key selling point for AirTV, was absent when the product started to ship to customers. That firmware update was originally expected to become available by mid-February.

AirTV LLC is catching up.

Soon after the products were introduced on Jan. 3, the AirTV Player and AirTV Adapter were taking about two weeks to ship following the initial order due to an “overwhelming initial response.”  That’s been reduced to about five business days, the company confirmed.

RELATED: AirTV Appears Off to Hot Start 

The AirTV Player and AirTV Adapter “are in stock and available to consumers today,” an official said. “Once purchased on airtv.net, these products typically reach the customer’s home within five business days.”

RELATED: Dish Unit Pitches Android TV-Powered AirTV Box for $99

Aimed at cord-cutters, the AirTV product set (the $99 Android TV-powered player and the $39.99 adapter, or $129.99 in a bundle) is designed to support and integrate OTT (including the Sling TV service) and over-the-air TV.

The initial product that's shipping doesn’t provide the full OTT-OTA guide integration shown in beta form at CES, but will be enabled via a software update that will be rolled out automatically to all AirTV boxes by mid-February.

RELATED: AirTV Still Lacks Complete Guide Integration 

AirTV LLC, a subsidiary of Dish DBS Corp., has tapped Technicolor to make the player and  Universal Electronics Inc. to make the AirTV’s voice remote. 

Some consumers are a bit miffed that the initial version of the new AirTV Player/Adapter combo lacks a tight guide integration of local over-the-air TV channels and over-the-top channels from AirTV’s corporate cousin, Sling TV.

RELATED: Dish Unit Pitches Android TV-Powered AirTV Box for $99

At CES, AirTV demonstrated “full antenna integration” that combines Sling TV and OTA on a unified interface, but the product being shipped today requires users to press a button for “Over the Air and Internet Channels” and that the those channels – apparently linked to Android TV’s “Live Channels” app – uses a separate interface that doesn’t display the Sling TV lineup, TechHive reported, noting that AirTV expects to release an update that supports that promised, tighter integration sometime in “early 2017.”  Multichannel News has asked AirTV for further clarification on the timing of that.

Gadget blog ZatzNotFunny also made note that AirTV “shipped without its primary selling point enabled,” and also noticed that the topic came up on Twitter from an AirTV customer, followed by a  response from Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch confirming that the CES demo was based on a beta software and that full integration would be arriving soon.

@markreaume The version shown at CES had beta software where the locals are integrated. That feature will be rolled out soon.

— Roger Lynch (@RogerLynch) January 13, 2017

Update: AirTV confirmed that its fully-integrated OTA experience demonstrated in beta form at CES will be coming way of a software update, currently undergoing testing, that will automatically be rolled out to all AirTV boxes sometime in February.

In the meantime, the OTA channels are accessible from Sling TV’s full channel guide, the company added. “Customers select the “Guide” tab, then click the over-the-air icon (TV with antenna) in the channel ribbon. This allows customers to view all available local channels prior to an upcoming software release.”

AirTV also mentioned that it has a standard return policy in place and that it’s happy to issue refunds to customers who aren’t fully satisfied with the product. Additionally, AirTV’s FAQ has been updated to communicate that the software update is scheduled to be distributed by mid-February.

AirTV hasn’t announced shipment figures since the product launched earlier this month, but the product (the baseline AirTV Player and AirTV Adapter) are still shipping two weeks after orders are placed because of “overwhelming demand.”

RELATED: AirTV Appears Off to Hot Start

Via TechHive, an AirTV customer likened the initial version of the product as the “equivalent to a Nexus Player,” a reference to the first OTT device that was powered by Android TV (Google stopped selling the Nexus Player last year, though a growing mix of OTT devices and smart TVs currently support Android TV). Early adopters of AirTV also complained that the product also lacked integration with Netflix queues and personal recommendations.

Update 2: The Netflix integration is live on AirTV, as a Netflix ribbon appears on Sling TV’s “My TV” tab.

Sling Media, the video place-shifting pioneer, has stopped manufacturing Slingbox units, but will continue to sell Slingboxes that remain still in stock, Satellite Business News reported in its January 6 issue.

“That means that once the existing stock of the standalone streaming devices is sold, the only way consumers will be able to buy a unit is through various on-line outlets that represent retailer with remaining inventory,” the publication reported.

Sling Media did not deny that it has halted Slingbox manufacturing, but said that it continues to sell and support the products.

“We continue to sell Slingbox units and support our active community of Slingbox users. There are not any formal announcements to share at this time,” Mark N. Vena, vice president of worldwide marketing at Sling Media, said in a statement to Multichannel News.

Sling Media is selling its current flagship product, the M2, for $99.99, a discount of $100 from the MSRP when the product was introduced in 2015. Amazon and Best Buy are also selling the M2 online for $99.99.

RELATED: New M2  Slingbox Drops Mobile App Fees

Dish Network, Sling Media’s corporate cousin, continues to integrate Sling’s technology into satellite DVR recorders, Satellite Business News noted. For example, Dish’s Hopper 3, a 4K-capable box launched last year, uses Sling Media’s place-shifting technology, which enables users to watch live and recorded programming on the go from Web browsers and apps for smartphones and tablets.

RELATED: Dish Serves the Hopper 3

The report comes amid the rise of virtual MVPDs such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now alongside the ongoing expansion and adoption of authenticated TV Everywhere apps that increasingly remove the need for consumers to use a retail device such as the Slingbox to access their subscriptions on multiple devices when they are in or out of the home.

EchoStar, now the technology and set-top subsidiary of Dish, acquired Sling Media in 2007 for $380 million. Prior to that, Sling Media set the stage for video place-shifting with its entrance at the 2005 CES confab and the introduction of the original Slingbox. Sling Media co-founder and serial entrepreneur Blake Krikorian died last August at the age of 48.

RELATED: Remembering a True Visionary

Sling Media has not disclosed Slingbox sales figures, though Satellite Business News estimates that about 2 million standalone Slingbox units have been sold since 2005. An industry source said that sales figure is low, but also said that small subset of the Slingbox sales base are actually using the devices.

Sling Media tried to target the Slingbox to mainstream consumers with the M2, which removed the need for users to buy the mobile apps for tablets and smartphones that support it, but supplemented that part of the business through the controversial use of advertising. Those users also have the option of avoiding ads on the mobile apps by purchasing the apps separately.

RELATED: Sling Media Defends Ad Strategy

In 2014, Sling Media took aim at the limitations of TV Everywhere and tried to amp up retail sales with a humorous ad campaign that offered a cure for a made-up condition called “Can’t Watch Anywhere Pain” or C.W.A.P.

EchoStar, Sling Media’s parent company, has shown a recent willingness to change gears with respect to retail products that don’t fit its long-term business aims. For example, EchoStar last fall shut down Sage By Hughes, a short-lived do-it-yourself home security and automation service, after the product had trouble gaining traction amid competition from other retail products as well as smart home products and services sold through providers such as ADT, Comcast, Verizon and AT&T. 

RELATED: EchoStar Sets Shutdown Date for Sage By Hughes

Coincidentally, an earlier version of the AirTV Player, a new device that enables users to blend OTT content with over-the-air broadcast TV signals from a Dish DBS Corp. subsidiary called AirTV LLC, used the Slingbox M1/M2 form factor. The AirTV Player, introduced last week at CES, emerged with a new design developed in partnership with Technicolor.

RELATED: CES 2017: Dish Unit Pitches Android TV-Powered AirTV Box for $99

The AirTV Player, a device targeted to cord-cutters from EchoStar, is sporting a new look along with some additional details about the technologies that will power it, according to new information discovered by gadget blog ZatzNotFunny.

EchoStar hasn’t announced a launch date for the product (an announcement around next month’s CES seems a likely possibility), but a Web page that is hiding out in the open about the AirTV Player reiterates that it will support over-the-air broadcast TV channels (when paired with an AirTV adapter and an OTA antenna that are sold separately), and will integrate Sling TV, Dish Network’s OTT-TV service.

RELATED: Dish-EchoStar ‘Sling AirTV’ Nears Retail Debut: Report

EchoStar, Charlie Ergen’s tech and set-top spin-off, also notes on the web site that AirTV Player will tie in access to Netflix and will come with a remote control with voice support.

Other documentation found by ZatzNotFunny also shows that the AirTV Player will run the Android 6.0.1 operating system and is made by Technicolor.

“With the AirTV Player, cut the cord and keep the TV experience,” the site explains. “You’ll have a single platform for watching Sling TV, Netflix, local channels, and more.”

Per the AirTV Player FAQ, the device connects to the TV via HDMI and comes with a 12-month warranty and no monthly fee (save for the subscription fee of the individual apps it provides access to).

The redesign is notable because earlier version of the product that surfaced showed the AirTV Player to be based on the Slingbox M1/M2 form factor.  Previous data on the device indicated that the AirTV Player would sell for $149.99.

Though EchoStar hasn’t said when the AirTV Player will go on sale, it got a step closer earlier this month when the FCC recently cleared the company to import, market and sell it after granting a waiver on an analog tuner requirement.

RELATED: FCC Gives EchoStar's 'AirTV' a Lift 

Dish Network and corporate cousin EchoStar appear to be nearing the retail launch of Sling AirTV, a product that integrates over-the-air broadcast TV with Sling TV’s OTT service.

That product, which uses the Slingbox M1/M2 form factor, will cost $149.99 and launch sometime next month, according to ZatzNotFunny, which located a “draft” listing on Amazon that sheds more details on the product.

ZatzNotFunny first spotted details about AirTV last April. Sling TV and Dish have been asked to comment on rollout plans for AirTV.

Update: Dish declined to comment. 

Per that listing, the device is “coming soon” and allows users to stream live local programming, is compatible with antennas from suppliers such as Mohu, and “requires” the Sling TV app. Here’s more detail on how the draft listing describes AirTV:

“With AirTV and an HD antenna, you can stream live local programming, news and your local sports anywhere in your home using the free Sling TV app and its integrated program guide. No paid contracts-just free local TV on any compatible device. And if you want more channels, you can subscribe to paid Sling TV packages-all from the same app.”

Dave Zatz noted on the blog that Dish and EchoStar had been targeting a late spring 2016 launch, but now believes Air TV is “on track for a revised September release running $150.”

Even without AirTV, Sling TV has been making progress in other ways when it comes to supplying local TV programming.

In January, Sling TV launched an app on Channel Master’s DVR+ platform, a subscription-free DVR that integrates broadband connectivity (for OTT services) and over-the-air TV tuning capabilities.

Sling TV’s new multi-stream “Blue” tier, which runs $25 per month, offers local Fox and NBC feeds in select markets, and has been offering local ABC feeds in Chicago, Fresno-Visalia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, and San Francisco via a Broadcast Extra add-on package that costs an additional $5 per month.

TiVo has added storage and eliminated monthly subscription service fees for the Roamio OTA, an HD-DVR wth OTT capabilities targeted at cord-cutters that also crosses swords with Channel Master’s subscription-less OTA-OTT DVR combo.

TiVo new Roamio OTA, which goes on sale on May 2 at TiVo.com, BestBuy.com, Amazon.com and some Best Buy brick and mortar stores, will feature a 1 terabyte hard drive and sell for $399.99, which covers lifetime access to the underlying TiVo service.  It's also integrated with OTT apps from partners such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and YouTube.

After unveiling a “limited edition” of the Roamio OTA in the fall of 2014, TiVo went national with the product in January 2015. That version sold for $49.99, came equipped with a 500 Gigabyte hard drive (but with no CableCARD slot), and required users to pay $14.99 per month for the TiVo service.

The new model will also sport four tuners as well as some relatively new TiVo features such as the controversial SkipMode as well as QuickMode – elements that were originally offered on the 4K-capable TiVo Bolt but were recently extended to its Roamio product family.

The Roamio OTA is also compatible with the TiVo Mini (for multi-room set-ups) as well as TiVo Stream, the company’s Slingbox-like place-shifting device.

Removing the monthly subscription fee will put the Roamio OTA on better completive footing with Channel Master’s DVR+,  which in January added Sling TV, Dish Network’s OTT-TV streaming platform, to its app mix, and sells its comparable 1 TB model for $399.

TiVo’s new OTA offering also emerges amid reports that Dish Network corporate cousins Sling Media and EchoStar are nearing the launch of AirTV, a device that will purportedly also support Sling TV’s service as well as an digital OTA tuner.

TiVo, naturally, believes that it’s got a superior product for the category.

"The TiVo Roamio OTA 1TB is in a class of its own," Ira Bahr, TiVo's chief marketing and retail sales officer, said in a statement. "It delivers the unparalleled TiVo DVR experience, as well as an intuitive integration between free over-the-air HD channels and major streaming services. No other device brings everything you watch together into one single, easy-to-use interface."

Though targeted at a small but growing group of cord-cutters, the Roamio OTA could help to expand TiVo’s retail customer base. It ended its fiscal Q4 with 6.8 million subs – 5.47 million via MSO partnerships and 971,000 that are retail/“TiVo-owned,” and just announced that its aggregate subscriber base has eclipsed 7 million.

TiVo has yet to announce plans to offer an OTA/OTT-only version of the  Bolt. The current Bolt can handle OTA signals, but also comes with a CableCARD slot.

Offering all local over-the-air broadcast TV channels has been a gap in Sling TV’s lineup since the OTT service launched last February, but a new device being made by corporate cousin EchoStar could help to bridge it.

As first spotted by gadget/tech blog ZatzNotFunny, Sling TV, Dish Network's OTT-TV service for cord-cutters, and EchoStar’s Sling Media unit are getting closer to the launch of AirTV, a device that looks like the recently launched Slingbox M1 place-shifting device, but includes an over-the-air TV tuner.

That OTA A tuner, blogger Dave Zatz speculates, essentially replaces a Slingbox client app with the Sling TV app.

“So, one would hook up the AirTV to an antenna and one’s home network via WiFi or Ethernet and that local television content would be beamed directly into the Sling TV app – at home or while on the move,” Zatz wrote “I’ll go ahead and assume the ultimate goal here [with AirTV] is for the OTA channels from one’s residence to be co-located amongst the pay television channels of Sling TV’s $20 streaming service in a unified guide.”

Zatz, who is led to believe that Sling Media is developing a family of “non-traditional” Slingbox products, came across the AirTV trademark last summer, and The Donohue Report found a few more details on the product plans last October.

EchoStar and Dish have not announced pricing and a possible launch date for AirTV. A Sling TV official said the company could not comment on rumors and speculation.

In the meantime, Sling TV has been making some progress with respect to adding local broadcast TV channels to the mix.

Earlier this week, it announced it is beta-testing a new $20 per month multi-stream service that is anchored by Fox-owned networks, including Fox broadcasting stations in Fox's owned-and-operated markets. In February, Sling TV started to offer ABC in select markets as part of a new “Broadcast Extra” add-on package that sells for $5 per month (on top of a core $20 per month Sling TV package) and also includes Univision and UniMás.

In January, Sling TV launched an app on Channel Master’s DVR+ platform, a subscription-free DVR that integrates broadband connectivity (for OTT services) and over-the-air TV tuning capabilities.