Over-the-air antenna specialist Channel Master and TiVo have jointly announced a new partnership in which the former will market the latter’s Edge DVR with its OTA products. 

The nebulously explained collaboration—described by the principals as “exclusive” and “strategic”— will kick off with Channel Master launching the new 500GB TiVo Edge “later this summer.” 

The new iteration of the Edge will have all of the same functions and features as its 2TB predecessor, including voice control, recommendations across both live and streaming content, 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD), Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision HDR.

“One of the first things cord cutters discover is that they really need a DVR for the TV antenna in order to have the traditional viewing experience that they had with cable, and TiVo DVRs provide a premium solution for that need,” said Mike Lynch, chief strategy officer at Channel Master, in a statement. “In addition to recording live TV, these TiVo EDGE products integrate major streaming services like Netflix, YouTube and Hulu into one easy to use interface.”

“Channel Master brings over 70 years of over-the-air reception knowledge and expertise to the table,” added Matt Milne, chief revenue officer at TiVo. “We’re excited to partner with Channel Master to provide TiVo customers with the focused support and guidance that is critical for delivering free, live broadcast TV on our Next-Generation platform.”

Channel Master has formally introduced Stream+, a device powered by Android TV that aims to cater to cord-cutters by integrating support for both OTT apps and TV channels that can be captured for free, over-the-air.

Stream+, a successor to Channel Master’s DVR+ platform, is being offered for the introductory price of $99.

RELATED: Channel Master Nearing Debut of Stream+

And, like that predecessor, Stream+ will not require any subscription fees for its optional DVR capability or integrated program guide.

Stream+ includes two tuners, a USB 3.0 port (for future applications), integrated voice search, Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital+ audio support, and 802.11ac WiFi and Ethernet.

Channel Master posted a promotional video for Stream+ that provides a brief walk-through:

Channel Master will announce its full retail price in January, but it’s not expected to be significantly higher than the pre-order price, according to Joe Bingochea, Channel Master’s executive vice president of product development. According to CNET, the final price will be in the neighborhood of $150. 

With Stream+, a 4K/HDR-capable device developed in partnership with Technicolor, Channel Master intends to overcome some hurdles it had encountered with DVR+, as the new platform will support a much richer set of applications and carry a lower price.

DVR+ (Channel Master has sold out inventory for DVR+) had started at $249 for a 16 GB model, and had limited access to OTT apps such as Pandora, Vudu and YouTube. Notably, Sling TV pulled app support for DVR+ just last week.

By comparison, Stream+ will have rights to all apps available via the Google Play store. The exception early on will be Netflix and Amazon Video, which require separate approval from those companies.

“We’re pushing hard to get those done,” Bingochea.

Channel Master’s new offering will also include the Google Live Channels app for integration into the guide of channels that are captured over-the-air, and will support Chromecast built-in functionality and Google Home.

Stream+ users will also be able to add DVR capabilities by installing a MicroSD storage card that works with the Live Channels app (Channel Master worked with EchoStar on that piece for DVR+).  

The device itself will be “headed,” as it connects to the user’s TV via an HDMI cable. Among examples of similar products that target cord-cutters, TiVo’s pricier Roamio OTA is also headed, but the new Tablo Dual is not, as it works in tandem with separate TV-connected devices such as Roku players, Apple TV and Fire TV boxes, Xbox and Nvidia Shield consoles, or with certain smart TVs (including those from LG running WebOS 2.0 or 3.0).

Among other competitors in this arena, Dish Network last week soft-launched a new cord-cutting device under the AirTV brand that doesn’t support a DVR (yet), but does let users access and stream OTA channels in and out of the home he chute. AirTV, another headless device, has developed apps for iOS, tvOS, Android (mobile and TV), Roku players and Amazon Fire TV streamers.

RELATED: Nuvyyo Cuts Price on Tablo Dual

Channel Master is initially offering Stream+ for pre-orders on via its online store and expects to product to be in stock by mid-January. It will also sell product through retail partners.

Sling TV has apparently yanked support on the Channel Master DVR+, a device for cord-cutters that integrates certain OTT content with over-the-air broadcast TV.

As reported by FreeTVBlog, Sling TV sent an alert to subscribers of the change.

“The time has come for us to bid farewell to one of our devices. Soon, Sling TV will no longer be supported on Channel Master.”

The email did not elaborate on the reason, but Sling TV said it would give affected customers with $10 toward their next subscription to the OTT TV service.

Channel Master and Sling TV have been asked for more color about the decision.

Update: According to a Channel Master official, the decision to remove Sling TV from DVR+ was initiated by Dish and Sling TV, adding that Channel Master did not desire to lose Sling TV on that platform.  

Sling TV has removed Channel Master from its list of compatible devices, and confirmed just moments ago that the OTT TV service is now supported on 2017 Samsung smart TVs (following the launch of Sling TV on 2016 Samsung smart TVs a few weeks ago).

Channel Master’s support pages still list info on how DVR+ users can launch Sling TV, and notes here that users might need to upgrade the software if the Sling TV app is not showing up in the Channel Master UI.

The decision comes down almost two years after Channel Master announced at the 2016 CES that it would integrate Sling TV on its DVR+ platform

And it’s emerging amid other product strategy shifts.

Channel Master, for instance, recently teased the coming launch of a new product called Stream+. Expected to debut next month at CES, it’s been surmised that Stream+ is based on the Skipper, a 4K-capable Android TV device manufactured by Technicolor.

Dish, meanwhile, is gearing up to launch a new OTA-focused product under the AirTV brand.

ZatzNotFunny’s Dave Zatz notes that the new device “is an apparent resurrection of the Slingbox M1 as an AirTV variant.” The device, he says, repurposes the existing M1 streaming hardware by adding an over-the-air TV tuner, and will swap the Slingbox client with the Sling TV experience.

RELATED: Sling Media Halts Slingbox Manufacturing: Report

Dish said the new AirTV OTA solution --  a follow on to the release of the AirTV Player and AirTV Adapter introduced at CES 2017 -- is currently in limited release to evaluate consumer interest, and that more detail will be shared after the soft-launch wraps up early next year.

In the meantime, it’s being billed as a “streaming base station” enabled by connecting an OTA antenna with a home WiFi network to stream local channels to TVs and mobile devices.

AFTV News also spotted an app called “AirTV: Watch Local TV Anywhere” at the Amazon Appstore (since removed) for Fire TV devices and Fire tablets, and that the app also made a brief appearance in the Apple App Store.

Update: CordCutterNews points out that a page about the new AirTV is now live.

Channel Master took to Twitter to tease Stream+, a new device that is expected to appeal to cord-cutters by supporting both over-the-top video and over-the-air TV.

Channel Master, which currently targets that group with its DVR+ product line, offered some hints about Stream+ and the timing of its expected debut last week via this tweet:

Something cool is coming in January. :) pic.twitter.com/ZZz6erwPbB

— Channel Master (@ChannelMaster) November 22, 2017

Dave Zatz surmised on his gadget blog, ZatzNotFunny, that Channel Master’s Stream+ is based on the Technicolor Skipper, a 4K-capable Android TV device that bakes in support for voice navigation and OTA TV capabilities.

Specs for the Skipper also include 802.11ac WiFi, a USB 3.0 port for media sharing, and a quad core CPU that provides enough horsepower for higher-end games.

As Zatz points out, Technicolor is also the vendor behind the AirTV Player, an Android TV-powered OTT/OTA combo that Dish debuted earlier this year.

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

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.

Magnavox, not exactly a brand that screams bleeding-edge, came out of CES looking to get an edge on the cord-cutting trend with a set of subscription-free DVRs that could put some pressure on Channel Master, as well as subscription-based offerings from TiVo.

Magnavox announced three models last week:

-MDR877H/F7 for $399.99 (two tuners, 1 terabyte of storage, and DVD player/recorder)

-TB560HP/F7 $449.99 (two tuners, 1 TB of storage)

-TB560HS/F7 $499.99 (six tuners, 2 TB of storage). Photo of the unit, via CNET, is pictured above.

While the model names could use some punching up from Magnavox’s marketing folks, all three are due out in the fourth quarter of 2016 and will allow for more storage using external USB-connected hard drives.

While all three will include support for over-the-air TV and access to subscription-free access to the underlying EPG (from Rovi), they will also function as “full-featured media servers,” which means it can stream content securely to other devices on the home network.

Magnavox’s lineup also supports something called “DVR sync,” which lets users consolidate all recordings on the menu in multi-room set-ups.

Per CNET, Magnavox’s offering will support home-side streaming to iOS and Android devices, but the demo did not show integration with other streaming services, such as Netflix.

The other news of significance last week on the subscription-free DVR front came way of Channel Master, which has added Sling TV to its repertoire of integrated OTT apps. Magnavox’s new lineup might provide for another device target for Sling TV to pursue.

Channel Master, a maker of subscription-free DVRs targeted to cord-cutters, said it has completed the beta phase of its live TV streaming platform, and has opened it up to media companies.

Channel Master, which supports OTT video and free over-the-air TV on its DVR+ platform and integrated interface, initially offered a batch of about 20 live OTT services as part of its beta program, including WeatherNation, FoodyTV, The Outdoor Cooking Channel and RT News, and has since added partners spanning Vibrant TV, Backlight, StreamShift, SonLife, Inspiration and Dr. TV.  

Channel Master has also shown demos of Sling TV running on its platform, but has yet to formally integrate the Dish Network-run OTT-TV service.

The company said media companies can contact it directly (at content@channelmaster.com) to schedule demos. It claims its partners can build and launch a branded channel on its platform for free, including no upfront costs.  

Rather than taking a discrete apps approach with OTT that would require users to change inputs, the Channel Master TV system aims to be more tightly integrated by including OTT offerings and broadcast channels in the underlying program guide.

Channel Master currently offers two DVR+ products – a 16 GB version for $249 (that requires a USB external hard drive for “full DVR functionality”), and a 1 terabyte model for $399.  The company has not announced how many DVR+ units it has sold.

 “We initially launched with a handful of select partners.” said Joe Bingochea, executive vice president of product development, in a statement. “The service was a first-of-its-kind and we wanted to be sure we had a premium product that delivered value to both partners and customers. The results have been fantastic and we’re now ready to expand the service with additional partners.”

Channel Master, maker of a subscription-free DVR for cord-cutters with on-board over-the-air TV capabilities, has launched Channel Master TV, a feature that integrates linear OTT streams with the platform’s underlying program guide.

Channel Master, which announced plans for the new linear OTT component in January, said the software update is now being rolled out to all DVR+ customers, enabling them to select and change streams instantly without having to launch separate applications.

In tandem with the launch of Channel Master TV, the company will sell its baseline DVR+ model for $199 ($50 off its regular price) for today only (June 8) from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. PT, alongside free shipping within the continental U.S. and a free HDMI cable. It’s top-of-the-line DVR+ model, which is equipped with 1 terabyte of storage, sells for $399.

Channel Master said it will add Internet channels to the Channel Master TV platform without the need for a software update, noting that customers will receive an email notification when a new channel is added. To help its users customize the experience, they can “hide” and “un-hide” which Internet channels appear on DVR+’s Channel Master TV interface.

Multichannel News has asked Channel Master for a list of OTT “channels” it’s offering at the get-go, but some that are featured in the above company-supplied screen-capture include WeatherNation TV, Biz TV, FoodyTV, and The Outdoor Cooking Channel.

Channel Master has also recently demonstrated Sling TV running on its platform (subscription required), but has not announced when it might make the new OTT-TV service from Dish Network available on DVR+ on a commercial basis.

“This platform is a game changer in an alternative TV solution,” Joe Bingochea, executive vice president of product development at Channel Master, said in a statement. “We’ve taken the app out of the OTT experience for streamed linear video. For people who are looking for a non-traditional TV service, Channel Master TV adds an entirely new dimension, combined with OTA, On Demand and DVR in a single guide with no fees.”

“We’re giving the customer what they want in a true zero-fee TV service. Everything they can get for free, including Antenna Channels, Internet Channels, Streaming Services, DVR and Program Guide, we’re providing with no contract and no subscription. And there’s a lot more to come,” added Coty Youtsey, Channel Master’s president and CEO, noting that in addition to mainstream content such as news channels, the company is also interested in providing “unique programming.” 

You can remove the “limited edition” label from TiVo’s recently introduced Roamio OTA DVR, a model that is targeted to cord-cutters and consumers who have never taken a traditional pay-TV package.

Following last fall’s debut of the model, TiVo announced Wednesday that it has rolled out the $49.99 model on a nationwide basis. Users of the broadband-connected Roamio OTA, a device that does not come with a slot for a CableCARD but does work with digital antennas and supports an array of OTT video, are also subject to a $14.99 per month service fee for the underpinning TiVo service.

The TiVo Roamio OTA is equipped with 500 Gigabytes of storage, four tuners, is compatible with the TiVo Stream video-transcoding sidecar, and also supports TiVo’s new OnePass feature.

TiVo didn’t say how many Roamio OTAs have been sold, but company CEO Tom Rogers toldMultichannel News in November that the device “seems to be selling pretty well.” The Roamio OTA is currently a retail-only product, but Rogers also said TiVo is in talks with cable operators about an MSO-optimized version that can be offered to their broadband-only customers.

"TiVo continually innovates to meet the shifting ways consumers want to access their TV content, and we recognized that sections of the market were underserved -- including those choosing OTA for TV and those looking for higher-end DVRs,” TiVo CMO Ira Bahr said, in a statement. That proved true with the demand for the TiVo Roamio OTA after our initial seeding in 400 Best Buy stores this past fall.

"While we are believers that the TiVo service with a cable subscription is the best TV experience out there, we recognize there are those without cable and satellite that have recording needs.”

Channel Master, whose subscription-free DVR+ platform also has cord-cutters in mind, announced this week that it will soon add a "LinearTV" feature that will itegrate live feeds from a variety of OTT content sources, including Bloomberg, Al-Jazzera America, WGN, and WeatherNation, among others. 

Channel Master has added Pandora Internet Radio to DVR+, its subscription-less DVR product line that is targeted to so-called "cord-cutters."

DVR+ supports over-the-air digital TV antennas and delivers a small-but-growing batch of over-the-top apps via the product’s broadband connection. DVR+ also supports the Walmart-owned Vudu service, and Channel Master expects to add a couple more apps to the mix by mid-November, a spokeswoman said, noting that the company has been making attempts to get Netflix on board because customers are screaming for it, but no deal has been reached.

Channel Master also announced that purchases from the company’s online store that include DVR+ will now ship for free in the U.S.

Channel Master expanded its DVR product line in July with a $399 model that includes 1 terabyte of storage, complementing an original $249.99 model that holds 16 gigabytes but is expandable using an external USB-connected hard drive. Both contain two tuners and support a 14-day channel guide.

TiVo recently introduced a “limited edition” OTA model for cord-cutters that costs $49.99 and requires a subscription that runs $14.99 per month (with a one-year commitment). 

Simple.TV is also competing in this part of the market with a two-tuner DVR/video server that costs $199.99 and an optional subscription service. It recently added a feature that lets users share recordings with up to five friends.

Channel Master has introduced a new (and more expensive) version of its subscription-less DVR+ platform that includes 1 terabyte of internal storage, complementing an original model that built in just 16 Gigabytes and required the user to provide an external USB-connected hard drive.

The 1 TB version, sold online at Channelmaster.com and Bestbuy.com, carries an MSRP of $399.9. Like the 16GB model, the new, beefier DVR+ integrates two tuners and a 14-day channel guide. Both models use the same form factor and support over-the-top video services, including VUDU, via integrated broadband connections.  

Targeting so-called cord-cutters, Channel Master introduced its original $249.99 DVR+ product last December.

Last month, Channel Master took advantage of Aereo’s loss at the Supreme Court to offer Aereo customers a discounted rate on a “TV Freedom” package that bundles in a free over-the-air TV antenna and its subscription-less DVR.  The offer, which ended on July 6, included the company’s SMARTenna, DVR+ device, and a USB WiFi adapter for $269.99, which is $80 off the full retail price, according to the company. To participate, Aereo customers had to present Channel Master with a copy of their June 2014 bill.