Happy new year, and hello from CES!
As you’re reading this week’s newsletter, there’s a good chance I’m running around Las Vegas at the annual CES trade show, where a surprisingly large amount of cord-cutting gear has turned up. Before we get into that, check out a few things that have run on TechHive since the break:

Before the new year, I looked back at the best streaming hardware, software, and services that emerged in 2016. We could really use a catchier name than the “cord-cutter awards,” so have a look at the winners and let me know if you have any better ideas.

So much has changed in the streaming landscape over the couple years that I also wrote a new cord-cutting decision guide, updating one that originally published in early 2015. The short version? Ditching cable is still easier if you’re willing to make some sacrifices, but you don ‘t have to make as many of them now. Read the full column on TechHive.

Finally, I managed to squeeze in a review of DirecTV Now, AT&T’s new bundle of streaming channels. It’s the best attempt yet at merging live and on-demand video onto one cohesive interface, but the service has so many glitches, rough edges, and missing features that it’s tough to recommend–even at the current discount price of $35 per month for 100 channels.

Weekly Rewind

I’ll have a lot more to say about CES next week, when I’ve had a chance to try some of the new products, and to talk to the companies involved. For now, consider this a hands-off overview of what’s been announced so far:

AirTV is a streaming box for Sling subscribers: Sling TV is getting into the hardware business–sort of. With a new set-top box called AirTV, you can stream cable channels from Sling and over-the-air broadcasts from an antenna, with everything appearing in a unified channel guide. The box is based on Android TV, so it also runs Netflix and Google Play Movies & TV, along with anything else you can find in Google’s app store. It’s available for purchase right now.

But Sling isn’t making the hardware itself. Parent company Dish Network is setting up AirTV as a separate brand and subsidiary, with the goal of merging the cable and streaming experiences. Perhaps the long-rumored AirTV networked tuner, which would stream over-the-air broadcats from one antenna to many devices, is still on the agenda.

Tablo branches out: For the last couple years, Tablo’s sole product has been a networked over-the-air DVR, which can stream live and recorded broadcasts to lots of different devices. Now, Tablo maker Nuvyyo is adding a few more products for cord cutters.

The first is a DVR service for Android TV devices such as the Nvidia Shield. Connect a USB antenna tuner to the box, and you can record and watch live TV through the Tablo app. Tablo will sell its own dual-tuner (price TBA) and support some third-party options. DVR service will cost $3.99 per month.

The second product is a networked tuner called Tablo Live, which streams over-the-air broadcasts over Wi-Fi to any device that runs the Tablo app. This would be ideal for people who want to watch live TV on their mobile devices or PCs, or who want to set up their antenna away from the TV in a place with better reception.

While Tablo Live doesn’t include DVR service, Tablo is also demoing a “proof-of-concept” cloud DVR, which stores recordings online so you can access them from anywhere. If this concept ever became a real service, Live would supposedly support it.

More Catch-Up

Save More Money
The discounted Plex Pass is still available, so I’m going to link to it one more time. Plex has long been a useful tool for people with large media libraries, serving up videos, music, and photos from a PC to other devices on the same network. But lately, Plex has been paying extra attention to cord cutters, with a new DVR feature that works with HDHomeRun tuners. If you have an HDHomeRun–or plan on getting one–and want to record over-the-air channels to your PC with antenna, you’ll need a Plex Pass subscription. A lifetime Plex Pass usually costs $150, but it’s $120 through the holidays.

Thanks for reading!

Do you have any stories you’d like me to tackle? Need advice on your cord cutting setup? Have a success story you’d like to share? Feedback on this newsletter? Drop me a line by responding to this email.

Until next week,
Jared