This week on TechHive: What you need to know about FuboTV

FuboTV doesn’t have the name recognition of other streaming bundles, but it’s been quietly building up a service to take on the likes of Dish’s Sling TV, AT&T’s DirecTV Now, and Sony’s PlayStation Vue.

Although FuboTV originally launched in 2015 as a streaming service for soccer fans, it later pivoted to a broader mix of streaming cable channels, and has been flying under the radar as a public beta for most of this year. Over the past couple weeks, though, the company has made lots of noise, announcing plans to add channels from CBS and Scripps Networks, and closing a $55 million investment round. My latest column has all the details on what this sports-centric streaming bundle has to offer. Read it on TechHive.

Weekly Rewind

Tablo’s Android TV-based DVR arrives: If you have an Nvidia Shield TV streaming box, you can now turn it into an over-the-air DVR with Tablo. Just plug in a USB antenna adapter–Tablo sells a dual tuner for $70–and subscribe to Tablo’s Engine DVR service, which costs $4 per month or $40 per year. You can then watch live and recorded TV through the Tablo Engine app for Android TV.

That’s not the only option for Shield owners, though. Earlier this month, Plex added live TV and USB tuner support to its own DVR service, which also runs on the Shield TV, plus it supports streaming over-the-air TV to other devices. I aim to review both of these offerings soon, but in the meantime I’m happy to see two compelling OTA DVR solutions in direct competition.

Seeso’s imminent demise: Although NBC still hasn’t confirmed the fate of Seeso, its ambitious streaming service for comedy buffs, a shutdown seems imminent according to Decider’s Scott Porch. Sources say Seeso has agreed to sell the original series HarmonQuest and My Brother, My Brother and Me to OtterMedia, which operates a geek-focused bundle of streaming video services called VRV. It’s unclear what will become of other Seeso originals, such as the mock-reality show Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ and the upcoming Paul Riser sitcom There’s … Johnny.

Personally, I’d love to see a different media company take most or all of SeeSo off NBC’s hands, and give it the type of long-term commitment that new Internet TV channels need to grow. But that seems unlikely if the service is now being carved up for parts.

More Catch-Up

Save More Money

Amazon’s Fire TV box is still my pick for best overall streaming device–unless you have a 4K HDR television–and it’s currently available with a 35-mile antenna for $100 total. (Now, if only the Fire TV supported USB tuners so you could watch live broadcasts through the same input as streaming video.)

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Until next week,
Jared