This week on TechHive: Other ways to watch broadcast TV on-demand

One of the most interesting trends in cord cutting this year is the resurgence of over-the-air TV, and new tools to record those broadcast channels.

But while it’s great to see so much antenna innovation, there are other ways to watch broadcast TV on your own schedule, ones that don’t demand making an up-front investment in new hardware. Before you dive in with a product like Tablo, Plex DVR, or TiVo Roamio OTA, consider the alternatives. Read the full column on TechHive.

Weekly Rewind

AirTV updates: The first streaming box optimized for Sling TV and over-the-air channels had lots of rough edges out of the gate, but it just got a major update that should correct some of its biggest problems. The AirTV Player  now supports Sling’s $5 per month Cloud DVR service, letting users record streaming cable channels. It’s also getting some guide improvements for sorting through local channels by genre, seeing what’s on those channels from the home screen, and filtering out unwanted broadcast signals.

Sling TV is also expanding Cloud DVR to iOS and Windows 10, so it’s now available on most devices that Sling TV supports. That service came out of beta last week, and offers 50 hours of recording–with time or scheduling limits–for $5 per month.

Fox gives shorter ads a try: Fox has become the first TV network to adopt a 6-second ad format in its streaming video apps, taking a page from YouTube. The network eventually plans to bring the shorter ads to its linear broadcast as well.

As AdAge points out, there’s still some uncertainty about how much brands should pay for the shorter ads, but it’s clear that the 30-second ad is on its way out. Services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are creating an expectation of minimal commercial interruptions, and the shorter spots may be more effective than traditional four-minute ad breaks anyway.

More Catch-Up

Save More Money

The Roku Streaming Stick has adopted its on-again, off-again sale price of $40, which is $10 less than usual. It’s still my pick for best budget streamer, providing smooth navigation and neat features (like private headphone listening through a smartphone) for a low price.

Another way to support CCW!

A couple months ago, I started accepting donations for Cord Cutter Weekly through Patreon, which allows people to contribute a small amount on a monthly basis. Now, I’ve launched a page on Ko-Fi, which lets you make a one-time donation in coffee-based increments.

The usual spiel: This newsletter will always remain free, and I’m not interested in ads or sponsorships. But if you’d like to show your support with cash, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Until next week,
Jared