An antenna gets you free local channels. An over-the-air DVR lets you record them, pause live TV, and watch on every TV, phone, and tablet in the house without running coax to each room. Our pick is the SiliconDust HDHomeRun, and here is which model to buy.
The best OTA DVR for most people is the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex 4K (~$200): four tuners, two of which receive ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV, and whole-house recording to a USB drive with no subscription.
Don't need NextGen TV? The HDHomeRun Flex Quatro (~$150) has the same four tuners for less, and the two-tuner Flex Duo (~$110) is the budget pick. You'll also need a good antenna; see our TV antenna guide.
A traditional DVR sits next to one TV. An HDHomeRun is a network tuner: it takes the coax cable from your antenna, connects to your home router with an Ethernet cable, and streams your local channels to every screen on your network. Each TV watches through the free HDHomeRun app, so you don't need coax run to each room.
Live TV and recording are free with no subscription. An optional $35-a-year plan adds an extended program guide and advanced series recording. If you already use Plex, Emby, or Channels, they can use an HDHomeRun as their live-TV tuner too.
All three FLEX models work the same way, use the same app, receive standard ATSC 1.0 channels, and record to a USB drive. Choose by how many channels your household watches or records at once, and whether you want NextGen TV.
| Model | Tuners | NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDHomeRun Flex Duo | 2 | — | ~$110 |
| HDHomeRun Flex Quatro | 4 | — | ~$150 |
| HDHomeRun Flex 4K | 4 | On 2 tuners | ~$200 |
Every recording uses one tuner while it records, and so does every TV watching live. A household that records the news while two people watch different games needs three tuners. When in doubt, get four. You can also add a second HDHomeRun later, and the app combines them automatically.
The most future-proof HDHomeRun. It watches or records four channels at once, and two of its tuners also receive ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV, the newer broadcast standard that a growing number of stations use for 4K, HDR, and better sound where they offer it. If a station's NextGen version isn't viewable, the Flex 4K automatically switches to that station's standard ATSC 1.0 broadcast, so you don't lose the channel.
Worth knowing: some broadcasters encrypt their ATSC 3.0 streams with DRM, and those NextGen versions may not play on an HDHomeRun. Check which NextGen stations you have before paying extra for this model. The USB hard drive is sold separately.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.Four channels at once for about $50 less than the Flex 4K. Every major network still broadcasts in standard ATSC 1.0, so the Quatro receives the same channels most viewers watch today. It's the right pick for a family with several TVs, or anyone who records a lot of shows that air at the same time.
Worth knowing: it doesn't receive ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV. That's fine today, but if your stations eventually stop sending the standard version, you'd need a NextGen tuner. The USB hard drive is sold separately.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.The least expensive way into whole-house antenna TV. Two tuners let you watch one channel while recording another, or record two shows at once, and it has the same app, DVR features, and device support as the bigger models.
Worth knowing: two tuners fill up quickly in a household with more than one or two TVs. No NextGen TV, and the USB hard drive is sold separately.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.ATSC 3.0, marketed as NextGen TV, is the newer U.S. broadcast standard. It can carry 4K, HDR, and improved audio, though in practice most NextGen broadcasts are still 1080p. Availability varies by market and station, and stations that offer it still broadcast in standard ATSC 1.0 as well.
The catch is encryption. Some broadcasters protect their ATSC 3.0 streams with DRM that can block out-of-home viewing, limit which devices can play the channel, block third-party apps, or make recordings expire. SiliconDust says DRM-encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels may not currently be viewable on an HDHomeRun; the Flex 4K falls back to the ATSC 1.0 version of the channel when one is available. That's why we recommend the Flex 4K for future-proofing, but the Quatro is a fine choice if you want to save money today.