In most areas of the United States, there's free-to-air TV that's accessible with an HD antenna. Yet most DVRs require a cable or satellite connection to record TV. That's the problem that the folks at Simple.TV identified, and they're raising funds through Kickstarter to get their DVR that records free-to-air TV to market.
What's in the Box?
Simple.TV is a small box that connects to a home network and to an over the air TV antenna. Program the box to record live free-to-air broadcast TV or basic cable shows from an unencrypted cable feed, and you can watch up to five recorded programs at once from various screens within the household. With a premium subscription, you can also watch recorded programs outside the house, say in a café or hotel room during business travel. The Simple.TV box doesn't plug directly into a TV, but is accessed via an app, which is currently available for the iPad, Roku, and Apple TV. A browser-based version of the app enables you to access your shows from a PC, Mac or connected TV (one with a built-in web browser).
The creators are releasing an API so users and businesses can build their own apps. They're also working to expand the list of connected devices.
In order to get Simple.TV to work, you need to plug in an antenna or basic cable to the device's coax input, connect an external USB hard drive for storage, connect a network router and plus in the power adapter. The box requires a wired connection to the household network via the router.
Pledge Drive
The Kickstarter campaign is running through the end of June. Just a couple of days into the campaign, Simple.TV has raised $47,796 towards its goal of $125,000. The project has attracted 256 backers to date. To offer incentive to reach the fundraising goal by the end date of June 29, Simple.TV is offering pledge packages that include the DVR for less than it will retail for after the funding period.
So effectively "pledges" over a certain amount are really "pre-orders." Basic pledges can be sent for as low as $1, but a base pledge of $25 or more gets a "Cut the Cord" t-shirt. The next levels of pledges go toward the purchase of a Simple.TV box, plus some extra goodies. A pledge of $149 or more comes with Simple.TV plus premier service with the electronic program guide (EPG) for a year. Once at retail, the Simple.TV box will likely be over $199. A pledge of $199 or more, the cost of a box after launch, is called the "Love Your Aerial Pack" and includes a Simple.TV box, a year of EPG and remote streaming, a Mohu Leaf antenna, and a t-shirt.
Four more pledge tiers pack in lots of extras. The "Cord Cutter's Pack" includes a Simple.TV DVR with unlimited EPG and remote streaming, a Mohu ATSC antenna, a Roku XD and t-shirt for $299. The "TV from your Hometown Pack" comes with a $349 pledge and includes two Simple.TV DVRs, which can be stacked in order to record multiple programs simultaneously and two Mohu leaf antennas. The benefit of the second antenna is that you can set up the second Simple.TV box and antenna in a separate location, such as your parent's house, and record and access local games and other programming.
The "Custom Hook-up" package, which comes at a $399 pledge, includes a Simple.TV DVR with unlimited EPG and remote streaming, a Mohu antenna, a Roku XD and a t-shirt. Simple.TV creator Mark Ely will personally come to deliver and install the device, so long as it's within a five-hour drive from San Francisco. So far the "Custom Hook-up" pledge level of $399 has one backer.
A pledge of $499 or more, which has two backers, is the "Developer's Pack." This package comes with three first-off-the-line Simple.TV DVRs and early API access to develop Simple.TV front-end- apps and programs, which include Facebook integration. Simple.TV is also throwing in a t-shirt with the deal. With the API, developers will be able to make a "watch-with-me" app, build a 10' UI, or optimize the box to connect with a favorite connected platform.
Simple.TV creators are confident the box will ship over the summer. The company just completed its third round of hardware and is currently in Beta. The Kickstarter campaign will help Simple.TV manage the hardware build in order to buy parts and get ready for full-scale manufacturing.
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