SiliconDust combines HomeRun Premium and antenna channels into an all-in-one solution
SiliconDust announced Thursday an integrated TV service that combines its HomeRun Premium streaming TV service together with over-the-air broadcast feeds of local channels all in the same interface.
Now consumers can watch their local channels using a home antenna, subscribe to HomeRun Premium, hook it all up together through a digital television tuner box, and watch everything through their Apple TV.
HomeRun Premium is a live streaming TV service from SiliconDust that was announced in August. The service includes 45 network channels including ESPN, CNN, HGTV, Fox News and TNT for $35 a month. Subscribers need to own one of the company’s HDHomeRun TV tuners to access the service.
We’re celebrating the unveiling of our All-in-One experience for cord cutters! We’ve combined free live local broadcast TV with HDHomeRun PremiumTV and HDHomeRun DVR in a single, updated app. Oh, we’re also offering free trials of PremiumTV and DVR. https://t.co/qjiVnrWWMc pic.twitter.com/5R2OpFBaqM
— Silicondust USA, Inc (@HDHomeRun_US) November 15, 2018
Unlike standard set-top box appliances, HDHomeRun does not have a video output that connects directly to the user’s television. Instead, it receives a live TV signal and then streams the decoded video over a local area network to multiple devices, including Apple TV. Streaming live programming from HDHomeRun Premium TV will occupy one of the device’s two TV tuners.
The device – sold as four different models – decrypts high-definition local TV channels. As it doesn’t include a cloud-based digital video recorder, HDHomeRun has a separate DVR service costing $35 a year that enhances the devices local recording capability to schedule, pause, record and rewind live TV.
SiliconDust does not have a tvOS app for HDHomeRun. The service is available through AirPlay mirroring on Apple TV as well as through third-party Apple TV apps from PLEX, InstaTV Pro, and Channels.
A number of user interface improvements were also released Thursday including:
- Horizontal Time Scrolling in the Discovery section of the app to improve content discoverability.
- DVR and Live TV Start Screen options to give users the ability to choose what content they want to see when the app launches.
- New DVR Task Management settings so that priority content is always recorded when scheduling conflicts arise.
- Enhanced Padding Controls to ensure that users never miss the start or end of recorded shows and events.
- Improved Search Functionality that allows users to search for shows and movies by title and keyword.
- Quick access to the Settings Menu to allow users to more easily adjust and control their experience.
SiliconDust is discounting its HDHomeRun receivers through Black Friday and is offering new HDHomeRun customers a free two week trial of HDHomeRun PremiumTV and a two month free trial of the HDHomeRun DVR service. The special pricing includes:
- HDHR5-2US HDHomeRun CONNECT DUO: Reduced from $99.99 to $69.99
- HDHR5-4US HDHomeRun CONNECT QUATRO: Reduced from $149.99 to $99.99
- HDTC-2US-M HDHomeRun EXTEND. Reduced from $179.99 to $149.99
About the Author
Brad Gibson Brad is co-founder and editor-in-chief of BESTAppleTV.com. He has been a technology reporter since the late 1980s having previously worked for MacUser, MacFormat, and iCreate magazines, as well as MacNN.com, MacObserver.com, MacCentral.com, MacMinute.com, and Macworld.com. He hosted and produced the MacFormat This Week podcast for three years. He was also a reporter, editor, and producer for the Associated Press and United Press International.
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TvOS Channels App is the best way to use this service. The devs at Channels have done a way better job than SiliconDust has with their own product.
Having played with all three of the apps that deliver SiliconDust services, I would have to agree with this comment.