Earlier this year, we caught wind of the Simple.TV, a DVR device that would allow users to cut the cord without sacrificing basic cable. Now the Simple.TV is edging closer to becoming a reality with its newly launched Kickstarter campaign.
As a refresher, the Simple.TV is a DVR box meets streaming technology. It connects you to live TV from its cable input and stores it into your own USB hard drive. You simple plug in your antenna, connect your USB hard drive, connect to your Internet network via router, download the Simple.TV app from your connected device (so unless you have a smart TV, this means it’s a tablet or smartphone for you), and go. And live TV, without outrageous cable subscription bills, can be yours!
The price tags involved are pennies by comparison. For $5 for a month, $49 for a year, or $199 for a lifetime, you get Premier access to Simple.TV, which translates to features like the TV guide, multiple user profiles, and additional show content. But by just buying the box, you still get full 1080p HD video, live TV and the ability to pause it, manually recording, and in-home streaming. It’s a pretty sweet deal for the $149 the device will retail for.
And now it’s a deal you can actually get in on, thanks to the Kickstarter, pre-order campaign. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can get for your pledges:
- $125 or more: The Simple.TV DVR (includes shipping)
- $149 or more: The Simple.TV DVR plus Premier service for one year (will normally cost $199)
- $199 or more: The Simple.TV DVR, a year of full EPH and remote streaming, a Mohu antenna, and a t-shirt.
- $299 or more: The Simple.TV DVR with unlimited EPG and remote streaming, a Mohu antenna, a Roku XD, and a t-shirt.
It goes on from there, up to $499 for the developer’s pack, which gives you early API access to the Smart.TV.
Whether you choose to get in early on this new technology or not, the Smart.TV is very likely coming to a retailer near you. The campaign has already raised $17,036 toward its $125,000 goal and it has 29 days to go.
