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The only way I’d watch live TV with an antenna is on sale this week

By Phil Nickinson Published July 16, 2024

The fourth-generation Tablo box. — Tablo has been redesigned in its fourth generation. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

I am of the strong opinion that anyone with a relatively long-term living situation — think owning a home or renting an apartment you know you’ll be in for a while — should have an over-the-air antenna at the ready. It’s a good backup for streaming live TV and is a one-time expense.

And while plugging a single antenna into a single television tuner is fine, we can do better in 2024 thanks to what I call “networked tuners.” The gist is this: You plug the antenna (and, most likely, an amplifier) into this magical device, and then you can watch the free, over-the-air broadcast channels on multiple devices — and record shows.

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I’ve been using this sort of setup for years. And my current go-to remains the fourth-generation Tablo DVR (be sure to check out our full Tablo review), and it happens to be on sale as part of Prime Day.

The Tablo live guide as seen on a TV. — The Tablo live guide is one of the best of any modern digital service. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

Tablo has a lot of things going for it. The DVR is built in, so you don’t have to deal with an external hard drive (hough you can augment the 12GB of onboard storage if you want). There are no additional subscription fees. And the user interface is excellent.

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There aren’t a whole lot of negatives here. OK, yes, it doesn’t support ATSC 3.0, or NextGen TV, which gives higher resolution and better audio options, but also requires an internet connection and feeds all kinds of data back to the companies trying to sell you things. A lack of ATSC 3.0 just isn’t a reason to not buy something at this point. Slightly more problematic is if you’re using an Apple TV 4K — the Tablo app is still in beta testing for that platform. But if you’re on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Google TV, you’re good to go.

One final decision to make: The fourth-gen Tablo DVR is available with either two tuners, or . I’m of the mind that if you can pony up for the extra hardware, it’s worth it, because it’s not the sort of thing you can add on later. Four tuners lets you watch even more on multiples devices, and record that much more, all at the same time.

The four-tuner Tablo is on sale or $120, down from $140. The two-tuner Tablo is on sale for $80, down from $100. And there are packages available with antennas, too.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…

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Mixx Revival 55 suitcase record player is cute, colorful, and perfect for newbs

The Mixx Revival 55 suitcase record player.

You don't need to be an audiophile to get into the charm of vinyl records, and you certainly don't need to go bankrupt doing it. The notion is something that UK audio makers Mixx is banking on with its new Revival 55, a retro-styled all-in-one record player in a suitcase the company unveiled today that's perfect for vinyl newcomers or casual spinners, and costs an easy $100.

The compact record player is all about retro style, coming in black, cream, green, pink, and turquoise pastel colors, all wrapped in a protective PU (polyurethane) leather. Its chrome-plated buckles add some extra nostalgia to the design, and snap the lid shut making it easy to tote the diminutive player around.

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How we test turntables and record players

The Audio-Technica AT-LP70X turntable.

Compared to a lot of other devices that Digital Trends reviews on a regular basis, testing out the newest and best turntables can be capricious. While modern turntables have become much more user-friendly and plug-and-play compared to your dad's old-school deck, many still have delicate moving parts that often require assembly and fine-tuning, which can make the review process tricky, but also a lot of fun. There's also a bigger range of turntables available now than ever before -- some are well worth the money, some are not, and we don't want you to waste your hard-earned cash on the latter.

From tonearms, headshells, and cartridges to plinths, platters, and styluses (styli?), here's how we put a turntable to the test.
In the box

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Grammy 2025 song and album winners to listen to in Dolby Atmos

A record player on the front of the Grammys poster.

Awards season is a great time to reflect on the previous year and either catch up on what we might have missed, or re-appreciate something that's fallen out of our regular listening playlist. (It's also a time to say "Hell, yeah!" to winners that take the opportunity to speak out against injustices within the industry. Way to be, Chappell Roan.) Many of the well-deserving songs and albums are available in a Dolby Atmos mix -- still waiting for Cowboy Carter to show up with the Atmos badge on any streaming service, though. Here are some of Sunday's award winning music that can be found in Dolby Atmos through Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal.
Not Like Us -- Kendrick Lamar
On the surface, it might not feel like a diss track would be an award contender, but when its by Kendrick Lamar, voters take notice. And rightly so. The track took home all five awards it was nominated for -- Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. The Atmos mix isn't a huge departure from the stereo mix, mostly expanding the soundscape and giving more space for the sonic elements with more reverb while keeping everything primarily in the front channels.
Short n' Sweet -- Sabrina Carpenter
Both Sabrina Carpenter's album Short n' Sweet and the single Espresso picked up awards at the Grammy's last weekend -- Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance, respectively. The entire album is available in Atmos, and much of it takes advantage of Atmos (I particularly like the opening piano lick in the final track, Don't Smile, that nicely captures the in-room sound of the piano hammers and string resonance in the rear height channels). Award-winner Espresso, a fun pop bop, throws elements into unexpected areas that support the fun playfulness of the music and lyrics.

In addition to Sabrina Carpenter's version of Espresso, the Espresso (Mark Ronson x FNZ Working Late Remix) also won for Best Remix and is available in Dolby Atmos as well.
Chappell Roan