You know Mohu, the Leaf antenna guys. Well, like Channel Master, they’re looking beyond the aerial and have cooked up an Android streamer paired with an OTA tuner. “Mohu Channels” may have launched as a Kickstarter campaign, but we suspect this is more marketing than fundraising. So those of us awaiting a Roku-esque device with over-the-air capabilities will have something to evaluate come summer.
The small, oblong device, with both Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g/n, runs Android with a custom guide skin, unifying television listings with our preferred web shortcuts and apps from the Goole Play store – similar to what Channel Master has done with DVR+ in listing Vudu as “channel” 200. There’s no mention of an EPG subscription fee and early bird pricing runs a modest $79 — pretty good when you consider that included universal RF/IR QWERTY remote with “air mouse” functionality. Unfortunately, we’re only talking a single tuner here and there’s no mention of potential DVR capabilities… although there is an unaccounted for USB port.
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Is it crazy that Roku doesn't have a $149 streamer with an HDMI in? I don't necessarily need anything fancy like serial control, built in tuner, DVR capabilities (don't get me wrong, all that would be great), but I'd pay an extra $50 for the Roku I have now with an HDMI in, an IR blaster, and a TV programming guide integrated so I wouldn't have to switch inputs. Between that and their channel library and Plex, I'd finally be able to stop buying one of everything that hits the market looking for something to be satisfied with.
In the mean time, I'll be looking at this one. But probably not buying. OTA is fine, but I actually subscribe to cable and need some of those channels.
Whoever nails this should do it quick, because if Apple or someone else ever really disrupts TV with deals to stream cable over the Internet, it's all over!
I'm beyond needing a device that only requires a single input to my TV (ala Boxee TV or Mohu Channels) -- what I need is a guide where I can say: here are my favorite shows, display them so I can "tune" them, regardless if they're OTA, previously recorded, or available via some streaming source (Netflix/Hulu/Amazon/etc).
Where is THAT guide??
Since it's not that difficult to switch the inputs on a TV between an HDMI connector (Roku) and the TV's built in OTA tuner, so I don't see how integrating these into one box this brings much additional value to the market compared to what is available today. However if it included DVR capabilities (via an external drive or whatever) then it's definitely interesting.