Cutting the Cord: It doesn't mean dissing the DVR

You can cut the cord, but if you are like me, you can't likely live without a DVR.

Let's face it, few of us can commit to appointment TV anymore. So just in case you can't get home in time to catch the new episode of Scandal or The Voice, a backup plan is needed.

Well, there are digital video recorders targeted at cord-cutters, too. TiVo has two models that will record content coming in from your over-the-air antenna: the Premiere ($74.99) that records two shows at the same time and the Roamio ($199.99) with built-in Wi-Fi that can record four shows at once.

Both will incorporate your favorite Net TV services like Amazon, Hulu or Netflix into the on-screen menu. And you can also stream live TV and recorded shows at home onto iOS smartphones and tablets, as well as recorded shows outside the home when you add a TiVo Stream box ($129.99).

Similarly, new entry Tablo caters to cord-cutters who are already using devices like Apple TV, Chromecast or Roku to watch Net services. The $219.99 set-top box has inputs for over-the-air antenna signals, ethernet connectivity (you can also connect wirelessly) and an external USB hard drive (required for recording, two-terabyte maximum).

Using an Android or iOS app — or web app for computers — you can watch live and recorded programs on smartphones and tablets at home or anywhere you are connected to the Net. Your Apple TV or other Net set-top box will stream the content to your TV.

A possible nit for cord-cutters is that TiVo and Tablo both require a subscription for their software and programming guide: TiVo is $14.99 per month, while Tablo is $4.99 per month. (You can also pay a slightly more economical annual or lifetime fee.)

I haven't had time to test-drive Tablo or TiVo's over-the-air features — I do have a TiVo connected to Verizon FiOS TV — but I did check out a DVR from legacy TV tech company Channel Master.

The longtime TV antenna maker began selling its own DVRs about four years ago. Their solution couldn't be simpler. You connect the sleek, thin $249.99 Channel Master DVR+ to your TV via HDMI and plug your antenna into the unit.

It scans for your over-the-air digital TV channels and puts the programming into a guide, similar to one you get via pay TV. Select a show and hit Record and that's it. You get all the traditional DVR functions — pause, fast-forward and rewind — and you can record one show while watching another.

You can jazz it up, too. With the ethernet or a Wi-Fi USB adapter you can connect to the on-board Vudu subscription. (Channel Master expects to expand to include more Net TV sources in the future.)

And you will probably want to add an external hard drive, because the on-board flash memory only holds about two hours. If you are a Slingbox user, you can marry the Channel Master DVR+ to that and access content when you are on the road.

DVRs are driving sales of antennas for Channel Master, says Joe Bingochea, the firm's executive vice president for product development. "We're the only company that makes a standalone DVR for over-the-air TV that does not require a subscription."

Cord-cutters have made antennas cool again, he says. For a company that has been selling them for 65 years, "it's been an amazing experience, almost like watching the industry come full circle," Bingochea says. "With today's digital broadcast technology, the experience of watching TV with an antenna is certainly much different from the rabbit ear days of the 1950s."

"Cutting the Cord" is a new regular column covering Net TV and ways to get it. If you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider via e-mail. And follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.