Skip to main content

DVR concept device Simple.TV edges closer to reality with its Kickstarter campaign

simple.tv kickstarter campaignEarlier 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.  

Editors' Recommendations

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Pay TV is dying, and cable providers are happily hastening its demise
chromecast vs roku streaming stick amazon fire tv best sticks mem 4

The number of households in the U.S. that have a traditional, paid television subscription is plummeting, but TV providers don't seem to mind -- in fact, a recent report suggests that they're partly to blame.

According to market research firm eMarketer, more than 25% of U.S. households will be cord cutters by 2023, with the number of traditional, bundled TV plans declining 4.2% this year and continuing at a steady, negative rate of growth going forward. At that rate, the number of households with traditional pay-TV plans will rapidly approach the number of households that either never had a bundled TV subscription or cancel theirs in the years to come.

Read more
Netflix built a TV empire without ads. Here’s why it’s time to consider them
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

I hate ads. 

The smug couple in the diamond commercial. The quippy insurance guy trying to convince us his company cares. Even the fun ones like Geico’s rotating carnival of mascots wear on me quickly after the fifth, sixth, or twelfth time they're shoved in my face. 

Read more
LG updates its Tone Free earbuds with ‘pure graphene’ drivers
LG Tone Free T90S.

LG's new Tone Free T90S are the latest wireless earbuds from the Korean juggernaut, and they pick up right where 2022's Tone Free T90Q left off. In other words, they maintain the T90Q's massive set of features and then layer on some new tricks, like hi-res Dolby audio and a new driver made from pure graphene. The T90S are set to be released later in May, however, LG hasn't announced pricing yet. Given that the T90Q debuted at $230, it's a good bet the T90S will be in the same neighborhood.

So what is "pure graphene" and why should we care if our earbuds have drivers made out of it? Most graphene drivers are simply coated in the super material, according to LG's press release. "The use of pure graphene in LG’s latest earbuds reduces vibrations and allows users to revel in well-balanced and precise sound, with powerful bass and enhanced mid- and high-range frequencies." Translation: LG feels the T90S will sound better thanks to pure graphene.

Read more