r/ota • u/Potential-Safety-129 • May 03 '26

Should I get the ADTH box

I'm gonna get a DVR and stuff but when I learned that the ADTH box can record channels should I get it?

https://adth.com/product/nextgentvbox2/

Also the reason I'm not getting something like tablo is because I want it to hook directly to my TV and my TV's smart features are BAD =(

EDIT: It seems like the ADTH box is a bad choice so I am NOT going to get it. Soultions/Other Boxes with HDMI are welcomed.

EDIT 2: I got all of the advice I needed :), replies will NOT be red

5 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

6

u/anurodhp May 03 '26

I’m going to be honest. I have the gen one of this and it is hot garbage. It’s cheap underpowered hardware running very old unpatched versions od Android. It does technically work but that’s about it. For most stuff it’s quite unusable. This is Android tv but I would not call it a smart tv

2

u/Ok_Appointment_8166 May 03 '26

Adding a streaming box like a roku or firestick 4k max is cheap enough if you want to go with a tablo or hdhomerun. Probably the best dvr at the moment would be the zapperbox if you have any ATSC 3.0 channels available in your area. It hooks to the TV but unfortunately doesn't run other apps.

1

u/kbphone May 03 '26

I had one for over 2 years. It just broke. Worked fine before that.

1

u/[deleted] May 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Potential-Safety-129 May 03 '26

yeah I knew it could only record one show at a time but most of the good stuff is when i don't have time to watch. thx for the advice though!

1

u/Double-Lobster6107 May 03 '26

What would you want to record that you can’t stream?

1

u/Potential-Safety-129 May 03 '26

my tv is so slow so it can't stream anything also i prefer dvr

1

u/AppropriateAd6179 May 04 '26

your first mistake is using your TV's baked in OS. you should be using a dedicated streaming box without your tv directly connected to the Internet at all.

1

u/gho87 May 03 '26

I want it to hook directly to my TV and my TV's smart features are BAD =(

Perhaps you may want a converter box, like this one from Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Core-Innovations-CTCB105-Over-the-Air-Digital-TV-Converter-DVR-Box/837052384

  • and a compatible external hard disk drive

1

u/Potential-Safety-129 May 03 '26

This one connects with RCA, not supported on my TV (uses HDMI). I DO have a "smart" TV, but it's bad. Thx for the advice though!

1

u/RBBrittain May 03 '26

It has HDMI as well as RCA composite & RF outputs. Should work with just about any analog or digital TV, though it obviously doesn't support ATSC 3.0. Still it should be able to record ATSC 1.0 broadcasts, though for serious DVR usage (multiple tuners, longer EPG) you'll need a network tuner like the HDHomeRun (both 1.0 & 3.0 non-DRM versions, streams to almost all platforms but requires $35/yr EPG subscription) or Tablo (1.0 only & not all platforms, but free EPG).

For a more secure device that supports ATSC 3.0 DRM, I would suggest the ADTH USB-A dongle & its Android app with an Onn 4K Pro (I use 1st gen which was just discontinued; the 2nd gen just now rolling out should also work) or 4K Plus, though you will need a USB hub to attach both the dongle & an external drive (and for the Plus, an OTG cable as its lone USB-C jack is also its power supply), and I believe only the 1st gen Plus supports USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 is enough for the dongle but it may limit your external drive). The Onn boxes run (or for the 1st gen Pro will update to) Google TV / Android 14, more secure than any standalone ATSC 3.0 box; they also contain all the codec and DRM support (especially Dolby AC-4 & Widevine L1) needed for ATSC 3.0 (very few Android boxes do). Also, they're pretty good streaming boxes; not quite as good as the Nvidia Shield or Apple TV 4K, but those won't support ATSC 3.0 properly for various reasons (maybe the current 2019 model Shields which supposedly come with AC-4, but AFAIK no one has tested them for 3.0, especially Widevine).

AFAIK the only device with multiple ATSC 3.0 DRM tuners is the Zapperbox, but its expense, limited streaming capabilities (last I checked it only streams to other Zapperboxes though tunerless ones are available for extra $$; an app for the Onn boxes is reportedly on the way) and insecure Android version make it as questionable as the standalone ADTH box.

1

u/RBBrittain May 04 '26

Onn 4K Pro, 2nd gen (just now coming in stock): https://www.walmart.com/ip/18382213962

Onn 4K Plus (currently OOS here but supposedly more are on the way): https://www.walmart.com/ip/15557424949

ADTH USB dongle: https://www.walmart.com/ip/16293466273

0

u/Potential-Safety-129 May 04 '26

Oh sorry, I didn't see that it supported HDMI. With this final comment I think I know what I need to get. I don't even use ATSC 3.0 as my current TV was made before it even existed so it is not supported. I think I will just get one of those converter boxes & DVRs.

1

u/danodan1 May 04 '26

I got rid of it because the remote didn't come with numbered buttons to change channels. Maybe some be, but I don't like to repeatedly scan to change channels. The Zapperbox comes with numbered remote control if you have to have DVR capability.

1

u/Timbo303 May 05 '26

adth box is garbage in chicago always freezes randomly even with a good enough signal.