The HDHomeRun is one of the top pieces of hardware to cut the cord with, and though it's compatible with a number of third-party services, the company's own user experience is pretty good. It's that which is today receiving some fresh attention, as SiliconDust is pushing some changes designed to promote an "all-in-one" television experience.
The service combines free live local broadcast TV, premium cable TV channels and a DVR service that gives cord cutters the convenience of a complete TV experience in a single app. Until now, cord cutters were forced to cobble together multiple services and applications to break free from their cable company. The SiliconDust service offers a new, simplified option.
That starts with an updated UI. Everything remains familiar to long-time users, which is important, but there are some important tweaks to improve its experience. For one, you now have the ability to choose what you want to see when you start the HDHomeRun app. If you always want to go to your DVR first, you'll be able to.
Discovering content is a big focus, and the discovery tab in the app will now have horizontal time scrolling in 30-minute chunks. Not only can you find out what's on now, but use the feature for as much guide data as you have access to. It's also going to be easier than ever to search for content, with improved functionality to search by titles and keywords.
For HDHomeRun DVR subscribers, the new task management settings allow you to ensure that priority content is recorded when there's a scheduling conflict on your system. So you won't be getting kids TV instead of the big game. Added to this are the new padding controls which can add up to 30-minutes recording before and after your recording's scheduled times.
And speaking of settings, users will now be able to quickly get into the settings menu to tweak the experience to their own liking. Additionally, SiliconDust says it is currently working on a rollback feature, so if you're not happy with something in the newest updates you'll be able to go back to an older build.
What's most important about the HDHomeRun app now and where it will continue to go is this idea of an all-in-one solution. Your DVR and premium channels shouldn't need to be separated from your OTA TV. HDHomeRun is trying to make it as easy as possible to watch your favorite TV on whatever you want to watch it on, and this latest update is another great step towards that.
As a bonus, new customers can get a free two week trial of HDHomeRun Premium TV and a two month free trial of the HDHomeRun DVR. So there's no reason not to take it for a spin. Both offers start from November 15.
Black Friday is also just around the corner and folks shopping for new HDHomeRun hardware will be delighted to hear about some great discounts. The Connect Duo will have $30 off, the Connect Quatro will have $50 off and the Extend will have $30, too.
The latest HDHomeRun experience should be pushing out to all platforms at the same time from today, so keep an eye out for it next time you load it up.
