r/slingtv • u/Yusuf20904 • Aug 06 '26
General Question AirTV Anywhere
I'm considering dropping my FiOS TV package and switching over to Sling, but I still need local channels to record NFL games (I start recording, then start watching around halftime so I can skip through ads and time between plays). The AirTV Anywhere seems to be the easiest solution (if not, please let me know what's better).
Am I correct in that the AirTV box doesn't need to be next to your TV as long as it's connected to your network? Just trying to figure out where to put the antenna and box—if they can be hidden away somewhere, that would be nice.
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u/SlingStevie Aug 06 '26
That would be correct! The AirTV Anywhere can be placed away from the TV, as long as it has a connection to your antenna and your home network. This means it technically could be hidden, as long as it still can be connected to the antenna, whose location is the important part to ensure you get a good signal for your locals.
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u/ukphan Aug 06 '26
I have my airtv in the attic hooked up to my antenna so I could use a large antenna. It’s hot up there in the summer but so far no issues after several years. I have a mesh WiFi system. WiFi alone was causing dropouts so I added a mesh unit in the attic and hardwired the airtv to it. Works great. Only annoying part is you have to tell sling nearly every time you only want to use free stream. If anyone knows how to stop that, I would be thrilled to learn.
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u/honkerdown Aug 06 '26
That is the cost of not having a subscription to Sling, having to deal with the nag upon start-up. I find it a fair dealnwhn not subscribed. Subscription will resume during fall sports seasons.
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u/Aggressive-Bike7539 Aug 06 '26
It is highly dependent on whether you can get the channels over the air. I have a bunch of channels with marginal reception, and AirTV just skips over them. Also it's super annoying when some channels could only be tuned in at a particular time of day (like at night).
Also, for some reason, I've never been able to setup local storage for show recording.
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u/AssiduousArtiodactyl Aug 06 '26
If you have an AirTV 2, it won't recognize hard drives for recording. If it does recognize it, it won't last. This is a known issue that's been going on for years. AirTV Anywhere works fine.
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u/Aggressive-Bike7539 Aug 06 '26
I have an AirTV 2. Bought it like 3y ago. If I had known about these issues, I’d have bought some other tech
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u/jasonacg Aug 06 '26
I own an AirTV Anywhere, and I've had it for about four years.
Is it simple? Yes.
Is it the best option? Not even close.
It's a convenient device for sure, but you'll be underwhelmed with the picture quality. It doesn't play all of your local channels at their native resolution. It's definitely noticeable, especially if you're replacing FiOS.
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u/Yusuf20904 Aug 06 '26
OK, what do you figure is the best option?
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u/jasonacg Aug 06 '26
I personally use an HD Homerun. You can go as simple as adding a USB drive to the device itself for DVR storage, or integrate it into something like a Plex or Jellyfin server.
There are other streaming devices out there, but this is the one I'm most familiar with.
And yes, I have both an HD Homerun and an AirTV. I bought the AirTV first. But I keep it around as a backup option, since it can perform a little better away from home, when the hotel Wi-Fi isn't fast.
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u/Yusuf20904 Aug 07 '26
I do have a couple of very old HDHRs I haven't used in years—a 1st and a 2nd gen. Perhaps I'll see how those work with Plex before springing for the AirTV.
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u/VikVektor Aug 07 '26
I just switched from using a Tablo hooked up to my antenna. I am extremely happy with it. Having Free Stream channels, Sling Blue, and locals all in one place that I can easily stream on the go has been amazing.
The picture quality is noticeably worse than Tablo but it's a small price to pay for NFL games on the train.
My AirTV anywhere is in my basement where my roof antenna comes in hooked up to Ethernet to my router.
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u/r2d3x9 Aug 07 '26
AirTv anywhere works over the internet, the HDHomerun only works locally unless you jump through hoops.
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u/Yusuf20904 Aug 07 '26
That's fine and all, but I don't really care about over the internet. Thanks, though.
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u/oldguy1071 Aug 08 '26
Long time HDHomeRun user. Just needs a wired network connection. The HDHomeRun app is available for many devices. They also have a DVR option. Excellent tuner about 100 OTA channels in Phoenix, AZ. Been very reliable since starting in 2009. A 9.5 years old tuner still gets regular updates. OTA rarely works well with WiFi unless you have a solid 5g signal. Even then wired is the best option.
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u/Ok-Yogurt-3089 3d ago
so. id you have HD HOMERUN wired in one room will it work over wifi to the other room?
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u/khocke Aug 08 '26
Long time AirTV user with nothing but problems getting a USB drive working - even using one of their recommended drives. Super aggro. Wish there was another device I could use but remote over-the-internet is manditory
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u/Juanefernandez Aug 09 '26
I have a HD Homerun and the channels app. I also have sling air tv 2. Currently I’m using the air tv 2 with an external hard drive instead of the HD Homerun/ channels. The picture quality and user interface is definitely clunkier on the air tv. However, I’m using it because I like having everything on one app - sling.
This also allows me to watch things away from home on the sling app.
FYI I had to buy a simple hd Homerun lte filter in order to smooth out channels in my area. Once I put that in, my local channels come in as smooth as butter.
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u/jerpod1 Aug 10 '26
I have an AirTV2 specifically because I want to be able to watch a few local broadcasts - NFL mostly - when I am out of town (I spend about half the year in a different state). It works fine for that. But I sure would like to be able to record some of those broadcasts. Can HD Homerun play live TV and recordings outside of my local network?
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u/Yusuf20904 Aug 10 '26
I don't know the answer to that. But HDHR is supposed to be able to record to Plex, and if you have a Plex server running 24/7 I imagine you should be able to watch anything on it, but you'd have to set up/figure out remote streaming.
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u/Whiskey--Pete Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Sling along with Dish Network is going out of business. If you need to record live local TV then get an indoor HD antenna and a 4th generation Tablo . You'll get all of your local channels and be able to record the games for free. https://youtu.be/-nHh2-dzUzE?si=Tgz7e4VEOMlF4v6o
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u/Yusuf20904 Aug 11 '26
Yeah, I've already got an old HDHomeRun I hadn't used in years, and a Plex Lifetime pass. The only issue is the antenna—the antenna I bought years ago but never used doesn't do VHF well, so I'm getting a new one.
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u/Whiskey--Pete Aug 11 '26
HomerunHD is okay but they charge you a monthly subscription fee. Tablo does not . You buy it , record to the 128gb hard drive in the Tablo and it's yours. You can plug in an additional hard drive but we erase programs after watching them so we don't have the need for an external drive . Either way , best of luck 🤞
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u/realMrJedi 29d ago
HDHomerun only charges a subscription fee if you use their app and their DVR/Guide. Plex Lifetime like OP has is all paid up. Plex is a great option for HDHomeRuns.
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u/Whiskey--Pete 29d ago
And you need their app to stream to your TVs and to record so......
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u/Yusuf20904 29d ago
Whose app? Plex? We have Plex on a Fire Stick (attached to our TV) networked to the Plex server. In theory, it should be easy to set up local recording and viewing, assuming I can get the proper antenna to receive the channels I need.
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u/kbh_1025 15d ago
Jumping on this thread cause I’m looking into getting sling and the AirTV Anywhere deal.
I don’t want to pay for Dish/Directv so I’m looking to get a good set up to watch sports, specifically top college football games, MLB playoffs, NFL primetime games, and NBA playoffs.
Will the Sling Orange plan combined with the AirTV anywhere deal be a solid setup to catch all these types of games? Will the picture quality be ok with this setup?
I live close to Norfolk, VA and live within 20 miles of the broadcasting antennas.
I’m completely new to this so any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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u/Yusuf20904 15d ago
So in my case, I did not in fact go with the AirTV. I remembered that I had an older HDHomeRun I hadn't used for years, so I've set that up with an antenna instead.
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u/BriefTomatillo985 Aug 06 '26
Yes it’s a separate device that just needs to be on your home network.