Digital Video Recorder or DVR is a feature that lets you record programs in HD, schedule series recordings and record multiple programs at once. For this feature to work, you need a hard drive to save everything. To use DVR on Roku is tricky as Roku has no built-in feature related to DVR. However, you can find a work-around for this. Many streaming services have a cloud DVR feature that you can use.
All you need to know is which ones are compatible with your Roku device and its feature. Most of the DVR feature comes for free, but you’ll have to get a subscription from a streaming service, to begin with. Also, in case you don’t want to go through the subscription process, you can buy a Tablo DVR for your Roku device.
How to Use the Cloud DVR on My Roku Device
The following section will help you with using the cloud DVR feature on your Roku device:
Using Cloud DVR of Streaming Channels
As we have mentioned earlier, Roku devices themselves don’t have DVR services. But it is also a fact that we can take advantage of the cloud DVR feature of streaming channels. If you want to take advantage of these services, it is best if you have already taken the subscription to the channel. All the suggestions we show are almost paid services. So, there is no free way to use the DVR feature to record. Here are a few of the streaming channels that provide you with this feature.
YouTube TV
Subscription Cost : Base Plan $64.99/mo, Spanish Plan $34.99/mo
YouTube TV on Roku is a streaming service that features 85+ TV channels. This includes the standard networks, ESPN, CNN, the Disney Channel, and much more. Also, it is a subscription-based platform that costs around $65 per month. Now it might sound a bit pricey, but it has features that make the price worth it. For example, you can access Hulu on 6 devices simultaneously with a single account. And most importantly, you get unlimited storage of DVR memory. If we compare the rest of the services in the list, this application provides the most storage for DVR.
DIRECTV Stream
Subscription Cost: Base price $69.99/mo for 20hours of DVR, $10/mo add on for Unlimited hours
DIRECTV Stream on Roku is another Live TV streaming service. This application provides over 65+ Live channels at the base price. The service also includes Live TV, sports, and 40,000+ On-demand titles. This is plug-and-play, so you can play it from anywhere, given you have a proper internet connection and the app. You will get about 20 hours of free DVR recording, and if you want, there is an add-on feature of $10/Mo wherein you will get unlimited hours of storage. You can also stream on 20 devices at the same time, from tablets to TVs.
Hulu With Live TV
Subscription Cost: Base Plan will cost $69.99/mo and No ads cost $75.99/mo
Next up is Hulu on Roku. This streaming service gives you tons of media content. With the Hulu subscription, you will get up to 75+ top Live and On Demand TV channels, including sports, news, and entertainment. In this bundle, you also get unlimited access to the Hulu streaming library. There are two tiers of subscription plans, the base plan will cost you $69.99/mo, but this will be Ads enabled. On the other hand, if you get the other plan it will cost you $75.99/mo and will be a no Ads version. You will get unlimited hours of DVR recording in both subscriptions. For the base plan, you can stream at 2 screens simultaneously and pay for an add-on. The app also allows you to fast-forward your recordings, which means that you can even skip the Ads of the Live Stream.
fuboTV
Subsciption Plan: Fubo Pro: $69.99/mo, Fubo Elite: $79.99/mo and Fubo Latino: $32.99/mo.
fuboTV on Roku is another one on this list. With the fuboTV subscription, you will get about 112 Live-Channels in the base plan and have various Add-ons packages for you to choose from. For the Cloud DVR, you get about 1000 hours of recording time with both the base and premium options. You can also add 250 hours of DVR space by the Add-on Cloud DVR250 for $9.99/mo and 1000 hours by Cloud DVR 1000, which costs $16.99/mo. You can use up to 10 screens at once for both the options and 2 screens for the Latino version.
Philo
Subsciption Cost:$25/mo is the only plan
Philo on Roku is another Live-TV and On-demand streaming service. With the subscription to Philo TV, you will get about 60+ channels, including Comedy Central, MTV, Discovery Channel, and AMC. It is much cheaper compared to its competitors, but then again, it misses out on channels like Fox Sports or ESPN. Philo has a little different plan compared to other services. You will get unlimited storage in the DVR with a 30-day limit for a single show.
Spectrum TV
Subscription Cost: Spectrum TV Choice $29.99/mo. and Spectrum Select $49.99/mo for 125+ channels.
Spectrum TV on Roku is a streaming channel that gives a low amount of channels but also at a lesser price. The best part about this is that you get to choose which channels you want from the available list of channels. You get 15-40+ channels depending on the location you are accessing from on the base price and up to 85,000 shows and movies. If we compare the channels, Philo is a way better option for streaming, but you do get a huge library of content with Spectrum TV. For the DVR, you get up to 50 shows for 90 days with the base option. You can also add the Cloud DVR plus option, which increases the limit to 100 live shows for a year and cost $10/mo. You can have unlimited screens connected at home and 2 screens on the Go.
Sling TV
Susbcription Cost: Orange $35/mo, Blue $35/mo and Orange&Blue $50/mo.
Last on our list of streaming channels is Sling TV on Roku. In this application, you get 2 different option depending on the channels you want, and both combined option which is priced higher. As said earlier, you can choose between the Orange plan, which gives you 32 channels from football to Family shows, or the Blue, which gives you 43 channels from Football to News, Or you can get combined, which gives you a total of 51 channels. For all the plans, you get 50 hours of DVR storage included. You can also upgrade to DVR Plus, which gives you 200 hours of storage for $5/mo.
Using Tablo DVR with Roku
As we have mentioned before, Roku itself does not have any means to fulfill the role of a DVR. For that reason, you can try Tablo DVR, which lets you record a large amount of content on your Roku. It can work hand in hand with a Roku device with the help of a Roku remote. This DVR connects to your HDTV antenna, and then you can watch, pause, and record live HDTV programs. The price of the DVR is $120, which may sound steep at points, but when you can watch On-demand content at a high quality, the worth gets justified. Following are the things you can do with Tablo on your Roku device.
[1] Recording Screen
[2] Show the list of available Live TV screens.
[3] Upcoming TV shows Screen
[4] Scheduling a Recording
[5] Recording newer episodes of previously recorded shows.
Alternative Methods to DVR feature
We also have some alternative methods and recommendations to Cloud DVR, which offers a similar feature to Roku Device.
[1] Live TV Pause: If you are using an antenna or cable to watch without any set-top box on your Roku TV, add a 16 GB flash drive, and you will be able to Pause Live TV for up to 90 minutes using the Live TV Pause feature of your Roku TV. You can also Rewind and Catch up if you have forgotten to Pause.
Note: A reminder that the Live TV Pause feature works only on Over-the-air Broadcast and not from live streaming TV from The Roku Channel.
[2] Roku Media Player: Playing media with the help of Roku Media Player that may be stored on your computer or USB drive.
FAQs
Although Roku devices lack built-in recording capabilities, you can record using a variety of streaming channels. YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Hulu with Live TV allow you to record live network television and view it later, exactly like a DVR.
While most people obtain their DVRs as part of their cable or satellite package, there is also the option of purchasing a standalone device. These standalone devices are a wonderful choice if your TV provider doesn’t offer DVR service, and depending on equipment leasing/service fees; they may cost less over time.