Top 5 DVRs of 2024
CableTV.com researched five DVRs that will add maximum flexibility to your minimum-activity moments.
DISH Hopper 3
Price: $10.00/mo.
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 500 hrs.
Tuners: 16
DISH Hopper 3
Price: $10.00/mo.
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 500 hrs.
Tuners: 16
TiVo EDGE for Cable
Price: $158.19
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 300 hrs.
Tuners: 6
TiVo EDGE for Cable
Price: $158.19
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 300 hrs.
Tuners: 6
Cox Contour Record 24
Price: $13.50–$30.00/mo.
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 250–1,000 hrs.
Tuners: 2–24
Cox Contour Record 24
Price: $13.50–$30.00/mo.
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 250–1,000 hrs.
Tuners: 2–24
DIRECTV Genie
Price: $15.00/mo. (Advanced Receiver Service Fee)
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 200 hrs. (Genie), 450 hrs. (Genie 2*)
Tuners: 5
DIRECTV Genie
Price: $15.00/mo. (Advanced Receiver Service Fee)
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 200 hrs. (Genie), 450 hrs. (Genie 2*)
Tuners: 5
Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR
Price: $199.99
Resolution: Up to 1080p HD
Storage: Up to 4,000 hrs
Tuners: 4
Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR
Price: $199.99
Resolution: Up to 1080p HD
Storage: Up to 4,000 hrs
Tuners: 4
Recording movies and shows, skipping commercials, and pausing/rewinding/fast-forwarding live TV are a couch creature’s irrevocable rights. You should express them with the best DVR.
In the cable and satellite TV world, the best overall DVR is the Hopper 3 from DISH. The DIRECTV Genie is great for sports fans, and the Cox Contour Record 24 stores a cool 1,000 HD hours.
Don’t want your TV provider’s DVR? You can buy the TiVo EDGE for Cable—but you’ll have a monthly fee for TiVo service.
Finally, if you’re a cord-cutter, the Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR, paired with an HDTV antenna, is your best bet. Read on to learn more about these and other DVR boxes.
Best DVRs
- DISH Hopper 3 DVR—Best overall
- TiVo EDGE for Cable—Best third-party DVR
- Cox Contour Record 24 DVR—Most storage
- DIRECTV Genie HD DVR—Best DVR for sports
- Tablo Quad OTA DVR—Best OTA DVR
Compare top DVRs
| Model | Price | Guide subscription price |
Simultaneous recordings |
HD storage | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DISH Hopper 3 Best overall |
$10.00/mo. | N/A | 16 | 500 hrs. | View DISH plans |
|
TiVo EDGE for Cable Best third-party DVR |
$158.19 | $14.99/mo. | 6 | 75 hrs. | View on Amazon |
|
Cox Contour Record 24 Most storage |
$13.50–$30.00/mo. | N/A | 2–24 | 250–1,000 hrs. | |
|
DIRECTV Genie Best DVR for sports |
$15.00/mo. Advanced Receiver Service Fee | N/A | 5 | 200 hrs. (Genie) or 450 hrs. (Genie 2) | View DIRECTV plans |
|
Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR Best OTA DVR |
$199.99 | $4.99/mo. or $49.99/yr. | 4 | Up to 4,000 hrs. (external) | View on Tablo |
Data as of post date. CableTV.com uses paid Amazon links. Read full disclaimer.
Okay, pause whatever you’re watching so we can go over our best DVRs for 2023.
If you don’t mind paying a little extra for high storage capacity and lots of simultaneous recordings, the DISH Hopper 3 (500 hours, 16 recordings) is well worth its $10-a-month rental fee.
Or, if you want the most storage and simultaneous recordings, and you live in Cox’s service area, the Contour Record 24 gives you 1,000 hours and 24 tuners for $30 a month.
But most people will be happy with the DIRECTV Genie‘s 200 hours (or the wireless Genie 2’s 450 hours) and five simultaneous recordings. Just know that DIRECT no longer includes the Genie with your plan; you’ll have to pay a monthly $15 Advanced Receiver Service Fee. But the good news is DIRECTV now has a two-year price guarantee, so your payment won’t go up in the second year.
The TiVo EDGE for Cable (300 hours, six recordings) has a high purchase price, plus monthly service ($14.99 a month) and CableCARD fees ($2–$5 monthly, depending on your cable provider). What’s the upside? You’ll own your DVR outright, and that extra flexibility is great if you move often, because the TiVo EDGE works with most other TV services.
If you’re a cord-cutter, and you’re interested in over-the-air (OTA) TV, the Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR is for you—but it has no built-in storage; you’ll have to buy a separate external drive (up to 8TB). That could get expensive, but it might be worth it if you record a lot of movies and shows. Note, though, that OTA DVRs record only the channels you can get with your antenna.
DISH Hopper 3—Best overall
- 4K Ultra HD capability
- Commercial auto-skip
- Multiview sports bar function
- Netflix and YouTube app integration
- Voice control with Alexa
- Required DISH subscription
- Monthly fee
If you’re a TV fanatic, the DISH Hopper 3 is the most satisfying thing since the Breaking Bad series finale. DISH’s device stores an impressive 500 hours of HD storage, and allows you to record up to 16 programs at once.
Pro tip: Among DVRs from cable and satellite TV providers, only the Cox Contour Record 24 beats the Hopper 3’s stats—but it’s 3x the price of the Hopper 3. We’ll discuss DISH DVR fees in a sec and the Contour 24 in its own section.
The Hopper 3 also has Alexa integration for hands-free control of your Hopper 3 and any Joey extenders you might have for your other TVs. Other modern must-have features include commercial auto-skip, integrated streaming apps (Netflix, YouTube, and more), and a voice remote.
You know what else? You don’t have to be home to enjoy your DISH programming. The DISH Anywhere app lets you download your Hopper 3 recordings to your mobile device for offline watching on the go.
If there’s something we don’t like about the Hopper 3, it’s the $10 monthly service fee. But these are growing more common with cable and satellite TV providers, so it’s not that bad. But maybe ask your wallet what it thinks about the fee.
Obviously, we’re sold on the Hopper 3 (hence, it’s our pick for best overall). But if you need more deets before you fall in love with the DISH DVR, we’ve got a full review dedicated to it.
TiVo EDGE for Cable—Best third-party DVR
Price: $158.19
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
TiVo subscription: $14.99/mo.
Storage: 300 hrs.
Tuners: 6
- Live, recorded, and streaming TV in one device
- No auto-deletion of recordings
- Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision
- Voice remote
- Flexibility (works with any cable TV provider)
- High (1-time) price, plus monthly subscription
- No satellite TV or fiber TV compatibility
- CableCARD requirement ($2–$5/mo.)
- Inability to record from streaming apps
With the TiVo EDGE, you can record six shows at once and save up to 300 hours of HD TV—and keep your recordings until you delete them.
That’s not all. The TiVo EDGE allows you to watch programs faster with QuickMode, skip commercials with a single tap, and control it hands-free with the included voice remote.
Guess what? There’s more: The EDGE even allows you to download, manage, and stream DVR recordings with TiVo Online or the TiVo app.
One drawback is that you’re paying a lot upfront to buy the EDGE. Also, TiVo charges a monthly service fee of $14.99, and you’ll need to rent a CableCARD (for decrypting signals) from your provider for $2.00–$4.00 a month.
The two fees combined are equal to or higher than you’ll pay for DVR service through your provider—but the freedom and functionality make the EDGE a better value in the long run.
And you can save money with an annual TiVo subscription for $149.99. Or, if you’re a gambler, you can drop $549.99 on TiVo’s All-In subscription, which spans the life of the device and is transferable if you decide to sell your EDGE.
We recommend the annual sub. It’s a guaranteed discount (which would be especially worth it if the EDGE goes back up to its regular pricing of $250), whereas the lifetime sub won’t even start to show its value until your TiVo EDGE lasts 3 1/2 years.
Finally, remember that EDGE works only with cable TV. You won’t be able to use it with fiber or satellite TV providers. And, although the EDGE also has streaming app integration (Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Peacock, YouTube, and more), it will not record that content. And you’ll need separate subscriptions to use the apps.
Cox Contour Record 24 DVR—Most storage
Price: $13.50–$30.00/mo.
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 250–1,000 hrs.
Tuners: 2–24
- Most storage and tuners
- Live TV fast-forward feature
- Mobile management and viewing via Cox app
- TV show and movie recommendations
- High monthly fee
- 1-yr. storage limit on recordings
- No out-of-this-world features
- Required Cox Contour subscription
Are you a glutton for TV? Us, too! How does 1,000 hours of HD storage and 24 simultaneous recordings sound? That’s whatcha get with the Contour Record 24 from Cox.
What’s the catch? It’s gonna set you back $30 a month. That’s pretty expensive for DVR service, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And maybe your heart likes to pig out on TV. So if you can afford the Contour Record 24, go for it.
Except there’s one more catch: you can keep your Contour DVR recordings for only one year. To us, that makes the $30 monthly DVR fee much too high. For that price, you should be able to keep recordings indefinitely.
But if Cox is the only provider in your area (or the only one left you have tried and found wanting), we recommend going with the Contour Record 6 instead. It has 250 hours of storage and 6 tuners, and it’s $20 per month. (That’s still high, but we are talking about Cox being your only option).
DIRECTV Genie—Best DVR for sports
Price: $15.00/mo. Advanced Receiver Service Fee
Resolution: Up to 4K UHD
Storage: 200 hrs. (Genie) or 450 hrs. (Genie 2)
Tuners: 5
- 4K Ultra HD compatibility
- Live TV restart for select shows
- Multiview sports bar function
- Picture-in-picture viewing
- Required DIRECTV subscription
- $15 monthly Advanced Receiver Service Fee
DIRECTV’s packages once included the Genie at no extra charge, but the provider introduced a $15 monthly Advanced Receiver Service Fee in January. So, while DIRECTV still claims to include the Genie in your plan, it doesn’t.
The Genie can record only five shows simultaneously (the lowest number of any DVR on our list), but it has a respectable amount of storage: 200 hours for the Genie, and 450 hours for the wireless Genie 2.
DIRECTV is our best TV provider for sports because of its many sports channels and sports add-on packages like FOX Soccer Plus, MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, and NHL Center Ice. But the Genie DVRs have features sports fans will enjoy, like the ability to program your DVR with a “mix channel” that lets you watch up to eight live games at once.
For the 4K HD lovers, DIRECTV offers additional Genie Wireless Minis that can deliver 4K HD movies and shows on up to four TVs without cord clutter. Naturally, these pair well with the wireless Genie 2.
So stop dealing with dated DVRs to save money. The Genie will grant your wish for dynamic TV at no extra cost.
For more on the Genie DVR, check out our full review.
Tablo Quad HDMI—Best OTA DVR
- Incredible storage capacity
- Recordings that don’t expire
- 5.1 surround sound
- Roku compatibility
- Ability to record only live broadcast channels
- External hard drive requirement
- Subscription requirement for guide, advanced features
- Limited resolution (1080p)
If you’re into antenna TV instead of cable TV, that’s cool—you can still get a DVR to record your local channels, like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, and The CW.
Since Amazon discontinued the Fire Recast in 2022, our next choice for the best over-the-air DVR goes to the Tablo Quad HDMI. Tablo brags that the Quad HDMI has “virtually unlimited” storage, but there is an 8 TB (4,000-hour) limit. So, basically, Tablo is challenging users to actually use that much space.
Pro tip: The upcoming Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad HDMI will be able to pick up and play back local 4K broadcasts. When released, the new hotness will cost $299.99 exclusively from Tablo.
Speaking of said space, the Quad HDMI doesn’t have built-in storage, so you’ll need to buy an external hard drive. A 2 TB Seagate external drive costs $65 on Amazon. If you want the most storage, an 8 TB Seagate drive is $150.
Tablo sells a 1TB USB/SATA version of the Quad ($239.99) on its site, but it works with only one TV and records only two shows at a time. The Quad HDMI lets you watch on up to six internet-connected devices at once and record up to four shows simultaneously.
You will also need the following:
- TV with an HDMI port
- HD antenna
- Internet connection
- A Roku TV, Apple TV, WiFi-enabled computer (Chrome/Safari browser), or a mobile device (iPad/iPhone w/iOS12+ or Android smartphone/tablet w/Android 4.4+) for setup.
- A Tablo guide service subscription ($5 a month, $50 a year).
Do you need a Tablo guide service subscription? We recommend it. Otherwise, you get only one day of guide info and you won’t be able to stream.
What to look for in a DVR
DVRs with lots of bells and whistles are neat, but the core of any DVR is that it can record multiple shows and keep those stored long enough for you to enjoy them.
And except for TiVo, most DVRs work with only one TV provider. Make sure the DVR you want comes from a provider that services your area.
Simultaneous recordings
Human beings might not be good at multitasking, but DVRs are. Depending on how many tuners a DVR has, it can record several shows at once and even let you watch something at the same time.
Most DVRs include at least four tuners, which means you can record up to four shows simultaneously. Some old DVRs might have fewer, though, so check that feature if you’re not going with one of our top five DVRs.
Pro Tip: You can’t beat the Hopper 3 for this feature. It can record sixteen shows at once, which is perfect if you have a huge family that can never agree on a show—or if you happen to be a professional TV watcher.
Storage
Want to hang on to your favorite shows longer? Going for more storage space can help with that.
With enough storage, you can keep hundreds of HD episodes on your DVR for a rainy day. With too little storage, you’ll have to either part with those shows sooner or settle for lower-quality SD recordings.
To avoid either of those nightmarish outcomes, aim for a DVR that has at least 1 TB of storage. That will hold about 150 hours of crisp HD video and save you from having to delete old recordings very often.
And if your TV appetite demands that you have all the shows, the Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR uses only external storage—up to 8 TB hard drives, or 4,000 hours of HD content.
Area availability
Most providers offer their own DVRs. If you want a DVR we recommend, check to see that its provider is in your area. The reliable features of the Contour Record 24 won’t help you much if you don’t live in a Cox service area.
Want to see which providers from our top five DVRs are in your area? Enter your zip code below, and we’ll let you know.
Which DVR is worth it?
So there ya go: five DVRs you can be proud to add to your entertainment center. Obviously, despite its $10 monthly fee, we prefer the DISH Hopper 3’s high storage, 16 tuners, and assorted bells and whistles.
We also dig the features and functionality of the DIRECTV Genie, TiVo EDGE for Cable, and Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR, Same goes for Cox’s awesomely overpowered (and overpriced) Contour Record 24.
Good luck in your search for a DVR box that rocks.
Best DVR FAQ
How much does a DVR cost?
Different circumstances call for different DVRs. Here’s what you’ll pay for the most common ones:
- TV provider DVRs ($0.00–$30/mo.): If you use your provider’s DVR, expect to pay $4.99–$29.99 per month (the average is $15.00).
- Third-party DVRs ($100–$500, plus fees): Buying a provider-compatible third-party DVR could be cheaper than renting in the long term, but monthly service and CableCARD fees could reduce your savings.
- Over-the-air (OTA) DVRs ($180–$500, plus fees): Same deal as above—you buy this DVR outright, and have the same fees—but these DVRs work only with OTA TV antennas.
- Cloud DVRs ($0.00–$20.00 a month): Livestreaming providers and some cable and fiber services offer cloud DVR service for a fee ($5.00–$10.00/mo. is the average).
How can I record over-the-air TV?
To record over-the-air (OTA) TV, you’ll need an OTA antenna (we recommend the Mohu Leaf) and a compatible DVR (we like the Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR).
How can I record streaming TV?
Most live TV streaming services offer a cloud DVR, which you can schedule to record your favorite shows. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, Philo, and YouTube TV let you keep an unlimited number of shows for a limited period. fuboTV, and Sling TV have limited storage, but you can keep shows as long as you like.
How does TiVo work without cable?
The TiVo EDGE for Antenna connects with an HD antenna (sold separately) that picks up your local broadcastchannels.
OTA DVRs like the EDGE and the Tablo Quad HDMI OTA DVR are handy for recording shows on locally broadcasted channels—but you’ll have to pay a monthly fee ($14.99 for the EDGE; $4.99 for the Quad HDMI) for guide access and other advanced features.
Our methodology
The TV experts at CableTV.com have logged hundreds of hours researching and testing DVRs, comparing them based on price, features, storage, and user experience. We then bring our findings, along with recommendations, to our readers so they can make informed decisions as consumers. We also update the list regularly to account for changes in price and product availability. For more on our process, see our How We Rank page.
