UPDATE: SiliconDust launches HDHomeRun Premium streaming service of 45 networks

UPDATE: BESTAppleTV readers have confirmed HDHomeRun Premium TV went live as late as the afternoon Eastern Time on Sunday, August 19th.

With little announcement or fanfare, SiliconDust announced Friday its own live streaming service exclusive to only those using its HDHomeRun digital over-the-air TV tuner box.

HDHomeRun Premium TV will include 45 networks channels for $35 a month. Various reports say the service will launch today, but as of this writing, there is no ability through the company’s website to sign-up. SiliconDust said it will expand into Canada “soon”.

Channels for the service include…

A&E AMC Animal Planet Art Lifestyle Television BET Bravo C-SPAN Cartoon Network CMT CNN CNBC Comedy Central Discovery Disney Channel E! ESPN ESPN 2 ESPN Classic ESPN News ESPN U Food Network Fox News Free Form FX Hallmark Channel HGTV HLN History MSNBC MTV National Geographic Nickelodeon OWN Paramount Network QVC SyFy TBS TCM TLC TNT Travel Channel TruTV USA Network VH1 Weather Channel



HDHomeRun is a network-attached digital television tuner box. Unlike standard set-top box appliances, HDHomeRun does not have a video output that connects directly to the user’s television. Instead, it receives a live TV signal and then streams the decoded video over a local area network to multiple devices like smartphones, tablet computers, smart TVs, computers, or game consoles.

The device – sold as four different models ranging from $100 to $180 – has a minimum of two built-in over-the-air tuners to decrypt high-definition local TV channels. As it doesn’t include a cloud-based digital video recorder, HDHomeRun has a separate DVR service costing $35 a year that enhances the devices local recording capability to schedule, pause, record and rewind live TV.

“Just like you can today, with your channels from your antenna, now you can also record episodes and season programs with HDHomeRun DVR,” the company said in a statement to BESTAppleTV. “All of the functions you are used to using when recording over the air TV will also be available with these new streaming channels. You will see a whole new set of channels added to your line up in our patented SliceView channel list. They’ll show up like any other channel in your TV guide, and the shows on these channels will be recordable just like any other show. Also, don’t forget when you activate the full DVR service you now also have 14 days of guide data so you can plan your recordings well in advance,”

SiliconDust still does not have a tvOS app for HDHomeRun. The device can be used instead with the third-party Channels app by Fancy Bits or the Plex app. AirPlay mirroring to an Apple TV is another option through its iOS app.