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Amazon Fire TV Recast DVR

Last updated: April 21, 2021

Amazon Fire TV Recast DVR
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We looked at the top DVRs and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best DVR you should buy.

Overall Take

If you already use an Amazon Fire Stick, this DVR offers a subscription-free way to view and record OTA content. It offers simple setup, as well as seamless integration with your Amazon Alexa device. Search functionality covers all shows, live or streaming.

In our analysis of 39 expert reviews, the Amazon Fire TV Recast placed 1st when we looked at the top 8 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

Fire TV Recast is designed so that you can place it, together with the digital HD antenna connected to it, anywhere in your home (even in a different room or a different story) to optimize for antenna reception. As part of the set-up process in the Fire TV mobile app, we will tell you which direction to place your antenna to get the most channels for your location. It is recommended to place your antenna as high up as possible, against a window or outward facing wall that has a clear line of sight to your surroundings.

Expert Reviews


What experts liked

The Fire TV Recast also works with Alexa voice commands, so you can use the Fire TV voice remote or an Amazon Echo speaker to launch live channels, play your recordings, open the channel guide, delete recordings, and check on storage space.
Initial setup takes only a few minutes after deciding where you want to put it. The Recast doesn't need to be near a TV -- there isn't a direct connection between the box and your TV.
- ZD Net
Lets you record and watch OTA channels anywhere
The Amazon Fire TV Recast antenna DVR doesn't charge any monthly fees. Its sophisticated program guide fits live TV channels seamlessly into the Fire TV interface. Setup is easy and out of home streaming to your phone works well.
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This being an Amazon product, you can use Alexa to open the channel guide, schedule recordings and find programs by title, actor, genre and more. Doing so will display results not just from over-the-air programs, but from streaming services as well.
The Amazon Fire TV Recast adds live broadcast television viewing and recording to your Fire TV or mobile device, without a subscription.
Setup is straightforward. Using the Fire TV Recast app for iOS or Android, you connect the box to your WiFi network – if you’re not using wired ethernet – and log in with your Amazon account. After that, it automatically scans for whatever channels are available.
Low price for built-in storage with no subscription fees
Alexa integration works great.
I like the Fire TV app for iPhone and Android. With it, you can stream the live broadcast TV shows, view recordings, or record TV shows from anywhere.
- CNBC
The Recast takes that premise and makes it even easier. No accounts to create. No monthly billing for guide access. No external hard drives to deal with. You just buy the thing, plug it in, set it up, and start watching (and recording) on an Amazon Fire TV device, on an Android or iOS device, or on the Amazon Echo Show.

What experts didn't like

The Fire TV Recast’s biggest drawback is that you need a Fire TV device to watch on televisions. Recast is incompatible with non-Amazon media-streaming devices such as Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, game consoles, and most smart TVs.
It's not like switching inputs is a ton of work, but it is an inconvenience. Not only does that mean keeping your TV remote around for changing OTA channels, but switching to your antenna input lacks any sort of programming guide, and, perhaps most importantly -- it lacks any DVR functionality.
- ZD Net
Mobile app isn’t nearly as good as Fire TV experience
It's more expensive initially than many antenna TV options. You need a Fire TV device attached to your TV, and can only watch on two devices at once.
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Requires a Fire TV device, Echo Show, or Fire TV mobile app. No way to watch from a computer. Even HD broadcast television looks soft on recent 4K TVs.
Mobile experience lacks features like scheduling.
Mobile app isn't nearly as good as Fire TV experience
If you’re using the Fire TV mobile app, you’re a bit more limited in what you can do here. You can start and stop recordings, but there’s no scheduling. I also found some of the interface to be unnecessarily fiddly and unintuitive, which is hopefully something that Amazon will improve on as the app matures.
The price is a little crazy. You need to spend about $300 to get up and running, which is a lot of money for what you get. That includes a Fire TV Stick that starts at $40, the Fire TV Recast which starts at $229 and an HD Antenna for about $25.
- CNBC
If you're using Apple TV or Roku or Android TV or something else, then the Recast is not for you. It just won't work. That's a big limitation.

Our Expert Consultant

Patrick Ward 
Editor-in-chief of High Speed Experts

Patrick Ward is the editor-in-chief of High Speed Experts, a broadband connectivity-, search engine- and IT-industry education blog that empowers consumers by open-sourcing information about tech services. He earned his bachelor’s degree in commerce with an emphasis on communications at the University of Sydney. His expertise spans the digital, emerging tech and telecommunications fields.

View our DVR buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

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