Free-to-air TV is one of the easiest ways to catch live sport, news, and free movies, and with the right device, missing the broadcast time doesn’t have to mean missing the show.
A dedicated personal video recorder like Fetch TV remains the most familiar way to record free to air TV, but many of these devices increasingly require a monthly subscription to use.
Thankfully, it’s far from the only way to capture broadcast content. For people who want a flexible setup, DIY is a viable option, and for others even just a hard drive can do the trick with particular televisions.
Your TV as a PVR
On some TVs, broadcast recording is built right in. Just connect an external USB drive, tune into free-to-air channels, and use the program guide to schedule a recording.
Samsung, TCL, and Hisense broadly support the function on recent TVs, though specific functionality may differ from model to model. LG discontinued the feature in 2022, and Sony hasn’t supported it since around 2018.
To use the feature where available, just plug a hard drive into the USB port on your TV, navigate to the program guide, and select the show you want to record. Specific instructions vary from model to model, and you can find these in your manual.
If your TV is compatible, this is the easiest way to get started with recording free-to-air TV. The included program guide on some models allows you to schedule recording well in advance, or even automatically like taping every airing of a show.
Record free to air TV DIY
If you’ve got an old laptop or computer in the house, you can turn it into an expandable PVR and media player. With a USB digital TV tuner, you can plug the laptop in, record a show, and display it on your TV.
It’s more involved than just plugging in a hard drive, but once you’ve set it up, you can manage recordings in a media library like Plex and stream it to other devices around the house.
Plex is relatively easy to use with this type of setup, and it has a comprehensive guide on how to get started. This is a great way to put an unused device back into service.
PVR limitations
Recording free-to-air TV isn’t without its limitations. TVs often encrypt recordings or tie them to the device that made them, meaning a program recorded to a USB drive cannot be displayed on another device.
Recording two channels at once or viewing one and watching another may not be possible; it depends on your TV’s configuration.
Broadcaster restrictions may also affect what you can record. Some broadcasts are unavailable for recording to watch later, and it goes without saying that streaming platform content like Netflix can’t be recorded.
Our take
You don’t have to be locked into subscription options like Fetch or IceBox to record live TV. Some TVs support the function right out of the box, and for others, an old PC can live another life as your personal media server.
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