A top-notch streaming box with over-the-air antenna integration has always seemed like a slam-dunk idea to me. Now, an upstart device brand called MyVelo TV is actually making it happen.
For $100, the MyVelo TV Premiere box runs Android TV and includes a USB dongle with a single ATSC 3.0 tuner. A built-in MyVelo TV app will let users watch free local channels from the antenna without having to switch inputs or remotes. The device should be available on Amazon in the spring.
Mark Jensen, CEO and co-founder of Shift2Stream, which owns the MyVelo brand, said the streaming box will support 4K video, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos audio, both for streaming content and ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. Support for encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels should also be available at launch, though it wasn’t yet working during a demo at the CES trade show this week.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Major streaming device makers have generally lost interest in free over-the-air TV, preferring instead to focus on free streaming content that they can monetize with targeted ads. That leaves the job to small vendors like MyVelo TV, which might end up making one of the most exciting streaming devices in 2025.
Android TV + OTA (with optional DVR)
Jared Newman / Foundry
On its own, the MyVelo TV Premiere box is similar to current Google TV streaming players such as the Google TV Streamer and Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Pro. (Technically, it runs Android TV, but the interfaces and app support are similar overall.) It felt fast and fluid in my brief hands-on testing, and supports a full range of streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.
But the MyVelo TV box also has a pair of USB-A ports on its side, allowing users to plug in the included ATSC 3.0 tuner dongle and any over-the-air antenna. The included MyVelo TV app will facilitate access to free local channels.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Jensen said MyVelo TV will also offer a DVR for recording local channels, though this wasn’t on display at CES. Recording capabilities will require a subscription at a still-undisclosed price, though Jensen said it would cost less than $5 per month. The subscription will also provide 14 days of TV guide data, versus the shorter timespan (usually just a day or so) that broadcasters provide for free.
Bigger plans to come
Jensen hinted at other features that MyVelo TV may add over time.
The box’s underside, for instance, has an open USB-C port, intended for a module that includes a dual TV tuner and 5G home internet router. Jensen said MyVelo TV is “in discussions” with Verizon and T-Mobile about using the product as a gateway for streaming, over-the-air TV, and home internet, but it’ll also be available on its own as a $100 option for recording more channels simultaneously.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Jensen also wants to distribute live channel packages that users can watch and record through the MyVelo TV app. He did not name any partners, but gave the example of a local college that may want to distribute sports coverage directly to consumers. The focus would be on smaller niche channels, as MyVelo TV isn’t interested in trying to offer a full pay TV package like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. He mentioned cloud DVR capabilities as well, with companion apps for iOS and Android to access recordings, though that would depend on permission from content providers.
It’s about time
Whether those broader ambitions come to fruition or not, the simple combination of a Google TV streaming box with over-the-air integration could be a powerful one.
It could also provide a boost to ATSC 3.0, the next-gen over-the-air TV standard that broadcasters have been pushing for the past few years now. While ATSC 3.0 has some neat features, such as 4K HDR support and Dolby dialogue boost, it’s incompatible with the ATSC 1.0 tuners built into most televisions in use today, and not all new televisions support it. External ATSC 3.0 tuners cost upwards of $90 and require switching away from whatever input you use for streaming, and the only other whole-home DVR with support for encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels is the ZapperBox M1.
A high-end streaming box with ATSC 3.0 built-in could made the next-gen broadcast standard much more accessible, all without having to toss out your existing TV.
