Tivo launches a $50 DVR with HD antenna in the wake of Aereo's death

Tivo is hoping to fill the major hole left by startup Aereo now that its over-the-air TV service has been shut down indefinitely.

Today Tivo anounced a new $50 version of its DVR box, the Tivo Roamio OTA (over the air), that includes an HD antenna that can pick up the freely broadcasted TV stations that can then be recorded and watched later. The move signals what the company considers a major opportunity to cater to the cord cutting crowd — people who have canceled their expensive cable or satellite TV subscription service in favor of watching shows online or via an HD antenna.

This device also allows Tivo to bypass the legal issues that hurt Aereo, which tried to sell an IP-based service offering the HD broadcasted content via a micro HD antenna it operated from a remote location. Since the Tivo Roamio has the antenna built into the device, it shouldn’t cause any legal issues.

At $50, the Tivo Roamio is much cheaper than the standard $200 DVR box the company is known for. And if people are looking for an HD Antenna solution, the Tivo brand will likely be successful. Of course, you’ll still need to spend $15 per month to gain access to the DVR functionality, which is a bit more than the monthly fee Aereo was charging. The device itself competes with Simple TV and a handful of others.