Mohu – maker of a top-rated indoor HDTV antenna for cord-cutters who still want access to over-the-air channels – recently released Moho Channels, a device intended to combine over-the-air, over-the-top, and web content in a single interface. As seen on the image below, the $149.99 keyboard and remote combo allows viewers to organize a channel list of broadcast TV channels, streaming apps (like Hulu Plus and Netflix), cable TV apps (like A&E and CNN), and sports television apps provided by leagues; viewers can also turn Facebook and Google into channels.
We asked Mark Buff, Founder and CEO of Mohu, how the company and its device supports the needs of cord-cutters:
At Mohu, we believe that cord-cutting means giving individuals the freedom to choose what they watch and how they watch it, at a cost they can control. We will always stand on these principles, and offer innovative products, like our HDTV antennas and Channels device, that provide cord cutters with an inexpensive, open and simple way to view TV.
Relating these cord cutting principles to our newest product, we’re extremely proud of being the first company to bring an open cord cutting device like Channels to market, bringing Over the Air, Over the Top and Web content together in one seamless viewing experience and channel guide. As cord-cutters struggle to cobble together different viewing outputs – from OTA to OTT – we saw a need to streamline the cord-cutting experience with a truly open product. Channels features a channel up, channel down function as this UI is most comfortable to TV viewers who are used to flipping through channels to make viewing decisions.
The cord cutting movement proves that acting like a walled content garden and imposing subscription-based fees is not the way to success and only leave consumers confused and unhappy with their TV experience. Channels is just the beginning, and we look forward to creating and improving devices that further revolutionize cord cutting.
A unified platform that pulls in outside channels is something that Sling TV should consider. Even with a Sling TV package, viewers will still want to watch Netflix and Hulu Plus, and integrating streaming services into their user interface will keep consumers engaged longer. Mohu is on to something here, but $149.99 is a steep price point for Channels (especially since you need the HD antenna too). Cord-cutters tend to be weary of all things with high price points, but if Mohu makes its interface available via a Roku or Smart TV app and allows the integration of non-Mohu digital antennas, count me in (I’d even pay!).