List of Android TV Recording Apps

There are two types of applications for Android-powered devices that let you record TV. One type records TV shows directly on your phone. The other lets you use your phone to control digital video recorders elsewhere. There are relatively few of the first kind of applications, and several of the second. DroidTV Primetime is an example of the first kind of TV-recording apps, while Optik TV Remote Recording, Record It and DIRECTV are examples of the second.

DroidTV Primetime is an application that lets you watch high-definition HD-480p videos on your Android-powered phone. It also turns your phone into the equivalent of a mobile DVR device, letting you record TV shows from most major U.S. TV networks. DroidTV stores recorded content to your phone's hard drive or to a memory card. The application itself is free, but a subscription to the TV service costs around $20 per year. DroidTV Primetime is 695 KB in size and requires Android 2.1 or later at the time of publication.

Optik TV Remote Recording is an application that lets you control your personal video recorder from anywhere a cellular or Wi-Fi connection is available. The application connects wirelessly to your network-enabled video recorder at home and displays its contents on your smartphone, allowing you to scroll through TV shows and select the ones you'd like to record. You can record shows that are already on, or you can schedule TV shows you'd like to record in the future. Optik TV Remote Recording is free to download. It's 1 MB in size and requires Android 1.5 or later at the time of publication.

Record It is essentially a worldwide wireless remote for Sky+ satellite television users. Like Optik TV Remote Recording, it lets you access your TV at home and manipulate its controls from wherever you are. Once you've browsed through available programs, you can send a command from your smartphone that will start your Sky+ TV box recording. Record It requires a SkyId profile and Sky+ TV service. It's 171 KB in size, costs around $5 and requires Android 1.5 or later at the time of publication.

Like Optik TV Remote Recording and Record It, DirecTV is an application that lets you control your digital video recorder from anywhere with a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. The application lets you search for TV shows up to 14 days in advance, browse channels by date and time, view program information and, if you so desire, share all of that information with friends on Twitter and Facebook. Once you've found something you want to record, simply press the record button and the DirecTV app handles the rest. DirecTV requires a DirecTV Plus DVR box or a TiVo Series 2 receiver. It's free to download for all DirecTV customers, is about 2.3 MB in size and requires Android 1.5 or later at the time of publication.