IMO, for a single TV the best option is TiVo. Obviously, if you can find bargains, that can dramatically change the equation, as it did for me. It would certainly be cheaper than either the Tablo or Simple.TV at full price. If you only want to use the DVR on one TV, the Channel Master DVR+ might be the better option. If I had to pay full price, I'd select a Tablo over a Simple.TV based on the reviews, though, again, my Simple.TVs work great. They work fine and it would be hard to find a cheaper solution. I bought the first off Woot! for $95, including shipping and the subscription. I got them really cheap, including a Lifetime Premier subscription. Of course, if they don't have everything she wants (or enough to keep her happy), then it's a no-go. Yeah, it's another $8/month, but weigh that against the cost of devices to record shows. Have you checked Hulu Plus for the shows she's recording? If they have everything she watches, you don't need an antenna.
Have a great wife, just don't want her frustrated with a challenging change in technology. Don't mind purchasing a Tablo or SimpleTV or other system and a hard drive for recording. Best thought is Tablo, even though she'll need to accept it's local channel startup delay, but not a problem with the recorded shows.
#Cheap dvr player install
Can install a non-directional antenna on roof since we live in a city, have a signal amplifier, and house is wired for cable. We don't watch sports and children like Netflix. She currently records reality shows on local channels (cable), Downton Abbey on Amazon, and she isn't tech savvy. I want to cut-the-cord for cost savings and have two Roku 2 units with Amazon and Netflix subscriptions.