Hands-on: Simple.TV might be the next big cord-cutting device

Simple.TV's DVR without a hard drive or video output may sound crazy, but it could end up being a killer product for cable-cutters. That's the impression I got after spending some hands-on time with the over-the-air-friendly DVR, which was already working on an iPad and a Roku 2 XS box in the booth.

The iPad app is seriously slick. There's a nicely laid out interface for browsing what's currently on TV and you can set the DVR to record right in the app or watch live.

During the demo, we were able to tune into live TV from an off-site Simple.TV.

The featured content section is particularly attractive, letting you browse large images of top shows.

You can import your recorded programs right into iTunes, allowing you to offload shows onto an iPhone or iPad. It's a great solution for when you're planning to take a long flight without Wi-Fi, but I can already foresee legal threats from TV networks.

The Roku app was having some connectivity issues, but we got to see the design of the interface.

It's much more basic than what's on the iPad app, but you can still watch live TV and access recordings.

Like on the iPad app, you can access recorded content by browsing cover art.

Live TV wasn't quite working, but the overlay looked polished.

The EPG interface could certainly use more screen real estate and we'd prefer network names like CBS vs. "KPIXDT", but the app isn't finished yet.

The Simple.TV doesn't have a built-in hard drive, so you'll have to supply your own. The USB port can power a standard portable-style external hard drive.