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TiVo Stream 4k is NOW AVAILABLE

29K views 370 replies 94 participants last post by  302481 
#1 ·
#23 ·
If I could use it in place of a TiVo Mini, then I might consider one. Otherwise I don't know that I really need one of these at this time. I've got plenty of streaming options built in or available through other devices that I already bought and introducing another means getting others in the household to consider learning how to use whatever the newest is. They already have enough issues figuring out the ones that were already here, mostly getting lost in how to switch from TiVo (Live TV or recorded) over to use of the streaming devices and vice versa.
 
#96 ·
I wonder if that will still work when you have HBO through Amazon?

Although I will cancel HBO in a few weeks. Before I pay for another month. Since Westworld Season 3 has ended.
 
#114 ·
Mine came a little while ago. I haven't started setup yet, but here is everything in the box along with a 4K Fire Stick Remote for comparison
No adhesive velcro strips to attach it to the back of the TV?
 
#189 ·
Just got mine a few minutes ago. Going to try a couple of things...

1) I have a FireTV ethernet adapter I'm going to try.

2) Going to try extracting the AppleTV+ apk from the FireTV and side loading it on the TiVo Stream.

Will report back with results of both tests shortly
Can you also try side loading the TiVo Android app?
 
#323 ·
I think he was really harsh on it and was incorrect on some stuff. He seemed to hate due to mostly lack of some Plex things he personally does, so if you aren't engrained into the Plex stuff or care so much about those issues, most of what he hates is moot.

One of the things he said doesn't work is using an ethernet adapter, but mine worked as soon as I plugged it in without any issues whatsoever.

Also, the forced HDR isn't as bad as everyone is making it out to be. I already posted a link to someone explaining it and why it happens and how to fix it. As soon as I followed what it said it worked and looked really good, especially when I tried it on my new OLED which supports Dolby Vision, apparently the old version since he reported the Sony version isn't working, just like on the Edge.
Lon was harsh, but his reviews are written for a general technical audience, not TiVo-centric people like you will find in these threads. He is also very game-centric and always mentions gaming features with every product. I doubt many folks on these threads would ever give a moments thought to using the Stream 4K as a gaming device.

The elephant in the room is that the Stream 4K is a promising but clearly unfinished product. The plethora of technical issues discussed daily in these forums would never been seen or read by the typical off the shelf purchaser. They would simply return the product for a refund, which I am sure many did. Randomly cutting your TV on and off is a colossal blunder that needs to be fixed with a software revision, and TiVo needs to transparently address that and the HDR issues immediately. If they don't, there will be much more trouble down the road.
 
#324 ·
The elephant in the room is that the Stream 4K is a promising but clearly unfinished product.
It honestly feels like most consumer technology these days. Product X that came before had these problems and our new release fixes one of those problems, yet introduces several new things you didn't know could be problems.

They provided a remote! But the Stream 4k doesn't play well with HDMI CEC and you can't easily program the IR portion of the remote.

We'll aggregate your streaming content! But we won't do it the way TiVos have done it in the past.
 
#110 ·
And so, do you like it, what's right with it, what needs working on, would you get it again, where's the full multi-page review?!? :D

Have fun with your new toy, and we look forward to your impressions if and when you have the time. Congratulations: you may be Consumer #1 here!
Thanks! Sadly, I'm working today, so I haven't had much chance to play with it since lunch, but hopefully I'll get some time in on it later today.

It did *finally* finish updating firmware. I've poked around a bit. Seems pretty snappy. There is a list of streaming service apps that are integrated into the TiVo interface: Sling, Netflix, HBO Now, Prime Membership, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Google Play Movies & TV.
 
#144 ·
Like I said before, the only way this becomes a game changing device is if they can get this firmware onto the OTA DVR products. That way, you can always have your antenna channels, but could add sling (or whoever else they partner with) at any time, drop it whenever you want (for instance, when a sports season you watch is over....there might not be any reason to keep it), and have updated apps because it's using the android store. This little device might be interesting, but it's not a game changer for Tivo or for the marketplace.
 
#146 ·
I wouldn't hold your breath for them to port the entirety of AndroidTV and the Stream app onto legacy DVRs.

Not to mention, I think that would be an incredibly convoluted system.

Watch live or recorded antenna channels? Go to Tivo.

Watch live cable channels? Go to Stream app. Watch recorded cable channels? Go to cloud DVR on Stream app.

Watch streaming that's integrated? Go to Stream app.

Watch non-integrated streaming? Go to AndroidTV.

Watch a show that could be recorded AND on a stream app on legacy TiVo AND on Stream app? Who knows.

I don't understand why people are so averse to changing TV inputs but they're willing to go in and out and out and in various apps/menus within a single source.
 
#362 ·
Regarding Stream4K access to DVR content:
Not currently. Although TiVo's CEO said, back in January, something like, that's something to look into/consider. (Some of us instead think, it should have been looked into/considered earlier and be there now.)
That's one way of putting it. Another would be that at this stage for TiVo to launch their own branded streamer complete w/baby peanut remote that CANNOT INTERFACE WITH THE DVR THEY HAVE BEEN SELLING FOR A GENERATION AND IS THEIR ONLY SOURCE OF BRAND AWARENESS just marks them as TOO STUPID TO LIVE. In this context the baby peanut is somewhere between a sad joke and a slap in the face, the TiVo logo grinning up at you taking on a decidedly sarcastic edge ("Hi, I'm a TiVo. No, you can't watch TiVo with me. Hahahahaha!").

What on earth is so broken in their brains that this seemed even moderately reasonable? We have long had a generic TiVo app that can access DVR content from our Android PHONES, but today's TiVo can't provide an app at least as functional for THEIR OWN BRAND NEW DEDICATED DEVICE?! Other than "Yeah, they used to have smarter people, now the ones left don't have what it takes to develop working software any more," what possible excuse can be offered for this level of blundering self-parody?

With the corporate shenanigans of the past few years, it's been hard for me to maintain much hope of "TiVo" surviving as anything but a label on a weapon in some patent troll's war chest, but the launch of the TiVo Stream 4K w/o connectivity to TiVo DVRs may have killed those hopes for good. Coming alongside the withdrawal of the FireStick app and cessation of development on the Roku and Apple TV apps, TiVo has basically reneged on the full portfolio of promises to TiVo buyers regarding their "coming soon" affordable multi-tiered whole-home TV solution. Delivering the Stream4K with a TiVo app right out of the gate would have gone a long way to restoring their credibility - now every month that goes by without that app just digs the hole deeper. Perhaps worst of all, this glaring misstep detracts from the very real promise of wrapping multiple popular streaming services with a single search engine and content browser. Instead, "TiVo launches new device that can't talk to TiVos" becomes the groaner punchline to CE's longest-running shaggy dog story.

What a mess.
 
#365 · (Edited)
Regarding Stream4K access to DVR content:

That's one way of putting it. Another would be that at this stage for TiVo to launch their own branded streamer complete w/baby peanut remote that CANNOT INTERFACE WITH THE DVR THEY HAVE BEEN SELLING FOR A GENERATION AND IS THEIR ONLY SOURCE OF BRAND AWARENESS just marks them as TOO STUPID TO LIVE. In this context the baby peanut is somewhere between a sad joke and a slap in the face, the TiVo logo grinning up at you taking on a decidedly sarcastic edge ("Hi, I'm a TiVo. No, you can't watch TiVo with me. Hahahahaha!").

What on earth is so broken in their brains that this seemed even moderately reasonable? We have long had a generic TiVo app that can access DVR content from our Android PHONES, but today's TiVo can't provide an app at least as functional for THEIR OWN BRAND NEW DEDICATED DEVICE?! Other than "Yeah, they used to have smarter people, now the ones left don't have what it takes to develop working software any more," what possible excuse can be offered for this level of blundering self-parody?

With the corporate shenanigans of the past few years, it's been hard for me to maintain much hope of "TiVo" surviving as anything but a label on a weapon in some patent troll's war chest, but the launch of the TiVo Stream 4K w/o connectivity to TiVo DVRs may have killed those hopes for good. Coming alongside the withdrawal of the FireStick app and cessation of development on the Roku and Apple TV apps, TiVo has basically reneged on the full portfolio of promises to TiVo buyers regarding their "coming soon" affordable multi-tiered whole-home TV solution. Delivering the Stream4K with a TiVo app right out of the gate would have gone a long way to restoring their credibility - now every month that goes by without that app just digs the hole deeper. Perhaps worst of all, this glaring misstep detracts from the very real promise of wrapping multiple popular streaming services with a single search engine and content browser. Instead, "TiVo launches new device that can't talk to TiVos" becomes the groaner punchline to CE's longest-running shaggy dog story.

What a mess.
ditto. ditto. ditto. Tivo could solve all of their problems by allowing liveTV streaming apps like hulu live TV, tivo streaming app or etc on their other equipment like the edge. All of that horsepower sitting there with networking, DVR functions and storage already there. Do they not want to piss off the cable providers? Also The 4k remote is a bad joke and so is the idea that a 50 dollar dongle is ever going to turn into a real DVR. I wonder how many streams it could serve up before it bursts into flames. LMAO. I just dont understand why there had to be a new dongle device to begin with.
 
#10 ·
I'm not getting one. I already have an nVidia Shield for the Android TV experience and apps, a TiVo Bolt to record off air, and a Roku Ultra to stream Apple TV.
If the new TiVo streamer had an Apple TV app, I would bite. I will monitor these discussions to see some reviews and maybe I'll change my mind.
Whats $50 if you have all those devices. And you get a nice cute tivo mini remote. Just get one!
 
#56 ·
For me, it has Chromecast capabilities and I was thinking about buying a Chromecast 4k. This is cheaper and has a physical remote.

The only other concern about Google and Amazon devices is that sometimes the companies squabble and shut off services. Amazon kept a native Youtube app off Fire devices for a year. Maybe they do the same with Netflix in the future?

But it's also possible TiVo messes up the software support for this too.
 
#105 · (Edited)
I understand this thing can't work as a full Tivo Mini, but am I to understand it also can't even stream from my Tivo Bolt the same way any smartphone can right now, even from outside my house? I mean I guess I can broadcast the screen from my phone running the Tivo app but that is the single feature that would really differentiate this thing. I can do this on a 5 year old Android phone I leave hooked up to my TV with an HDMI cable, but not this Android based device?

I have Netflix on my toaster at this point, I don't need another device for that. I guess the upside is that this is purely a software limitation. They can add that feature any time they prioritize it. The remote is adorable. With the right software updates this thing could be really nice. I hope they get there.
 
#109 ·
I understand this thing can't work as a full Tivo Mini, but am I to understand it also can't even stream from my Tivo Bolt the same way any smartphone can right now, even from outside my house? I mean I guess I can broadcast the screen from my phone running the Tivo app but that is the single feature that would really differentiate this thing. I can do this on a 5 year old Android phone I leave hooked up to my TV with an HDMI cable, but not this Android based device?
Tivo currently doesn't have an Android TV app, but since Android and Android TV are basically the same thing you can always sideload the android app in.

Yes, Tivo should easily be able to port their android app to android TV. Tivo Stream 4k is powerful enough and should easily be able to replace their Tivo Mini. Tivo hasn't done that, though. :-(
 
#113 ·
Tivo currently doesn't have an Android TV app, but since Android and Android TV are basically the same thing you can always sideload the android app in.

Yes, Tivo should easily be able to port their android app to android TV. Tivo Stream 4k is powerful enough and should easily be able to replace their Tivo Mini. Tivo hasn't done that, though. :-(
I tried side-loading the Tivo Andriod app to a Mi Android box, but I could never successfully log in so I couldn't use it.
 
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