General Tivo ignorance...pls help

No TiVo device, from the legacy DVR platform to the new Stream 4K streaming stick, records from any streaming service. The DVR platform could only ever record from OTA antenna or cable TV sources.

 

Nitpick: It would be more accurate to say "No TiVo device ... currently records from any streaming service."

My Roamio used to record channels that were streamed from the Web, but TiVo removed that functionality roughly when TE4 was released. A blue LED would light up on the TiVo when those recordings were in progress. I miss that blue LED...

 

You would simply subscribe to any of the streaming services that includes recording. Most of them do. There is very little need for a physical DVR these days. The trick is finding the streaming service that has the channels you want at the lowest price.

Whatever snerd said about his Tivo recording streams is very, very, very misleading. Ignore that.

 

No, they did not record from streaming services the way you're wanting to do, never have.
In the very early days there were some instances where they would download the content from Amazon (and possibly Netflix) to play locally, but it's not the same as what you are wanting.

 

Excuse me? What exactly is misleading about my statement? My Roamio used to be able to record Web channels. They were streamed, not broadcast. I clearly stated that TiVo removed this capability, intending to clearly imply that such capability was no longer available.

I don't think anything I said was misleading in any way. Perhaps mistinterpreted, but that ain't my fault.

 

No, I'm not saying anything of the sort. The ability used to exist in old versions of TiVo software. TiVo has since removed that capability. Buying an old TiVo won't help restore that capability in any way.

 

If you're talking about streaming live TV from services like YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, etc., they come with their own "cloud DVR" service, but there is also a TiVo replacement called Channels DVR that will record most of those channels on your end. (If you have some patience, as it's quite friendly but still a bit DIY). See getchannels.com

You can't always get all your local stations from those streaming services, and those who do often can't get to at least one — usually CBS — using Channels DVR. So for locals they add the Locast streaming service or an OTA (over-the-air) tuner like the HD HomeRun Connect Quatro, both of which also work with Channels DVR.

 

MOre like what isn't misleading about saying "My Roamio used to record channels that were streamed from the Web." to an OP who is ignorant of Tivo?

It gives the wrong impression that Tivo used to record major streaming services. And was even a major function.

I had a Roamio Plus for 6 years and don't recall that capability at all. And I can only think you are talking about a niche capability to record some niche web content.

IN other words the definition of misleading.

 

So the phrase "Web channels" means "major streaming services?" I don't think so.

The feature was accessed directly from the menu. You could get lists of Web casts right on the TiVo and subscribe to them, much like a season pass. It wasn't something obscure and hidden like using kmttg to accessThere was a lot of interesting content. Not my fault that you were oblivious to this feature. I guess I explore the capabilities of my equipment a bit more thoroughly than some users.

I had no intent to mislead. I tagged it as a nitpick. I used the phrase "Web channels" not "streaming services. I clearly stated that the capability was removed by TiVo. Please stop twisting my words.

Sheesh! I'm very, very, very sorry that I mentioned it. I was clearly so, so, so out of line.

 

Best approximation, the feature died of neglect sometime in 2015. And yes, it was basically a video podcast subscription/download process that showed up in your now playing list. Back when groups were doing video gaming, or new tech related video podcasts (CNET comes to mind, which had a weekly show) and hosting them in their RSS feeds. Nowadays that is of course completely replaced with Youtube channels for the mainstream folks, and, well, Youtube Channels for Tivo folks, if you can make Youtube Channels work on the Tivo....

 

yes, they mean video podcasts, which is not "streamed from the web". It's basically downloading files.

(I used it a lot too.. I just watch them nowadays on my iPad instead.. or sometimes airplay to tv)

 

Look in to the PlayOn service. You can record to your hard drive the streamed shows you are subscribed to, I.E. Netflix, Prime, IMDB, IFC, etc. I have had it for years, haven't recorded much with it, as I rarely subscribe to any pay TV services, mostly an OTA guy, which I record with CM DVR+ and now Tivo. Bad thing is it records real time, so a 2 hour show takes 2 hours. But I suppose that is how most DVRs work.
[Edit] No CC on recorded shows, (according to my brief testing) a drawback for some of us older coots that use them.

You then use a gizmo (I use Patriot Box Office, Roku and others may work) to play the recorded files on/to the TV. Seems to record in streamed resolution, be it HD or SD. Not sure if it records multiple shows at one time, but you can create a "Record List." Again, I haven't used the recording aspect of PlayOn extensively. I believe they have a free trial.

 

Hey you asked how it was misleading. Did you not want an answer?

 

There was a time, way back when the Series 3 was King of the Hill, that you could rent or buy programs from Amazon and Netflix directly from the built-in apps, and then those programs would be downloaded onto your S3 box for you to watch with full TiVo functionality. Usually, the programs were time-limited, so they went away when your rental period was over. This capability was removed from all TiVos MANY years ago.

I seem to recall that they Amazon programs were a download, but the Netfilx was actually a buffered stream that could change PQ with slow speeds, but I would have to go find some of my old DVD recordings to verify just how it worked (if i really cared any more). While I personally do agree that this was effectively recording from a streaming service, it does absolutely no good to argue about it now - it is gone.

The most important thing for any TiVo wanabe noob to know is that you cannot buy an old box to get this capability - NO TIVOs CAN RECORD FROM ANY INTERNET STREAM NOW. Period.

 

Shortly before the Roamio was released, a Premiere could download Amazon content. On Roamio, Network Diagnostics, File Transfer History, there is still a line for the download speed. TE3 of course.

 

FWIW, when I read... "record channels that were streamed from the Web" in your original reply I wasn't sure what feature you were talking about. After another one of your message I totally got what you were talking about as it was a feature I used all the time and really missed when it went away.

The feature was called something like TivoCast downloads and the way I remember it working is by site they gave you a list of webcast names you could select. For the ones you selected they would periodically check for new content and download a copy of the webcast to your Tivo. I remember getting a bunch of stuff from Cnet that way.