TiVo Streaming vs. other "Devices?"

well Tivo doesn't have CBS All Access afaik so that's a reason to choose a device other than Tivo to stream "Picard" in 2020.


although I guess you can sign up for it through Amazon and use the Amazon app? So there might be a workaround.

But in general lack of streaming apps and poor streaming experience is a reason to use a 3rd party streaming box. IF they do have an app, it's not going to have received the love it would receive on a more popular platform.

The best way is to judge for yourself. Buy a streaming box from a Target or Walmart or Amazon or Best Buy etc. And try it out. Return it if unsatisfied. I mean people do stream on their Tivos.

Or use the apps on Tivo and if it's good enough for you then that's all that matters.

 

Streaming on my Roamio is not a good experience. The apps are old and clunky and most don't even exist. I'm not sure how Tivo gets away with they marketing claims.

The Roamio and other Tivos are great DVRs but really stink it up when it comes to streaming. Do yourself a favor and just get a Fire Stick or Roku for streaming. Any current Fire Stick or Roku will run circles around any Tivo. They actually have apps for all kinds of streaming services and they are updated regularly and they are cheap.

I had hoped that the Tivo Edge would be different but nope... Same lack of apps and the existing apps are old and clunky. They really should just drop their pathetic steaming altogether.

 

I use Apple TV’s as I use the device for streaming music as well as video. An if I want I can stream the same music to the whole house. I have each AppleTV to have the same app’s on the home screen I. The same order. The latest update even allows different family members set up their own home screen account.
I can also stream thing from my iPhone to the tv to show my wife a funny video I found.
I like the speed of the AppleTV and don’t like the idea of app’s built into Tv’s as tech advances constantly and as seen recently Netflix is dropping support for older devices.

 

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The Amazon experience on my Roamio plus is quite good. 1080p, x-ray is included and is actually better than Amazon thru my 2016 Samsung. The Samsung does 4k however. Again the Roamio is just fine!

 

Roku has fast operation, and a very friendly user interface. And if your WiFi network is good, then so is the Roku's wifi streaming. It's the platform I migrated to from Tivo, and to be honest, it is to streaming TV, what Tivo was to DVR's.

Search first on YouTube for demonstrations of Roku, FireTV, or any other platforms you're considering. That's how I ended up choosing.

 

I chose a Fire TV Stick 4K when the apps in our TiVo boxes and our best TV began to "age out". The Fire TV Stick 4K performs very well, while Roku products are at the bottom of my list due to lack of support for onboard transcoding and other tech specs.

I believe the apps on that stick will remain speedy and updated for far longer than those on any TiVo, but if and when a replacement is needed it would be a comparatively cheap and simple swap. Fire TV is quite versatile, with Amazon managing to carry any app I can think of, except the live TV service YouTube TV (though the main YouTube app is there). We use it for Netflix as often as Prime, and also for Channels DVR and several other apps, many of which are not on TiVo.

The Fire TV Stick 4K worked out so well, I later replaced our two other TV sets with integrated Fire TV models. In most cases it's probably a better value to plug a stick or box into the TV you've already got, if you can. But though our new inexpensive Insignia TVs are not all that impressive, their Fire TV software works just as well as it does on the Fire TV Stick 4K that feeds our big screen.

 

I use Roku and Apple TV. Roku has more apps and is dependable. Apple TV has a lesser interface but seems to deliver smoother picture for the same steams.

I do use my Bolt for amazon or Netlfix but that is more convenience than quality.

Streaming devices are pretty cheap so I don’t mind having multiples as long as I have inputs for them.

 

For me (I use fire sticks on 3 tv's) it's simple, I get to choose what apps are on my devices. With Tivo you only get what apps they choose. Kind of arrogant that Tivo thinks they know best what I want.

 

I don't think it's arrogance, I think it's a support issue. With so few Tivo boxes out there no one wants to spend time integrating their streaming service with it.

 

I have a Roku TV and a FireTV stick. The Roku TV has a better interface and is on my big TV, but a Roku stick would be more expensive than a FireTV stick.

A FireTV stick works well enough, and is so cheap (especially if you're a Prime member) that's what I use for my smaller TVs.

I don't touch the Tivo apps., they don't work well and are very limited in number.

I'd wait until Black Friday for sales and see what the prices are.

 

Adding a cheap stick to a TiVo is definitely the way to go. See my other thread here. Black Friday will have Fire 4K sticks for $25 and Roku 4K sticks for $30.

Fire TV 4K Stick or Roku 4K Stick?

 

I guess I can be counted in the minority who prefer to use the Tivo (Mini Vox and Roamio) over other streamers. I have a Roku, AppleTV, and a built in streamer on my Vizio TV. Since I only stream from Netflix and Amazon, I like the ability to add streaming One Passes on the Tivo. It is not perfect, as I often have an extra click or two to play back a streaming video and manually remove an episode when I finish watching it. However, it is a small price to pay for a single box that does everything I need.

So I'd suggest giving your Tivo a chance first and switch to the other alternatives if it falls short for you. But my guess is that for your limited case, it will work fine...

 

Agree...for Amazon and Netflix only TiVo is fine. And for me less is better. And if you can direct connect Ethernet all the better.

 

If CBS AA works via the Amazon App Channel on your Tivo, I'd just do that. If you want more streaming channels than you can get on Tivo, I'd personally recommend Roku devices over Amazon Firesticks for a variety of reasons, including a more intuitive UI, snappier performance, and fewer ads.

That said, Amazon Firesticks are the primary interface for the TVs in my house due to my decision to go with the Recast DVR, and the remote has a mute button. Also, the Firesticks seem to require fewer reboots due to crashing apps/general instability based on my experience.

 

Apple TV ATV4 and a Roku Premier Plus (the older one). Try to avoid wi-fi only streaming devices, wired ethernet is a better option and more reliable.

 

I use Fire TV aka Fire Stick as it is faster than either a Roamio or Bolt. Fire TV picture look better on my TV. The formatting on the TV can be different too with black box patterns. Sound can be problematic to set up. Menus look different too. Some tout Roku as it has more apps. Fire TV 4k was cheap ~$25 and it works for my purposes, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, HBO GO, Cox On Demand...

 

My Android TV and Apple TV have far better app selection. The apps look better. The apps are faster and more responsive. The apps crash less. The video quality is better.* All the same comments are applicable to the Roku, which I don't need anymore, but greatly enjoyed.

Other than the inconvenience of switching inputs, which I don't mind, every single aspect of the experience is better. The difference in smoothness/responsiveness/reliability make a huge qualitative difference for me, particularly since I might browse around between different shows trying to find something to watch rather than just sitting to watch something specific.

I know for some people, not having to switch inputs is a big deal or they aren't as sensitive to the speed/interface/reliability/quality issues. But for me, especially given that most new TVs have good app experiences, and media streamers are cheap, there's no point in
dealing with Tivo's apps.

*I think that Tivo may have started supporting HDR, so this may changed since I last used the apps, but the Tivo video quality used to be qualitatively worse.

 

I use nvidia Shield TV. It has a variety of streaming apps (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, YouTube, Vudu, Crunchyroll, Plex), games and I can use a bluetooth keyboard with Chrome for web browsing.

 

FWIW, I'm told that at least for HBO, the Amazon bitrate/quality are better than for their native app, so you may want to research that.