Frustration 1: Quality: I bought my Roamio at the end of March. I have been out of the country 5 months since then without using it since my wifi was discontinued during that time. So after only 4 months of use, it is making a loud humming/grinding sound. I have read that this is a common problem, so I am questioning the quality of the Roamio and why the company has not issued a recall. Tivo yesterday said I must return the box to them to get a replacement and charged me $53 in advance for that.
Frustration 2: Impossible Shipping Directions from Tivo: They said I must return my present Roamio box before they will send the replacement which creates a problem with their Customer Service email which requires me to send it to them either in the original shipping container or in the shipping container they use to send the replacement Roamio to me. I do not have the original shipping container and the shipping container from the replacement in my possession will not arrive here until I send them the malfunctioning Roamio. A representative who said to just use any shipping container didn't seem to understand my concern of whether I can trust the company if I violate their written directions for "properly" sending my bad Roamio to them.
Frustration 3: Tivo Mini Connection: I tried to connect a Tivo Mini in July during a short break in my 5 months of travel). It was not possible to use the cable bridge recommended by Tivo because there is no cable outlet in my bedroom near where I needed the Roamio and because the router is in another room where the cable Internet service arrives. I have an electrical wiring bridge I had already had set up so my computer would be connected by ethernet using the electrical wiring bridge between my router location and my office. I hoped I could leave the Roamio where it was (near the one good antenna, but not near a cable outlet or my router) and just connect the Mini directly to the router where it needs to stay (and to a TV beside it that had only a Roku box and no antenna). My thinking was that the electrical wiring ethernet goes both directions, so the Mini would be connected both directions to the Roamio via ethernet and the Roamio would continue to be connected to the router via Wifi and the one antenna. I thought the Mini connected to the router in the kitchen would pull in the stations via the electrical bridge ethernet from the Roamio box in the bedroom. My guess is that the main Roamio box may have to be connected directly to the router for a bridge system to a Mini to work. However, since there is no antenna there (or possible to be there, since there are too many walls blocking reception)) if the Roamio is connected to the router, I worry if not being connected to an antenna will be a problem. So here's a question: Since I will have to take down my Roamio box anyway to ship it back to Tivo, do any of you think it is worth testing to see if this configuration using the electrical bridge ethernet would work--the Roamio connected directly to the router (which is already connected to the electrical ethernet bridge) in the kitchen (but without antenna connection due to no antenna working in that location) and the Mini connected directly to both the antenna and the TV in the bedroom AND to the Roamio through the ethernet via my electrical wiring bridge?
My Plan to Deal with Frustration if the Replacement Roamio Develops the Same Humming Problem: Accept that Tivo has some really big quality control problems since 1) so many are having this problem with their Roamios and 2) their shipping directions do not matching one of their return requirements). Then, I will just take the Roamio and the Mini outside with a baseball bat and film myself beating them both to pieces while filming a video to be place on YouTube!!!
Frustration 2: Impossible Shipping Directions from Tivo: They said I must return my present Roamio box before they will send the replacement which creates a problem with their Customer Service email which requires me to send it to them either in the original shipping container or in the shipping container they use to send the replacement Roamio to me. I do not have the original shipping container and the shipping container from the replacement in my possession will not arrive here until I send them the malfunctioning Roamio. A representative who said to just use any shipping container didn't seem to understand my concern of whether I can trust the company if I violate their written directions for "properly" sending my bad Roamio to them.
Frustration 3: Tivo Mini Connection: I tried to connect a Tivo Mini in July during a short break in my 5 months of travel). It was not possible to use the cable bridge recommended by Tivo because there is no cable outlet in my bedroom near where I needed the Roamio and because the router is in another room where the cable Internet service arrives. I have an electrical wiring bridge I had already had set up so my computer would be connected by ethernet using the electrical wiring bridge between my router location and my office. I hoped I could leave the Roamio where it was (near the one good antenna, but not near a cable outlet or my router) and just connect the Mini directly to the router where it needs to stay (and to a TV beside it that had only a Roku box and no antenna). My thinking was that the electrical wiring ethernet goes both directions, so the Mini would be connected both directions to the Roamio via ethernet and the Roamio would continue to be connected to the router via Wifi and the one antenna. I thought the Mini connected to the router in the kitchen would pull in the stations via the electrical bridge ethernet from the Roamio box in the bedroom. My guess is that the main Roamio box may have to be connected directly to the router for a bridge system to a Mini to work. However, since there is no antenna there (or possible to be there, since there are too many walls blocking reception)) if the Roamio is connected to the router, I worry if not being connected to an antenna will be a problem. So here's a question: Since I will have to take down my Roamio box anyway to ship it back to Tivo, do any of you think it is worth testing to see if this configuration using the electrical bridge ethernet would work--the Roamio connected directly to the router (which is already connected to the electrical ethernet bridge) in the kitchen (but without antenna connection due to no antenna working in that location) and the Mini connected directly to both the antenna and the TV in the bedroom AND to the Roamio through the ethernet via my electrical wiring bridge?
My Plan to Deal with Frustration if the Replacement Roamio Develops the Same Humming Problem: Accept that Tivo has some really big quality control problems since 1) so many are having this problem with their Roamios and 2) their shipping directions do not matching one of their return requirements). Then, I will just take the Roamio and the Mini outside with a baseball bat and film myself beating them both to pieces while filming a video to be place on YouTube!!!