Streaming TiVo w/ a Partially Broken TiVo and maybe saying Good Bye to a 20 year Relationship

2095 Views 21 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Pokemon_Dad, Dec 23, 2020

ManOfSnow

Discussion Starter · Dec 20, 2020

Hello guys!

So I just logged into this account for the first time in probably close to 7 years. I actually couldn't believe this account, that I created nearly 20 years ago, still worked!! Long story short, I've had a TiVo since Sony was making TiVos a long long time ago. I actually still use my TiVo and TiVo minis but my current TiVo Roamio stopped outputting HDMI like 6 months ago. I have the TiVo Roamio hooked up and will watch the TiVo content in the other rooms where I have TiVo minis.

Here's the problem, the TiVo Roamio is in my family room where about 60% of the TV watching occurs. For 6 months I've had no ability to watch TiVo in that room. Now, I could move a TiVo mini into that room, but then I'd just not be able to watch TiVo in the other room. I could (maybe?) buy another TiVo mini and put it in the family room, but I can't remember if you have to set it up by using any of the menus on the Roamio which I can't get to because I can't output the HDMI. It breaks my heart because my wife and I love our TiVo but I really don't think buying another TiVo is a good idea.

It's sad that TiVo just never established a strong footing to be a central TV box and we now use our firestick to access apps the TiVo just doesn't have like Paramount, HBOmax, Disney+ more than we use the TiVos. In addition, the thought of having to call Comcast and pairing the cablecard with a new TiVo gives shudders down my spine. I know there is an app for my iPhone/iPad where i can stream the content on the TiVo. Is there anyway to get this on the TV?

I really don't want to part with my TiVo because of the emotional attachment, but man is it getting difficult not to give it up. Our HOA ended their agreement with Comcast last year and switched to Hotwire and Hotwire and TiVo don't work together. So that means I now pay an elevated price for Comcast than what was included in our HOA package. I pay for a ton of streaming services, I pay for TiVo's service. Just looking at the costs, it's astronomical and to top it off I have a broken system.

If there is no option, I was thinking of just switching to Hotwire through my HOA with their basic package and just augment whatever they don't have with the subscription services and pick them up with apps on the firestick. However, that would mean my TiVo which I've had for 20 years would now be in the garbage.

It makes me want to cry.

Advice?!?!?

See less See more

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

slowbiscuit

· #2 · Dec 20, 2020

Did you ever try using component cables out from the Tivo? Or try moving to a different HDMI input on the TV? I had a lightning hit years ago that disabled the Panasonic plasma's HDMI port that the Tivo was connected to (it also killed my Tivo).

I disagree that buying another Tivo is a bad idea, a used lifetime Roamio Plus is less than $300 now on ebay. Not a big investment for a superior system with Minis, as you know. But if you're paying too much for Comcast then yeah, streaming might be the way to go.

Reactions: 2

trip1eX

· #3 · Dec 20, 2020

HOA would be my first choice because there is a big cost savings there I assume. I definitely would try that.

The other options are, if you still want cable, is a used Roamio, new TiVo or get one of these cable OTT services like YTTV. I would definitely recommend trying the latter first as they all pretty much offer free trials and work on pretty much any streaming equipment including Fire sticks.

ManOfSnow

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 20, 2020

slowbiscuit said:
Did you ever try using component cables out from the Tivo? Or try moving to a different HDMI input on the TV? I had a lightning hit years ago that disabled the Panasonic plasma's HDMI port that the Tivo was connected to (it also killed my Tivo).

I disagree that buying another Tivo is a bad idea, a used lifetime Roamio Plus is less than $300 now on ebay. Not a big investment for a superior system with Minis, as you know. But if you're paying too much for Comcast then yeah, streaming might be the way to go.

I haven't used component cables. I don't have any component cables, but I'll get some from Amazon and try that. The lightning took out my A/V receiver and my tivo. The A/V receiver won't even turn on. The hdmi input works on the TV as I tried other devices and they worked.

The issue I have is the stagnation of the TiVo combined with the increasing costs. Of the TV we watch, I'd say about 70% is on streaming services such as Netflix, Prime, HBOMax, Disney+, etc. So we are spending an increasingly amount of time separate from our TiVo regardless which is why it hasn't been a total deal breaker that we haven't had the TiVo in the family room. I figure I am paying close to $300 a month for Comcast Internet + Cable TV + Netlfix, Disney, Hulu, ESPN+, HBOMax. It seems crazy that I pay that much.

wizwor

· #5 · Dec 20, 2020

You don't need component. Composite will do. I would simply buy a new Mini and see if you can set it up without seeing the Roamio screens. If not, I'd call TiVo support and see if they can help. Then I would go composite -- unless you have a component use case. In that case, by all means, just grab the component cables.

krkaufman

· #6 · Dec 20, 2020

wizwor said:
You don't need component. Composite will do.

Entirely different video quality, which matters if the viewer is trying to restore HDMI-adjacent quality.

Reactions: 2

igirl

· #7 · Dec 20, 2020

+1 for a lightning hit killed my Tivo. In my case it fried all the networking stuff as well as the HDMI - so it wasn't able to "phone home" any longer and the lifetime subscription died as a result. I see you are in Florida - so lighting might be the case!

"Component" cable isn't anything other than RCA plugs - stereo connectors some may call them. I have so many of those I would give them away to a neighbor - but we got of of Florida (thankfully)!

A secondary idea - use Airplay (AppleTV) - or "screencast" (other boxes) to use your mobile devices to play/record/control from your mobile devices and bounce the picture onto the TV of your choosing.

Pokemon_Dad

· #8 · Dec 20, 2020 (Edited)

When our Roamio Pro goes, we're done with TiVo. I've been running Channels DVR in parallel with the Roamio, in preparation for the latter's eventual demise. We tried a Bolt and it was horrible... I'll spare you the rest of my long list of how TiVo is driving so many of us away. On the positive side, for streaming we've moved on to the very WAF-friendly world of Fire TV.

ManOfSnow said:
the thought of having to call Comcast and pairing the cablecard with a new TiVo gives shudders down my spine.

The Xifinity self-serve website is usually painless. About a year ago I moved the card that was in our buggy Bolt to an HD HomeRun Prime using that site and the process was smooth as silk. (I use the Prime with Channesl DVR.) The FCC no longer requires cable companies to provide those cards, but as long as you have one I believe you're good for at least another five years.

ManOfSnow said:
I know there is an app for my iPhone/iPad where i can stream the content on the TiVo. Is there anyway to get this on the TV?

The app and website you mentioned is in your case Xfinity Stream. There is a way to use Channels DVR to record many of the "TV Everywhere" (TVE) streams that feed that app, using Hotwire or Comcast credentials. But that's a beta feature and some channels are not available outside of the Xfinity app, so the most reliable alternative is still cable.

For CableCARD reception, Channels DVR works only with the HD HomeRun Prime tuner or with one of their over-the-air (OTA) tuners. You would install Channels DVR on an NAS or a spare PC/Mac, and install the Channels client app on your Fire TV Stick. Here's more info on my setup: https://www.tivocommunity.com/community/i...

See less See more

ManOfSnow

Discussion Starter · #9 · Dec 21, 2020

Pokemon_Dad said:
When our Roamio Pro goes, we're done with TiVo. I've been running Channels DVR in parallel with the Roamio, in preparation for the latter's eventual demise. We tried a Bolt and it was horrible... I'll spare you the rest of my long list of how TiVo is driving so many of us away. On the positive side, for streaming we've moved on to the very WAF-friendly Fire TV Stick 4K.

I think this is the biggest problem. I have destroyed any WAF in my house. I have 1 TV with a firestick only (my family room), 1 TV with Samsung's Interface only, 2 TVs with both a firestick and TiVo mini and both of those TVs have different inputs the firestick and TiVo Minis are on so switching back and forth between them require you to remember which HDMI input to use. My wife literally hates it. Combine that with no Xfinity Stream on the firestick but on the Samsung interface...So for example on Thanksgiving we wanted to watch the Macy's parade live and could watch it on firestick because NBC has an app that you can login w/ your Xfinity credentials...but when I wanted to watch the SEC Championship Game last night on CBS, I had to watch it in my den on my TiVo Mini rather than on my 65" TV in my family room because you can't login with the CBS app unless you have CBS All Access. It's a mess.

Phil T

· #10 · Dec 21, 2020

To improve WAF bit the bullet and get a XG1v4 from Comcast. Keep the Roamio, and minis for other rooms. See if Comcast will give you a deal or drop a streaming service to offset the additional costs.
The XG1v4 is a great box and puts most of the streaming services in one box.

Pokemon_Dad

· #11 · Dec 21, 2020

ManOfSnow said:
I think this is the biggest problem. I have destroyed any WAF in my house.

Domestic tranquility was achieved here by having everything in the Fire TV interface. In addition to the Fire TV Stick 4K I mentioned, which went on our big screen Sony, I replaced our other two TVs with Insignia Fire TV Edition sets. And lo-and-behold the wife started regularly using all the streaming apps she was avoiding on the buggy TiVo.

Channels DVR is just an app in the Fire interface. TiVo Minis are still attached to each set, and the wife prefers those for live/buffered TV, but the Insignias allow her to switch from within the Fire UI and return by pressing the Home button on the Fire remote. As for the TV with the Fire TV Stick 4K, she's perfectly able to pick up our beloved ol' TiVo remote and use its Input button when necessary.

Until it's gone anyway. As you may have seen in my other post that I linked to, I replaced the Roamio's hard disk a year ago. But I think one of the Minis is starting to go, the wife is mostly using Channels DVR and streaming, and at some point we'll be done with TiVo.

See less See more

shwru980r

· #12 · Dec 21, 2020

ManOfSnow said:
I think this is the biggest problem. I have destroyed any WAF in my house. I have 1 TV with a firestick only (my family room), 1 TV with Samsung's Interface only, 2 TVs with both a firestick and TiVo mini and both of those TVs have different inputs the firestick and TiVo Minis are on so switching back and forth between them require you to remember which HDMI input to use. My wife literally hates it. Combine that with no Xfinity Stream on the firestick but on the Samsung interface...So for example on Thanksgiving we wanted to watch the Macy's parade live and could watch it on firestick because NBC has an app that you can login w/ your Xfinity credentials...but when I wanted to watch the SEC Championship Game last night on CBS, I had to watch it in my den on my TiVo Mini rather than on my 65" TV in my family room because you can't login with the CBS app unless you have CBS All Access. It's a mess.

The Xfiniity stream app is now available on the Fire TV.

Reactions: 2

igirl

· #13 · Dec 21, 2020

The Xfiniity stream app is now available on the Fire TV.

Unfortunately it's not on Apple TV - and for iOS they block using AirPlay - so no screen mirroring.
Tried the FireTV 4K and couldn't stand it... no better than Roku which we have just for Xfinity - but never use it due to all other streaming content being supported on Apple TV - so for us it's 50/50 AppleTV/Tivo.... or in the year 2020 it was more like 80% AppleTV and 20% Tivo due to no TV production.

For the long term post-Tivo future I am looking at online Streaming+DVR services like YouTubeTV. There is an expiration date on recordings however so that's one niggle. You cover all the major networks and most of what is on cable as well - $65/month and we get to dump cable though seems like a good deal. Some competitors to this are less expensive - less features...

WAF-Friendly? I run it all including the media server - hubby doesn't have a clue how it works. ha ha

Reactions: 1

pl1

· #14 · Dec 21, 2020

2

igirl said:
Tried the FireTV 4K and couldn't stand it.

Is it the Advertisements? That's the one thing I hate the most about the Fire Stick (and Fire TV), the ads, which are mostly pushing Amazon's movies and shows. I hate that you have to click down two rows before you can even select an app.

The Absolute CLEANEST interface I've tried so far is the TiVo Stream 4K. You can eliminate everything on the screen except the apps you want.

You can ALMOST do that with the Roku, but it always displays one ad.

World Font Display device Magenta Technology

I figure the Nvidia Shield can be setup like TiVo Stream 4K, but I don't have one to compare.

See less See more

Pokemon_Dad

· #15 · Dec 21, 2020

igirl said:
WAF-Friendly? I run it all including the media server - hubby doesn't have a clue how it works. ha ha

Yeah we really ought to replace "WAF" with something gender-neutral. Like "LAM factor" (Liberal Arts Major). Or "MDF", for all the medical doctors who have no clue how to do anything at home.

Old Roamio 0

· #16 · Dec 21, 2020

I used to have cable, but gave up the tv part. I still pay for internet. OTA is a lot cheaper. The $$$s part re cable vs the free channels by antenna is a big deal to me. Saving is important at this stage of my life. The streaming services can be started and stopped whenever I want too. The new Tivo costs, but renting the cable boxes back then added up over the year too.

Reactions: 1

krkaufman

· #17 · Dec 21, 2020

pl1 said:
Is it the Advertisements? That's the one thing I hate the most about the Fire Stick (and Fire TV), the ads, which are mostly pushing Amazon's movies and shows. I hate that you have to click down two rows before you can even select an app.

The Absolute CLEANEST interface I've tried so far is the TiVo Stream 4K. You can eliminate everything on the screen except the apps you want. View attachment 55951

You can ALMOST do that with the Roku, but it always displays one ad.
View attachment 55952

I figure the Nvidia Shield can be setup like TiVo Stream 4K, but I don't have one to compare.

Yeah, this is my initial complaint with Google's Chromecast w/ Google TV, just too much advertising and suggested content being thrown in my face, including from services for which I lack a subscription or are PPV. Even in "Apps Only" mode, the first massive row is a scrollable content advertisement, as compared to Roku's approach which has the forced advertisement over to the side, where it can be ignored.

So that's one advantage of the TS4k over CCwGTV, imo, at least for "Apps Only" users.

igirl

· #18 · Dec 21, 2020 (Edited)

Ads are one thing - but the one at a time clickety click click click (or zoom single click and hold) on and on to get to things makes me crazy after having used Apple TV 4K for a long time now.

With the ATV remote one simply glides around like a finger on a trackpad. No clicking - just glide until you find your item then one click. It's hard to explain and seems a little foreign at first but once you master it - it's incredibly elegant and fast. A quick double click and you're in a carousel app switcher where you can just side swipe between any of your open apps and choose in 1 second. Of all the boxes I've tried the ATV is way out in front on the UI - I think Roku would probably be dead last.

ATV kind of has 3 different "home" screen choices. The ATV+ App itself does have one giant carousel banner at the top of the home screen, and presents paid shows at the bottom, but we almost never see that screen. Mostly it just leaves you right where you left off - or which choices of everything you're visited recently. Or with choices of all the available apps - no ads.

It has unique "spaces" to navigate from - very similar to OSX's Spaces which allow multiple unique desktops for user defined workspaces. (in OSX I use one for photo editing - one for web design - one for publishing/word, one iTunes, one calendar etc) So with the Apple TV - for us, Netflix and Amazon are always open/running to switch between - sometimes the media server, and sometimes other apps as well.

Hard to explain but hope this helps a bit.

See less See more

cwteevee

· #19 · Dec 21, 2020

ManOfSnow said:
Hello guys!

If there is no option, I was thinking of just switching to Hotwire through my HOA with their basic package and just augment whatever they don't have with the subscription services and pick them up with apps on the firestick. However, that would mean my TiVo which I've had for 20 years would now be in the garbage.

Hotwire is such a hot mess, I wouldn't wish them on anyone. The geniuses at my mom's old retirement community signed an 18-year contract with them when a simple search of the interwebs would show how bad they are. When it worked, and it frequently didn't, everything was SD and service was nonexistent. After less than five years, the powers that be finally got the message and exercised an exit clause to move to Fios. It costed a little more but it was well worth it.

shwru980r

· #20 · Dec 22, 2020

igirl said:
Unfortunately it's not on Apple TV - and for iOS they block using AirPlay - so no screen mirroring.
Tried the FireTV 4K and couldn't stand it... no better than Roku which we have just for Xfinity - but never use it due to all other streaming content being supported on Apple TV - so for us it's 50/50 AppleTV/Tivo.... or in the year 2020 it was more like 80% AppleTV and 20% Tivo due to no TV production.

For the long term post-Tivo future I am looking at online Streaming+DVR services like YouTubeTV. There is an expiration date on recordings however so that's one niggle. You cover all the major networks and most of what is on cable as well - $65/month and we get to dump cable though seems like a good deal. Some competitors to this are less expensive - less features...

WAF-Friendly? I run it all including the media server - hubby doesn't have a clue how it works. ha ha

But with Youtubetv you still need to pay for broadband internet from the cable company. Not sure you would save money over cable but you would have the unified apple tv interface that you like. Might be worth it.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.