What will you do for Cable if and when your cable provider discontinues support for any NEW cable cards needed for our Tivos.
Currently I have (3) Tivo's and (3) Tivo Mini's which I love. So would need 6 Comcast boxes or the App to replace these if Cable Cards become no longer supported later this year or next.

People will go through the five stages of grief, and at some stage it will include creating their own unique thread on the TiVo community forums, as it is all about their experience, rather than reading what others have gone through and done.

I suspect @cwoody222 will want to have a word with those people.

 

I had to go with optimums cable box dvr, it is prehistoric Very frustrated since I had a fabulous TIVO for 20 years
I hate this box, but what other solution is there to DVR ing as I mostly watch my shows when I can get to them. I need to program my shows and know they will record and keep them till I get to watch them. Any solutions out there???

 

What will people do if and when Cable Cards are no longer supported?

They will find another way to get their programming, it's really that easy

 

But WHERE can people go to research options?!?!

 

It sucks!! My choice was to get the cable company dvr which is a total POS with software that seems to be from the 90s, so it's massively behind the times in technological ability. I wish it were easier because I'm really sick and tired of things going wrong (don't get me started!) and this is just another messed up thing.

I do have some streamers and really need to get back to making a list of shows I want to see and see what all ones are on the streamers I have but have had too much other stuff to deal with lately.

And, yeah, I've had it 'splained to me other choices that I guess some think are universal. I've gone through all that and, aside from getting this idiot dvr or just using streamers, the choices I had were nil.

 

I'll be cancelling my cable TV package, hooking my Tivo's up to my attic mounted antennas, and get by with OTA and FAST plus a streaming sub or two.

 

Yes, we have been doing that with a separate TiVo device for OTA, including another that we use in our travel trailer. OTA has much to offer!

 

Streaming? YoutubeTV?

 

Pretty much what I did, got tired of Spectrum NYC pricing structure and went with DirecTV stream … at least I can use my TiVo roamio OTA, but the day it goes to where it becomes unrepairable i Already have other OTA recorder I can do with

 

What channels are accessible on OTA, basic 2, 5, 7, 9 and 12? Non HD or in HD?

 

Provided you have an OTA capable Tivo, the major networks are in HD and they have multiple SD sub channels.
However unless that suffices, you'll need to determine what you watch, where it's available, and for how much. But life will go on...

 

Just enjoy using the Tivos until the cablecards stop working.

In the meantime, maybe try a couple trials of the streaming TV alternatives like Directv Stream and YoutubeTV. Then when cablecards stop working you already know what you liked during the free trials, or if you like your cable providers apps and dvrs more than stay with them.

For my family, we really get a lot of value out of the cablecards supplied by Comcast. Once those stop working we will be moving on from Comcast. We already dropped Comcast cable for Tmobile Home Internet that uses a nearby tower.

Over the past few years we've tried multiple trials of YoutubeTV, Directv Stream and some others. We'll probably go with Directv Stream due to the great channel selection and is very much like Comcast offers.

I also added a couple Tivo Roamio OTAs so we can still do some OTA recording. In the future these will come in handy for viewing recordings on the cable Tivos even when Comcast stops cablecards.

 

Look out the window?

 

Is that ad-supported? If so, does it have skip mode?

 

One works with what they have. My TiVo cannot function without a cable card so I’d have to find a solution without TiVo. It would be as if I never had TiVo. Just find the best experience and implement it not being bound by past positive experiences with TiVo. Many times, we bind ourselves with past parameters that we have no control over.

 

I dumped xfinity when they raised my 12 month locked in price after 2 month. I went to YouTube TV and provides me with a similar service.

 

I couldn't care less. I've been using a TiVo to record off the air with an antenna for over 20 years now. I do that, use Blu-rays/4K discs, and stream and it is more content than I could possibly ever consume. I must have saved over $15,000 not paying for cable over those 20+ years.

 

Never had cable cards, just used the clear QAM channels broadcast along with the cable internet service. Worked fine for many years. Now those channels disappeared as they sucked up the spectrum to increase internet speeds. Now it’s just plain old OTA for me and my 3 S3 TiVos. Have Netflix courtesy of Tmobile, and Amazon Prime video (free version). Think I’ll survive.

 

What will you do for Cable if and when your cable provider discontinues support for any NEW cable cards needed for our Tivos.
Currently I have (3) Tivo's and (3) Tivo Mini's which I love. So would need 6 Comcast boxes or the App to replace these if Cable Cards become no longer supported later this year or next.

Thank you,
Shane

Already started using the Xfinity Stream App on my Apple TV. It’s not TiVo but it does the job. It’s also nice to have everything on the same input.

 

GETTING programming and RECORDING it are 2 different things.

if you have a service that offers you on demand viewing, then recording is a non issue.
Since none of the content owners want anyone to record content you’re between a rock and a hard place the number of people wanting to record is also dropping.
We don’t have to like it, but content owners have made it clear what they want and it is indeed their business and their intellectual property

 

So I've been using YouTube TV for about a week now... very dissapointed...

Automatic Ad skipping seems to take the extra step of processing the show, haven't actually tried to do that yet.

But far worse is that the audio intermittently goes into crackle mode. Other streaming services seem fine, but about half my viewing time with YouTube TV has had distorted crackling audio. The picture quality is perfect, no complaints there, so I can't imagine bandwidth is the issue. I'm using the app built into my LG TV that's abot 2 years old. Everything software wise is up to date.

 

So I've been using YouTube TV for about a week now... very dissapointed...

Automatic Ad skipping seems to take the extra step of processing the show, haven't actually tried to do that yet.

But far worse is that the audio intermittently goes into crackle mode. Other streaming services seem fine, but about half my viewing time with YouTube TV has had distorted crackling audio. The picture quality is perfect, no complaints there, so I can't imagine bandwidth is the issue. I'm using the app built into my LG TV that's abot 2 years old. Everything software wise is up to date.

Do you have any other 'streamer' - ATV or maybe a FireStick of sorts? Each will likely have maybe different issues. Are you using external speakers or a sound bar?

 

So I've been using YouTube TV for about a week now... very dissapointed...

Automatic Ad skipping seems to take the extra step of processing the show, haven't actually tried to do that yet.

But far worse is that the audio intermittently goes into crackle mode. Other streaming services seem fine, but about half my viewing time with YouTube TV has had distorted crackling audio. The picture quality is perfect, no complaints there, so I can't imagine bandwidth is the issue. I'm using the app built into my LG TV that's abot 2 years old. Everything software wise is up to date.

Do you have any other 'streamer' - ATV or maybe a FireStick of sorts? Each will likely have maybe different issues. Are you using external speakers or a sound bar?

I have had no audio issues whatsoever in the three months that I have been using YTTV on a variety of dedicated media streaming devices. As @WVZR1 implies above, I would recommend that you not rely exclusively on the native apps in your display.

 

I would recommend that you not rely exclusively on the native apps in your display.

TV manufacturer (and LG is not the only example) 3rd party apps are typically out of date within a year. Some of the 3rd party app vendors have alluded to a less than transparent slow-walk of updates by the TV manufacturers, who are not interested in fixing their own OS bugs if it does not impact their TV itself (they gain no revenue from fixes, so they tend to stop most efforts in about a year (when the next TV model gets released)). And when the TV manufacturer is not helpful to the 3rd party app developers, those 3rd party app developers may end up moving to platforms that want to work together.

The only thing to do with the in-built TV apps is not plan to use them. There are many 3rd party streaming solutions available, each with their own particularities (although none have a remote that feels as good as the TiVo peanut), but they mostly just work, and are properly supportable and supported.

 

I go one step further and delete the apps off my TV. If I’m not going to use them, what’s the point of them being there? Worse, again to use LG as an example, LG will send way way too many “messages” regarding offers to use their apps - the only way I found to stop this incessant marketing (short of removing from Internet, which I use for smart home controls) was to remove the actual apps themselves.

They had some event, “LG Streaming Week” I think they called it?, where I was getting messages daily. I just thought, “Who do they think wants this?!”

I got my first LG OLED last year and I absolutely love the picture but they shoot themselves in the foot with their constant nagging marketing messages.

My Vizio is just as bad - whenever Vizio sends a full screen promotional message to their streaming hub, my TV changes input automatically to show it to me. That, plus Walmart owning them now, and hardware problems in the past, ensures I’ll never buy another Vizio again.

 

I keep our LG TVs disconnected from the internet. When I first bought them I connected an ethernet cable to update the firmware and then disconnected it.

We use AppleTVs mostly but occasionally use a Roku and Firestick. Besides those are main network TV watching is done with Tivo Roamios.

 

I keep our LG TVs disconnected from the internet. When I first bought them I connected an ethernet cable to update the firmware and then disconnected it.

Last I remember, LG TV's allow updating using a USB stick, although there was not a notification email option when updates were released, so you had to remember to go look for newer firmware from time to time... That is useful for both those without reliable Internet, and to insure the TV does not have the ability to call home.

 

The only thing to do with the in-built TV apps is not plan to use them.

I go one step further and delete the apps off my TV.

I myself rely exclusively on an array of dedicated media streaming devices. However, it is only fair to mention that there are those who argue that they feel the picture quality is better on their display when it is not run through an external device. And for gamers, doing so might also improve on the lag in data transmission.

Finally, for the sake of added flexibility, where eARC is an option I am not averse to resorting to the apps on my display either as a last-ditch alternative to my other devices or for trouble-shooting purposes to verify app performance on another platform.

 

If your display's apps are used, most higher end displays will show you what's actually coming in in terms of resolution, frame rate, and dynamic range. I find that to be handy at times.

Most other mainstream streaming devices will refuse to tell you anything - the ATV4K for example requires that you have a separate Apple computer that you can boot into terminal mode and jump through a bunch of other hoops to make that happen, and even then the trick is only good until the next reboot of either device. The one exception in the past was the Amazon Firestick but I haven't used mine in a long while and don't know if current versions still support that.

 

I’m going to share a different thinking and direction for me to handle the now very certain future when Comcast eliminates CableCards and therefore TiVo. As an electrical engineer (now retired) I’m attracted to the notion of cobbling some alternative technologies together as proposed and mused in various TiVo Community threads. But for me now the operative word is “retired.” I would like to just sit on my couch, grab a remote to watch channels and occasionally record some (streaming is done elsewhere). Nothing will ever, ever be better than the traditional TiVo UI, but it’s time to move on.

So, I visited an Xfinity branch store to see what options they have to propose. Most of you are probably aware of their offerings, but for me this was new and eye-opening because I’ve exclusively used TiVo boxes since the very first one came to market.

I must admit the Xfinity options don’t seem that bad. They offer an Xfinity box that provides access to all our subscribed channels and provides the ability to record shows to their cloud. We could access these cloud recordings via the box at home and also via the Xfinity Stream app anywhere we log on. Also the Stream app provides access to all our channels today as part of our subscription (which I never knew).

So overall this doesn’t seem to be a bad solution going forward for a geezer like me. I will miss the TiVo experience, but for simplicity's sake I’m fine with giving my TV-watching soul to the Xfinity overlords, unless TiVo manages a stay of execution. Cheers.

 

I think we're probably similar in age, (retired)vocation, and maybe avocations, so I'd be interested in your actual experience with your Tivo replacement. Specifically, how quickly can you flip back and forth between live channels, are there limitations or restrictions on what you can save (and how much and how long can you save) to the "cloud", how long does it take to find one of your cloud-based recordings, how long to start playing one of these recordings, do they ever "hang" while buffering...

These are the things that I wonder about with these replacements, because I never have to be concerned with any of them while using my Tivo.

 

Comcast just disabled the cable card I have in my TIVO because my contract was up and they won't activate a cable card any more. So I have a TIVO and a Mini that are just sitting here to use for streaming only.

 

For the hundredth time, you CHOOSE to select a new package, which wasn’t compatible with cablecards.

If you would have DONE NOTHING when your contract was up, nothing would have changed.

 

An update on my YouTube TV audio issue while watching on an LG OLED TV (only two years old). While watching the last quarter of the Super Bowl (I finally decided to tune in when a friend texted me regarding the awful graphics FOX was using.) The crackling became really bad, so on a whim I disabled my LG sound bar, and low and behold, the audio sounds decent. I'll have to do some more experimenting.

 

Well, the price would have (most likely) gone up, possibly by a significant amount.

People are free to choose to save money by changing their package(s). They are also free to choose to keep their CableCARDs. Individuals need to choose wisely, and accept the impacts of their choices.

The scummy thing is Comcast won't tell you that changing your package will disable your Cable Card. So I see where the user is coming from. I'm sure if they spelled out what would happen, he would not have changed plans. People are free to choose what plan they want, but it is the obligation of the carrier to inform the consumer of the impacts of that choice, so they can make that choice properly informed. This is no different than big banks turning on overdraft protection with it's $50 fee without telling new account holders about it, or hotels tacking on hidden "convenience fee's" to your bill when you go to check out. It's a scumbag practice that should not be excused or defended.

Right.

But this persons continued fear mongering is not correct.

“Comcast just disabled…” is a gross exaggeration without any important context.

That's a pedantic argument. "Comcast didn't tell me I would lose my cable cards if I changed my account, so I changed my account, and lost my cable cards" is a completely valid complaint to make. Sure, Comcast didn't go and turn off this guys card out of the blue, but when the omitted/hid the fact that changing his plan would kill his cable cards, they are 100% complicit in the result. Getting mad at the guy and defending Comcast is a weird flex.

 

The scummy thing is Comcast won't tell you that changing your package will disable your Cable Card. So I see where the user is coming from. I'm sure if they spelled out what would happen, he would not have changed plans. People are free to choose what plan they want, but it is the obligation of the carrier to inform the consumer of the impacts of that choice, so they can make that choice properly informed. This is no different than big banks turning on overdraft protection with it's $50 fee without telling new account holders about it, or hotels tacking on hidden "convenience fee's" to your bill when you go to check out. It's a scumbag practice that should not be excused or defended.



That's a pedantic argument. "Comcast didn't tell me I would lose my cable cards if I changed my account, so I changed my account, and lost my cable cards" is a completely valid complaint to make. Sure, Comcast didn't go and turn off this guys card out of the blue, but when the omitted/hid the fact that changing his plan would kill his cable cards, they are 100% complicit in the result. Getting mad at the guy and defending Comcast is a weird flex.

But that’s not what happened.

This person proactively called Comcast to change their plan because their contact ended and was increasing $50/mo.

They were made aware that their choice was pay $50 more or lose cards/tivo and they choose to not pay.

https://www.tivocommunity.com/threads/comcast-and-cable-cards.595561/?post_id=12946864#post-12946864

Then, for the last 6 weeks they pop up in every Comcast thread with dire warnings that Comcast is going out tricking people.

This person knew the options and made a choice.

 

An, what I believe is a final, update on my YouTube TV on my LG OLED TV audio issue. My last comment was by disabling the soundbar, I eliminated the crackling and distortion. The problem I have with that is I'd have to toggle the audio configuration every time I switched between YTTV and all my other streaming services.

I did find an audio setting in YTTV that switches it from 5.1 to stereo, and that sounds fine through my soundbar. I'll with this compromise.

 

This is getting a little repetitive, (and a little harsh.)

What's important is that other people reading the thread(s!) understand the rules and pitfalls in an xfinity environment.

• If someone has xfinity touch ANYTHING, they are likely to lose their cable cards, watch out.
  • This includes changing packages in any way, including taking a new bundle to get a new discount to lower your price, or to prevent your price from going up. If you want to keep your CC's, you just have to suck it up and pay shelf rates.
• xfinity is not issuing new cards
• If someone was unlucky enough to be in the area where they blew a firmware update, they can beg, they can wait, they can report to the FCC, but they may well be out of luck through no fault of their own.
• Otherwise... doing nothing... one should be able to ride Cable Cards all the way to the end.

(Evidence suggests you can still, very carefully, have a CSR change your internet speed. But be careful attempting this, if the CSR just throws packages at you to get you a good rate, they'll end up removing your CCs, watch out)

 

This is getting a little repetitive, (and a little harsh.)

What's important is that other people reading the thread(s!) understand the rules and pitfalls in an xfinity environment.

• If someone has xfinity touch ANYTHING, they are likely to lose their cable cards, watch out.
  • This includes changing packages in any way, including taking a new bundle to get a new discount to lower your price, or to prevent your price from going up. If you want to keep your CC's, you just have to suck it up and pay shelf rates.

This has not been my experience. Until a couple of months ago, I had Xfinity cable and internet. I canceled their internet service and there was zero impact on my CableCARD service.
Also, I am a hockey fan and on occasional the NHL Network will air a game I want to see. My cable pkg doesn't include the NHL Network. There have been several times when I have called and made the necessary change to my subscription package in order to get the NHL Network. Then, before my next billing period started, I've called and had them return me to my original subscription package. Each time I have done this, the most recent being just a couple of weeks ago, there has been zero impact on my CableCARD service.