There are still some deep setting menus that are in standard definition, but it's getting there. However, regardless of how good the features are, the rub for many will be pricing. The deal breaker for most people is the service fee. Still, it's a lot to swallow upfront and ongoing, especially if you're satisfied with the DVR from your cable provider and you don't notice the lease price since it's rolled into your bill.
Then again, the Bolt is much more than a DVR. These days, digital video recorders aren't anything special -- cable and satellite companies rent them to their customers for a few bucks a month, and said customers can time-shift their favorite programs to watch at their convenience. So, why invest in a TiVo? Basically, it's the same reason you'd pay extra for a Mac versus a Windows PC: for starters, that means a best-in-class user interface and ease of use.
The guide extends 14 days into the future, and it can be displayed as a standard grid or as a split-screen Live Guide, which breaks out several hours of program information from each channel on the right half of the screen. You also have access to a grid-style miniguide on the bottom of the screen, overlaid on top of what you're currently viewing. Spotify, iHeartRadio and Pandora are available for music.
Also, the app platform is based on the Opera web browser, and the Bolt has access to apps developed for that browser. OnePass: OnePass is the evolution of TiVo's Season Pass option that lets you quickly set the DVR to record every episode of a show throughout the season or catch both new and repeat airings of a show. For instance, you can record every "CSI" episode on any channel and keep only the five most recent episodes, or you can record only the new nonrerun episodes in prime time, or both.
This function has mostly been imitated by other DVRs, but TiVo's OnePass is generally more accurate and reliable than other cable DVR models, especially at delineating between new episodes and reruns, or adjusting if a show changes its time slot. OnePass builds on that by collecting all episodes of a show into a single folder, whether it's recorded, available for streaming or purchase, or both.
Each episode is marked letting you know if it's a recording on the DVR or a streaming-only title. Search: TiVo's Search is one of its strongest features. It ties all of the content from streaming services and your TV schedule together. This allows you to get search results cross-referenced for all video sources, that is TV and online. So, if you search for a show -- say, "The Good Wife" -- you'll get upcoming first-run and rerun episodes on TV, plus episode-by-episode lists organized by season of the shows on Netflix and Amazon and Hulu Plus, if the shows in question are also available there.
If they're only available for purchase, it will tell you so and the prices across services. Web and mobile management: TiVo Online is the company's web portal for managing your account. This includes setting up, adjusting or canceling OnePass or one-time recordings, deleting content from the DVR and viewing and editing your To Do List, which is a list of your upcoming scheduled recordings.
Even if you're not a TiVo user, you can use the site's search to find where to watch TV shows and movies across broadcast and OTT services. All of these things can be done via TiVo's mobile apps as well. Wish List: The Wish List is just what it sounds like: you choose an actor, director, genre, or keyword, and TiVo will record any program that involves that keyword.
Again, this feature is also available on other DVRs, but TiVo's implementation still tends to be easier to use than other versions we've seen. TiVo Suggestions: By default, TiVo also uses your TV downtime -- overnight, when you're at work, and so forth -- to record programs based on interests you express by using the thumbs-up and thumbs-down button on your remote.
The more you vote on your viewing choices, the better your TiVo will become at finding similar, related programming, which it duly labels TiVo Suggestions. Some may object to this functionality as invasive or overkill -- which is why it can be easily turned off -- but for anyone who laments that there's never anything on TV, it's worth trying.
Collections: TiVo assembles collections of TV shows and movies based on themes. For example, you might find a Collection based on Thanksgiving movies. With a couple -- and I mean a couple -- button presses, TiVo will schedule everything in the collections to record. No hunting around for specific times and start dates or anything, it's all just set to record.
And if you'd like to customize the Collections, you can do that, too. Select What to Watch Now and you're given a thumbnail look at the top 20 most popular shows airing in that time slot. I still have my Roamio in play. The ideal setup for me is something like the Stream 4k with a TiVo app. Obviously, they took that off the table. I have been frustrated with the streamers out there due to what I view is overly minimalist remote designs. This makes me more inclined to purchase another Stream 4k.
If TiVo drops it completely, I see a reasonable alternative. Generally, I like it. It has some nice features. I just wish they would improve the Live TV functions. That sometimes irks.
What are you missing from Channels for live television? If TiVo goes kaput, what other devices are available that will are the options that perform similar functions? I have a Tablo but it is somewhat difficult to channel surf on it. The problem, however, is that Comcast continues to nickel and dime. TiVo killed Tivo, but crappy programming certainly poisoned the pool long before that. To reproduce the TiVo functionality, the closest you can probably do is have multiple streamer devices, each streaming a specific channel, and you switch between them by switching inputs on your TV or AV receiver.
This is not really ideal. TiVo with cable is still by far the best DVR and yes, channel surfer too. Most of the public have no appreciation for that, hell, many still watch live TV!! The average person tolerates crap way more than I do, for sure! Dave, Since you asked. Channels fails on Live TV for me due to two missing functions: 1. Ability to start watching something and then record it to finish later.
Ability to change which device you are watching from and are behind on. They made a good first step on fixing this by adding tuner sharing. Additionally, there are lots of small additional issues for me that are not deal breakers. Standalone units must now be connected to an Internet connection wired or wireless to function.
TiVo Roamio and Bolt units have wifi built in. Wifi is not an option. Standalone Series 2 TiVos that are connected to a cable box generally use an infrared "blaster" cable, which sends the remote control frequencies to the cable box.
Using these cables generally results in a slight second delay when changing channels. Some cable boxes can use a direct serial cable connection, which is much faster. HD Standalone TiVos cannot use a cable box at all. Changing channels requires no additional cabling.
It is fast and easy. Almost all cable boxes and satellite boxes are compatible with standard definition TiVo units. However, some are not. For a complete listing, see the FAQ entry here. Again, no HD TiVos can use a cable box - see above.
The Roamio OTA, however, works only with antenna. That line started with the HR20, through the HR Series 2 Standalone TiVos: No matter what the input source whether digital cable, analog cable, digital satellite or over-the-air antenna , the TiVo will receive an analog signal and then convert that signal into digital. When converting from analog to digital, you will have the ability to tell the TiVo how much to compress the picture.
Although the highest recording quality generally looks pretty close to the picture quality you'll see without a TiVo, there will be some although in most cases not a noticeable difference between the TiVo's quality and the quality without the TiVo.
As a general rule, the answer is no. DVRs provided by cable companies vary tremendously from city to city and cable company to cable company , so it's impossible to analyze those features. As a general rule, our customers tend to dislike generic cable company DVRs and prefer the feature-rich TiVo-brand. Standard vs High Definition? Here is a summary of your options:. The two-tuner Premiere is great for customers who want to use both antenna AND cable or who live in apartment or other complexes such as senior citizens' homes that have cable systems that require an analog tuner.
For discounted pricing, we recommend a visit to our page that has TiVos with prepaid lifetime service included. These are typically older-model TiVos but they are priced aggressively and have lifetime service already paid. Your choices are our supply of refurbished Series 1 and Series2 units with pre-paid product lifetime TiVo service. These are single-tuner units that include "All In" TiVo service. No additional payments to TiVo are required. You may need a cable box from your cable company to work with these TiVos.
The genie has one satellite line running into it.
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