# Probably going to buy the 4-tuner OTA Roamio - have a few questions



## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

*Question 1:* It comes with a 1 TB internal drive. I've discovered by reading this forum that if I replace it with a drive no larger than 3 TB, that the Roamio will automatically format and configure the new drive (that's awesome). But what if I don't buy a drive right away, and then I want to upgrade the drive - Is there a process to copy over the contents from the default drive to a new drive?

*Question 2:* I also see there's a tool/process that is available to use if I wanted to use a drive larger than 3 TB - I have the same question as above basically - if I wanted to put a 5 or 6 GB drive in as a replacement, can I copy over the contents from the default drive to a new drive? I'm asking twice in case there's a different answer. 

*Question 3:* Right now I have an Ethernet switch behind the entertainment center, and I have it connected to my home network by way of the DirecTV Genie's ability to bridge Ethernet and coax over the same coax cable, and then I connect an Ethernet cable from the Genie to the switch, which then lets me connect my Roku, AppleTV, and other Ethernet devices. What part(s) do I need to purchase to replicate the functionality? I have a router upstairs and there's a gizmo from DirecTV that connects to the router, and then connects to the coax wiring in the house. So presumably I'd need some sort of similar device to replace that functionality.


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## WRX09MD (Aug 25, 2013)

You can get them from Weaknees right now with a free upgrade. 
http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-roamio-series5.php


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

BrettStah said:


> *Question 1:* It comes with a 1 TB internal drive. I've discovered by reading this forum that if I replace it with a drive no larger than 3 TB, that the Roamio will automatically format and configure the new drive (that's awesome). But what if I don't buy a drive right away, and then I want to upgrade the drive - Is there a process to copy over the contents from the default drive to a new drive?
> 
> *Question 2:* I also see there's a tool/process that is available to use if I wanted to use a drive larger than 3 TB - I have the same question as above basically - if I wanted to put a 5 or 6 GB drive in as a replacement, can I copy over the contents from the default drive to a new drive? I'm asking twice in case there's a different answer.
> 
> *Question 3:* Right now I have an Ethernet switch behind the entertainment center, and I have it connected to my home network by way of the DirecTV Genie's ability to bridge Ethernet and coax over the same coax cable, and then I connect an Ethernet cable from the Genie to the switch, which then lets me connect my Roku, AppleTV, and other Ethernet devices. What part(s) do I need to purchase to replicate the functionality? I have a router upstairs and there's a gizmo from DirecTV that connects to the router, and then connects to the coax wiring in the house. So presumably I'd need some sort of similar device to replace that functionality.


Since none of your content will be copy protected, easiest way to move content would be TiVo desktop or KMTTG/pytivo to a PC then back to the new drive.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

OK, great! So I can just buy a TiVo with the larger drive already installed potentially, which makes my first two questions moot, or I can copy the content from the 1 TB original drive to a PC afterwards, and then copy it all back once I replace the drive, which answers the first two questions.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

If you upgrade later and want to save recordings, you can copy them over to a PC and then upgrade. You can then copy them back over. But if you are just wanting to keep the shows, it would be better to keep them on the PC, or external hard drive (and serves as a backup) and later, copy them back over for watching. Tivo wasn't meant for long term storage and if the Tivo fails, then shows on the Tivo are lost. 

You can upgrade up to 8TB using MSFR program. The Tivo just needs to be up to date (20.6.x+) to use 4+ TB. 

You would also need to know that this voids the warranty. (Unless DADT. rah ) 90 days is parts and labor. What I would do is let it run a few months to ensure it runs fine before upgrading, any issues and warranty covers it..


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

I think the DirecTV Genie we use now has a 1 TB drive, and we can make due with it, but I think I'll go ahead and get one from Weaknees with a 3 TB drive already assuming I talk the wife into it.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Would this product be what I would need in order to extend my wired network over the existing coax wiring in my house (which would be unused by anything else)?

Yitong Technology MoCA 2.0 Ethernet to Coax Adapter, 2 Pack (YTMC-51N1-M2) 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MDRX5A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_QMHYxbNZ9JGHN


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

WRX09MD said:


> You can get them from Weaknees right now with a free upgrade.
> http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-roamio-series5.php


Per that page, the "free upgrade" appears to only apply to the Weakness 2TB model, which goes for $500 -- as compared to the $400 for the stock 1TB lifetime model.

You can grab your own 3TB for less than the $100 price difference, and I expect Weaknees doesn't also provide you with the replaced hard drive -- netting you a spare 1TB hard drive if you go the DIY route.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> But what if I don't buy a drive right away, and then I want to upgrade the drive - Is there a process to copy over the contents from the default drive to a new drive?


See: MFS Tools 3.2

It supposedly allows you to migrate all content from an old drive to a new one -- but I believe there's a limit to the allowed destination drive size.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> *Question 3:* Right now I have an Ethernet switch behind the entertainment center, and I have it connected to my home network by way of the DirecTV Genie's ability to bridge Ethernet and coax over the same coax cable, and then I connect an Ethernet cable from the Genie to the switch, which then lets me connect my Roku, AppleTV, and other Ethernet devices. What part(s) do I need to purchase to replicate the functionality? I have a router upstairs and there's a gizmo from DirecTV that connects to the router, and then connects to the coax wiring in the house. So presumably I'd need some sort of similar device to replace that functionality.





BrettStah said:


> Would this product be what I would need in order to extend my wired network over the existing coax wiring in my house (which would be unused by anything else)?


It depends.

How will you be routing your OTA antenna signal to your Roamio OTA? Will you be looking to use your coax wiring now used by DirecTV or will you have a direct coax connection from the antenna to the Roamio OTA?

Basically, DECA conflicts with OTA frequencies, so they can't coexist on the same coax lines. However, if your OTA antenna will connect directly to your Roamio, without coming near your existing coax lines, there's no reason you can't continue using your DECA adapters just as you are to provide your coax networking connectivity. The main additional caveat is that you wouldn't be able to directly connect a TiVo Mini to your coax lines and use MoCA to establish a wired network connection; you'd need to use a DECA adapter at the Mini to supply the Mini's networking connection.

----

All that said, if you'd prefer to shift to MoCA, yes, a pair of those MoCA 2.0 adapters would get you there -- as well as provide a much faster MoCA connection in doing so (400+ Mbps vs 100 Mbps of a DECA adapter). Other adapters are also available, and are on sale on Amazon. (see here)

And there's no reason you couldn't start with DECA then shift to MoCA. (Not to mention the possibility of doing both, in parallel.)


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Thanks! I as planning on connecting the antenna directly to the Roamio.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> Thanks! I as planning on connecting the antenna directly to the Roamio.


Then your DECA network should be OK to remain on your existing coax lines -- at least until you get the itch to upgrade to something faster...
400+ Mbps of standard MoCA 2.0
800+ Mbps of extended/bonded MoCA 2.0
2.5 Gbps of MoCA 2.5_ (future)_​


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## WRX09MD (Aug 25, 2013)

krkaufman said:


> Per that page, the "free upgrade" appears to only apply to the Weakness 2TB model, which goes for $500 -- as compared to the $400 for the stock 1TB lifetime model.
> 
> You can grab your own 3TB for less than the $100 price difference, and I expect Weaknees doesn't also provide you with the replaced hard drive -- netting you a spare 1TB hard drive if you go the DIY route.


Just put both in the cart and one says lifetime service and the other says all in service. Wahts the difference?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

WRX09MD said:


> Just put both in the cart and one says lifetime service and the other says all in service. Wahts the difference?


Same service, different title.


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## JTHOJNICKI (Nov 30, 2015)

I put a 6TB Western Digital Red in my Roamio OTA. Using MSFR to prep the drive was very easy once I connected it directly to my motherboard SATA connector rather than my USB HDD dock (you do have to connect it to the TiVo first to initialize it). I did the drive replacement right away, so no content to move, but I did migrate the content from my 500GB Bolt to the Roamio OTA after the upgrade. You could use your computer as the migration platform using TiVo desktop or KMTTG.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

So I ordered the Roamio - decided to just stick with the default 1 TB drive for now, since there's a process available to migrate any recordings from it to a new drive.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

BrettStah said:


> So I ordered the Roamio - decided to just stick with the default 1 TB drive for now, since there's a process available to migrate any recordings from it to a new drive.


Since there is no process or software need to change to a 3TB drive, except the tools & drive, you might consider that option too.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

JoeKustra said:


> Since there is no process or software need to change to a 3TB drive, except the tools & drive, you might consider that option too.


Yep, considering that. But The current DirecTV DVR I'm using has a 1TB drive and we make it work, and that records from a lot more channels than what this TiVo will be recording from (a little over half of our DirecTV season passes are from local channels).

Since it's possible to copy recordings over the network from the TiVo, I can pretty easily replace these drive down the road if needed.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

OTA programs are not compressed like cable signals. Assuming that the satellite providers also compress, you may not be able to record as much content with the same size drive on the Tivo.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

jrtroo said:


> OTA programs are not compressed like cable signals. Assuming that the satellite providers also compress, you may not be able to record as much content with the same size drive on the Tivo.


I thought of that, but given that a sizable percentage of what we currently record is going to now be watched via Playstation Vue, I think we'll be fine.


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## bungi43 (Sep 6, 2016)

I'm very happy with mine right now.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

jrtroo said:


> OTA programs are not compressed like cable signals. Assuming that the satellite providers also compress, you may not be able to record as much content with the same size drive on the Tivo.


Right, I was going to mention the same thing... highlighting that DirecTV can use wireless clients for the same reason, because they have control of the bitrate and are pushing higher quality video using lower bitrates... meaning more hours of HD storage for an equivalent drive size.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Well, the Roamio arrived today! I went through and set it up already. I may have to tweak the antenna location, or get a new antenna because I'm not getting every single channel clearly. 

I have some suggestions for the setup process:

1) The first question should be the Internet connectivity question about Ethernet or Wifi, and only if it first tries and fails to detect a working Internet connection via Ethernet. 

2) Once an internet connection is successfully made, check for any software updates, post a message that a software update is in progress, and immediately download and install and reboot without further prompts. 

3) Once no software updates are detected, then prompt for the customer to go online to activate the TiVo.

4) Finally, ask for ZIP, scan for channels, and then start the Guided Setup process. And if it's an OTA only Roamio, remove/hide all references and steps related to Cable, CableCards, etc. 

Reorganizing the steps would streamline things greatly, imho. I think I had to go through the Guided Setup 3 different times today to get it set up.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

BrettStah said:


> Well, the Roamio arrived today! I went through and set it up already. I may have to tweak the antenna location, or get a new antenna because I'm not getting every single channel clearly.
> 
> I have some suggestions for the setup process:
> 
> ...


Congrats! Once you fix the antenna issue, I am sure you will enjoy it.

On #3 it is a known fact with TiVo that you need to register the new box online first. Maybe because I have been buying TiVos for 14 years plus, but also it is clearly written as step #1 on the Quick Start Guide that comes with it


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Well maybe if I had actually read the Quick Start Guide that would have helped, huh? 

But my main point is that it was a bit inefficient to have to go through Guided Setup 3 times.

And having to tell it that I'm not using cable on an OTA model seemed unnecessary the first time, let alone the second time.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> And having to tell it that I'm not using cable on an OTA model seemed unnecessary...


You probably won't find much support around here for that particular point, as the OTA being undifferentiated from a basic Roamio from a software standpoint is considered a great value.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

That's a good point - if it can use the same exact software then minimal extra costs are involved in software development and testing. Hiding a few things in the GUI doesn't seem like it would be a huge programming endeavor though. 

Whenever the TiVo boots up it could check to see if it's running on an OTA only model, and set a global variable to that effect. Then at the handful of places in the GUI where things mention cable, they could have a conditional statement that checks that variable - so during Guided Setup if OTA Only is True, assume "Antenna Only" is chosen and hide that selection from being displayed on-screen. 

Anyway, not a big deal at all... I could just imagine some non-technical people getting a little confused.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

OK, so I've tried two different antennas that are in the style of the sheets of paper, and neither one is working well enough for us on all stations. So I'm going to step up the antenna size and mount a larger one in the attic. Our house's attic does have some shiny metallic looking insulation on the inside of the attic roof though - anyone know how much that negatively affects reception in attics? I'm really trying to avoid mounting an antenna outside.

Also, would I need some sort of powered amplification if the coax cable from the attic location down to the TiVo is greater than a certain length? If I had to guess, I'd estimate that the length of cable will be anywhere from 20 feet at one end of the attic, to 50 feet if I have to locate the antenna at the other end of the attic.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

BrettStah said:


> Also, would I need some sort of powered amplification if the coax cable from the attic location down to the TiVo is greater than a certain length? If I had to guess, I'd estimate that the length of cable will be anywhere from 20 feet at one end of the attic, to 50 feet if I have to locate the antenna at the other end of the attic.


I have a 50' drop from my attic antenna to my basement, with a 3-way split. Those legs are 6', 15', and 15'. The 6' leg has an additional split, with 6' legs to my TiVo OTA and TV. Antenna is a $40 GE brand (no idea who actually made it) from Walmart. No amplifier. Rock solid signals at all locations. Approximately 35 miles from the transmitters.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

hapster85 said:


> I have a 50' drop from my attic antenna to my basement, with a 3-way split. Those legs are 6', 15', and 15'. The 6' leg has an additional split, with 6' legs to my TiVo OTA and TV. Antenna is a $40 GE brand (no idea who actually made it) from Walmart. No amplifier. Rock solid signals at all locations. Approximately 35 miles from the transmitters.


That's the EXACT antenna someone who lives nearby recommended! I ordered it online today for an in-store pickup on Friday.

Thanks for the info!


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

BrettStah said:


> That's the EXACT antenna someone who lives nearby recommended! I ordered it online today for an in-store pickup on Friday.
> 
> Thanks for the info!


Good luck with it. I've had it for almost 4 years now. Was originally a backup for my DirecTV service, and to get the subchannels from the locals. I've been happy with it.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

krkaufman said:


> It depends.
> 
> How will you be routing your OTA antenna signal to your Roamio OTA? Will you be looking to use your coax wiring now used by DirecTV or will you have a direct coax connection from the antenna to the Roamio OTA?
> 
> ...


Well, the small antenna isn't pulling in all of the stations like I thought it would, so I'm going with a larger antenna in the attic - I'll be installing that this weekend. This means I'll need to use the coax cable for the antenna signal after all.

So based on that, I'll need to go with MoCA adapters. I'm glad I asked about this earlier!

Thanks again for the info...


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> Well, the small antenna isn't pulling in all of the stations like I thought it would, so I'm going with a larger antenna in the attic - I'll be installing that this weekend. *This means I'll need to use the coax cable for the antenna signal after all. *
> 
> So based on that, I'll need to go with MoCA adapters. I'm glad I asked about this earlier!


Yep, DECA & OTA would conflict; but whether they'd meet on your coax lines depends on just how you'd route the cabling from the attic to your Roamio.

How many coax lines do you currently have running from your central distribution splitter to your Roamio's location? If the run from the attic antenna can be barrel-connected to a separate dedicated coax run to the Roamio, you may be able to stick with DECA adapters. Alternatively, if you'll only have a single coax run to your Roamio location, you'll need to use MoCA adapters, but you may find that strategic use of antenna/satellite diplexers may allow for getting your OTA signal to your Roamio with less loss than if you were to feed the OTA antenna into your main distribution splitter.

It might be worthwhile to draw-up a diagram of available coax runs, the planned attic antenna run, including connecting components and your various TiVo and networking gear, to get a clear picture of what you have to work with. (Attached are a few example drawings, for inspiration.)

A diagram and plan would also help in determining whether and where you'd need to install a PoE MoCA filter to prevent MoCA signals from emanating from your antenna.

.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Well this is really primitive, I realize.










The coax cables are all accessible from the attics so I can connect the antenna directly to the cable that goes to the den.

For other bedrooms we either don't have TVs at all or we use wireless Genie clients. No coax or Ethernet in those bedrooms unfortunately.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Oh yeah, right now I'm not really worried about anything other than the antenna (I'm not sure which attic will work best yet), the den, and getting both the antenna signal and internet access down there to the Ethernet switch. 

It looks like for the TiVo mini replacement for the wireless Genie I'll need to look into powerline adapters or Wifi to Ethernet adapter.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> Well this is really primitive, I realize.
> 
> http://i.imgur.com/tNLaFS4.jpg


Gets the job done. Thanks.



BrettStah said:


> The coax cables are all accessible from the attics so I can connect the antenna directly to *the cable that goes to the den*.


That's the key... It's a similar situation to your current Office setup, where it appears you have separate coax lines coming into the room for your modem and your DirecTV DECA adapter.

If you were planning on running a separate dedicated coax run from the antenna to the Den, distinct from what you're currently using for DECA, you can keep using DECA, since the OTA antenna signal will be isolated from your DECA network.

However, if there's only a single coax run available from the attic to the Den, then you *will* need to drop the DECA adapters and shift to MoCA, since you'll need both your OTA antenna and coax networking signals sharing that single line to the Den.



BrettStah said:


> For other bedrooms we either don't have TVs at all or we use wireless Genie clients. *No coax or Ethernet in those bedrooms unfortunately.*


Bummer.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> It looks like for the TiVo mini replacement for the wireless Genie I'll need to look into powerline adapters or Wifi to Ethernet adapter.


Yep.

If it were a year from now, you might have other options given the recent FCC filings on a new 'Mantis' network tuner/DVR that looks to rely heavily on apps for TV display. Basically, if the Fire TV app were better or a Roku app existed, you could add a TiVo Stream to proxy H.264 streams to these devices wirelessly.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> getting both the antenna signal and internet access down there to the Ethernet switch


Assuming a single coax run is all that's available to get from the attic to the Den, you'll need to merge your antenna and MoCA signals. You can either feed the antenna signal into the input of a splitter that runs to your MoCA-targeted rooms (Options 1 & 2 in attached diagram), or use an antenna/satellite diplexer to merge your antenna signal with one of the outputs of your "MoCA" distribution splitter (Option 3 in attached diagram).

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64866067/antenna routing options.jpg


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Thanks!


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## ncbill (Sep 1, 2007)

IMHO, for an attic install use the biggest antenna you can find.

I had a guy install an 8-bay UHF antenna in my attic, coax runs down the interior wall through a coax wall plate (no jack, to minimize signal loss) straight to an old Premiere.

It's OK, but there's still some breakup - I will soon install a high-gain amp I used with a 2-bay UHF antenna that used to be on the end of my deck (before the deck was rebuilt.)

I had hoped the amp would not be needed.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

So I was able to get the antenna today and to quickly try it out - more tweaking will be fine this weekend. I disconnected the cable coming from the satellite dish in the attic, where it connected to a splitter. I just connected the antenna to the splitter where the dish cable had been connected, and then downstairs I moved the cake going into the DirecTV Genie to the Roamio. I also remembered about the conflict with DECA so I went back upstairs and disconnected that. 

Results - I was able to verify all major stations we wanted came n well except for the CW (not exactly major, I guess but their superhero shows are popular in the house).

What's weird is that was one of the stations that the small thing antenna was pulling in fine. There attic antenna couldn't pull it in at all - the signal peaked at 32 on the Roamio.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

BrettStah said:


> So I was able to get the antenna today and to quickly try it out - more tweaking will be fine this weekend. I disconnected the cable coming from the satellite dish in the attic, where it connected to a splitter. I just connected the antenna to the splitter where the dish cable had been connected, and then downstairs I moved the cake going into the DirecTV Genie to the Roamio. I also remembered about the conflict with DECA so I went back upstairs and disconnected that.
> 
> Results - I was able to verify all major stations we wanted came n well except for the CW (not exactly major, I guess but their superhero shows are popular in the house).
> 
> What's weird is that was one of the stations that the small thing antenna was pulling in fine. There attic antenna couldn't pull it in at all - the signal peaked at 32 on the Roamio.


Did you get a directional or non-directional antenna?

If it is directional, and if that channel is in a different tower / direction, try to pint the antenna closer to that direction. Use things like ChannelMaster tvfool antennaweb etc to locate the towers and the geographical coordinates


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

thyname said:


> Did you get a directional or non-directional antenna?
> 
> If it is directional, and if that channel is in a different tower / direction, try to pint the antenna closer to that direction. Use things like ChannelMaster tvfool antennaweb etc to locate the towers and the geographical coordinates


This is the one I bought, based on recommendations from a neighbor:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-Attic-Mount-Antenna/20976617

Since the signal strength on the CW station is 32, would an amplifier possibly help?

All of the other stations are >50 on the Roamio. The highest was 67.

I'll try it at various directions this weekend. I had to hook the satellite dish back up for some things to be recorded tonight so I only had about 10 minutes to try out the antenna.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> What's weird is that was one of the stations that the small thing antenna was pulling in fine. There attic antenna couldn't pull it in at all - the signal peaked at 32 on the Roamio.


Have you verified the expected signal strength and the direction of your TV transmitters using *TV Fool* (or *other*) site?

Example TV Fool report _(NOT for your location)_


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> So I was able to get the antenna today and to quickly try it out ... I disconnected the cable coming from the satellite dish in the attic, where it connected to a splitter. *I just connected the antenna to the splitter where the dish cable had been connected*, and then downstairs I moved the cake going into the DirecTV Genie to the Roamio.


How many outputs does this splitter have? It's possible the signal is suffering a bigger hit than necessary relative to your future stable setup.

One thing you could do to test the best possible signal strength, short of a new cable run, is to use a barrel connector to connect the antenna to the coax run to the Den, bypassing the splitter.

(Alternatively, if you have any antenna/satellite diplexers available, connect the antenna using the diplexer approach in the above diagram, Option 3, to minimize signal loss -- making sure that DECA and DirecTV remain disconnected.)


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

I have the barrel connector ready for testing already, just need to wait for when I have time on the weekend. I'll check out these other suggestion too - thanks!


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

The thread below is a good one (most recent) that mirrors your situation to an extent:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=542919


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

BrettStah said:


> https://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-Attic-Mount-Antenna/20976617
> Since the signal strength on the CW station is 32, would an amplifier possibly help?


What is the CW channel number, is it VHF or UHF ( Radio Frequency (RF)) ?

A much larger old style antenna would probably work better.

But sometimes it is just luck. For RF 7 here, everything has worked fine for two years, but on Tues and Wed, the Evening New was unwatchable, but 100% fine today.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

So mostly good news!

This morning, before the attic heated up, I removed all splitters between the antenna in the attic and the TiVo. Of course I had a brainfart at first, and didn't remember that the coax was plugged into the DirecTV DVR and not the TiVo, so I was initially baffled about why I was getting no signal at all.

Once the splitters were removed, signal strength went up from the low 50's to upper 60's and low 70's!

Still confusingly though, the CW station always comes in with a signal strength of 32. I changed the angle and location of the antenna and while the other stations would have different strength values, the CW would always be 32. 

It's not a big deal at all though... I think it's pretty easy to stream CW shows, but I'll look into that. We only have a few that we watch in that station.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Is there a rule of thumb about signal strength and heavy thunderstorms, by the way? In other words, if we have 65 or better signal strength on all channels are we likely to get them no matter what the weather is like?


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

BrettStah said:


> Is there a rule of thumb about signal strength and heavy thunderstorms, by the way? In other words, if we have 65 or better signal strength on all channels are we likely to get them no matter what the weather is like?


Unlike satellite, you should get about the same strength in the rain because the signals don't actually have to pass through the clouds. But time of day can also cause variations. For example, some stations may come in a tiny bit better at night due to the sun's effect on the ionosphere. Lots of variables at play with OTA.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

BrettStah said:


> So mostly good news!
> 
> This morning, before the attic heated up, I removed all splitters between the antenna in the attic and the TiVo. Of course I had a brainfart at first, and didn't remember that the coax was plugged into the DirecTV DVR and not the TiVo, so I was initially baffled about why I was getting no signal at all.
> 
> ...


You should really use those antenna signal finder tools recommended earlier to figure what the issue with CW is....


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Yeah, I'll dig into it. I did go to tvfool.com, and that station is out to the west, while the others are almost all due south. But aiming the antenna west didn't change the signal strength at all - it was always steady at 32 (and the other stations all weakened in strength).


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> Yeah, I'll dig into it. I did go to tvfool.com, and that station is out to the west, while the others are almost all due south. But aiming the antenna west didn't change the signal strength at all - it was always steady at 32 (and the other stations all weakened in strength).


The TV Fool report should indicate both direction and expected strength of the signal. Can you post a link to your TV Fool report?


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Sure:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=e2cb7080e2822d


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

The CW station is 35.1, KMYS.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

antennaweb.org appears to produce a report more closely resembling what you've seen...

antennaweb.org report for 78108


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Channel Master's antenna wizard also provides an interesting take...

http://www.channelmaster.com/Antenna-Selection-a/134.htm?token=fDc4MTA4


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

So is it weird that the smaller paper thin antenna could pick it up, and the larger one can't?


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

I also much prefer that Antennaweb/ channel master tool that Karl posted. I did quite a bit of research when I set up my antenna with Roamio OTA and it was the best.

http://www.channelmaster.com/Articles.asp?ID=134&Click=47329

You are going to have issues with CW. About 40 miles away, and in a different direction than the others. The tool tells you it needs a roof mounted antenna


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

thyname said:


> I also much prefer that Antennaweb/ channel master tool that Karl posted. I did quite a bit of research when I set up my antenna with Roamio OTA and it was the best.
> 
> http://www.channelmaster.com/Articles.asp?ID=134&Click=47329
> 
> You are going to have issues with CW. About 40 miles away, and in a different direction than the others. The tool tells you it needs a roof mounted antenna


Yep, but it's baffling that it was coming in decently with the flat antenna in my den. I think the signal strength was in the low 50's, but I may be confusing it with another channel. I didn't watch it for a long time but it seemed to be OK in terms of not losing the picture. Maybe I'll hook that antenna up temporarily to the TiVo and see how well it actually comes in with it.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Ok, if I'm watching a recording, and then I press the TiVo button I'll see TiVo Central, and pressing the button a second time takes me to My Shows. How from either TiVo Central or My Shows do I just go back to the full-screen view of the recording I was watching? The Clear button does nothing except cause a BONG sound on TiVo Central, and it deletes things in My Shows.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

I did find if I press the Guide button, then the Clear button will then take me back to a full-screen view of the recording I was watching.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

BrettStah said:


> Ok, if I'm watching a recording, and then I press the TiVo button I'll see TiVo Central, and pressing the button a second time takes me to My Shows. How from either TiVo Central or My Shows do I just go back to the full-screen view of the recording I was watching? The Clear button does nothing except cause a BONG sound on TiVo Central, and it deletes things in My Shows.


Next time try the 'Zoom' button on your remote. (to the right of the right navigation arrow)

Any time you have the Video Window up, you can get back to full-screen video using 'Zoom.'


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Ah, not the MOST intuitive but it'll work! 

Thanks!

I'm used to the Exit key on my Harmony doing that so I'll reprogram it. Right now I have it as Live TV, which isn't what I want most of the time. I'll leave Live TV to exist on one of the touchscreen buttons.


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## ncbill (Sep 1, 2007)

check the antenna signal for that channel 

you may be just under the threshold that would bring it in

if so, a powered amp may be all you need (amp is mounted next to the antenna)


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## henrymc (Aug 8, 2016)

I had the same experience with a cheap flat antenna bringing in something a larger (albeit directional) antenna just could not. So I used a splitter to join both antennas before they go into the Tivo. And I verified with the Tivo signal meter that I actually am getting better signal with both antennas than with just one. My larger antenna is the Clearstream 2V from Antennas Direct.

I also noticed that weather can affect reception but I live in Florida. Maybe it is high humidity between me and towers 60 miles away? I went thru three different antennas before settling on the one I named above. And yes, I have it indoors (it can be mounted inside or out).


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## Nickipedia (Jul 18, 2015)

henrymc said:


> My larger antenna is the Clearstream 2V from Antennas Direct.


Had a similar situation and I can honestly say these guys are top notch :up:. I have a Clearstream 4 and it's outstanding given it's size. When I first got it it was on the floor pointed straight up. It picked up a station 53 miles away, something that my previous outdoor antenna struggled with. The DB8e is also outstanding, picks up channels 78 miles away reliably. It can also point in 2 directions


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

Wow, SkipMode is awesome! Only thing better would be to let me choose to have it auto-skip, but pressing Channel Up isn't a huge burden.


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