# Thoughts adding Bolt Vox Cable to current Roamio/Mini set up



## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Ok, so while I planned to sit out the Bolt series, I was gifted a 1TB Bolt Vox w/AIP. Reading up and thinking on how I want to incorporate into my current setup, which is:

Roamio Plus AIP upgraded to 3TB, connected to 1080P projector (75% full); this is a basement theater location, use the Roamio for apps for convenience, but could use PS4. This location has best ventilation.
TiVo mini TCDA9200 (gen 1?), in our Family Room connected to a TCL Roku 4k/HDR TV. Use the Roku for apps. This is the most-used TV in the home (right off kitchen, back deck, main living area).
TiVo mini TCDA9200 connected to 1080p Plasma in kids game room. Mini is rarely (if ever) used.
All boxes are connected via MOCA and ethernet, with Verizon MI424-WR used as the Ethernet drops.
So, I'm trying to balance how I want to set up/incorporate the Bolt, and reading up a bit on drive replacements, heating issues, MOCA etc. I'm leaning toward two options:

Option #1:

Upgrade Bolt Vox to a 3TB drive Toshiba MQ03ABB300 (I just don't think 2TB will do the trick, even at $75). So, that's about $150 right now.
Install Bolt in Theater location. Output limited to PJ's 1080P, but better app experience
Move Fios cable card from Roamio and set up/pair with Bolt
Upgrade Family Room to Mini Vox, allowing 4k viewing on set. Cost $180
Leave old mini on Game Room TV
Sell mini Gen 1 + Upgraded Roamio (sales prices all over the place on eBay, but let's call it $75 + $300)
Option #2:

Leave Bolt at it's stock 1TB; request new cable card ($5/month)
Install Bolt in Theater location. Output limited to PJ's 1080P, but better app experience
Upgrade Family Room to Mini Vox, allowing 4k viewing on set. Cost $180
Move Roamio to Game Room location...can transfer shows between Bolt to Roamio if/when space issues
Sell the two v1 Minis for ~$150
Some of the things I'm digging around to better understand if anyone knows offhand...

Can the Roamio be used without its cable card, just as a server to run shows from itself, or from the Bolt, as well as serve recordings/shows to the Bolt and Mini?
Pretty sure there's no longer direct box to box transfer for shows, it has to be done at TiVo.com....any major hiccups with that?
If the Roamio can be used without cable card, can I just transfer OPs/SPs/WLs to the Bolt, turn off suggestions on the Roamio and leave the Roamio as is without re-set up? That way it's not trying to record anything, since it won't be connected to Fios?
MOCA should function just fine out of the box with incorporating the Bolt, I think it's only the Bolt OTA that has MOCA stripped, correct?
I'm leaning heavily toward option #2 right now, especially if the Roamio can basically act as a "mini with storage" without it's cable card. It seems the easiest and cleanest route...especially when I take into account not having to offload however many shows 75% of 3TB is that currently sit on the Roamio.

Add to all this thinking that this setup change will also be my forcing function to finally jump to Hydra 

Thoughts?


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Hmmm, and external drive for Bolt may be option also by running a SATA cable out the back?

And, I guess no MRV at all with Hydra? Not sure if I'm clear on the support page. It looks like transfer via web is the only way to go from one box to another....but streaming will work as I layed out above, is that correct (meaning I can stream from Bolt --> Roamio, or Roamio --> Bolt, or Roamio and/or Bolt --> Mini)?


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Super-fast skim, so I might have missed it, but step #1 is getting the box added to your TiVo account ... requiring the gifter to contact TiVo to initiate the transfer, and the recipient using the reference number provided to complete the transfer (also by calling TiVo Support).


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Box already on account...good there.


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## JLV03 (Feb 12, 2018)

Leave the Bolt as-is hard drive wise and put it in the family room. Add another CableCard to your account and sell the Mini. Use the Roamio for mass storage. 

If you have don't need all of the channels on your cable plan, move the Roamio's CableCard to the Bolt and buy a "test" CableCard for the Roamio to get the unencrypted locals (if available).


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Why wouldn’t the BOLT go in the Family Room, connected to the 4K TV? Aside from the 4K output, I’d think you’d want a DVR at the most-used TV location in the house.

And, yeah, you could pull the CableCARD from the Roamio, but you may want to relocate the Family Room Mini to this location, to facilitate live TV viewing.


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Heat is the biggest reason for considering to put the bolt in Theater Room vs Family room. In Family Room it pretty much would have to be in enclosed cabinet and I’m worried about that. In the theater room it would be in its own 12”x12” cube, raised up for air circulation underneath and open in the front. Basically, just the Bolt and the Fios router in that space w/good air circulation/dispersion. Both heat and fan noise are considerations after reading about some of the Bolt issues. 

Definitely want to have live TV on both the Theater and Family Room locations, so that would mean Bolt and Mini need to be split/installed between one of the two main locations. 

So it sounds like, if I don’t want to spend the $60/year for second cable card, the Roamio can be a non-recording storage and streaming device.


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Actually, I think I may be able to have it in the Family room with clearance for heat. Looks a little funky, but not terribly so. So just fan noise would be issue.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=aWo1eWg3NURYQ09IbnRmT3h5czJuZEtUN2JTWVd3


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

So now I'm leaning towards:

Bolt at the Family Room location (only one coax, so will need to split to go to the Actiontec router/Ethernet drop and the Bolt - Actiontec doesn't have a coax out).
Move Mini to the Theater room (only downside here is the mini Hulu app consistently crashes, whereas it doesn't on Roamio. But there are PS3 and PS4's at this drop so in a pinch, can access.
Move Roamio to the Game Room, swap the cable card to the Bolt, turning Roamio into streamer device and storage device only.
This set up is no additional cost at the moment, and output resolution at each TiVo location matches the best of each display device.
If the Vox functionality is something I come to rely on, then swap out the mini for a Vox mini.
Given the 2TB is just $75, may just swap that in first before set up. Will give me more headroom overall, and less need to offload to the Roamio.


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

So far so good, but had to stop because my wife/daughter are binging Handmaids tale. For the Roamio/Bolt to see each other, I have to update the Roamio to Hydra, correct? Both the mobile app and TiVoonline can see both boxes, but ai don’t see The Bolt from the Roamio yet.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

dslunceford said:


> I have to update the Roamio to Hydra, correct?


That's not my understanding.

Try some service connections from the Roamio?


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

I'm just going to have to wait until the ladies are done with tonight's binge to play around on the Bolt and figure it out. I upgraded the mini to Hydra/paired to Bolt. I was able to transfer OPs and Wishlists over online. And the Fios card worked without having to re-pair needed to be manually validated over the phone. I'm just not seeing the Roamio from the Mini, and I'm not seeing either the Bolt or Mini from the Roamio.


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

OK, so both the Bolt and the Mini can see the Roamio and can stream shows (and transfer via online) to the Bolt. However, the Roamio doesn't see the Bolt as a device...I'm thinking because the Roamio is on classic and not upgraded to Hydra.

Need to play with the Mini in the Theater. The AV stack sits behind my projector screen. Screen is acoustically transparent, but that doesn't matter for remote. Have issues from main seating area with the Mini, where I didn't have any issues with the Roamio remote in same spot. Theater is all a wreck right now due to a flood in the room next door last Monday and needing to move furniture, etc. We got carpet back in and painted this weekend so can get the theater back to normal later in the week and play more with the remote/location of Mini.

And Hydra isn't too bad...I can see the issues around font readability, and the back vs left D pad is annoying, but there's nothing that seems egregious. Look forward playing around with it a bit though, before I flip the switch on the Roamio.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

dslunceford said:


> OK, so both the Bolt and the Mini can see the Roamio and can stream shows (and transfer via online) to the Bolt. However, the Roamio doesn't see the Bolt as a device...I'm thinking because the Roamio is on classic and not upgraded to Hydra.


TE3 (the Roamio) lists the TE4 (Bolt) as a device at the end of the Roamio's My Shows. Also, the Roamio may display the Mini as a grayed out device when you power off the Mini.


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Found it at end of MyShows...Thanks!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

JoeKustra said:


> TE3 (the Roamio) lists the TE4 (Bolt) as a device at the end of the Roamio's My Shows.


Ha, nicely done. Just goes to show not to assume ... which I did, not even contemplating somebody wouldn't know where to look for the networked DVRs.

FYI... If you have the categories panel displayed for TE3's "My Shows" listing, you can also find your networked DVRs within the 'Devices' category, if enabled. (Though I prefer using the Advance [30-sec skip] button to just jump to the bottom of the list.)


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Yeah, it’s been a while (back when I had THDs) since I’ve had networked devices. When I moved to Roamio, that was the only box and everything else was Minis


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