# Is Tivo Roamio base model getting Hydra?



## Isaiah (Nov 14, 2016)

I have a base Tivo Roamio with a 500GB hard drive. Does anybody know if Tivo is going to release Hydra to the Roamio line or is it too old to run Hydra?


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Its only voluntary, but I would not install it. They shut down the most important feature with this, PCtoTivo transfers. Along with many bugs.


----------



## gigaquad (Oct 25, 2004)

You can install it if you want (and hate your family), but I wouldn't.


----------



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Hydra works on the Roamio line, including the Roamio Basic box. All you have to do is "upgrade" your box to it (there should be a listing among the box's apps to do so, something like "Get the new TiVo Experience!"). Or, if you have a VOX remote paired with your Roamio box, pressing the Voice button should start the process.

Note: in doing so, you will lose a workable Suggestions, the ability to do TiVo box-to-Tivo box transfers from the box (you'll need to use TiVo Online), and the ability for PC -> TiVo box transfers. Oh, and you'll lose the TiVo Live Guide.


----------



## Isaiah (Nov 14, 2016)

It sounds like I am better off staying on the current software version. I wonder how long the Hydra update will remain optional?


----------



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Isaiah said:


> It sounds like I am better off staying on the current software version.


:up: (But, then, I'm biased.)*


> I wonder how long the Hydra update will remain optional?


When discussing this months back, TiVo's head of the TiVo consumer division stated (or something along these lines) that TiVo did not then have any plans to force people to migrate from TE3 to Hydra. Of course, plans can change. One factor that might help, here, for TE3 folks: TE3 needs to stay around, as the pre-Roamio boxes cannot run Hydra. 

* Note that if you wanted to try Hydra out but then move back to TE3, you can--but all recordings on the box will be wiped in the process (and so anything you want to keep should be transferred, if not copy-protected, to your PC first). I forget if things like Season Passes and thumbs will be lost as well (I believe so?)--they can be saved via the kmttg software. Nonetheless, every now-and-again someone posts about problems in moving back to TE3, and so I get concerned about this.


----------



## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

Isaiah said:


> It sounds like I am better off staying on the current software version. I wonder how long the Hydra update will remain optional?


If you upgrade to Hydra and decide you don't like it, you can roll back to TE3, but you will lose all of your shows.


----------



## cwoody222 (Nov 13, 1999)

Hydra works great on my Roamio.

If you don’t care about Live Guide and PC transfers, it’s a great UI.

I’ve been on Hydra since Day 1 and in the past 2 years the kinks have been worked out. All the complains about bugs are unnecessary, that was months and months ago.


----------



## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

Isaiah said:


> I wonder how long the Hydra update will remain optional?


That is the question. About a day longer than my grandkids live would be fine with me; future generations are on their own.


----------



## SullyND (Dec 30, 2004)

cwoody222 said:


> Hydra works great on my Roamio.
> 
> If you don't care about Live Guide and PC transfers, it's a great UI.
> 
> I've been on Hydra since Day 1 and in the past 2 years the kinks have been worked out. All the complains about bugs are unnecessary, that was months and months ago.


Did they get rid of TiVo Plus?


----------



## cwoody222 (Nov 13, 1999)

SullyND said:


> Did they get rid of TiVo Plus?


No, but after a few weeks I don't even notice it any more.

It doesn't hurt anything being there, I just don't click on it.


----------



## bobfrank (Mar 17, 2005)

Mikeguy said:


> Hydra works on the Roamio line, including the Roamio Basic box. All you have to do is "upgrade" your box to it (there should be a listing among the box's apps to do so, something like "Get the new TiVo Experience!"). Or, if you have a VOX remote paired with your Roamio box, pressing the Voice button should start the process.
> 
> Note: in doing so, *you will lose a workable Suggestions, the ability to do TiVo box-to-Tivo box transfers from the box (you'll need to use TiVo Online), and the ability for PC -> TiVo box transfers. Oh, and you'll lose the TiVo Live Guide.*


But, other than that, it's really just mediocre (referring to Hydra of course).


----------



## mbernste (Apr 6, 2003)

ThAbtO said:


> They shut down the most important feature with this, PCtoTivo transfers.


Just run Plex on the PC and watch via the Plex app on the Tivo. It works just fine.


----------



## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

I don't use Plex nor do I keep my computer running when I want to watch something that's on the computer or NAS.


----------



## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

mbernste said:


> Just run Plex on the PC and watch via the Plex app on the Tivo. It works just fine.


Fine, yes, but not nearly as well with respect to trickplay (skip back, skip forward, FF, RW, QuickMode, etc) as when the show is transferred to the TiVo, even with gigabit networking.


ThAbtO said:


> I don't use Plex nor do I keep my computer running when I want to watch something that's on the computer or NAS.


I do have and use Plex, but much prefer transferring shows back to my TE3 TiVos for viewing. My computer fires up pyTivo and Plex servers at boot, but I don't leave it running all the time. I know, many do. I don't.


----------



## keithg1964 (Feb 2, 2006)

I find it amazing how many people hate TE4, but visit this site all the time to ***** and complain. It is like they expect TiVo to change their mind about TE4. I resisted TE4 for a long time due to all the hate-posts on this site, but I find it fine. It is not perfect but not as bad as all the TE4 haters claim.


----------



## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

I have come to like it. I do miss the live guide. No idea why they can't flip around some 1's and 0's and give us the live guide.


----------



## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

keithg1964 said:


> I find it amazing how many people hate TE4, but visit this site all the time to ***** and complain. It is like they expect TiVo to change their mind about TE4. I resisted TE4 for a long time due to all the hate-posts on this site, but I find it fine. It is not perfect but not as bad as all the TE4 haters claim.


It might have been feasible for some (assuming you didn't care about the lost features) but the new pre-roll ad nonsense make it a non-starter.

If you support Tivo's ad crap by continuing to run TE4, you're part of the problem. Everyone should downgrade and send a message.


----------



## lman (Nov 14, 2006)

slowbiscuit said:


> It might have been feasible for some (assuming you didn't care about the lost features) but the new pre-roll ad nonsense make it a non-starter.
> 
> If you support Tivo's ad crap by continuing to run TE4, you're part of the problem. Everyone should downgrade and send a message.


I have a Bolt ota and unless I'm mistaken, I can't use TE3. I was able to make the call to remove the ads. Please don't advise me to do something that is not possible.


----------



## SullyND (Dec 30, 2004)

lman said:


> I have a Bolt ota and unless I'm mistaken, I can't use TE3. I was able to make the call to remove the ads. Please don't advise me to do something that is not possible.


Unless it's a "Bolt OTA" it can be downgraded to TE3


----------



## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

lman said:


> I have a Bolt ota and unless I'm mistaken, I can't use TE3. I was able to make the call to remove the ads. Please don't advise me to do something that is not possible.


You're in the Roamio forum. Move along nothing to see here, go play in the Bolt area.


----------



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

slowbiscuit said:


> You're in the Roamio forum. Move along nothing to see here, go play in the Bolt area.


----------



## rafab1 (Dec 9, 2003)

SullyND said:


> Did they get rid of TiVo Plus?


Awww, I miss My Name is Earl!


----------



## RightHere (Dec 17, 2002)

keithg1964 said:


> I find it amazing how many people hate TE4, but visit this site all the time to ***** and complain. It is like they expect TiVo to change their mind about TE4. I resisted TE4 for a long time due to all the hate-posts on this site, but I find it fine. It is not perfect but not as bad as all the TE4 haters claim.


A few months ago, I would've said I agree with you. The main complaints I recall seeing were about how slow the interface was. I didn't have any of those issues.

Then after a little while with TE4, I noticed the thumbs up/down / broken suggestions thing. Suddenly in a matter of days, Tivo has recorded > 100 programs that I have ZERO interest in. And I have no way to give Tivo input on the shows they selected. This was the first time I ever reached out to Tivo support re: an issue. They initially pretended to care, then just never followed up.

Then over the last few weeks, I've seen several other bugs.
1) Pause timer showing incorrect info Status Bar Issues / Incorrect Time Shown Until Paused (30-Minute Buffer)
2) My primary use case for Tivo is watching live sports via the buffer. Sometimes I'll press play, and the tivo will restart from some other point in the buffer instead of the point where I expected it to be. Happened probably 10x just in one game I was watching today. 
3) I will often have live TV paused, then go watch a recorded show. In the past few weeks, I've had many instances where I've finished watching my show, and the status bar has no info - no times on either end. Whatever show was in the background isn't in the buffer. ffw/rwd controls do not work.

Prior to that, I was able to reliably crash the guide UI by pressing the clear button multiple times to delete shows. Usually 3 presses in <5s was a guaranteed crash. Don't think that's been fixed yet.

I have not yet seen pre-roll ads on anything I've watched. I'm sure that'll be a new annoyance.

I've only seen the Tivo+/other content ads in the guide in maybe the last month? Definitely wasn't there when I first went to TE4. This is not a make or break thing for me as currently implemented, just really annoying.


----------



## wtkflhn (May 12, 2006)

lman said:


> I have a Bolt ota and unless I'm mistaken, I can't use TE3. I was able to make the call to remove the ads. Please don't advise me to do something that is not possible.


Yes, you are mistaken. You can back out Hydra and go back to TE3. I did it on my Bolts and Roamios and they're working just fine..


----------



## SullyND (Dec 30, 2004)

wtkflhn said:


> Yes, you are mistaken. You can back out Hydra and go back to TE3. I did it on my Bolts and Roamios and they're working just fine..


Not on the Bolt OTA.


----------



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

wtkflhn said:


> Yes, you are mistaken. You can back out Hydra and go back to TE3. I did it on my Bolts and Roamios and they're working just fine..





SullyND said:


> Not on the Bolt OTA.


Sadly so.


----------



## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

cwoody222 said:


> Hydra works great on my Roamio.
> 
> If you don't care about Live Guide and PC transfers, it's a great UI.
> 
> I've been on Hydra since Day 1 and in the past 2 years the kinks have been worked out. All the complains about bugs are unnecessary, that was months and months ago.


It's not unnecessary in the least as there are still plenty out there.

Like when skipping to a 15 minute tick, it doesn't always make it to the tick, leaving you a couple minutes short(requiring another button press to get to that tick) or my favorite....

While recording or after recording something, when swapping to another tuner, the one you left gets paused. So 
when you return to it later, it is up to 30 minutes(buffer size) behind live tv. It gets really annoying for those who don't realized what is happening and wonder why their shows are off time. When you have 6 tuners this gets messy.

I had been on TE4 since a little after it was offered. I was fine with it until the combination of the the guide ad intrusions, preroll ads(which I never did see on my Roamios, only my Bolt) and the tuner pausing when swapping bug.

I just reverted my Bolt to TE3 and forgot what I was missing. I'll probably do one of my two Roamios in the next couple days. Just trying to figure out the logistics of moving the recordings off my other Roamio

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

Quick comment on TiVo Plus, etc.: I have two Roamio Pros and 5 Minis all on the latest TE4 and I have yet to see any ads, any streaming channels, or anything else mentioned up thread.


----------



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Diana Collins said:


> Quick comment on TiVo Plus, etc.: I have two Roamio Pros and 5 Minis all on the latest TE4 and I have yet to see any ads, any streaming channels, or anything else mentioned up thread.


SShhh, don't say that so loudly . . . .


----------



## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

Diana Collins said:


> Quick comment on TiVo Plus, etc.: I have two Roamio Pros and 5 Minis all on the latest TE4 and I have yet to see any ads, any streaming channels, or anything else mentioned up thread.


You probably won't see preroll ads on you Roamios as I believe I read somewhere that they will only be on Bolts on up(for now).

Are you saying you are not see the guide ad intrusions(for TiVo+ channels) yet either?

I saw them on my two Roamios(and one Bolt) when on TE4 since they were first reported. I used PiHole to get rid of them but I have since reverted all my TiVo's back to TE3.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

Chuck_IV said:


> Are you saying you are not see the guide ad intrusions(for TiVo+ channels) yet either?


That is exactly what I'm saying.


----------



## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

Diana Collins said:


> That is exactly what I'm saying.


Go play the lottery then cause you seem to be the lucky one. 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

