# I'm ready for TiVo: Please Share Your Thoughts.



## MJM3000 (Jul 14, 2003)

In a nutshell, I've been interested in TiVo for the longest time, but just never dove in. At this point, I'm absolutely ready to buy a Bolt, and one mini.

A little background: I've had FiOS since 2009, and the service is great, but as of late, the DVR's are worse than ever. I miss the older boxes that were really fast & reliable, but very limited on storage. Currently, I have two Verizon Media Servers, and two media clients in my home, connected via MoCA. One of those media servers is in the living room, where I watch most of my TV, and there's a media client in the basement working off of that server.

What I'd like to do is replace that media server & client, with the Bolt & mini. The other VMS & media client is upstairs, and for now, will be staying. I'm hoping that these devices won't get in each others way? I don't believe so, but I wanted to make sure before I create any additional headaches.

I need to do something very soon, because the VMS has caused me constant mental pain & anguish!  It really has been hell. I'm sure some people out there have had more pleasant experiences than I, but I'm personally *done!* I'd like to make my TiVo purchase this weekend, and hopefully have things setup in the next week or so. I expect to buy one Bolt, one mini, and one beer (sorry, sometimes I can't help it). The last one should be a 3 or 4TB HD. I'll definitely need more space, so I plan to install the larger hard drive in the Bolt right away.

I'm actually excited to get started, so in addition to addressing the concerns I've mentioned in this post, I'd gladly accept any advice/suggestions for a newcomer to The World Of TiVo.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.


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## gigaguy (Aug 30, 2013)

Welcome. I've had the 3 gens of Tivos, and for some reason, seeing your previous set ups it seems a Roamio Plus or Pro would fit you better. A Bolt would be fine but it seems more geared to simpler setups and will be upgraded to a fuller unit next year, but it's a fine choice with one Mini..


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## markjrenna (Mar 23, 2006)

Regarding the mixed environment... no issues. Since you have FiOS, the setup could not be any easier.

I would not think twice about doing it. The only thing you need to think about is which TiVo to get. With your FiOS boxes you have 12 tuners. So you are going to be down to 10 if you get a Bolt. May or may not be a big deal. A Roamio has 6 tuners and many more hard drive size options greater than 1 TB. Of course you can upgrade the Bolt's Hard Drive yourself if you want.

There are some Cable Card pairing threads here that are very valuable. I spent an hour on the phone but if you have the info they need up front it will save plenty of time. Get your cable card from a FiOS store if you can as there is no shipping cost.

Things to watch out for with a new Cable Card...

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10667043#post10667043

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10668521#post10668521

Whatever you chose I'm sure you will be very happy.


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## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

MJM3000 said:


> I expect to buy ..., and one beer (sorry, sometimes I can't help it).


You should fit right in around here. 

I think once you get everything setup you'll be much happier. Has FiOS already installed everything in your home?

I'm in Northern Virginia. I've had TiVos running non-Stop since 2002.

I went from Cox to FiOS in 2008. I had no issues with the cable card install. Since this was part of the initial install the tech also did the cable card install on site. (There was no additional charge for this since it was all part of the initial install package of installing the fiber, etc.)

If you're past that point . . .

When I installed my TiVo Roamio Pro (Jan 2014) I had some issues getting a few of the premium channels. (HBO and Cinemax I think) My minds a little fuzzy on the details now. However, all it took was a bit of persistence on my part. I went through several cable cards which probably wasn't necessary. I just needed a tech on the phone who knew what to do. However, I have no regrets over the few hours this took. It was well worth it. The Roamio has been great and I'm thinking about getting a Bolt, but will probably hold off for a bit.

ETA: Now that I think about it, the problem with the channels might have been with my TiVoHD since I went from 2 single cards to a multi-card.


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## dmurphy (Jan 17, 2002)

I jumped from the Quantum setup to a TiVo setup a few weeks ago.

Only issue was one cablecard didn't pair correctly (it worked for mostly everything except HBO). All I had to do was call in and ask for a cablecard 'manual validation' - remember those two magic keywords. That'll help the fios customer care person know what to do. 

So, am I happy?

Right this minute I'm cruising at 36,000 feet somewhere over the Midwest, watching shows on my iPad that I downloaded to it last night in the TiVo app. 

Am I happy? Downright THRILLED!

TiVo rocks. Always has. And now, more than ever.


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## sangs (Jan 1, 2003)

Same as you. FiOS user that grew tired of the horrible Quantum hardware and software. My initial run with TiVo had a few speed bumps, but it's been perfect for about 18 months now. Will never go back to the FiOS DVR. 

HOWEVER - Realize there is no VOD using TiVO with FiOS. You have many other options available on the TiVO, such as Amazon, Netflix, etc. But the VOD offered by Verizon is not available. Also, and it may have been just me, but when I kept a FiOS box active in my TiVo setup, I had several connection problems with my TiVos. Once I removed the FiOS box, have not had any issues at all. Coincidence? Maybe. But wanted to make you aware.

Recently switched from a couple Roamios with Minis to Bolts with Minis and couldn't be happier. Lost a few tuners, but gained a much speedier DVR with several functions currently not available in the Roamio line. Whichever TiVos use choose, you'll be making a huge upgrade from the buggy mess of FiOS Quantum hardware.


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## zerdian1 (Apr 19, 2015)

STORAGE:
Bolt is only 500GB or 1TB. the 1TB is upgradeable to 2TB with the ext stg.
three options for more Stg beyond the 2TB.
1. is TiVo Series 5 Roamio Pro with 3TB+1TB ext.
2. is TiVo Series 6 Bolt from Weaknees upgraded to 8TB (2TB int. + 6TB ext.).
3. is Tivo Series 5 Roamio Pro with 12TB (6TB int. + 6TB ext.).

BOLT Features over Roamio:
SkipMode ( jump over commercials on about 20 most used channels).
Quick mode (speedup shows with sound corrected).
4K UHD capable mostly on streaming (when you start storing you will need ~10 times more storage than for HD).

CABLECARD PROBLEMS:
Biggest headache with Cable is the CableCard pairing. It Took Comcast Cablecard team and TiVo Supervisors 5 weeks on my second TiVo since I had to use Outlet 2 (2nd cablecard) in Comcast which had not been fully programmed.
When I did my WeaKnees 12TB third TiVo (outlet 3) that worked the first time. Someone in the Comcast Advanced Cablecard Programming team in Denver was on their toes and duplicated the corrections to outlet 2 to outlet 3.

Choice of multiple TiVos vs large TiVo and minis.
Only the TiVo needs the Cablecard, the Minis do not.



MJM3000 said:


> In a nutshell, I've been interested in TiVo for the longest time, but just never dove in. At this point, I'm absolutely ready to buy a Bolt, and one mini.
> 
> A little background: I've had FiOS since 2009, and the service is great, but as of late, the DVR's are worse than ever. I miss the older boxes that were really fast & reliable, but very limited on storage. Currently, I have two Verizon Media Servers, and two media clients in my home, connected via MoCA. One of those media servers is in the living room, where I watch most of my TV, and there's a media client in the basement working off of that server.
> 
> ...


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## MJM3000 (Jul 14, 2003)

Thanks to everyone that responded. I really appreciate it.



markjrenna said:


> Regarding the mixed environment... no issues. Since you have FiOS, the setup could not be any easier.
> 
> I would not think twice about doing it. The only thing you need to think about is which TiVo to get. With your FiOS boxes you have 12 tuners. So you are going to be down to 10 if you get a Bolt. May or may not be a big deal. A Roamio has 6 tuners and many more hard drive size options greater than 1 TB. Of course you can upgrade the Bolt's Hard Drive yourself if you want.
> 
> ...


That's great news that the TiVo & VMS should co-exist peacefully. I just need them to behave for the next six months or so, and then it's TiVo all the way! As for the CC, this is interesting, but I've had mine since early 2014. At that time, I was ready to either build a HTPC, or get a TiVo (most likely TiVo), but I never did. The CC is sitting in a drawer in the basement, never even removed from the plastic. I've paid on it monthly for nearly two years.



waynomo said:


> You should fit right in around here.
> 
> I think once you get everything setup you'll be much happier. Has FiOS already installed everything in your home?
> 
> ...


I've had FiOS since 2009, which includes moving in 2010, but I've never set up a CC. I can only hope it goes smoothly. That's the only issue that has me hesitant, but it doesn't make sense to put this off any longer.



dmurphy said:


> I jumped from the Quantum setup to a TiVo setup a few weeks ago.
> 
> Only issue was one cablecard didn't pair correctly (it worked for mostly everything except HBO). All I had to do was call in and ask for a cablecard 'manual validation' - remember those two magic keywords. That'll help the fios customer care person know what to do.
> 
> ...


Wow, that's music to my ears...or is it eyes, since I'm reading? Anyway, how was your overall experience with Quantum TV? Mine has been very stressful, and I've noticed that a lot of people online have had many of the same experiences that I have. I'm encouraged that you love TiVo.



sangs said:


> Same as you. FiOS user that grew tired of the horrible Quantum hardware and software. My initial run with TiVo had a few speed bumps, but it's been perfect for about 18 months now. Will never go back to the FiOS DVR.
> 
> HOWEVER - Realize there is no VOD using TiVO with FiOS. You have many other options available on the TiVO, such as Amazon, Netflix, etc. But the VOD offered by Verizon is not available. Also, and it may have been just me, but when I kept a FiOS box active in my TiVo setup, I had several connection problems with my TiVos. Once I removed the FiOS box, have not had any issues at all. Coincidence? Maybe. But wanted to make you aware.
> 
> Recently switched from a couple Roamios with Minis to Bolts with Minis and couldn't be happier. Lost a few tuners, but gained a much speedier DVR with several functions currently not available in the Roamio line. Whichever TiVos use choose, you'll be making a huge upgrade from the buggy mess of FiOS Quantum hardware.


Yeah, that Quantum nightmare is about to come to an end. I can't take it anymore. You say there was an issue having TiVo connected while also having a FiOS box active. Was this the VMS, and if so, did you simultaneously have a media client working off of that VMS? Once I setup the TiVo with one mini, the only FiOS box in my home will be a VMS *without* a client. Not sure if that even matters, but I thought it might after reading your post.



zerdian1 said:


> STORAGE:
> Bolt is only 500GB or 1TB. the 1TB is upgradeable to 2TB with the ext stg.
> three options for more Stg beyond the 2TB.
> 1. is TiVo Series 5 Roamio Pro with 3TB+1TB ext.
> ...


Thanks for the info. I'm still doing some last minute contemplating, but I'm leaning toward a Bolt & mini. I'm really *not* a fan of the Bolt's appearance, but hearing that it's smooth & responsive is incredibly important to me. Is the Roamio fast enough for you? My plan is to put a larger HD in the Bolt myself. I've installed/replaced many hard drive's over the years in computers, so I'm just trying to decide what size I'd need, and hope it works well.


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## kgdad (Oct 27, 2015)

I'm basically in the same boat you are. We had Tivo back when we had DirecTV about 8 years ago but once we moved I switched to FiOS and have been using their DVRs since then. Was never really happy with them but didn't want to hassle with the CableCard.
Finally decided to jump back into Tivo and I have a 500GB Bolt, Mini, 2TB HD upgrade, and the CableCard on their way. My setup is pretty basic in that we just have a TV in the living room and a TV in the bed room so I think this setup will be good for us. May expand to an additional TV downstairs at a later date but another Mini should do the trick there.

Have a quick question about how I should handle the setup on the new machine. I want to do the HD upgrade as soon as I get it but I also want to make sure the Tivo isn't DOA and want to boot it up first. Will I need to put the Cablecard in when I first boot it up for stuff to start connecting? I've heard that it's a pain to repair the Cablecard once you put a new HD in so I want to minimize my pain there. 

I'm hoping to plug the bare Tivo in with no Cablecard, make sure it boots up and things look good. Then power it down, replace the HD, power it back up and make sure things still look good, then go through the Cablecard process.

Any recommendations?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Cable Card repairing on FiOS can be a simple quick process or it can be a long, laborious process. I've had it both ways when repairing cards on FiOS. Well I've also had the nightmare version once where the tech screwed things up in the system and I lost all my channels(except locals). And the only way to fix things was to replace the cable card because the techs could no longer changes things in the system with the CC for some reason.


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## snerd (Jun 6, 2008)

kgdad said:


> I'm hoping to plug the bare Tivo in with no Cablecard, make sure it boots up and things look good. Then power it down, replace the HD, power it back up and make sure things still look good, then go through the Cablecard process.


I don't have a Bolt, but Roamios allow Guided Setup without the Cablecard. I'd be surprised if that changed with the bolt, so you should be able to do Guided Setup with the original HD before swapping in the new HD.


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## swarto112 (Sep 10, 2012)

I had FIOS and used MoCa. Had a Roamio for primary and an old TiVo XL HD. Used my own router so had FIOS router in bridge mode and it handles the MoCa connection between the two. I paired the cable cards myself as its automated. The 4 years on FIOS was the best ever. Moved to a Time Warner Cable area...cut the cord. Sucky service, sucky cable card servers, etc.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

aaronwt said:


> Cable Card repairing on FiOS can be a simple quick process or it can be a long, laborious process. I've had it both ways when repairing cards on FiOS. Well I've also had the nightmare version once where the tech screwed things up in the system and I lost all my channels(except locals). And the only way to fix things was to replace the cable card because the techs could no longer changes things in the system with the CC for some reason.


We just recently moved my son into an apartment in Northern VA with FIOS (we have Comcast) and went through this. Had a great installer who had never deployed service to a TiVo before and pairing didn't initially work after he had gone through the normal set up on his tablet. He stuck with it and ended up making 2 calls to get connected to someone who could help. Probably took an extra 30-45 minutes after the basic TV and Internet install was complete.

Scott


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