# My gripes about the Roamio Plus



## Bytez (Sep 11, 2004)

I switched to the Roamio Plus after having used the Motorola 7216 with Verizon Fios for a while. I feel like the Tivo is a let down after reading lots of positive comments about it.

1. No standby button on remote, have to go through the menu or press the button on the front of the unit.
2. No way to disable the annoying sounds when the arrow and select key is pressed and other sounds in the menu.
3. Guide doesn't show the channel logo with the name. There is empty space on the left, they could've fit it there.
4. When changing channels, it does not show the program info unless you press INFO button.
5. It does not remember Recording preferences for how long to keep a show for. I want all shows to be kept until I delete by default.
6. The progress bar only shows in 1 minute intervals, also when FF or RW, the progress bar disappears. They should add a setting to control those behavior.
6. You can only pause shows for up to 30 minutes. I think it was much longer on the 7216. Why not increase it as long as there is adequate free space?
7. Some parts of the menu are not optimized for HD.
8. Can't play video in slow motion when paused unless you repeatedly press the forward button. Should play it when it's held down instead of having to press.
9. Seems like switching channels is slower than the 7216.

I wish the Tivo gives the user more flexibility and options compared to the 7216. It is a step backwards from it in many ways. Overall, I can still live with it despite all those. Hope someone from Tivo reads this thread.


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

2. You most certainly can turn off TiVo sounds. That's 1st thing I do for a new unit.
Settings-Audio-Sound Effects Volume-Off
3. Look to left of preview window to see channel logo + name
4. Does for me.
5. Be careful using KUID.


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## Bytez (Sep 11, 2004)

moyekj said:


> 2. You most certainly can turn off TiVo sounds. That's 1st thing I do for a new unit.
> Settings-Audio-Sound Effects Volume-Off
> 3. Look to left of preview window to see channel logo + name
> 4. Does for me.
> 5. Be careful using KUID.


3. I meant for every channel on the list, not the current highlighted channel.
4. It doesn't show the program info.


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## Bytez (Sep 11, 2004)

I just noticed that the guide on the Tivo app has the channel logo along with the number on the left.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Standby on a Tivo only shuts off the video outputs, nothing more. Albeit, it avoids those dreaded EMS messages.


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## Bytez (Sep 11, 2004)

ThAbtO said:


> Standby on a Tivo only shuts off the video outputs, nothing more. Albeit, it avoids those dreaded EMS messages.


I thought it also stops buffering of the current channel as well.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

1. Used to be one on the remote and the remote code is still honored.

2. Already addressed. Disabling sound effects Is also the first thing _*I*_ do when setting up a new TiVo.

3. Insufficient room for some of the logos.

4. If you change the channel while the full program info is displayed, the full program info will be displayed for the new channel.

5. I wish it were an option, but can live w/o it. I understand the pitfalls in having it as a default but there are a lot of people that don't. There is what amounts to an almost religious schism in the TCF about the use of KUID.

6a. The progress bar only disappears during 1x FF. Stays around for RW or 2x or 3x FF.

6b. Increasing the length of the live buffers - maybe, but each half-hour increase reduces your recording capacity by 3-hours on a 6-tuner device. Having it use all of the available space - HELL NO!!

7. More of it converted to HD with every release.

8. Slow-mo button works for me when paused.

Do you cook your nits or consume them raw? Sugar and Cream or plain?

9. Then sell your TiVo, re-acquire a 7216, and go back to putting up with *its* "deficiencies".


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Bytez said:


> I thought it also stops buffering of the current channel as well.


Nope. Don't want it to either. I think it _*might*_ do so or did at one time on a DirecTiVo.


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## Bytez (Sep 11, 2004)

Why would I need the DVR to constantly record to the HDD when I have no intentions of watching TV? That is the point of turning the unit off, IMO. I hope Tivo change this or at least give an option.



lpwcomp said:


> 8. Slow-mo button works for me when paused.
> 
> 9. Then sell your TiVo, re-acquire a 7216, and go back to putting up with *its* "deficiencies".


Yes, it works but you have to constantly press the forward key. It'd be better to just press the forward button once or hold it down.

I'm not here to bash Tivo, just wanted to share my thoughts on it. It's free speech, right? I don't think it's worth the extra cost of having to rent the dvr so I'll live with it. They're not a deal breaker.


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## lgnad (Feb 14, 2013)

Bytez said:


> I switched to the Roamio Plus after having used the Motorola 7216 with Verizon Fios for a while. I feel like the Tivo is a let down after reading lots of positive comments about it.
> 
> 1. No standby button on remote, have to go through the menu or press the button on the front of the unit.
> 2. No way to disable the annoying sounds when the arrow and select key is pressed and other sounds in the menu.
> ...


 1. Standby is basically useless, outside of it helps with EMS messages as noted.
2. As noted, its easily turned off.
3. One more thing to bog down the Premieres... I know all the channels I watch.... pretty little logos would be just eye candy, no? and who watches live tv anymore, anyway?
4. Just record everything and you dont even need to worry about descriptions. <shrug> Or use one of the versions of the guide, if you must. Or press the info key as you've discovered.
5. Set everything "Keep until I delete" and things go insane. See the many discussions on here. Deleted items, then suggestions, then finally your oldest show will get deleted if it needs room for a newer scheduled recording. Takes a lot to get to that point... especially with a % meter right there at the top
6. The progress bar scales depending on the recorded program length? I just fast forwarded through a 60 minute show and the progress bar stayed there the whole time? It disappears when paused so that it doesn't obscure the image.... since people usually pause things to inspect something.
6 #2? Just record what you like to watch and another one of your problems just disappeared! Only a couple of (old) models have allowed anything outside of the 30 minute window. Tivo isnt likely to budge on this. Just hit record if you were remiss in setting up a handy season pass or wishlist!
7. Yeah, we've all been waiting on them to finish moving them over to HD, forever. However, basically all of the remaining SD screens are in settings where you likely will never go once you've got everything set the way you like it.
8. Um, just hit the 'slow-mo' button right under pause, or play.
9. Just set everything you want to watch to record... <shrug> No delay when you just hit play! You've got six tuners, put em to work!

I often record up to entire seasons of shows I havent decided I want to watch or not, and then either catch up, or delete em (esp. if the show wasnt renewed! 

99% of the time that I'm in live tv is just in between recorded shows and in the once in a blue moon something catches my eye... i'll either hit record and come back to it in a bit to avoid commercials, or more likely grab the remote or Ipad app and search for a future showing and set it to record from the beginning.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Bytez said:


> Why would I need the DVR to constantly record to the HDD when I have no intentions of watching TV? That is the point of turning the unit off, IMO. I hope Tivo change this or at least give an option.


Well, it's unlikely that this will ever change, given that the idea that the TiVo is always recording is pretty much a fundamental design feature, and has been since the TiVo has been around.

It does provide the advantage that if you arrive home and happen to see that something interesting is on, you can rewind and watch more (or all) of it. You may not have been planning on watching whatever was, but since the TiVo is always recording, you can.

In any case, since the TiVo doesn't spin down the drive, not to mention is constantly doing tasks that involve read and write operations on the drive, whether or not the TiVo is actually recording doesn't really change much. If energy savings is your concern, whether the TiVo is recording would make negligible impact.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Bytez said:


> Why would I need the DVR to constantly record to the HDD when I have no intentions of watching TV? That is the point of turning the unit off, IMO. I hope Tivo change this or at least give an option.


A TiVo is not, never has been, and never will be designed to be "turned off". If you want it to stop recording the live buffers, simply put all of the tuners on a channel you don't receive.



Bytez said:


> Yes, it works but you have to constantly press the forward key. It'd be better to just press the forward button once or hold it down.


I don't. One press of the slow mo







button suffices. It's right below the pause







button.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Bytez said:


> Yes, it works but you have to constantly press the forward key. It'd be better to just press the forward button once or hold it down.


I just checked and slow motion definitely works from a pause state, and you don't have to "constantly press the forward key."

On the TiVo Slide Pro remote (and I think on the standard remote) the slow motion is the bottom of the dial control in the center of the remote, labeled with a "|>" symbol.

The key I think you are pressing is the fast forward/frame advance button, the one on the right of the dial. Frame advance is not the same key as the slow motion key.


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## Bytez (Sep 11, 2004)

Thanks guys for the responses. I feel dumb for missing the slow motion key. 

Edit: is there a way to find out which channel each tuner is tuned in and how to "reset" them all?


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## Millionaire2K (Jun 16, 2008)

"is there a way to find out which channel each tuner is tuned"

From live TV Press the "info" button and then the down arrow. 



You can restart all the tuners buy restarting the box. 

Tivo central
Settings and messages
Help
Restart or reset
restart the TiVo box


Why would you want to "reset" them all? It will just tune them all to the same ch.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Info->Down arrow to the line of circles to find out what each tuner is doing.

I was going to suggest kmttg autotune to change the channels but I'm only seeing 2-tuners, even on my Roamio.


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## DoubleDAZ (May 7, 2014)

Millionaire2K said:


> Why would you want to "reset" them all? It will just tune them all to the same ch.


When I first got my TiVo last week, I "thought" I could have quick access to a few favorite channels by setting each tuner to a different one. Well, that idea didn't last very long at all, duh.....


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

DoubleDAZ said:


> When I first got my TiVo last week, I "thought" I could have quick access to a few favorite channels by setting each tuner to a different one. Well, that idea didn't last very long at all, duh.....


Because...?


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## celtic pride (Nov 8, 2005)

You might try reading the user manual when you have free time! You remind me of me,we are so eiger to play with our new toys and jump right in ,that we fail to even look at the book because we think we already know all the functions and how to use them LOL!


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## awsnyde (May 11, 2007)

lpwcomp said:


> Because...?


Because recordings, whether ones you've set or ones the TiVo thinks you might be interested in, will change those other channels. (And as others have noted, a restart, whether voluntary or otherwise  , will also reset all the channels to the same one, generally the one you had "active" at reset time.)

It will work for a short period of time, when no recordings are planned, and assuming your TiVo doesn't spontaneously reboot during that time.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

awsnyde said:


> Because recordings, whether ones you've set or ones the TiVo thinks you might be interested in, will change those other channels. (And as others have noted, a restart, whether voluntary or otherwise  , will also reset all the channels to the same one, generally the one you had "active" at reset time.)
> 
> It will work for a short period of time, when no recordings are planned, and assuming your TiVo doesn't spontaneously reboot during that time.


Well, I turn off suggestions and have repeating manual recordings (10min @6AM) so all of the tuners are set to my favorite channels. Unplanned reboots don't happen that often.

At night, most or all of the tuners are busy recording stuff I have explicitly scheduled, either manually or vie an SP.


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## awsnyde (May 11, 2007)

lpwcomp said:


> Well, I turn off suggestions and have repeating manual recordings (10min @6AM) so all of the tuners are set to my favorite channels. Unplanned reboots don't happen that often.
> 
> At night, most or all of the tuners are busy recording stuff I have explicitly scheduled, either manually or vie an SP.


If I understand correctly your first paragraph vs. your second, you're just using the other channels as favorites during one day, because while recording overnight the tuners will get set to the channels of your manual and SP recordings? Or are all your manual and SP recording on some small set of channels that can fit into the number of tuners you have (yikes, I'd need something like at least 20 tuners for that to work!)?

I'm like you, I turn off suggestions (don't tell me what to watch!  ), but I think the majority or even vast majority of TiVo users leave them on. Plus I think the original question wanted to use the other channels as favorites over multiple days.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

awsnyde said:


> If I understand correctly your first paragraph vs. your second, you're just using the other channels as favorites during one day, because while recording overnight the tuners will get set to the channels of your manual and SP recordings? Or are all your manual and SP recording on some small set of channels that can fit into the number of tuners you have (yikes, I'd need something like at least 20 tuners for that to work!)?


Yes, every night they get used and end up on other channels. Then the next morning at 6AM, they are set back to my favorites. I have one _*repeating*_ manual recording for each tuner that is set to run every day.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

As far as sounds, the OP is on FIOS, so all content is in Dolby Digital. You don't get any TiVo sounds when there is DD audio. So the only time you encounter the sounds is when viewing an SD menu.

Although now that I think about it, I guess there might be sounds if you don't use the preview window. I use the preview window on FIOS. All I do for sounds it put it on low since I do want to hear them when they are available. IF for some reason I am watching a show and I am able to hear the TiVo sounds, it means the box is outputting PCM instead of DD for some reason. I have had this occur a couple of times with the Roamio.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

random thought, but I have two Premieres lifetimed that I have had since those launched. So, 4 years? I wonder when the next Tivo will come out. I don't feel the need to upgrade to a Roamio for how I use my Tivos. But I wonder if they'll last 4 more years.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

b_scott said:


> random thought, but I have two Premieres lifetimed that I have had since those launched. So, 4 years? I wonder when the next Tivo will come out. I don't feel the need to upgrade to a Roamio for how I use my Tivos. But I wonder if they'll last 4 more years.


Why wouldn't they?


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

lpwcomp said:


> Why wouldn't they?


because one of them seems slower than the other, and many recordings are starting to glitch on me.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

b_scott said:


> because one of them seems slower than the other, and many recordings are starting to glitch on me.


So replace the disk drive(s).


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

lpwcomp said:


> So replace the disk drive(s).


there's no way to know that that's the issue. And that can be a major hassle, it's not just pulling out and popping one in.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

b_scott said:


> there's no way to know that that's the issue.


It is the _*most likely*_ cause.



b_scott said:


> And that can be a major hassle, it's not just pulling out and popping one in.


Having done it numerous times, I know very well exactly what is involved. It may be a bit tedious, but is far from a "major hassle".


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

lpwcomp said:


> It is the _*most likely*_ cause.
> 
> Having done it numerous times, I know very well exactly what is involved. It may be a bit tedious, but is far from a "major hassle".


pretty sure it also voids any hope for Tivo helping you with servicing, no?


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

b_scott said:


> pretty sure it also voids any hope for Tivo helping you with servicing, no?


Since the units are _*way*_ out of warranty, why is that even a consideration?


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## mrsean (May 15, 2006)

Bytez said:


> 9. Seems like switching channels is slower than the 7216.
> 
> I wish the Tivo gives the user more flexibility and options compared to the 7216. It is a step backwards from it in many ways.


Yeah. Maybe the Roamio is a tad slower at channel surfing as compared to the Motorola 7216, but it is a huge improvement over the Premiere. Why would you expect a Roamio to be faster on Verizon than a box that was specifically built only for use with FIOS?

Tivo *DOES* gives the user more flexibility and options compared to the 7216. Too bad you are too preoccupied with looking for shortcoming to appreciate them.

Guys, let's post the deficiencies of the Motorola 7216. I guarantee you OP, we could easily past 9. Here, I'll start:

1. No wishlist capability.
2. No way to switch between live buffers
3. Horrible interface to access recorded shows
4. No way to download shows to a PC
5. Reliability issues. My friend has gone through 3 boxes in 2 years.
6. No Netflix

Look, I'm almost up to 9 just by myself. Keep it going guys...


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

lpwcomp said:


> Since the units are _*way*_ out of warranty, why is that even a consideration?


If I needed anything other than that fixed, I'm pretty sure they'd refuse to touch it.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Do you have the TiVo set for one resolution output? That is the only way to compare apples to apples with the FiOS box. Since if the TiVo is set for multiple resolutions, it will make channel changing slower. But this has always been the case with HDMI connections.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

b_scott said:


> If I needed anything other than that fixed, I'm pretty sure they'd refuse to touch it.


All opening the box does is void the warranty. Usually not even that. It has absolutely no effect on whether or not they (or weaKnees) would be willing to make repairs that you have to pay for.


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## davidjplatt (Aug 27, 2003)

I had one of the Cisco DVRs on FiOS with a Cisco STB and Multi-Room enabled. There was a bug in the FiOS software where deleting items from the external SATA drive would leave the programs in the playlist with no way to remove them. if you selected them you would get an error - but the software never cleaned up the playlist and Verizon knew about the issue. They hadn't fixed it in over 18 months.

When the 18 month free period ran out on the FiOS DVR and they wanted $43/month for a DVR and 2 STBs with only two tuners that recorded I replaced them with a TiVo Roamio Pro with 2 Minis. Since I got lifetime with all of the TiVo hardware, it costs me $5 a month instead of $43 - with 6 tuners and a box that never has issues.

And on my Cisco DVR it could take 2 minutes for a menu to come up or for the guide to come up when I hit the button on the remote. The FiOS hardware isn't that great to begin with.


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