# Please help an old Tivo guy figure out what to do next



## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

There is a not-so famous quote by Abe Simpson (of the Simpsons television show) that I think sums me up:

"I used to be with 'it', then they changed what 'it' was, now what I'm with isn't 'it', and what 'it' is seems strange and scary; it will happen to you!"

I was an early adopter of Tivo1 around 2000, then Series 2, then moved to a house with DirectTV and got DirectTivoHD, then moved to a Comcast/Xfinity house and I have had a Series 3 HD with a cable card since 2008. 

I went through the (at the time) typical headaches with Comcast trying to get the Series 3/cable card set up successfully, but once we got it working, it has worked flawlessly for 7 years. I haven't visited this site in over 5 years because I've been happy with my 2-tuner Tivo in one room, and Comcast boxes in the others; and I didn't want to re-live the inevitable headaches with Comcast if I changed my Tivo box. I should also mention that I pay the Tivo service fee annually, which obviously turned out to be a huge mistake 7 years later, but what are you gonna do. . . . .

Anyway, while home AV used to be an interest of mine, I really have been out of the loop and don't know the new technologies/lingo, and I'm not looking to go back to school. What I need is help from you folks that are wired in. The 2-tuner Tivo has been a troublesome limitation for my family for a few years, but as the kids get older and my wife's list of crappy reality TV interests grows, it is clear that changes must be made. I have also heard that Comcast will stop supporting HD over my device, but that hasn't happened yet and I honestly don't know if it will affect me (I didn't receive a letter from Comcast, but it is entirely possible that it got thrown out as junk. I am in the Philadelphia area). Friends and family whose opinion I have asked have pretty much all laughed at me for still having Tivo, have all pronounced Tivo dead, and seem puzzled that I won't just trash the Tivo and let Comcast handle all of my needs.

The fact is that over 15 years ago I recognized Tivo as having far superior software, interface and user experience, and I have been a loyal customer for all of that time. So, ye Tivo geniuses, what's a guy to do? I think that the newer Tivo boxes still require cablecards, but I hear that cablecards are on their way out, so if I spend money now, it may all go down the drain?? If I do upgrade my Tivo box, am I facing the same horror show of an install when I have to find someone at Comcast that knows cablecards? I am genuinely interested in your opinions.

Thanks


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

You are correct that your Series 3 will become unusable on Comcast in the relatively recent future, since Comcast will be switching from MPEG-2 to H.264 compression, which your TiVo doesn't support. So you will need to upgrade.

The good news is that the current Roamio DVRs are excellent, and far superior to any X1 crapola that Comcast will provide you with. As far as CableCards going extinct, that won't happen for a number of years. Almost every box that Comcast has out in the field now has a CableCard inside it. It will take them a long time to fully phase out CableCards, and they haven't even really begun to phase them out yet. No one can fully predict the future, but I'd say that CableCard devices should have at least a good 5 years left to run.

As far as the hassles of CableCards, it still can be a hassle, but it might be somewhat easier to get them paired properly since Comcast now has a dedicated CableCard hotline you can call. And if the current CableCard you have in your Series 3 is an M-card, you will be able to just pull that out of your Series 3 and insert it into a new Roamio and most channels should work automatically since that Card is already activated on your account. If you have premium channels on your TV package like HBO, then you will need to call up Comcast to pair the card to the new DVR to get those to work.

How many TVs do you have and how many people in your household? I definitely would suggest that you get a Roamio Plus/Pro with lifetime and Minis for the rest of your TVs. The really nice thing about using the Minis on Comcast is that you can avoid the extra outlet fees that Comcast charges, since the Minis don't require their own CableCard. If you need more than 6 tuners, you can always add a secord Roamio. When you upgrade, TiVo will also probably offer you a $99 lifetime deal on your Series 3, so you could keep that going a while longer or sell it on ebay to help recoup some money.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ferky1 said:


> There is a not-so famous quote by Abe Simpson (of the Simpsons television show) that I think sums me up: "I used to be with 'it', then they changed what 'it' was, now what I'm with isn't 'it', and what 'it' is seems strange and scary; it will happen to you!" I was an early adopter of Tivo1 around 2000, then Series 2, then moved to a house with DirectTV and got DirectTivoHD, then moved to a Comcast/Xfinity house and I have had a Series 3 HD with a cable card since 2008. I went through the (at the time) typical headaches with Comcast trying to get the Series 3/cable card set up successfully, but once we got it working, it has worked flawlessly for 7 years. I haven't visited this site in over 5 years because I've been happy with my 2-tuner Tivo in one room, and Comcast boxes in the others; and I didn't want to re-live the inevitable headaches with Comcast if I changed my Tivo box. I should also mention that I pay the Tivo service fee annually, which obviously turned out to be a huge mistake 7 years later, but what are you gonna do. . . . . Anyway, while home AV used to be an interest of mine, I really have been out of the loop and don't know the new technologies/lingo, and I'm not looking to go back to school. What I need is help from you folks that are wired in. The 2-tuner Tivo has been a troublesome limitation for my family for a few years, but as the kids get older and my wife's list of crappy reality TV interests grows, it is clear that changes must be made. I have also heard that Comcast will stop supporting HD over my device, but that hasn't happened yet and I honestly don't know if it will affect me (I didn't receive a letter from Comcast, but it is entirely possible that it got thrown out as junk. I am in the Philadelphia area). Friends and family whose opinion I have asked have pretty much all laughed at me for still having Tivo, have all pronounced Tivo dead, and seem puzzled that I won't just trash the Tivo and let Comcast handle all of my needs. The fact is that over 15 years ago I recognized Tivo as having far superior software, interface and user experience, and I have been a loyal customer for all of that time. So, ye Tivo geniuses, what's a guy to do? I think that the newer Tivo boxes still require cablecards, but I hear that cablecards are on their way out, so if I spend money now, it may all go down the drain?? If I do upgrade my Tivo box, am I facing the same horror show of an install when I have to find someone at Comcast that knows cablecards? I am genuinely interested in your opinions. Thanks


What area of philly are you in? My parents are in Bucks County and I set hem up with a Roamio Plus and 3 minis while I was there in December. We dealt with the Bensalem office and it the process went surprisingly smooth as butter on a hot griddle. If you're in that area maybe that's a good sign? Comcast has a dedicated cablecard hotline to call into for setup and support now.

What I would do is buy the new TiVo gear and go get a new cablecard and do the setup and pairing first on that. Once it's all up and running then and only then, remove the cablecard from your TiVo HD and take it back to comcast.

I find it hilarious that your friends laugh at TiVo. The Roamio series is light years ahead of the old TiVo they THINK they know! Have them over after yours is all setup and going and blow their socks off!!!


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

Hi,
I don't know what your budget is but right now Tivo is having a good sale on the base Roamio DVR's. These only have 4 tuners and lack builtin MoCA and streaming, but you can get a refurb unit with lifetime service for $299.
https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/supersavings
This deal has been running for a while already so I would advise you to move quickly. You might also inquire about their "loyality" program since you have been with Tivo so long. 
If you do move to one of the Roamios, and can handle the extras, there are 2 versions of minis, the V1/92000 which has IR only and an older style remote, and the V2/93000 which has both IR and RF, the same as the Roamio units. The minis are better priced on Amazon or Ebay and come with lifetime service now and would be economical replacements for Comcast equipment and outlet fees.
If you go with the base Roamio, you might need a MoCA adapter or 2, and will likely need one or 2 POE/ Whole home DVR filters (Ebay has good prices).


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Perhaps Comcast is really nice to Philly people since their HQ is downtown and it would be bad if people took the subway and started walking around in front of the building hold signs.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Thanks for the prompt responses.

First, here is a link to the Abe Simpson clip; it cracks me up every time. 




Second, HarperVision, I am near Comcast's Norristown office in Montgomery County. Sadly they aren't known for great service. Nice to hear that the Bensalem office has their stuff together.

Third, we have 3 televisions that are used regularly by the 4 of us. Right now one TV has the Tivo3 and the other 2 each have Comcast digital DVRs -- I have most premium channels. There are 2 other televisions that are used rarely and do fine with the basic converter box. I have to imagine that 6 tuners will be fine for us.

Fourth, Tarheel, you suggest a Romio Plus/Pro plus lifetime. I'm no penny-pincher, but a quick search looks as though the Plus with lifetime is going to run $800, plus the cost of the minis. Ouch, right?

Finally, as you probably know, even though my Tivo3 has an 'M' cablecard, I do not have access to any Comcast on-demand content, except from my Comcast boxes. I gather that has changed on the new boxes? Swapping the existing Tivo with a new box is one thing, but if I am to suggest to the wife that we replace the bedroom Comcast DVR with a mini, at the very least that mini will have to have what she has now: namely live TV with the ability to pause, rewind and record, and on-demand. Do these newfangled Tivos AND minis have on-demand access?

Edited to add another question: will I have total control over my tuners on the Romio the way I do with the Tivo3? For instance, I like to put the ball game on one tuner, pause it and move to another tuner to watch something, then return to the paused tuner and continue watching while fast forwarding through commercials. I don't actually have to record anything because of the 30 minute buffer. Will I still have that?


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ferky1 said:


> Thanks for the prompt responses. First, here is a link to the Abe Simpson clip; it cracks me up every time.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Luckily as I said comcast has a national Cablecard hotline number to call for pairing and issues, so you may not have to deal with Norristown for that part of it.

I agree six tuners should be enough. That's what I have on three TVs and probably a heavier user and its ok for us.



ferky1 said:


> Fourth, Tarheel, you suggest a Romio Plus/Pro plus lifetime. I'm no penny-pincher, but a quick search looks as though the Plus with lifetime is going to run $800, plus the cost of the minis. Ouch, right?
> 
> Finally, as you probably know, even though my Tivo3 has an 'M' cablecard, I do not have access to any Comcast on-demand content, except from my Comcast boxes. I gather that has changed on the new boxes? Swapping the existing Tivo with a new box is one thing, but if I am to suggest to the wife that we replace the bedroom Comcast DVR with a mini, at the very least that mini will have to have what she has now: namely live TV with the ability to pause, rewind and record, and on-demand. Do these newfangled Tivos AND minis have on-demand access?


The loyalty deal tarheel mentioned reduces that cost for a Plus to a total of $498 ($99 box and $399 lifetime) and the caveat is that you've been a customer for 10+ years.

You can get the mini V1's for $100-120 and they include lifetime and will pay for themselves over renting their boxes in a short time. They can pause rewind and record through the host Roamio. They do have XFinity On Demand, yes. I believe your old TiVo HD is supposed to as well so it sounds like they don't have the proper TiVo code on your account now so I'd call the dedicated CC line even if you don't buy new tivos.



ferky1 said:


> Edited to add another question: will I have total control over my tuners on the Romio the way I do with the Tivo3? For instance, I like to put the ball game on one tuner, pause it and move to another tuner to watch something, then return to the paused tuner and continue watching while fast forwarding through commercials. I don't actually have to record anything because of the 30 minute buffer. Will I still have that?


You'll have total control over all that like you do now, but with six tuners instead of only two! This is ONLY at the main host Roamio Plus though, not the minis. They just steal one tuner from the host when they're watching live tv so it's imperative that you hit the TiVo button to release the tuner in them when you're finished watching live TV. Otherwise it'll time out after 4 hours anyway.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

HarperVision said:


> I believe your old TiVo HD is supposed to as well so it sounds like they don't have the proper TiVo code on your account now so I'd call the dedicated CC line even if you don't buy new tivos.


I didn't realize that the TiVo HD had the Comcast on-demand app. It could be that he never bothered to go through the full CableCard pairing process. To get access to the Comcast on-demand content, the CableCard has to be fully paired to the device.



HarperVision said:


> The loyalty deal tarheel mentioned reduces that cost for a Plus to a total of $498 ($99 box and $399 lifetime) and the caveat is that you've been a customer for 10+ years.


Yeah the 10-year loyalty deal on the Roamio Plus for $498 is very sweet. The current deal on the refurb basic Roamios with lifetime for $300 ($50 box + $250 lifetime) is also extremely good. You could go for 2 refurb 4-tuner basic Roamios at 2 different TVs if you want 8 tuners total and use Minis at all the other TVs. As noted above, when the Mini is being used for live TV, it borrows one of the host DVR's tuners. I know the upfront cost seems large, but you'll be saving a good bit of money every month on the Comcast equipment rental fees and extra outlet fees.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> I was an early adopter of Tivo1 around 2000, then Series 2, then moved to a house with DirectTV and got DirectTivoHD, then moved to a Comcast/Xfinity house and I have had a Series 3 HD with a cable card since 2008.





fcfc2 said:


> You might also inquire about their "loyalty" program since you have been with Tivo so long.





HarperVision said:


> The loyalty deal tarheel mentioned reduces that cost for a Plus to a total of $498 ($99 box and $399 lifetime) and the caveat is that you've been a customer for 10+ years.


*Step One:* Find out if you can take advantage of the 10-year Loyalty offer. (if it's still active, does it apply to you, can it be combined w/ other current offers, how many DVRs can be purchased, etc.)

*NOTE:* Be sure to emphasize that you're looking to make a change from your Series 3 HD TiVos... perhaps even mentioning that your family and friends are all nudging you towards the Comcast/Xfinity X1 solution..​The suggestion that you may want to look at buying 2 of the currently on sale refurb base Roamios is a good one, but you may be able to shave a few dollars off the cost of the sale-priced base unit via the Loyalty offer.

-----
p.s. Some relevant TCF posts: here, here, here, etc.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

krkaufman said:


> *Step One:* Find out if you can take advantage of the 10-year Loyalty offer. (if it's still active, does it apply to you, can it be combined w/ other current offers, how many DVRs can be purchased, etc.)
> 
> *NOTE:* Be sure to emphasize that you're looking to make a change from your Series 3 HD TiVos... perhaps even mentioning that your family and friends are all nudging you towards the Comcast/Xfinity X1 solution..​


He also might want to mention he is looking to upgrade in anticipation of Comcast switching to H.264 compression, which will render his Series 3 useless to him, although he could still sell it on ebay if they give him the $99 lifetime offer on it, as they often do when people call up to cancel service on an old box. I think TiVo has been sending out some good deals to people affected by the Comcast compression migration. And if you really want to push them, ask them to throw in a free Slide Pro remote with the order, which they have been known to do when you ask nicely.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Thank you all so much for the great advice. I likely will be calling Tivo tomorrow and seeing how much they value this customer of 15 years. HOWEVER, 2 more questions:

1 - I see people talking about this new Bolt that no one seems to know anything about. I've waited this long, is it possible that I am going to pull the trigger on a Romio and find myself regretting my decision 6 months from now?

2 - I am not network tech savvy and I can't figure out how the mini "talks" to the main unit. The rooms where the minis will be located have coax and wifi, but no ethernet and I have no idea what MOCA is (I only learned the term today on this site). How difficult are these minis going to be to set up?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

1 - I'd wait.

2 - How good is your router? It talks via Ethernet. That can be wired or coax via MoCa (google it). I have mine on a wireless extender. Not supported. Easy to setup via Ethernet or MoCA.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> 1 - I see people talking about this new Bolt that no one seems to know anything about. I've waited this long, is it possible that I am going to pull the trigger on a Romio and find myself regretting my decision 6 months from now?


Each person is different, so I can't say. It'll likely depend on how much you spend.



ferky1 said:


> 2 - I am not network tech savvy and I can't figure out how the mini "talks" to the main unit. The rooms where the minis will be located have coax and wifi, but no ethernet and I have no idea what MOCA is (I only learned the term today on this site). How difficult are these minis going to be to set up?


MoCA is a technology for sending networking signals via your coax lines, right alongside any TV signals.

In your case, since you don't have Ethernet at those two target locations, you'll want to setup a MoCA network on your coax lines, and you'll setup your Minis to network via MoCA, rather than using an Ethernet cable. It works great.

That said, *HOW* you'll create your MoCA network will be dependent on what technology you have on hand:

Roamio Plus/Pro models can create a MoCA network, base/OTA Roamios cannot;
latest rental Comcast "XB3" gateways can create a MoCA network;
or you can just use a simple MoCA adapter connected to your coax lines & Ethernet network

Much more on MoCA here:
TCF thread: Setting up a MoCA Network for Tivo
TiVo support: Connect your TiVo box to your home network​


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> Thank you all so much for the great advice. I likely will be calling Tivo tomorrow and seeing how much they value this customer of 15 years. HOWEVER, 2 more questions:
> 
> 1 - I see people talking about this new Bolt that no one seems to know anything about. I've waited this long, is it possible that I am going to pull the trigger on a Romio and find myself regretting my decision 6 months from now?


Nobody knows for sure, but the Bolt will probably not actually be much of a hardware upgrade, and will likely run the exact same software as the Roamios do. General speculation is that all the Bolts will probably come with streaming and MoCA built in, whereas right now only the Roamio Plus/Pro have those things.



ferky1 said:


> 2 - I am not network tech savvy and I can't figure out how the mini "talks" to the main unit. The rooms where the minis will be located have coax and wifi, but no ethernet and I have no idea what MOCA is (I only learned the term today on this site). How difficult are these minis going to be to set up?


MoCA is usually quite simple and is pretty much plug and play. The Mini and the Plus/Pro have MoCA built in, so they can communicate with each other automatically once you connect them to your home's coax network. The base Roamio doesn't have MoCA built in, so it requires a MoCA adapter. If you go for the Plus but can't connect it to your router with an ethernet cable, then you would need a MoCA adapter at your router to give the Plus and Minis an internet connection through the MoCA network. TiVo sells the MoCA adapters for $50.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

IF you can wait then wait. But who knows when the Bolt is coming. Might be a year. Could be shorter. Could be longer. 

Otherwise $500 Roamio Plus sounds like a decent deal. Throw in a few Minis.

Other option is go OTA and streaming services.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Having scanned the thread, my suggestion would to be just pull the trigger on a single $300 refurb basic Roamio to replace your existing Series 3 Tivo. The current deal is pretty tremendous, and you'd be able to return it if you loathe it, for some reason, or recoup most of your purchase price via eBay outside your money-back window.

My *only* hesitation would be if making such a purchase would affect your ability to take advantage of the *ONE-TIME-ONLY* 10-year Loyalty deal.

You could add-in Minis at those 2 bonus locations, via MoCA networking, whenever the mood/price is right; and later, if you love the TiVo, you can look at getting a 6-tuner model via the Loyalty deal, either as a replacement of the base Roamio, or for replacement of your Comcast DVRs. (Or another base Roamio; whatever works for you.)


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

trip1eX said:


> IF you can wait then wait. But who knows when the Bolt is coming. Might be a year. Could be shorter. Could be longer.
> 
> Otherwise $500 Roamio Plus sounds like a decent deal. Throw in a few Minis.
> 
> Other option is go OTA and streaming services.


I'd probably recommend he go ahead and buy now given how good the Roamio prices are. Who knows how long these prices will last. The Bolts will likely be more expensive for the first year or so after they are released. And the rumors all seem to point to a Bolt coming out sometime in September, so if they are something truly spectacular and he wants to pay more for the Bolt, he should still be in the 30-day return window if he wants to return the Roamio and get a Bolt.

Also, you're probably going to want to buy the Minis from a retailer other than TiVo. They pretty much never deviate from the $150 price. Buying them from 3rd-party retailers like Amazon or BestBuy is us almost always cheaper than that.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Thank you all so much for what I presume is good advice. I think I'm inclined to see if I can get a truly good loyalty deal on a new Romio Plus and 2 minis. Something Tarheel said confused me:



tarheelblue32 said:


> The Mini and the Plus/Pro have MoCA built in, so they can communicate with each other automatically once you connect them to your home's coax network. The base Roamio doesn't have MoCA built in, so it requires a MoCA adapter. If you go for the Plus but can't connect it to your router with an ethernet cable, then you would need a MoCA adapter at your router to give the Plus and Minis an internet connection through the MoCA network. TiVo sells the MoCA adapters for $50.


First you say that the Plus has MoCA built in, then you say "if you go for the plus but can't connect to router with ethernet". . . .

If I go with Plus, and have no intention of having any wired connection with my router, will a Plus and mini talk to each other happily out of the box, or will I need an adapter, or is it not that simple?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> Something Tarheel said confused me:
> 
> First you say that the Plus has MoCA built in, then you say "if you go for the plus but can't connect to router with ethernet". . . .
> 
> If I go with Plus, and have no intention of having any wired connection with my router, will a Plus and mini talk to each other happily out of the box, or will I need an adapter, or is it not that simple?


The Plus and Mini would be able to talk to each other, but they wouldn't be able to talk to your router for an internet connection (unless the router also has MoCA built in). Even though the Plus has built-in WiFi, it can't use the WiFi and MoCA simultaneously, so it needs the internet connection to also come through the MoCA connection. The Plus can use wired ethernet and MoCA at the same time however, which is why if you can plug the Plus into your router with an ethernet cord, you wouldn't need a MoCA adapter at the router to feed an internet connection to the Plus and Minis.

TiVo's website has a good diagram of this:

https://www.tivo.com/shop/mini
(click on "INSTALLATION")

Bottom line is that if you can't plug the Plus into your router with an ethernet cable, then you'll also need to buy a $50 MoCA adapter for your router. And if you get the base Roamio which does not have MoCA built in, then you would need 2 MoCA adapters, one for the Roamio and one for the router.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> Third, we have 3 televisions that are used regularly by the 4 of us. Right now one TV has the Tivo3 and the other 2 each have Comcast digital DVRs -- I have most premium channels. There are 2 other televisions that are used rarely and do fine with the basic converter box. I have to imagine that 6 tuners will be fine for us.


Moving beyond the single Series 3 TiVo location...

Re: your Comcast digital DVRs... are they X1 DVRs? Can you say what model they are? If not, have you looked into upgrading one or both of those to the latest Comcast X1 DVR, as a trial? It's possible that both DVRs could be replaced w/ a single X1 Cloud DVR and X1 client box.

'gist: You may want to sample both the TiVo and Comcast solutions, to see which is a better user/budget fit.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> If I go with Plus, and have no intention of having any wired connection with my router, will a Plus and mini talk to each other happily out of the box, or will I need an adapter, or is it not that simple?


Both the Roamio Plus *and* the Mini require wired network connections, officially, for the Mini to be able to stream Live or recorded content. The wired connection may be either Ethernet or MoCA, as each location requires.

As you've described your plans, lacking Ethernet access, your Minis would require a MoCA network on the coax cable to which they'll be connected. (The coax lines currently connected to your Comcast-supplied "basic converter boxes.")

Given that your Roamio Plus will be connected to the coax lines (for the TV signal), if it can also be connected via Ethernet to your router, then you can use the Plus to create the MoCA network needed by the Minis.

However, if you can't run Ethernet to the Roamio Plus, then you'll need to purchase a MoCA adapter that *can* be connected both to your coax lines and to your Ethernet home network (i.e. router ports), in order for the MoCA adapter to create the needed MoCA network -- to which your coax-only Plus and Minis would connect.

-----
Again, more on MoCA here:
TCF thread: Setting up a MoCA Network for Tivo
TiVo support: Connect your TiVo box to your home network​


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

If I might pry, what are you using for your modem & router? Are you supplying your own equipment or renting from Comcast?

I'm specifically interested in whether you're renting your modem/gateway from Comcast, as their latest XB3 gateways can be used to create the MoCA network on your coax lines, negating any need for MoCA adapters in a Roamio Plus/Pro & Mini setup. (A MoCA adapter would still be needed to network a base Roamio or OTA, if they couldn't be reached via Ethernet.)


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> Finally, as you probably know, even though my Tivo3 has an 'M' cablecard, I do not have access to any Comcast on-demand content, except from my Comcast boxes. I gather that has changed on the new boxes? ... Do these newfangled Tivos AND minis have on-demand access?


Yes, correct. Roamios and Minis have an Xfinity On Demand app that gives you full access to Comcast's on demand content, including for premium channels to which you subscribe.

Perhaps the main caveats re: the XOD4TiVo app are:

I've found it error prone, often requiring backing-out of the app and then returning for videos to start properly; and sometimes experience errors that prevent on demand playback. (I've mostly watched XOD via a Mini, and so need to test suggestions that startup/playback may work better if the Roamio is NOT in Standby mode -- and ours is almost always in Standby.)

XOD playback consumes a tuner on the Roamio for the duration of the viewing session. (Hmmm... I'm now wondering if I also need to check my tuner usage when I experience future XOD4TiVo startup issues, to see whether my XOD session can't start because it can't find an available tuner.)

You're limited to a single active XOD viewing session per Roamio/Mini grouping. A second user starting an XOD video will cause an earlier viewing session to just halt where it is, without any error or warning dialog as to why playback has halted. You then run around the house to find out who bogarted your XOD session, or enter into a XOD restart war w/ the unknown interloper.

I expect that the on demand playback controls may be restricted in a similar way as to your current Comcast solution, in that you're prevented from FastForwarding/Skipping content for some (much?) programming.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> will I have total control over my tuners on the Romio the way I do with the Tivo3?


Yes, totally.

But not on a Mini. The Mini can grab a tuner from the Roamio for live TV viewing, but, at present, it lacks the ability to cycle between the available tuner buffers.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> Thank you all so much for what I presume is good advice. I think I'm inclined to see if I can get a truly good loyalty deal on a new Romio Plus and 2 minis.


Fingers crossed for ya.

If you can't get a good deal on the Minis, as well, you may want to take a look at alternate sources. (current Amazon price is $130)

Also, if you place an order, as others have suggested, find the angles to get whatever freebies you can, including:


Slide Pro remotes (if prompted, get one that includes the "RF Dongle")
A/V Breakout cables* (needed for any Mini that can't connect to its TV via HDMI)
MoCA adapter
MoCA PoE filter** (needed to secure your coax MoCA network)

* If you can't get 'em free, the breakout cables can be had for a bit less via eBay. (but diff is negligible if you're getting free shipping from TiVo)

** If Comcast has already X1'd your home, you may already have a MoCA PoE filter installed; you'd need to check your cable drop.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

As an aside, you're not stuck w/ the stock hard drive capacity that comes with your TiVo, should you want more.

TCF threads:

Hard Drive Upgrade Info -- no fuss upgrade to 3TB

MFS Reformatter (mfsr) -- should you want to go bigger than 3TB​
Recommended drives:

WD AV-GP

WD Red​


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Well that didn't go well. . . 

I decided to use my loyalty karma to get a new Roamio Plus with lifetime, get it all set up, and then deal with the mini/MoCA at a later date. Unfortunately, I knew the minute the CSR answered the phone that she was not going to hook me up. 

She fully understood the Comcast change that was going to kill my Tivo3, she appreciated my 15 years of loyalty, she acknowledged that Comcast was more than happy to put in X1s for low to no cost to me, but at the end of it all, she would not offer better than $299 for a new Roamio Plus with $399 lifetime (or $129 annual). This is not a good deal, right? Do I just call back and hope for someone who can do better?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> Well that didn't go well. . .
> 
> I decided to use my loyalty karma to get a new Roamio Plus with lifetime, get it all set up, and then deal with the mini/MoCA at a later date. Unfortunately, I knew the minute the CSR answered the phone that she was not going to hook me up.
> 
> She fully understood the Comcast change that was going to kill my Tivo3, she appreciated my 15 years of loyalty, she acknowledged that Comcast was more than happy to put in X1s for low to no cost to me, but at the end of it all, she would not offer better than $299 for a new Roamio Plus with $399 lifetime (or $129 annual). This is not a good deal, right? Do I just call back and hope for someone who can do better?


Yeah call back and try playing CSR roulette. The deal she offered you really wasn't anything that special. You're entitled to the $399 MSD lifetime anyway, and $299 for a Plus is only $30 cheaper than anyone can buy on Amazon right now. $30 off is hardly a great deal.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Nope again. Got a very helpful CSR who put me on hold a number of times to (supposedly) check on other deals, talk to managers, etc., but at the end of the day she said that the best they could offer is $299 on the Plus and $399 for lifetime. Even when I said that they were rewarding this 15 year customer with nothing more than $30 off Amazon's price, the response was that if I buy from Amazon, I can't get the $399 lifetime and that they would have to charge me $499 even though I'm an existing customer. Seriously??


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> Even when I said that they were rewarding this 15 year customer with nothing more than $30 off Amazon's price, the response was that if I buy from Amazon, I can't get the $399 lifetime and that they would have to charge me $499 even though I'm an existing customer. Seriously??


That's not true at all. As long as your current Series 3 TiVo still has active service when you activate lifetime service on the new Roamio, you'll get it for $399. There also used to be a code ("PLSR") that anyone could use when activating lifetime to get it for $399. Not sure if the "PLSR" code still works or not, but I know the multi-service lifetime discount is still available.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ferky1 said:


> Nope again. Got a very helpful CSR who put me on hold a number of times to (supposedly) check on other deals, talk to managers, etc., but at the end of the day she said that the best they could offer is $299 on the Plus and $399 for lifetime. Even when I said that they were rewarding this 15 year customer with nothing more than $30 off Amazon's price, the response was that if I buy from Amazon, I can't get the $399 lifetime and that they would have to charge me $499 even though I'm an existing customer. Seriously??


I see from your original post that you're only back with TiVo since 2008 with a TiVo HD is that right? If so then they may only be counting from 2008 so you're not according to them anyway a 10 yr customer.

Does your online account show the TiVos you had in the early 2000's or does it start at your 2008 TiVo HD? If it starts at 2008 then see if they can find your old account from the initial TiVo purchases that you made 15 years ago and see if they can go off of that. They don't count the years that you had TiVo with DirecTV though.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

HarperVision said:


> I see from your original post that you're only back with TiVo since 2008 with a TiVo HD is that right? If so then they may only be counting from 2008 so you're not according to them anyway a 10 yr customer.
> 
> Does your online account show the TiVos you had in the early 2000's or does it start at your 2008 TiVo HD? If it starts at 2008 then see if they can find your old account from the initial TiVo purchases that you made 15 years ago and see if they can go off of that. They don't count the years that you had TiVo with DirecTV though.


Ugh, I wonder if that's it. My online account only shows my 2008 activation. It does not show the DirectTivoHD I had from '03-'08 or the Series 2 that I had from '00-'03. I have no way to prove the purchases I made 15/12 years ago. . .


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> Ugh, I wonder if that's it. My online account only shows my 2008 activation. It does not show the DirectTivoHD I had from '03-'08 or the Series 2 that I had from '00-'03. I have no way to prove the purchases I made 15/12 years ago. . .


I don't think they count the DirecTiVo, but they should count the Series 2 and that should be enough to get your to qualify for the 10-year loyalty deal. You should call them back and just ask specifically if you qualify for the 10-year loyalty deal on the Plus, and if they say no ask why not. If it's because the Series 2 isn't showing up on your account, sometimes they are able to hunt around in their database and find a record of an old TiVo not currently listed on your account so that you will qualify for it.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

tarheelblue32 said:


> I don't think they count the DirecTiVo, but they should count the Series 2 and that should be enough to get your to qualify for the 10-year loyalty deal. You should call them back and just ask specifically if you qualify for the 10-year loyalty deal on the Plus, and if they say no ask why not. If it's because the Series 2 isn't showing up on your account, sometimes they are able to hunt around in their database and find a record of an old TiVo not currently listed on your account so that you will qualify for it.


Yes, that is EXACTLY what they had to do for me to get the loyalty deal myself.


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## alyssa (Dec 7, 2003)

having dealt with cable cards in the S3's... it's **way simpler** now.

it's always gonna be cheaper to buy last gen tech when the next gen tech comes out. if the 10year loyalty deal doesn't happen, there should be other deals down the road that are close to this one. 

the Roamio is a great box- very solid- 
oh & upgrading the hard drive is light years simpler then back in the S2/3 days,


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## peakay (Apr 7, 2002)

FYI, I tried to get the loyalty discount on a refurbished plus too, but I just think they don't have any or enough of those to want to deal. i tried very hard, but was not able to get one. i just got the refurb basic roamio since it was so cheap and we only have 2 tvs connected.

The hail mary is to go to the cancellation line and talk to those guys. They can pull rabbits out of the hat sometimes.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

tarheelblue32 said:


> I'd probably recommend he go ahead and buy now given how good the Roamio prices are. Who knows how long these prices will last. The Bolts will likely be more expensive for the first year or so after they are released. And the rumors all seem to point to a Bolt coming out sometime in September, so if they are something truly spectacular and he wants to pay more for the Bolt, he should still be in the 30-day return window if he wants to return the Roamio and get a Bolt.
> 
> Also, you're probably going to want to buy the Minis from a retailer other than TiVo. They pretty much never deviate from the $150 price. Buying them from 3rd-party retailers like Amazon or BestBuy is us almost always cheaper than that.


That soon? I'd wait then for sure.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

tarheelblue32 said:


> The Plus and Mini would be able to talk to each other, but they wouldn't be able to talk to your router for an internet connection (unless the router also has MoCA built in). Even though the Plus has built-in WiFi, it can't use the WiFi and MoCA simultaneously, so it needs the internet connection to also come through the MoCA connection. The Plus can use wired ethernet and MoCA at the same time however, which is why if you can plug the Plus into your router with an ethernet cord, you wouldn't need a MoCA adapter at the router to feed an internet connection to the Plus and Minis.
> 
> TiVo's website has a good diagram of this:
> 
> ...


Really? I thought Roamio has wifi so you can connect to router. That might work just fine for Netflix etc.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

$700 too much. Check the deals thread under the Roamio forums. One suggestion is to see if the Spechular guy is still selling codes that give you a discount. I got a Roamio Plus thru him for $600 14 months ago. He's on ebay. You can search for Tivo Roamio and see a guy with similar name is still selling codes.

And if this Bolt is supposed to come out very soon then wait. Not only to see what the Bolt is but official Roamio prices would be sure to drop.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

trip1eX said:


> Really? I thought Roamio has wifi so you can connect to router. That might work just fine for Netflix etc.


The Roamio does have WiFi, but you can't use the Roamio's internal WiFi when you're using a Mini with it.



trip1eX said:


> Check the deals thread under the Roamio forums. One suggestion is to see if the Spechular guy is still selling codes that give you a discount. I got a Roamio Plus thru him for $600 14 months ago. He's on ebay. You can search for Tivo Roamio and see a guy with similar name is still selling codes.


TiVo killed that program. Those discount codes won't work now.



trip1eX said:


> And if this Bolt is supposed to come out very soon then wait. Not only to see what the Bolt is but official Roamio prices would be sure to drop.


I highly doubt you'll ever see a lower price on the Roamio w/lifetime than the current $300 firesale. And that sale price may vanish before the Bolts launch. If you wait, you could be out of luck.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

trip1eX said:


> $700 too much. Check the deals thread under the Roamio forums. One suggestion is to see if the Spechular guy is still selling codes that give you a discount. I got a Roamio Plus thru him for $600 14 months ago. He's on ebay. You can search for Tivo Roamio and see a guy with similar name is still selling codes.


Spherular and Friends & Family codes are not currently allowed by TiVO. The program has been indefinitely suspended. (ref)


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

tarheelblue32 said:


> The Roamio does have WiFi, but you can't use the Roamio's internal WiFi when you're using a Mini with it.
> 
> TiVo killed that program. Those discount codes won't work now.
> 
> I highly doubt you'll ever see a lower price on the Roamio w/lifetime than the current $300 firesale. And that sale price may vanish before the Bolts launch. If you wait, you could be out of luck.


oh and oh.

Yeah you're right but I think we were talking about the Plus weren't we? You won't see worse deals on that.


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## filovirus (Aug 22, 2013)

ferky1 said:


> Friends and family whose opinion I have asked have pretty much all laughed at me for still having Tivo, have all pronounced Tivo dead, and seem puzzled that I won't just trash the Tivo and let Comcast handle all of my needs.
> 
> Thanks


I'd laugh back and remind them to check their bill for hardware and outlet lease fees. A lifetime Roamio, Moca networking, and couple of Mini's can save you lots of cash in Comcast fees.

I have two Cablecards, one free, one for $1.50, along with a $2.50 credit for owned hardware. That is 5 TV outlets I pay nothing for and even see a dollar from Comcast.


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

OP, sorry you are having trouble getting a deal, but as someone with a similar hardware journey as you (Series 1, Series 2, DirecTiVo HD, TiVo HD), the move to Roamio and a couple of minis has been great.

Just thank yourself for sitting out the Premiere era


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

filovirus said:


> I'd laugh back and remind them to check their bill for *hardware and outlet lease fees*. A lifetime Roamio, Moca networking, and couple of Mini's can save you lots of cash in Comcast fees.
> 
> I have two Cablecards, one free, one for $1.50, along with a $2.50 credit for owned hardware. That is 5 TV outlets I pay nothing for and even see a dollar from Comcast.


Yeah, they really stick it to ya on the outlets. Our setup would've been inconceivable had we gone w/ Comcast equipment rental -- or satellite. One main DVR and 8 client boxes.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Thank you all so much for your help. I just got off with yet another CSR, but this time she checked through old addresses and emails and found that the Tivos I had 10+ years ago were listed under a different account. After merging my accounts, they were able to offer me a Roamio Plus for $399 and lifetime service for $99. $500 plus tax is a heck of a lot better than the $700+ I was offered last week. Roamio Plus w/ lifetime has been ordered and should be shipped soon. Hopefully the setup will be smoother than the Series3 setup from 7 years ago; and once it's up and running I'll explore the minis and MoCAs and all that jazz. You haven't heard the last from me TivoCommunity!

Thanks again


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ferky1 said:


> Thank you all so much for your help. I just got off with yet another CSR, but this time she checked through old addresses and emails and found that the Tivos I had 10+ years ago were listed under a different account. After merging my accounts, they were able to offer me a Roamio Plus for $399 and lifetime service for $99. $500 plus tax is a heck of a lot better than the $700+ I was offered last week. Roamio Plus w/ lifetime has been ordered and should be shipped soon. Hopefully the setup will be smoother than the Series3 setup from 7 years ago; and once it's up and running I'll explore the minis and MoCAs and all that jazz. You haven't heard the last from me TivoCommunity! Thanks again


That's awesome, congrats ferky1. Persistence pays off!


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## celtic pride (Nov 8, 2005)

I'm still pissed off at tivo for not giving me a deal despite being a 15 year customer! WHY DONT THEY COUNT DIRECTV TIVOS ?I still have my 3 phillps directv tivo boxes and 2 directv HD 10-250 tivo boxes ,plus now i have a tivo pro and 2 tivo premiere and a mini,and tivo still wouldnt give me a deal when i bought my tivo pro!! I have spent thousands of dollars on these tivos and its time tivo start giving us tivo fans a break. if i dont get a deal on the 4k bolt i'll sell my tivos and go back to directv!


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

celtic pride said:


> I'm still pissed off at tivo for not giving me a deal despite being a 15 year customer! WHY DONT THEY COUNT DIRECTV TIVOS ?I still have my 3 phillps directv tivo boxes and 2 directv HD 10-250 tivo boxes ,plus now i have a tivo pro and 2 tivo premiere and a mini,and tivo still wouldnt give me a deal when i bought my tivo pro!! I have spent thousands of dollars on these tivos and its time tivo start giving us tivo fans a break. if i dont get a deal on the 4k bolt i'll sell my tivos and go back to directv!


Wrong CSR? Wrong time of the month?

Maybe you can send them proof?

I'm not sure the DirecTivo stuff ever got in to TiVo's data base so it may come completely down to the CSR's or their supervisor's discretion.

Also what were you asking for? A Plus/Pro?

Other than throwing in a slide remote, I don't think they want to go any lower on the Basic or OTA models.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

jonw747 said:


> Wrong CSR? Wrong time of the month? Maybe you can send them proof? I'm not sure the DirecTivo stuff ever got in to TiVo's data base so it may come completely down to the CSR's or their supervisor's discretion. Also what were you asking for? A Plus/Pro? Other than throwing in a slide remote, I don't think they want to go any lower on the Basic or OTA models.


They offer 10 year loyalty deals, the best of which is a Roamio Plus for $399 with Lifetime Service for $99 for a total of $498. Sometimes they even throw in a Slide Pro remote.


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

HarperVision said:


> They offer 10 year loyalty deals, the best of which is a Roamio Plus for $399 with Lifetime Service for $99 for a total of $498. Sometimes they even throw in a Slide Pro remote.


Yes, if the CSR who answers the call is able to confirm your information, it's a terrific offer; but if they can't it seems to be YMMV.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

You just have to make them dig deeper in your records. That's how I got mine. I was an original member with the very first Panasonic 14 HR units back in very early Jan 2000. I remember using it for my "Grandfathered Lifetime Clause" to get a TiVo Series 3 OLED unit awhile back.


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

HarperVision said:


> You just have to make them dig deeper in your records. That's how I got mine. I was an original member with the very first Panasonic 14 HR units back in very early Jan 2000. I remember using it for my "Grandfathered Lifetime Clause" to get a TiVo Series 3 OLED unit awhile back.


I'm not sure DirecTv ever sent them any records .. they handled everything beyond purchase (I bought mine at Best Buy for $1000 - eep!).


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

jonw747 said:


> I'm not sure DirecTv ever sent them any records .. they handled everything beyond purchase (I bought mine at Best Buy for $1000 - eep!).


I was speaking more to celtic pride and others, who had the original tivo back before he had DirecTV TiVos. If you didn't start into the TiVo game until you got your DirecTiVo, then that's a different story. Your time wouldn't start until you got a regular cable or OTA TiVo. When was that, over 10 years ago?


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Now that my Roamio Plus is on its way, I've got the Tivo buying bug and am thinking about ordering 2 minis now instead of being logical and taking things one step at a time. Would the folks that have been so helpful on this thread be willing to help with my mini/setup/MoCA questions, or should I let this thread die? I have read much information regarding MoCA, including the helpful threads suggested by KrKaufman, but I have some questions regarding my specific setup and what I should be purchasing. Anyone interested?


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> Now that my Roamio Plus is on its way, I've got the Tivo buying bug and am thinking about ordering 2 minis now instead of being logical and taking things one step at a time. Would the folks that have been so helpful on this thread be willing to help with my mini/setup/MoCA questions, or should I let this thread die? I have read much information regarding MoCA, including the helpful threads suggested by KrKaufman, but I have some questions regarding my specific setup and what I should be purchasing. Anyone interested?


If you have questions specifically re: MoCA, I'd suggest loading 'em into that main MoCA setup thread. Your call.


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

ferky1 said:


> Now that my Roamio Plus is on its way, I've got the Tivo buying bug and am thinking about ordering 2 minis now instead of being logical and taking things one step at a time. Would the folks that have been so helpful on this thread be willing to help with my mini/setup/MoCA questions, or should I let this thread die? I have read much information regarding MoCA, including the helpful threads suggested by KrKaufman, but I have some questions regarding my specific setup and what I should be purchasing. Anyone interested?


Whatever, this forum seems a bit relaxed in many ways. The only recommendation I would make is that you generally get better deals on Ebay or Amazon for minis. The 92000 V1's were significantly cheaper but now not so much. Figure $123-130 for V2's.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

fcfc2 said:


> The only recommendation I would make is that you generally get better deals on Ebay or Amazon for minis. The 92000 V1's were significantly cheaper but now not so much. Figure $123-130 for V2's.


Current v2 price on Amazon is $127, which you could pickup at Best Buy using price matching. (see the bottom of this post).


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

HarperVision said:


> I was speaking more to celtic pride and others, who had the original tivo back before he had DirecTV TiVos. If you didn't start into the TiVo game until you got your DirecTiVo, then that's a different story. Your time wouldn't start until you got a regular cable or OTA TiVo. When was that, over 10 years ago?


My HR10-250 died a couple of years after I bought it, and I switched to DirecTv's HR20 DVR before moving on to FIOS. The HR10 was the only TiVo I've ever owned until they hooked me back in with the $400+$100 deal.

If celtic pride has owned TiVo devices from even before his HR10, then, yeah ... like ferky1 he probably just needs to find the right CSR who knows how to look up the old records.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> If you have questions specifically re: MoCA, I'd suggest loading 'em into that main MoCA setup thread. Your call.


I just posted my question and a diagram in the thread that krkaufman suggested. Any thoughts would be appreciated.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

The past 3 hours is exactly what I was hoping to avoid when upgrading from a Series3 to a Roamio. I am so frustrated right now and my wife is giving me that look which silently says "I told you to dump Tivo; Comcast is just easier." I know this isn't Tivo's fault, but their reliance on cable cards and cable providers is clearly their weakest link.

In short, I'd hoped to get my new box working with a new cable card before deactivating my existing Series3/cable card. First Comcast tech told me that he couldn't get the new one up and running without deactivating the existing card (unless I wanted to contact billing to change my account blah blah), so I authorized him to deactivate my working cable card. Then the guy can't get the new cable card in the Roamio to work. While waiting on a fix, got disconnected. Second tech tries a bunch of things and then gets Tivo on a 3-way call. Tivo guy is great, but it's clear that it's a Comcast issue. Comcast tech asks Tivo guy a question, and when he answers, she disappears, never to be heard from again. Tivo guy then initiates a call with Comcast. Third Comcast tech tries pairing/activating both the new card and old card in the Roamio, but nothing works. He says that he's linking in another department to discuss, except he doesn't bring anyone in, he just transfers us. Fourth Comcast tech is completely useless and wants me to do things like check to make sure I've got the right input on my TV. Tivo guy got pissy with her and said 'Of course he does, he told you that he can see the error message and CableCard info and guide information!" Her solution was to send what she described as a 'much stronger signal' that will take an hour to send. Comcast rep said that I would get a call in 1 hour. She confirmed my number multiple times and Tivo guy even commented that it sounded unusual for a tech to need to call back in 1 hour. Comcast never called back.

To all those who said that the CableCard pairing nightmares of the S2/S3 days were over, I say not true. 3 hours, 1 Tivo rep, 4 Comcast reps later and I am left with less than what I started with, as my old Series3 workhorse has been silenced and the new Roamio can't get a cable signal (streaming content works fine). So here I sit, waiting for Comcast to call back to tell me what I already know -- they are going to want to roll a truck at some point with a tech that probably knows less than I do about cablecards. 

Not a happy Tivo customer (and it's Comcast's fault).


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Dude, sorry to hear that. Hope you get straightened out quickly.

In the meantime, know you're not alone in your hatred of Comcast customer service:

http://www.cnet.com/news/cable-companies-score-disastrously-in-new-consumer-reports-ratings/

http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/06/comcast-customer-satisfaction-rating-plummets-again/


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Were you talking to the techs at the dedicated Comcast Cablecard Support number?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

HarperVision said:


> Were you talking to the techs at the dedicated Comcast Cablecard Support number?


+1

That is very important to call the dedicated CableCard number. And if you are in fact calling the dedicated CableCard people, then you shouldn't be getting transferred to other people. I would also suggest trying to avoid calling during off hours and weekends. The good CableCard people probably aren't working then and your call just gets forwarded to the regular CSRs that are clueless about CableCards.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

tarheelblue32 said:


> +1 That is very important to call the dedicated CableCard number. And if you are in fact calling the dedicated CableCard people, then you shouldn't be getting transferred to other people. I would also suggest trying to avoid calling during off hours and weekends. The good CableCard people probably aren't working then and your call just gets forwarded to the regular CSRs that are clueless about CableCards.


.......or to God knows what country halfway around the globe!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Yeah, disabling the original card in the S3 was a bad call. You *would* have been hit w/ a temporary "additional outlet" fee if you activated a second card, but it would only be for the period from when you activated the new card and returned the S3's card(s).

That said, somewhat needlessly, below is contact information for escalating your issue, starting with Comcast's dedicated CableCARD support number.

Contact info for Comcast support and issue escalation...

Comcast CableCARD Support Line: (877) 405-2298

Comcast TiVo Support Department: (855) 484-1453 (link)

*ComcastTeds* on the Comcast support forums, via PM

*Comcast Cares* team via email, at: We_can[email protected]
NOTE: When contacting "Comcast Cares," please include all of the following in your email: The full name on your account, the telephone number on file for you, in addition to the best contact number, the full address where service is active (or location where service is being installed) and a detailed description of the problem.​


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Thanks for the advice and moral support. Sadly, 3 of the 4 reps I dealt with last night were from the dedicated cable card support number. Given that it's Saturday morning here, waiting to call until non-weekend business hours is not an option; I'm on hold right now ready to get this started again.

Is there anything anyone can think of to help me and my next Comcast tech figure this out? You know that it's something simple and they don't need to roll a truck, but no one yet knows how to fix this.


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

ferky1 said:


> Thanks for the advice and moral support. Sadly, 3 of the 4 reps I dealt with last night were from the dedicated cable card support number. Given that it's Saturday morning here, waiting to call until non-weekend business hours is not an option; I'm on hold right now ready to get this started again.
> 
> Is there anything anyone can think of to help me and my next Comcast tech figure this out? You know that it's something simple and they don't need to roll a truck, but no one yet knows how to fix this.


Hi,
You might try asking the next rep to "deauthorize" the card and then "authorize" it again. Sometimes this clears error. Good luck


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

ferky1 said:


> Is there anything anyone can think of to help me and my next Comcast tech figure this out? You know that it's something simple and they don't need to roll a truck, but no one yet knows how to fix this.


I hate to say this but with Comcast if the cablecard support folks can't pair the card properly you're going to need a truck roll so the tech can call the right person to fix it in their DB. Everything's still local with them, apparently, and the card stuff in particular is often not fixable without local intervention when moving from one Tivo to another. Try to schedule a tech visit during a weekday to have a better chance of him calling someone with a clue.

Oh and make sure that Xfinity on Demand appears on your Tivo afterwards.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Okay, we have success. Got a tech who said that it wasn't added to the account correctly, that the HostID was associated with another account, and she was seeing all kinds of error messages. She started from scratch and in 20 minutes accomplished what 4 techs couldn't do in almost 4 hours. THANK YOU JANE wherever you are.

While I have your attention, quick Tivo-specific question: before the cable card was working, while I could still do setup and play around, when I hit 'Live TV', it would change tuners. Now that the card is working, hitting LiveTV does not change the tuner. It seems the only way to change it is to hit Info and scroll down to show what each tuner is doing, and select that program. I really want to be able to change tuners with one click. any help?


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

When it boots all tuners are on the same channel. Hit live TV, change channel, repeat. You can hit right arrow then down to see what's on all the tuners.

Great news on the card pair, you really got lucky there.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

slowbiscuit said:


> When it boots all tuners are on the same channel. Hit live TV, change channel, repeat. You can hit right arrow then down to see what's on all the tuners.
> 
> Great news on the card pair, you really got lucky there.


All tuners are on different channels, but hitting LiveTV only brings up the info on the channel it's on, it will not change the tuner no matter how many times I hit the button.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Weird, might have something to do with it not completing Tivo activation fully. Do a network connect 2-3 times, reboot and try again. Live TV button definitely changes tuners.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Is it possible that you used either an old remote (S1/S2) or a universal remote that might have sent the old LiveTV/Guide code? I think to reset it you can hit the TiVo button and then hit LiveTV.

Scott


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Argh. I forced a connection 3 times and have navigated all around, but the LiveTV button will not change my tuner. I am only using the new peanut remote that came with the Roamio. Options?


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Try a reboot?

Scott


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> Try a reboot?
> 
> Scott


Yup. Done and now it works! Thanks. Final issue seems to be that I get an error message when I try to access On Demand. I'll deal with that later, but for now I'm happy playing with my new Roamio. Thanks everyone for the assistance.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> Yup. Done and now it works! Thanks. Final issue seems to be that I get an error message when I try to access On Demand. I'll deal with that later, but for now I'm happy playing with my new Roamio. Thanks everyone for the assistance.


See this thread: http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=531251


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Just to close the loop on my experience, while it wasn't flawless, a few hours worth of headaches and Comcast CSR frustrations over the weekend has produced a working Roamio Plus (with working On Demand) and 2 minis working perfectly over a new MoCA network. 2 weeks ago I didn't even know my coax has the ability to carry data. With the exception of the problem stated below, I am very happy (and the kids and wife are too!).

My only issue right now is that my LiveTV button does not change tuners. I unplug the unit and power back up and it works, but at some point something happens and makes it so the LiveTV button only brings up information about the current show on the current tuner. The only way I can change tuners is to hit 'Info', scroll down to the tuners and select a different one. This is significant and maybe I'll post the question in the tech support forum.


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

ferky1 said:


> My only issue right now is that my LiveTV button does not change tuners. I unplug the unit and power back up and it works, but at some point something happens and makes it so the LiveTV button only brings up information about the current show on the current tuner. The only way I can change tuners is to hit 'Info', scroll down to the tuners and select a different one. This is significant and maybe I'll post the question in the tech support forum.


Try pressing clear first?


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Definitely call Tivo about the tuner issue, you've got a bug that I'm sure they'd want to see the logs for.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ferky1 said:


> Just to close the loop on my experience, while it wasn't flawless, a few hours worth of headaches and Comcast CSR frustrations over the weekend has produced a working Roamio Plus (with working On Demand) and 2 minis working perfectly over a new MoCA network. 2 weeks ago I didn't even know my coax has the ability to carry data. With the exception of the problem stated below, I am very happy (and the kids and wife are too!).
> 
> *My only issue right now is that my LiveTV button does not change tuners. I unplug the unit and power back up and it works, but at some point something happens and makes it so the LiveTV button only brings up information about the current show on the current tuner. The only way I can change tuners is to hit 'Info', scroll down to the tuners and select a different one. * This is significant and maybe I'll post the question in the tech support forum.


Do we know for sure it's the Roamio and not maybe the remote and it's Live TV button acting wonky? Maybe it has an issue and sends the "info" IR code after awhile. The INFO button is right next to the LiveTV button after all. Do you have another remote you can try? Maybe one from a mini?

Are you sure your knuckle isn't hitting that button first when you reach up with your thumb to press LiveTV? :up:


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

HarperVision said:


> Do we know for sure it's the Roamio and not maybe the remote and it's Live TV button acting wonky? Maybe it has an issue and sends the "info" IR code after awhile. The INFO button is right next to the LiveTV button after all. Do you have another remote you can try? Maybe one from a mini?
> 
> Are you sure your knuckle isn't hitting that button first when you reach up with your thumb to press LiveTV? :up:


I gave it a few days to see if it would work itself out, but it hasn't. Unplugging the Tivo seems to be the only way to get the LiveTV button to work to change tuners, but ultimately it reverts back to not working. I have tried 2 different Tivo remotes and a universal remote that I programmed, and they all do the same thing. Also, it's definitely not me accidentally hitting another button because (1) I am purposefully hitting only the LiveTV button and (2) the info that comes up is not the same as when I hit the Info button. Hitting the Info button brings up full info about the current program, as well as the further options on the left side where I can scroll down to see all tuners and other stuff. Hitting the LiveTV button simply brings up the name of the current program, channel, time.

Question for when I call Tivo. I am sure that one of the first things they will suggest is that I unplug and wait 10 seconds. Once the Tivo starts up, I know that LiveTV button will work for a bit, sometimes 12+ hours. How do we explore the problem further when it will be working as intended for a period of time?


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ferky1 said:


> I gave it a few days to see if it would work itself out, but it hasn't. Unplugging the Tivo seems to be the only way to get the LiveTV button to work to change tuners, but ultimately it reverts back to not working. I have tried 2 different Tivo remotes and a universal remote that I programmed, and they all do the same thing. Also, it's definitely not me accidentally hitting another button because (1) I am purposefully hitting only the LiveTV button and (2) the info that comes up is not the same as when I hit the Info button. Hitting the Info button brings up full info about the current program, as well as the further options on the left side where I can scroll down to see all tuners and other stuff. Hitting the LiveTV button simply brings up the name of the current program, channel, time. Question for when I call Tivo. I am sure that one of the first things they will suggest is that I unplug and wait 10 seconds. Once the Tivo starts up, I know that LiveTV button will work for a bit, sometimes 12+ hours. How do we explore the problem further when it will be working as intended for a period of time?


Ok thanks for explaining. What I would do is when they ask you to reboot just tell them you did, but don't actually do it. Just wait a couple minutes and then say "OK it's done", then report its not working.


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

/jumping in.
It seems my Series 3 is reaching the end of its usefull life, so I ahve some questions for those that can help guide me:
1) When Comcast changes their compression mode as I have read about upthread (but do not understand) will ANY Roamio box be ok?

2) Is the 10-year loyalty deal only applicable to one piece of hardware?

3) If I kill the cable cards in my existing Series3, will I be able to access the shows recorded on it for transferring?

4) What is your opinion on waiting for the Bolt?
Seems like a gamble on what Tivo may offer, but what is the best guess based on past history?

Thanks!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

jilter said:


> 1) When Comcast changes their compression mode as I have read about upthread (but do not understand) will ANY Roamio box be ok?


1) Yes -- except for the Roamio OTA, of course.



jilter said:


> 2) ...
> 3) ...
> 4) ...


Dunno x3.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

jilter said:


> /jumping in.
> It seems my Series 3 is reaching the end of its usefull life, so I ahve some questions for those that can help guide me:
> 1) When Comcast changes their compression mode as I have read about upthread (but do not understand) will ANY Roamio box be ok?


Premieres and Roamios (and very likely upcoming Bolts) will all handle the new compression, with the obvious exception of any OTA-only models.



jilter said:


> 2) Is the 10-year loyalty deal only applicable to one piece of hardware?


It is only good for a single purchase, but I *think* you can order multiple units in that one purchase. So if you order 3 Roamios at the same time, I think you can get the 10-year loyalty price on all three. Someone correct me if I am wrong about this. Or you can call up TiVo and ask to know for sure.



jilter said:


> 3) If I kill the cable cards in my existing Series3, will I be able to access the shows recorded on it for transferring?


Yes, you should still have access to the recordings on the drive after the CableCard is removed.



jilter said:


> 4) What is your opinion on waiting for the Bolt?
> Seems like a gamble on what Tivo may offer, but what is the best guess based on past history?


Some people always want the latest and greatest hardware. If you are that kind of person, then you will probably want to wait for the Bolt. I'm not one of those people. I prefer other people pay the early-adopter premium to be beta testers and sort out all the bugs long before I want to jump in. The Roamios are such good products and the 10-year pricing is so compelling that if it were me I would just go with the Roamios.


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## spittoon (Sep 19, 2015)

ferky1 said:


> (I didn't receive a letter from Comcast, but it is entirely possible that it got thrown out as junk. I am in the Philadelphia area)


lol... to me, this reads like Philly folks are famous for throwing out normal mail as junk

j/k


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

spittoon said:


> lol... to me, this reads like Philly folks are famous for throwing out normal mail as junk j/k


Yes, we are, as well as Pro Bowl running backs, quarterbacks and linemen, both offensive and defensive!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tarheelblue32 said:


> It is only good for a single purchase, but I *think* you can order multiple units in that one purchase. So if you order 3 Roamios at the same time, I think you can get the 10-year loyalty price on all three. Someone correct me if I am wrong about this. Or you can call up TiVo and ask to know for sure.


So... anybody out there (ideally Chicagoland-ish) on the cusp of pulling the trigger on a 10-yr loyalty purchase and would be amenable to adding a Roamio Plus to the order? 

Please PM me if open to the transaction.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

HarperVision said:


> Yes, we are, as well as Pro Bowl running backs, quarterbacks and linemen, both offensive and defensive!


What's the problem? You don't think Chip has a plan? Going 0-2 against very mediocre teams is all part of the Wizard Chip's grand scheme. Howie Roseman is doing his best this morning not to laugh in anyone's face.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> So... anybody out there (ideally Chicagoland-ish) on the cusp of pulling the trigger on a 10-yr loyalty purchase and would be amenable to adding a Roamio Plus to the order?  Please PM me if open to the transaction.


Hmmmm, that sounds like it would be a little "dishonest" to me.



ferky1 said:


> What's the problem? You don't think Chip has a plan? Going 0-2 against very mediocre teams is all part of the Wizard Chip's grand scheme. Howie Roseman is doing his best this morning not to laugh in anyone's face.


Oh he has a plan. Just not a good one!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

HarperVision said:


> Hmmmm, that sounds like it would be a little "dishonest" to me.


If there's anything in the terms of the loyalty program that prohibits gifting the newly purchased devices to a 3rd party -- family, friend, what have you -- then I'd pass, but everything I've seen indicates people have gifted such purchases. Further, on the off chance that anyone actually PM'd me on the deal, having them clarify it's allowed with the TiVo CSR pre-purchase would be a necessity, lest I end-up with an unusable chunk of electronics.

p.s. You may want to try Preparation H; it might do something for that butthurt.


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

tarheelblue32 said:


> You are correct that your Series 3 will become unusable on Comcast in the relatively recent future, since Comcast will be switching from MPEG-2 to H.264 compression, which your TiVo doesn't support. So you will need to upgrade.


Not 100% True.

IF, and it's a big if, the OP is like me and they ONLY subscribe to locals, then there will be no change. It is my understanding that the MPEG conversion does not apply to local broadcast channels.

My TiVoHD is humming along just fine. New upgraded HDD and each time I have opened up the box, I've checked the caps and they look fine. For us, no need to upgrade.

Again, this may not apply to the OP if they have anything more than locals (it wasn't clear to me if they do or not).


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

jlb said:


> Not 100% True.
> 
> IF, and it's a big if, the OP is like me and they ONLY subscribe to locals, then there will be no change. It is my understanding that the MPEG conversion does not apply to local broadcast channels.
> 
> ...


My understanding is that Comcast is in the process of converting all HD channels to H.264 compression, but may be leaving some SD channels on MPEG2. Are you getting the locals from Comcast in HD?


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> If there's anything in the terms of the loyalty program that prohibits gifting the newly purchased devices to a 3rd party -- family, friend, what have you -- then I'd pass, but everything I've seen indicates people have gifted such purchases. Further, on the off chance that anyone actually PM'd me on the deal, having them clarify it's allowed with the TiVo CSR pre-purchase would be a necessity, lest I end-up with an unusable chunk of electronics. p.s. You may want to try Preparation H; it might do something for that butthurt.


Yeah that would work (checking with CSR, NOT the prep H haha! )

My butt and my conscience are fine BTW, thanks for asking.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

HarperVision said:


> Yeah that would work


Phew! My contact and I were growing tense knowing we might be moving forward sans your approval. Thanks for that...!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

krkaufman said:


> If there's anything in the terms of the loyalty program that prohibits gifting the newly purchased devices to a 3rd party -- family, friend, what have you -- then I'd pass, but everything I've seen indicates people have gifted such purchases. Further, on the off chance that anyone actually PM'd me on the deal, having them clarify it's allowed with the TiVo CSR pre-purchase would be a necessity, lest I end-up with an unusable chunk of electronics.


No reason to wait in suspense... so I called TiVo and asked if there were any restrictions on 10-year loyalty purchases.

What I was told ...

Once purchased, the "loyalty" unit is the owner's to do with as they wish, same as any other TiVo.

The "loyalty" offer is limited to a single unit.

The TiVo CSR indicated that the 10-year loyalty offer is set to end on October 31st.

The TiVo CSR said the "supersavings" sale is set to end today, at 8pm Mountain time, since that's when they close. However, it remains uncertain as to exactly when the deal will expire online, exactly. Midnight when? ???


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> My understanding is that Comcast is in the process of converting all HD channels to H.264 compression, but may be leaving some SD channels on MPEG2. Are you getting the locals from Comcast in HD?


The reports I had seen are that the local HD channels are staying MPEG2. Below is from TiVo's web page on the Comcast upgrade.

Series3/HD: IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED! These DVRs will lose everything except local HD channels. All other HD cable channels will be incompatible.

Scott


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

krkaufman said:


> [*]The "loyalty" offer is limited to a single unit.


And there goes the whole scheme ...


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

jonw747 said:


> And there goes the whole scheme ...


Indeed! (sad face emoticon)


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