# List of reviews and impressions



## stuart628

Thought it would be a good idea to keep a thread just for reviews and impressions you find to keep other threads clean..no need to participate if you dont like the idea, just thought it would be a good idea to have one place for people to come to to read on what others are saying!


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## monkeydust

Since nobody else is using this thread....

Between using my mini and an old Samsung TV for Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Plex, I can see me using my Stream 4K for all of my streaming now. I usually use my mini out of convenience until it locks up and I have to switch to my TV to stream. I’ve had my Stream 4K for a few hours now and find it easy to use and snappier than my other devices. I like the voice assistant and it does a decent job of doing what I want it to do (I’m sure most of my issues are due to me not knowing exactly how to use it). I like how I can just tell it to play Castlevania on Netflix and it loads the app and starts playing it. I wish it could do the same for my Plex movies. I really don’t know if I will use the Live TV functionality as I don’t see me paying money for that to have a subset of the channels I have with my main TiVo on cable. But for my needs, it is a great purchase for fifty bucks.

EDIT: I can't figure out how to control TV volume with remote though (volume of AV receiver actually). I don't see any docs online or any settings in the UI similar to what other Tivo devices have for pairing by AV type.


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## cyterio

My remote just worked with my TV right out of the box. I’m guessing it’s because I have HDMI-CEC enabled. It’s odd though, I don’t remember seeing an option on the TiVo Stream to utilize CEC. Normally you have an On/Off toggle down I’m really not sure if it’s using it or not. I’ll have to turn it off on the TV and see if it still works.

It seems like it should be capable though since it has an IR blaster on the front of the remote. I have seen instructions anywhere on how to program though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## monkeydust

Ok, so I grabbed my newer receiver from the basement and switched it out with the old one I was using with the Stream and everything else. Everything plugs into this receiver instead of the TV (just one HDMI cable going out from the receiver to the TV). Now, power and volume controls work fine.... but the input button still controls the TV input but I need it to control the receiver input. So, this is a bit worse than before because now I have to use the mini remote, the stream remote, and the receiver's remote.


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## NiteCourt

So I was using Disney Plus. Two times, maybe 11 minutes, apart the screen went black for a second. It seemed the show kept playing. Didn't see this happen when I was using it earlier with Sling. I also paused the show for about 5 minutes. When I un-paused, there was no audio. I went back to watching on my FireTV.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk


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## aaronwt

I got mine setup a short time ago. At least the setup process wasn't too bad. And the Firmware install only took 3.5 minutes from when it started downloading to the time the menu came up after rebooting.

But mine seems to always want to send out HDR. Either HDR10 or DOlby Vision. I see no way to send out SDR. Or am I missing something?
That was was the reason I didn't use my ATV 4K initially until they patched it to allow it to properly switch between SDR, HDR10, and DOlby Vision.

Or am I missing a setting? Because a normal device will automatically switch between SDR, HDR10, and Dolby Vision as needed.
I have no desire to watch HDR10 content in fake Dolby Vision or SDR content in fake Dolby Vision.

Otherwise it does seem quick. I was able to get Atmos audio from the Amazon app. I haven't tried Vudu yet though. And of course I have no Atmos from Netflix either.


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## stuart628

One word potential...this has the potential to be a great box for me...I am going to do a more in depth review hopefully Monday as I took a crap ton of pics but I do enjoy this box...if you made me choose one streamer today it’s still the Apple TV 4K but....with some improvements this could be the box to have...dear rovi/tivo I will gladly sign up for a focus group for you so we can talk about the direction this box needs to go. If you are serious about this new direction then things need to happen fast not at old tivo speed!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jaselzer

So, I am generally liking the Stream 4K. But I am noticing a particular problem(before you ask: I have a very robust internet connection, strong wifi and an excellent wifi connection). When I load an app, lets say Prime Video, a show will launch just fine, but then after a few seconds, the show speeds up for about 2 seconds and then slows down to normal speed. However, I cannot quite put my finger on it, but there is something about the way the shows are playing that makes me slightly nauseous, almost as though my eyes are straining to see the video properly. I can barely tell but there seems to be some sort of very very slight jumping or breaking of the video that makes it difficult to watch. This happens in every app, including Sling. Any thoughts? I do not have this problem with any other streaming devices. I am not a tech guy, so I have no idea what might be causing this.


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## osu1991

For the most part, I like it. The remote feels more comfortable than the Fire Sticks. 

A couple little annoying things, like no CEC control to automatically switch inputs. I’m getting an occasional flickering on 4k60 within plex and emby on the 75in LG it’s connected too and always on HDR. 

The TiVo part doesn’t do much as Prime is all I have that’s integrated. I’ll probably just leave the TiVo app disabled and hidden. 

I’m kind of leaning towards going back to the 4K Fire Stick for now as my primary. I think this device gives a better picture on YoutubeTV, but the fire stick seems to work better with Philo. 

Plex and Emby seem to load and run quicker on this device, but I had to change the resolution down on the Stream 4K to get rid of the flicker within plex and emby. 

Hopefully updates will continue and it will continue to improve.


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## jaselzer

My unsophisticated impressions:
1.)I want this to succeed, the general concept is great and I applaud Tivo stepping out and trying to create a unified section for all your sources.
2.) There clearly are firmware/software updates required to make the 4K successful. For instance, Vudu does not display UHD content, it is downsized to HDX. There are a number of issues like this.
3.) In my mind, the single biggest issue standing in the way of the 4K's success is truly making the experience seamless. In other words, ALL, ALMOST ALL, VERY CLOSE TO ALL, streaming apps NEED to be integrated. I would guess at this point, there is not one person who is completely satisfied with the number of integrated apps in the STREAM universe. The reason I say this is because if the user is forced to step out of STREAM to use an app that (s)he uses, then unconsciously, or even consciously, there will be a motivation to simply use the most sophisticated streamer available, and that is probably a Roku, ATV4K, Firestick, and/or Shield at this point in time. Tivo's 4K Stream has only ONE thing going for it and that is the STREAM app and it needs to be super user friendly and efficient in a quick way. I do not think Tivo has much time in this regard. Because now that they have put their sword in the ground, the other streaming box manufacturers are going to run to make sure that Tivo does not gain ground. Therefore, Tivo's firmware/software upgrades need to be often and significant to gain ground. As of this moment, I give the 4K Stream a "meh", but I am hanging in there with the hope that Tivo has "all hands on deck" to make improvements fast.
4.) So for the time being either ATV4K or the Roku Ultra are my go to boxes, but I am keeping the 4K Stream online with the hope that Tivo will push frequent updates.


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## jimpmc

Some background on my setup and experience with AndroidTV & TiVo:
TiVo: Had TiVo HD, Premier, Bolt, Mini. Use TiVo Online.
AndroidTV/Streaming: Have Nexus Player, nVidia Shield (2017). Also own FireStick 4k and Roku. Use Integrated streaming apps on Samsung 2019 model.
Have Cable still and use with TiVo Bolt/Cablecard.

I have used this for about 30 minutes now. It will definitely replace my aged Nexus Player, so it's better than that. But, it can be so much more. Here is my initial feedback:

1) Integrate HBO GO. This should be a no-brainer. You already have HBO NOW's content, so it's just a duplicate of that with a link to launch HBO GO instead. I have HBO GO with my cable subscription. You also already have HBO GO on TiVo online. I get that HBO is the one who forked the subscription bases, but allow for the flexibility. Users can turn on HBO NOW or HBO GO from the streaming services menu.

2) Integrate Showtime/Showtime Anytime (again deal with both since Showtime also forked the login based on how you get access, direct vs. included with cable).

3) Integrate Starz

4) Integrate other sources, as there are more that others use

5) In the absence of 2-4, create another launch button from the My Shows list that lets me choose an AndroidTV app to launch myself. For example, say I want the latest episodes of Homeland which only appear on Showtime/Showtime Anytime. I can add it to My Shows even since it shows up with Hulu (also can search, but see #9 as it doesn't appear if you can't actually watch it with the selected streaming services). If I had a shortcut that allowed me to choose to launch into another AndroidTV app I could at least select Showtime myself.

6) As for the TiVo Stream - My Shows needs some enhancements. Right now I can sort by date or alphabetical. As this list grows, it will become harder to really be useful. This needs more organization and ways to filter, similar to how imdb.com allows you to manage and filter your watchlist. Let me sort/filter/choose by:
- movies vs. TV Shows
- genres
- year of release
- others
- available to stream/not currently available to stream (see #9)

7) Let me organize My Shows into my own categories/tags like 80s movies, Recommended Movies, Kids, etc. Items should be allowed to be tagged into any # of groupings.

8) Maybe also allow for profiles. That way my kids can have their own lists.

9) I found that I could add items to My Shows by searching (i.e. Toy Story 4), but they don't show up if they don't appear as available or I disable a streaming service. This is frustrating and needs to be added back in, as I still want a universal repository of Shows/Movies I'm interested in. If TiVo Stream won't let me do it, then I will have to find another way.

There's probably others, but as another poster mentioned, TiVo should arrange for some focus groups, as there are many that want this to be successful, but it needs some enhancements, some of which are not that difficult to implement.

One bug: after being in TiVo Stream for a while, I hit the round circle to get to AndroidTV home and got a blank screen. I could still get into TiVo Stream via the TiVo button and use Google Assistant, but ultimately had to restart the device to get AndroidTV's home screen back.

This bug happened again. I found I could use Google Assistant to get into settings, then choose Apps, then System Apps, then Force Close AndroidTV home that made it work again. Better than rebooting the device, but this has to get fixed.


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## jaselzer

jimpmc said:


> Some background on my setup and experience with AndroidTV & TiVo:
> TiVo: Had TiVo HD, Premier, Bolt, Mini. Use TiVo Online.
> AndroidTV/Streaming: Have Nexus Player, nVidia Shield (2017). Also own FireStick 4k and Roku. Use Integrated streaming apps on Samsung 2019 model.
> Have Cable still and use with TiVo Bolt/Cablecard.
> 
> I have used this for about 30 minutes now. It will definitely replace my aged Nexus Player, so it's better than that. But, it can be so much more. Here is my initial feedback:
> 
> 1) Integrate HBO GO. This should be a no-brainer. You already have HBO NOW's content, so it's just a duplicate of that with a link to launch HBO GO instead. I have HBO GO with my cable subscription. You also already have HBO GO on TiVo online. I get that HBO is the one who forked the subscription bases, but allow for the flexibility. Users can turn on HBO NOW or HBO GO from the streaming services menu.
> 
> 2) Integrate Showtime/Showtime Anytime (again deal with both since Showtime also forked the login based on how you get access, direct vs. included with cable).
> 
> 3) Integrate Starz
> 
> 4) Integrate other sources, as there are more that others use
> 
> 5) In the absence of 2-4, create another launch button from the My Shows list that lets me choose an AndroidTV app to launch myself. For example, say I want the latest episodes of Homeland which only appear on Showtime/Showtime Anytime. I can add it to My Shows even since it shows up with Hulu (also can search, but see #9 as it doesn't appear if you can't actually watch it with the selected streaming services). If I had a shortcut that allowed me to choose to launch into another AndroidTV app I could at least select Showtime myself.
> 
> 6) As for the TiVo Stream - My Shows needs some enhancements. Right now I can sort by date or alphabetical. As this list grows, it will become harder to really be useful. This needs more organization and ways to filter. Let me sort/filter/choose by:
> - movies vs. TV Shows
> - genres
> - year of release
> - others
> - available to stream/not currently available to stream (see #9)
> 
> 7) Let me organize My Shows into my own categories/tags like 80s movies, Recommended Movies, Kids, etc. Items should be allowed to be tagged into any # of groupings.
> 
> 8) Maybe also allow for profiles. That way my kids can have their own lists.
> 
> 9) I found that I could add items to My Shows by searching (i.e. Toy Story 4), but they don't show up if they don't appear as available or I disable a streaming service. This is frustrating and needs to be added back in, as I still want a universal repository of Shows/Movies I'm interested in. If TiVo Stream won't let me do it, then I will have to find another way.
> 
> There's probably others, but as another poster mentioned, TiVo should arrange for some focus groups, as there are many that want this to be successful, but it needs some enhancements, some of which are not that difficult to implement.
> 
> One bug: after being in TiVo Stream for a while, I hit the round circle to get to AndroidTV home and got a blank screen. I could still get into TiVo Stream via the TiVo button and use Google Assistant, but ultimately had to restart the device to get AndroidTV's home screen back.


I like your post. I have a similar set of circumstances with all your streamers and also cable tv. I am in the same situation and your suggestions are right on imho.


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## KZEMALIS2

I am finding that you can't add a Netflix show to Whats Next. Is this a bug or is this like the Apple TV issue with Netflix?


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## jimpmc

KZEMALIS2 said:


> I am finding that you can't add a Netflix show to Whats Next. Is this a bug or is this like the Apple TV issue with Netflix?


I can confirm, but that is an AndroidTV thing, as it happens on my nVidia Shield also.


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## aaronwt

jaselzer said:


> So, I am generally liking the Stream 4K. But I am noticing a particular problem(before you ask: I have a very robust internet connection, strong wifi and an excellent wifi connection). When I load an app, lets say Prime Video, a show will launch just fine, but then after a few seconds, the show speeds up for about 2 seconds and then slows down to normal speed. However, I cannot quite put my finger on it, but there is something about the way the shows are playing that makes me slightly nauseous, almost as though my eyes are straining to see the video properly. I can barely tell but there seems to be some sort of very very slight jumping or breaking of the video that makes it difficult to watch. This happens in every app, including Sling. Any thoughts? I do not have this problem with any other streaming devices. I am not a tech guy, so I have no idea what might be causing this.


With my tests of the apps, like amazon and netflix, the Stream 4K has done great. They have started streaming at an Ultra HD resolution or ramped up to it within two or three seconds. But in the multiple hours I used my stream 4K last night, I never encountered what you described. It was painful watching the forced Dolby Vision or forced HDR10. But then I just concentrated on watching strictly DV content with it set to DV. And HDR10 content with it set to HDR10. And just tried not watching any SDR content. The menus are bad enough with the forced HDR.

By far the biggest issue for me right now with this device is the forced HDR. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me.


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## Steveknj

aaronwt said:


> With my tests of the apps, like amazon and netflix, the Stream 4K has done great. They have started streaming at an Ultra HD resolution or ramped up to it within two or three seconds. But in the multiple hours I used my stream 4K last night, I never encountered what you described. It was painful watching the forced Dolby Vision or forced HDR10. But then I just concentrated on watching strictly DV content with it set to DV. And HDR10 content with it set to HDR10. And just tried not watching any SDR content. The menus are bad enough with the forced HDR.
> 
> By far the biggest issue for me right now with this device is the forced HDR. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me.


I've seen a couple people mention forced HDR. What is the disadvantage of watching something SDR in HDR? I would think unpscaling is a good thing?


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## yaggermr

NiteCourt said:


> So I was using Disney Plus. Two times, maybe 11 minutes, apart the screen went black for a second. It seemed the show kept playing. Didn't see this happen when I was using it earlier with Sling. I also paused the show for about 5 minutes. When I un-paused, there was no audio. I went back to watching on my FireTV.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk


+1 volume issues of volume just going off and the issue above as well


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## yaggermr

Steveknj said:


> I've seen a couple people mention forced HDR. What is the disadvantage of watching something SDR in HDR? I would think unpscaling is a good thing?


It makes some non hdr content look off colors look way over saturated or washed out in other places. Menus look off. It's not good.


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## stuart628

I am going to be writing my review up through the day today will post when I can.


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## Robert Simandl

aaronwt said:


> I got mine setup a short time ago. At least the setup process wasn't too bad. And the Firmware install only took 3.5 minutes from when it started downloading to the time the menu came up after rebooting.
> 
> But mine seems to always want to send out HDR. Either HDR10 or DOlby Vision. I see no way to send out SDR. Or am I missing something?
> That was was the reason I didn't use my ATV 4K initially until they patched it to allow it to properly switch between SDR, HDR10, and DOlby Vision.
> 
> Or am I missing a setting? Because a normal device will automatically switch between SDR, HDR10, and Dolby Vision as needed.
> I have no desire to watch HDR10 content in fake Dolby Vision or SDR content in fake Dolby Vision.
> 
> Otherwise it does seem quick. I was able to get Atmos audio from the Amazon app. I haven't tried Vudu yet though. And of course I have no Atmos from Netflix either.


I ground to a halt when I discovered the HDR is always on and there's no way to turn it off (or make it automatic like it's supposed to be). Submitted a case to tech support but am not confident since the Edge DVR has had the same issue since its release... last October.

It also keeps turning my TV back on after I turn it off. Turning off HMDI CEC is not an option since I use it with other devices on the same TV.

I will likely be returning mine if they don't fix these issues in a couple of weeks.


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## Robert Simandl

Steveknj said:


> I've seen a couple people mention forced HDR. What is the disadvantage of watching something SDR in HDR? I would think unpscaling is a good thing?


Forced HDR on programming that's not encoded with it gives you oversaturated blown out colors. And you can't turn it off (or make it automatic like it's supposed to be).


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## Steveknj

yaggermr said:


> It makes some non hdr content look off colors look way over saturated or washed out in other places. Menus look off. It's not good.


Thanks, I've noticed that other devices to this as well. I'll have to find the settings to turn that off in the other devices. I assume it's some sort of upscaling theme?


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## yaggermr

Steveknj said:


> Thanks, I've noticed that other devices to this as well. I'll have to find the settings to turn that off in the other devices. I assume it's some sort of upscaling theme?


HDR and upscaling are too different things HDR is color contrast and brightness. Upscaling is converting resolutions like 1080p upscaled to 4k. Unfortunately there isn't currently a setting to match source content for HDR. That is the setting that would be needed for HDR to only work on supported content.


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## Oarneb

The fact that I can't get Vudu to play in UHD is a pretty much deal breaker for me. Only Netflix and prime work in UHD it seems like. The HDR problem is not a deal breaker but annoying I can't turn it off. I might use it with my HD TV and not return it but not going to be buying anymore.


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## aaronwt

Robert Simandl said:


> I ground to a halt when I discovered the HDR is always on and there's no way to turn it off (or make it automatic like it's supposed to be). Submitted a case to tech support but am not confident since the Edge DVR has had the same issue since its release... last October.
> 
> It also keeps turning my TV back on after I turn it off. Turning off HMDI CEC is not an option since I use it with other devices on the same TV.
> 
> I will likely be returning mine if they don't fix these issues in a couple of weeks.


Did they ever fix the Edge DVR from having forced HDR?


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## compnurd

Oarneb said:


> The fact that I can't get Vudu to play in UHD is a pretty much deal breaker for me. Only Netflix and prime work in UHD it seems like. The HDR problem is not a deal breaker but annoying I can't turn it off. I might use it with my HD TV and not return it but not going to be buying anymore.


Vudu will be gone soon.. Wouldnt worry about it


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## compnurd

aaronwt said:


> Did they ever fix the Edge DVR from having forced HDR?


no


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## reneg

I've played with my Tivo Stream 4K a bit. I opted out of Google Assistant voice control during setup. After I did that, text search did not work at all for me in the Tivo app or under Android. When I re-enabled Google Assistant, text search worked. Did not try voice search, not a fan of it.

I find the Tivo app mildly interesting but incomplete. As with most things Tivo, there is lots of unfilled potential. The question I have is will Tivo update the software fast enough before the market opportunity passes. Unfortunately, if history is any indication, I know the answer.


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## jimpmc

aaronwt said:


> Did they ever fix the Edge DVR from having forced HDR?


This box is really the AirTV Mini, correct? AndroidTV already has the hooks in the OS, so hopefully it's less of an issue to update the firmware than TiVo's proprietary development with the Edge.


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## Oarneb

compnurd said:


> Vudu will be gone soon.. Wouldnt worry about it


Maybe or combined with Fandango now but I tried also Disney anywhere app and Fandango now app. Both also won't play in UHD. Basically only Netflix and prime. So still a deal breaker.


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## Oarneb

jimpmc said:


> This box is really the AirTV Mini, correct? AndroidTV already has the hooks in the OS, so hopefully it's less of an issue to update the firmware than TiVo's proprietary development with the Edge.


It is an Android TV device. The only thing special is their stream app on it. Not sure but assuming they need to work with Google for updates outside of their app.


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## stuart628

Some light reading lol..I will post at another forum too...This will have errors as I did this in between jobs today, but review version 1.0...enjoy!


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## compnurd

Oarneb said:


> Maybe or combined with Fandango now but I tried also Disney anywhere app and Fandango now app. Both also won't play in UHD. Basically only Netflix and prime. So still a deal breaker.


You mean Movies Anywhere? Bear in mind the device just came out days ago.. I would give the app makers some time to update there support... These are the breaks with buying anything on launch


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## Oarneb

compnurd said:


> You mean Movies Anywhere? Bear in mind the device just came out days ago.. I would give the app makers some time to update there support... These are the breaks with buying anything on launch


I will but not holding my breath either. Also I won't be buying anymore unless they do work with the app developers. Still think it's ridiculous to call the thing stream 4k when it barely does that. They should of had some forethought. I mean could you imagine if Nvidia Shield released their 4k streaming device and almost nothing actually streamed in 4k.


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## stuart628

Oarneb said:


> I will but not holding my breath either. Also I won't be buying anymore unless they do work with the app developers. Still think it's ridiculous to call the thing stream 4k when it barely does that. They should of had some forethought. I mean could you imagine if Nvidia Shield released their 4k streaming device and almost nothing actually streamed in 4k.


Oh man I would throw my shield through a window if it ever had a problem with a app like lets say amazon prime in streaming 4k.

This thing hasnt even been out a week, plus there is a worldwide pandemic going on, give them time I am sure 4k streaming will be here, as this is capable, app developers need to update somethings on it now.


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## yaggermr

stuart628 said:


> Some light reading lol..I will post at another forum too...This will have errors as I did this in between jobs today, but review version 1.0...enjoy!


Nice review!! You were far more positive than I am about the Tivo stream 4k but that might depend on what you use. I don't think this product is ready for release. I do like your point about focus groups and quick improvements. That said, I just think it's a little too far off the mark to get good. I really am shocked this was released so buggy and incomplete. I know it's only 50 dollars but a Fire tv 4k stick functions much better. Again thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.


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## compnurd

Oarneb said:


> I will but not holding my breath either. Also I won't be buying anymore unless they do work with the app developers. Still think it's ridiculous to call the thing stream 4k when it barely does that. They should of had some forethought. I mean could you imagine if Nvidia Shield released their 4k streaming device and almost nothing actually streamed in 4k.


Yes I could imagine


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## compnurd

yaggermr said:


> Nice review!! You were far more positive than I am about the Tivo stream 4k but that might depend on what you use. I don't think this product is ready for release. I do like your point about focus groups and quick improvements. That said, I just think it's a little too far off the mark to get good. I really am shocked this was released so buggy and incomplete. I know it's only 50 dollars but a Fire tv 4k stick functions much better. Again thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.


The Fire Stick has taken years to get where it is now. The original was bad and the software still has issues


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## stuart628

yaggermr said:


> Nice review!! You were far more positive than I am about the Tivo stream 4k but that might depend on what you use. I don't think this product is ready for release. I do like your point about focus groups and quick improvements. That said, I just think it's a little too far off the mark to get good. I really am shocked this was released so buggy and incomplete. I know it's only 50 dollars but a Fire tv 4k stick functions much better. Again thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.


I tend to look on the bright side in life as well..plus lets be honest this is a version 1 product for TiVo...I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt...NOT one streamer started out perfect, heck APPLE TV had what 4 versions before it was good...even then had some bumps. I hope they pull through as I like the direction they are headed..the thing against them is time..they are in a 5 mile race with everyone a mile ahead and they just began.


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## jimpmc

stuart628 said:


> I tend to look on the bright side in life as well..plus lets be honest this is a version 1 product for TiVo...I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt...NOT one streamer started out perfect, heck APPLE TV had what 4 versions before it was good...even then had some bumps. I hope they pull through as I like the direction they are headed..the thing against them is time..they are in a 5 mile race with everyone a mile ahead and they just began.


This is a fast race, but TiVo may be superceded by Google itself if their new dongle/AndroidTV updates take on content aggregation more than the current AndroidTV Launcher with Play Next. See Google's next streaming device will shake up the Android TV world


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## moyekj

Just received mine about an hour ago. Setup was a real breeze.

Google account:
Perhaps because I already have an Android phone the initial setup actually had me use my phone for the Google login part, then it copied my account from phone, so that part was super easy.

Remote pairing:
This is the only piece so far I had some difficulty. I had to repeat the TiVO+Back button 3 times in a row before it "stuck" and was able to proceed with setup.

Remote TV buttons:
For TV it properly guessed the IR code such that TV power and volume buttons work without me having to do anything manually.

Remote functionality:
I'm liking the remote for the most part, however by feel I find myself often clicking on TiVo button instead of the OK/Select button. Will take a while to be able to properly use the remote by feel (without having to look at it).

Activation:
Did not have any trouble at all with activation. Worked on very first try for me.

App sign ins:
So far I have signed into to Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO NOW and didn't have any trouble with any of those.

App performance and quality:
So far the app performance and quality are very good. The device response running the apps is much faster than I was expecting. Watching HBO NOW via this device is MUCH better than watching via a browser which is what I had been doing. FF/REW especially work very nicely, much better than dragging a scroll bar with the browser version, and resumes play very quickly after using. I'm very impressed.

My Shows:
So far I added 1 series each from Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO NOW to My Shows just to test it out and then tested starting playback from there. That seems to work as expected, though for cases when a show is available on more than 1 streaming platform you have to select which service you want to use. Kind of wish there was a way to make a bookmark specific to the service I want to use, such that when selecting it from My Shows it would take me directly to where I want.

Only played with it about 30 minutes, but not disappointed so far.

EDIT to add: I had not used a dedicated box or stick for any of these streaming services previously since I was using either a TiVo DVR or browser for that, so perhaps more easily impressed by the responsiveness of the Stream 4K.


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## schatham

Set up was easy, no issues. Pairing the remote was easy. Works well with Sling and HBO. Make sure to get to HBO settings to sign in to see all available shows.

All it takes is about 30 minutes of checking stuff out and it's easy to use.

If I did not use Sling with it I don't see the point, just use a Roku or something else that you have.

I get 1 week free of Sling to test.

I give it a thumbs up but cable TV and a Tivo DVR is better. 

I guess if Comcast did not ditch on demand and would have worked with Tivo we could have had a nice sleek interface with DVR and on demand like how this stream works.

As to the remote, I think the Roku remote is easier with the big back button.


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## moyekj

schatham said:


> If I did not use Sling with it I don't see the point, just use a Roku or something else that you have.


 Aggregation in My Shows of streaming shows is of no value to you? I find some value in that - a single place to bookmark everything I'm currently active with in the various streaming services so I don't have to remember explicitly which app goes with which show.


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## schatham

moyekj said:


> Aggregation in My Shows of streaming shows is of no value to you? I find some value in that - a single place to bookmark everything I'm currently active with in the various streaming services so I don't have to remember explicitly which app goes with which show.


Just my opinion since I only use HBO and not a bunch of streaming channels.


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## moyekj

schatham said:


> Just my opinion since I only use HBO and not a bunch of streaming channels.


Understood. For my case I have Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO NOW (to be HBO MAX soon), so just aggregating those 3 in 1 place has some value. Previously I was setting up bookmarks via a web browser to accomplish this, but playing via a web browser was far from ideal. Now I can use the TiVo device both for bookmarking and playback and it's fast and easy and directly connected to my TV.


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## powrcow

stuart628 said:


> Some light reading lol..I will post at another forum too...This will have errors as I did this in between jobs today, but review version 1.0...enjoy!


Thanks for your review!

One weird thing I noticed is that I don't have the TiVo guys in the background on the AndroidTV home screen. I know you didn't take the picture but I was wondering if that was the case for you.


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## Rikki_Rocket

yaggermr said:


> Nice review!! You were far more positive than I am about the Tivo stream 4k but that might depend on what you use. I don't think this product is ready for release. I do like your point about focus groups and quick improvements. That said, I just think it's a little too far off the mark to get good. I really am shocked this was released so buggy and incomplete. I know it's only 50 dollars but a Fire tv 4k stick functions much better. Again thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.


Yes, it does "work" but I feel like we are all Beta testers. I'm torn, I love TiVo and they will fix the major issues. But really my Roku Ultra is a better/more stable streaming device.

I'm in a position where I can send either Roku Ultra or the TiVo Stream 4K back. I will not keep them both. What should I do?


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## smark

Rikki_Rocket said:


> Yes, it does "work" but I feel like we are all Beta testers. I'm torn, I love TiVo and they will fix the major issues. But really my Roku Ultra is a better/more stable streaming device.
> 
> I'm in a position where I can send either Roku Ultra or the TiVo Stream 4K back. I will not keep them both. What should I do?


I'm looking at sending it back for now, then again it was only $50 so perhaps it will sit and await some updates but beyond the better remote, I'm struggling to figure out a reason to use it over my Apple TV until AirTV is supported for locals or we can use it with other streaming services and that the integration is better thought out, especially with OnDemand content.


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## JimT48

I just got my Tivo Streamer today and it installed almost by it self. That said, let me describe my setup.

43" Vizio smart TV Model E43-C2

HDMI 1 - Tivo Mini Vox talking to a Tivo Bolt OTC - MoCa
HDMI 2 - Amazon Fire Stick 4K with an Amazon Recast - WiFi
HDMI 3 - Tivo Streamer 4k - WiFi

As you can see, I like to try everything. The Tivo Mini and Firestick have been working just fine with no problems. After installing the Tivo Streamer I've been having something strange happening. When I turn off the TV, it doesn't seem to matter which input it was on when I turn it off, within a few minutes the TV turns on and it it displaying the Tivo Streamer on HDMI 3. This has happened several times and it is really annoying.


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## yaggermr

Rikki_Rocket said:


> Yes, it does "work" but I feel like we are all Beta testers. I'm torn, I love TiVo and they will fix the major issues. But really my Roku Ultra is a better/more stable streaming device.
> 
> I'm in a position where I can send either Roku Ultra or the TiVo Stream 4K back. I will not keep them both. What should I do?


Yes, It's somewhere between beta and alpha. I think I will be sending it back. I do hope that it does improve and is successful. I just need it to be stable. This device is on my main TV and I can't justify being a beta tester.


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## moyekj

One big negative - there's no deep linking into Amazon Prime. I setup a bookmark for an Amazon Prime series, but when selecting it and then choosing "prime video" it doesn't take me to that series in Prime, simply runs the Amazon Prime app. Deep linking worked OK with Netflix and HBO NOW.


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## stuart628

saw this review here





he got the usb drive working and played 4k videos off of it.


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## cherry ghost

moyekj said:


> One big negative - there's no deep linking into Amazon Prime. I setup a bookmark for an Amazon Prime series, but when selecting it and then choosing "prime video" it doesn't take me to that series in Prime, simply runs the Amazon Prime app. Deep linking worked OK with Netflix and HBO NOW.


I tested this on a couple Amazon series. It went to the Amazon app on the first try but after backing out and trying again it went straight to the series on the second try. If I selected a specific episode on the second try it started playing it immediately.


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## moyekj

cherry ghost said:


> I tested this on a couple Amazon series. It went to the Amazon app on the first try but after backing out and trying again it went straight to the series on the second try. If I selected a specific episode on the second try it started playing it immediately.


Can you give example of what worked? I have "The Amazing Race" series bookmarked and it always takes me to opening screen of Amazon Prime every time, never to any episode of any season. Also via voice search I have not been able to directly go to that or other series in Prime. Also on the Stream interface it only shows season 1 episodes, not all 31 seasons worth of episodes.


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## moyekj

Ok after playing some more it looks like for season 1 I can jump directly to an episode. So looks like this only works to jump to a specific episode that TiVo knows about. When TiVo is missing episodes you are out of luck, and you can't just jump into the series on Amazon itself, it has to be specific episode. So just as with TiVo DVR, the episode data for streaming services is missing for many shows...


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## moyekj

After playing with Stream a lot more I'm re-discovering how full of holes TiVo database of streaming titles really is. About half the series I looked to add to "My Shows" as bookmarks are found in search but shown not available on streaming services which I know they are, so I can't even bookmark them. TiVo has made no effort to improve their streaming database and it's the same junk full of holes as on the TiVo DVR. Disappointing.

My workaround has been to exit the TiVo app and add some of the missing ones to "Play Next" section.


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## moyekj

Given the holes in TiVo database I checked out "JustWatch" App which was mentioned in this thread:
Comparison to JustWatch
It found absolutely everything I expected it to, and I was able to add them all to my "watchlist" in the app and it will direct launch into the right place. Embarrassing to TiVo that there is an app already much better at doing what they set out to do...


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## cherry ghost

moyekj said:


> Can you give example of what worked? I have "The Amazing Race" series bookmarked and it always takes me to opening screen of Amazon Prime every time, never to any episode of any season. Also via voice search I have not been able to directly go to that or other series in Prime. Also on the Stream interface it only shows season 1 episodes, not all 31 seasons worth of episodes.


"Mrs Maisel," "Expanse," "Man in the High Castle," "Parks and Rec" all worked for me but they have all episodes in Stream.

For Amazing Race it took me to S01E01 on the first try.

They definitely have some work to do getting all available episodes in the database. Just like on the DVRs, we're going to see lag on new episodes of shows getting added. What I really don't want to see is shows I've already watched jumping back to the top of MyShows, which happens all the time on the DVRs.


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## Ed Starfire

I was excited to try the Stream 4K, content-centric is the right approach. But I give TiVo a grade of C on execution, I'm returning my two Stream 4Ks. Fatal flaws for me:
- No support for local broadcast TV via OTA, streaming partner, or legacy TiVo DVR devices. I can't believe they didn't provide a connector to their own DVRs. 
- I hate the remote, its a poorly conceived half-measure to scale back the legacy peanut to a modern software driven streaming remote. A big fail in my book.
- The system lacks the necessary AV controls, I couldn't get it to work correctly with my receiver, TV setup. 
- Buggy software, it locked up several times while watching content or switching apps - black screens, spinning wheels or error messages. 
- Even with Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Sling & Hulu the content library was mostly suggesting paid content. Repeatedly opening separate apps just to see content cost $s sucked.
I think the Stream 4K needed better market viability testing, it's too little too late at this point in the market. I'll keep my Fire TV sticks.


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## moyekj

cherry ghost said:


> "Mrs Maisel," "Expanse," "Man in the High Castle," "Parks and Rec" all worked for me but they have all episodes in Stream.
> 
> For Amazing Race it took me to S01E01 on the first try.
> 
> They definitely have some work to do getting all available episodes in the database. Just like on the DVRs, we're going to see lag on new episodes of shows getting added. What I really don't want to see is shows I've already watched jumping back to the top of MyShows, which happens all the time on the DVRs.


For Amazon in general it looks like the jump to specific episode only works if you completely close the Amazon app first. That's the case whether launching from TiVo app or the JustWatch app. For example normally the first time I jump to an Amazon episode it takes me to the launch point of Amazon app. Then I click on back button and it prompts to exit the app and I agree to close it. Then navigate to launch a specific episode again and then it works. But then if you repeat again without exiting Amazon app it just goes to launch point again. Buggy.


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## mattyro7878

There are already a bunch of you tube videos. Every reviewer seems to have thier own way of sideloading apps. The usb-c port is open for business! Another guy used the usb-c for power and said he could do all kinds of stuff with the micro usb. I havent finished that video.


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