# Hydra UI *is* an improvement



## allanmac (Feb 8, 2017)

I wonder how many other TiVo users have gone through the following stages:

"Ugh, this new UI is horrible"
"OK, it's growing on me"
"Hmmm, it's an improvement and I like it."
At this point, I'm pretty pleased with the new UI.

I'm on an OTA Bolt connected to a 4K display and everything is quite snappy.

My only complaint... where is HDR support?


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

I guess I should consider myself lucky, I bought my 1st Tivo last month and while I could have rolled back to the old UI, I decided to just learn the new UI (Hydra).

But&#8230;. I have major issues with Pink Screen and my Bolt not being able to detect my displays video resolution and not HDMI handshaking. All of this was resolved (though trial and error) by having my display turned on _after_ the Bolt. (Had I not already returned my SA 8300, and wasn't ready to make another trip to Optimum, I would have probably given up and returned the Bolt)


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

Tony_T said:


> I guess I should consider myself lucky, I bought my 1st Tivo last month and while I could have rolled back to the old UI, I decided to just learn the new UI (Hydra).
> 
> But&#8230;. I have major issues with Pink Screen and my Bolt not being able to detect my displays video resolution and not HDMI handshaking. All of this was resolved (though trial and error) by having my display turned on _after_ the Bolt.


 When you say "turned off" what are you talking about? I'm guessing you're referring to a power save setting. Do you first hit something like TiVo Central to wake it then turn on the TV power button?


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## allanmac (Feb 8, 2017)

I'll add that I'm connected to a Denon X1300W (2016) connected to a Vizio M (2017) and, at this point, am able to jog-dial through various inputs (media player, game, etc.), use TiVo apps, use TV apps, switch back to TiVo... and not ever see the HDCP (right?) pink screen.

I did see the pink screen once or twice a year ago.

I am also no longer seeing black/blank screen resyncing.

When I first got the Bolt over a year ago there were definitely issues with cabling and handshaking but all those issues appear to have been resolved.

It's unclear which of the devices -- TiVo>Denon>Vizio -- were culprits back then but they all have received numerous updates in the last year or so.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

rdrrepair said:


> When you say "turned off" what are you talking about? I'm guessing you're referring to a power save setting. Do you first hit something like TiVo Central to wake it then turn on the TV power button?


Yes with power-save, but I would get this also when the Bolt would re-boot after a software update.

I use a Harmony Remote that I programmed with a delay when turning on the TV. This is really a work-around - TiVo needs to fix the HDMI handshaking and display recognition problem.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

allanmac said:


> &#8230;.and, at this point, am able to jog-dial through various inputs (media player, game, etc.), use TiVo apps, use TV apps, switch back to TiVo&#8230; and not ever see the HDCP (right?) pink screen&#8230;.


I only get Pink Screen if the Bolt is powered-on _after_ the Display, then the HDMI handshaking is done, and no problem with switching inputs.
Still have a problem with TiVo not auto recognizing my displays resolution as 1080i (yes, its an older Plasma). I have to select _only_ 1080i.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

what a great new selling point - now you can randomly miss your 1p recordings, and the last 2 minutes of all your shows, with a fresh, updated look!


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

Our Bolt is suffering from some type of HDMI issue too. I don't use any power save settings but when we turn on the tv sometimes it says, on our tv, that there is no signal on that input. I then go to TiVo Central and then to live tv and it works. I've got a 4yr old Westinghouse and this started about month or two ago. Old UI


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## VicV_1 (Feb 5, 2006)

I set up my Bolt/Vox about a week ago. Having nothing but problems. HDMI handshake works intermittently. Sometimes it won't sync when I first turn it on and it goes out of sync even when the TV is already on. I have to turn the TV off and on a couple of times before it syncs up again. Some times the skip button works and other times it doesn't. When watching a recorded show sometimes the audio cuts out for a second or two. I've done a reboot, works for a while then problems come back. Tivo button format , shows etc. not very simple. Don't like the guide format. I'm thinking of defiantly rolling back the Hydra or possibly returning the box. This is the first Tivo that I'm not happy with. This software should have never been but on the market until all the bugs have been eliminated.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

Try another HDMI cable.


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## VicV_1 (Feb 5, 2006)

Tony_T said:


> Try another HDMI cable.


I had all ready replaced the old HDMI cable with the new cable that came in the box. No improvement what so ever.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

HDMI handshaking can be an issue that will affect all your devices on and off. Most of the time it's the TV, especially if it's older TV more then a couple of years old.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

VicV_1 said:


> I set up my Bolt/Vox about a week ago. Having nothing but problems. HDMI handshake works intermittently. Sometimes it won't sync when I first turn it on and it goes out of sync even when the TV is already on. I have to turn the TV off and on a couple of times before it syncs up again. Some times the skip button works and other times it doesn't. When watching a recorded show sometimes the audio cuts out for a second or two. I've done a reboot, works for a while then problems come back. Tivo button format , shows etc. not very simple. Don't like the guide format. I'm thinking of defiantly rolling back the Hydra or possibly returning the box. This is the first Tivo that I'm not happy with. This software should have never been but on the market until all the bugs have been eliminated.


I resolved the HDMi sync issues on my bolt with an HDMI splitter from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004F9LVXC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

tenthplanet said:


> HDMI handshaking can be an issue that will affect all your devices on and off. Most of the time it's the TV, especially if it's older TV more then a couple of years old.


No problem with any other devices (2 DVD's, old DVR, Roku, Chromecast), only Tivo Bolt.


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

allanmac said:


> I wonder how many other TiVo users have gone through the following stages:
> 
> "Ugh, this new UI is horrible"
> "OK, it's growing on me"
> ...


" But I do not like pink eggs and hydra"?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Tony_T said:


> No problem with any other devices (2 DVD's, old DVR, Roku, Chromecast), only Tivo Bolt.


All of my devices, except for TiVo boxes, have a setting for CEC/HDMI control. That's Roku, Blu-ray, TV and AVR. But to keep my sanity, I have HDMI off on everything. OK, I need a lot of remotes. But it's just me and the remotes are close.

Now that I think about it, I only use two buttons to start watching TV on a TiVo. That's not bad.


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## lujan (May 24, 2010)

JoeKustra said:


> All of my devices, except for TiVo boxes, have a setting for CEC/HDMI control. That's Roku, Blu-ray, TV and AVR. But to keep my sanity, I have HDMI off on everything. OK, I need a lot of remotes. But it's just me and the remotes are close.
> 
> Now that I think about it, I only use two buttons to start watching TV on a TiVo. That's not bad.


I turn CEC Off for all of the devices as well but it's because I use a Harmony remote to control them all.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I've had ot for a long while now and still hate it.


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

Im in Reno right now hundreds of miles away from home, Hotel TV is pure garbage, wheres the "TiVo stick" with hydra inter face when you need it?


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

foghorn2 said:


> Im in Reno right now hundreds of miles away from home, Hotel TV is pure garbage, wheres the "TiVo stick" with hydra inter face when you need it?


tivo online? xfinity stream? my last hotel stay was almost three weeks - ok panny hdtv, great broadband wifi, but crappy wow bulk hotel hd cable channels - i would have gone (more) insane without tivo online, xfinity stream, and hbo & sho online.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

foghorn2 said:


> Im in Reno right now hundreds of miles away from home, Hotel TV is pure garbage, wheres the "TiVo stick" with hydra inter face when you need it?


Why not get a Roku or Chromecast or Firestick for travel?


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## JackieGaGa (Mar 24, 2008)

Has anyone had any problems with handshake Bolt Vox going to a Marantz 6011 to TV?


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Try turning your equipment on in 'reverse order'.

Display>Receiver>TiVo.

Delay powering the next one up until the previous one is fully 'booted' up.

-KP


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

I've spent a few days with my new Bolt and Hydra and don't think it's any snappier than my Premiere was. However, Hydra is growing on me even though I spent years knowing exactly where everything I needed was on the Premiere. I'm still muggling through the Hydra UI. Not sure though that I like that the VOX remote has tiny buttons for the thumbs up and down. Being able to use those buttons (when they were bigger on the remote), used to be a huge selling point with Tivo.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

foghorn2 said:


> Im in Reno right now hundreds of miles away from home, Hotel TV is pure garbage, wheres the "TiVo stick" with hydra inter face when you need it?


What does this "TiVo stick" have to offer?


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## barbja (Oct 24, 2007)

I've been using TiVos since s1 -- 17 years now.

When I got my new Bolt, I gave Hydra a try. The biggest issue I had was the way that it presented my 'now playing' list. It wasn't giving me a complete list of my programs in the picture scroll bar and each time I entered the list, the items seemed to be different. Also, for the items in the picture list, it only showed the pictures without a title so much of the time I had no idea what the show was. I put the classic interface on after a few days. Am I mis-remembering how Hydra behaves?

I wanted to like it since it was slick and different and would give me that new car smell (since changing the joyous multi-color dancing 3d TiVo man to a 2d silver dude made me sad).


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## Mike Richardson (Sep 24, 2012)

removed


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Mike Richardson said:


> If you downgrade Hydra, do you actually go all the way back to the "Series 2/Series 3" type interface? Or is it something in between?
> 
> I have gone directly from a TivoHD (which is basically Series 3) to the BOLT which would be considered Series 6.


It's an HD version of the SD menus that you had with the S2/S3. Basically the same with some extra panes, show icons, etc.

Scott


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

The biggest issue with Hydra is that Tivo hasn't addressed not being able to transfer programs between Tivo boxes. None of the transfers from my Premiere to my Bolt work, even though they show being fully transferred they stop playing after so many minutes. From when I've read here on the forum, this has been a long time issue that Tivo still hasn't fixed. WTH Tivo?!


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