# Bolt+ doesn't support HD antennas?



## ARC (Dec 16, 2001)

I haven't logged in here since 2007. Hi! Still have an SD lifetime hacked TiVo in a closet somewhere, but I was on DirecTV and well, we know how that went. 
I cut the cord 6 months ago, and got a Tablo with a 5TB. It "works", but the user interface is nowhere near TiVos. I saw a mention that TiVo had an OTA recorder now, went looking, found the specs for Bolt and Bolt+. 
Searched the forums here and read through a few threads on this. 
Bolt apparently is flaky on HD ? Bolt+ does NOT SUPPORT HD Antennas? 
Baffled that this would be so. ??? I've hacked a number of TiVos in my time, not afraid to do it again - apparently you can replace the internal drive in the Bolt, but also can use a USB external? 
Does an external slow performance down? Stutter seems a common word here.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

ARC said:


> I haven't logged in here since 2007. Hi! Still have an SD lifetime hacked TiVo in a closet somewhere, but I was on DirecTV and well, we know how that went.
> I cut the cord 6 months ago, and got a Tablo with a 5TB. It "works", but the user interface is nowhere near TiVos. I saw a mention that TiVo had an OTA recorder now, went looking, found the specs for Bolt and Bolt+.
> Searched the forums here and read through a few threads on this.
> Bolt apparently is flaky on HD ? Bolt+ does NOT SUPPORT HD Antennas?
> ...


Bolt+ is cable only.

This is what you would be looking for (lifetime included):

https://www.tivo.com/shop/buy-roamio-ota-dvr

Can be found cheaper elsewhere, but always look for 1 tB version, and make sure service included. Roamio OTA versions can be confusing


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

ARC said:


> I've hacked a number of TiVos in my time, not afraid to do it again - apparently you can replace the internal drive in the Bolt, but also can use a USB external?


No TiVo model supports an external USB drive. Other threads exist to replace the internal 2.5" drive.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ARC said:


> I saw a mention that TiVo had an OTA recorder now, went looking, found the specs for Bolt and Bolt+.


TiVo currently offers 2 different OTA-capable models: 

BOLT 
Roamio OTA



ARC said:


> Bolt apparently is flaky on HD ?


Insufficient data. HD == hard drive or Hi-Def? "flaky" == ???



ARC said:


> Bolt+ does NOT SUPPORT HD Antennas? Baffled that this would be so. ???


Correct; BOLT+ is CableCARD-only. Can't help with why it might be baffling; an HDVR2 couldn't do cable or OTA antenna, and TiVo started producing cable-only DVRs back with the 4-tuner Premieres, 5 years back.



ARC said:


> I've hacked a number of TiVos in my time, not afraid to do it again - apparently you can replace the internal drive in the Bolt, but also can use a USB external?


The process is simple enough that I wouldn't characterize DIY hard drive upgrades for the latest TiVo models as "hacking."

TiVo only supports eSATA for external drive connection -- and only supports a single 1TB model from Western Digital. The consensus generally goes against this approach.

What you may run across is some people modding their BOLT/BOLT+ DVRs to allow using a 3.5" HDD as the "internal" drive... by connecting an external enclosure to the DVR's internal SATA connection.


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## ARC (Dec 16, 2001)

I thought the Roamio was retired, so I hadn't looked at it. 
Sorry for the term hacked, back in the 90's and early aughts, I was moving movies to my laptop while I was traveling on business throughout the US, and that required quite a few non-supported mods. 
1TB is still the upper limit for Roamios?
I have an Amazon Fire - what is the best method users up here have found for using both a Roamio and an AF? 
HD was as in, High Def OTA antennas - sorry for lack of clarity...


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I put a 3TB drive in my Roamio. Not sure what the limit is. 

Mini works much better than a Fire. But if you insist, you'll need a Stream or a Slingbox to get content to a Fire. I use both since the picture quality on Stream is so poor. Both are very awkward to control. 

I think for moving programs, TiVo desktop or pyTivo still works fine.

I don't think Roamio is retired. But even if it were, I'd much rather pay ~$360 for a lifetime Roamio OTA than nearly a grand for a lifetime Bolt or pay a monthly/yearly fee. That's why I have 2 lifetime Roamios in service and 2 spares waiting in the wings and no plans to ever get a Bolt.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

Roamio OTA 1 TB is definitely not retired. It is the only Roamio in TiVo "s "shop" page.

Amazon Fire tv TiVo beta app is way below the functionality and features that a Mini offers.


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