# anyone else order a Caavo today?



## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

just ordered one
got the email saying they are shipping after waiting a full year after the demo. I was impressed with the youtube demo. They said they will support many devices including tivo, but for now the caavo will only function as a remote for the tivo, but my guess is once tivo adds the upcoming voice support this will change. even so, if it controls my Roku, Amazon Fire TV and apple TV with voice commands I'll be fine with it

in case you missed it, the caavo is a sophisticated set top box that will find your shows on up to 8 devices using voice control if device is supported, or as a universal remote if not

company link
Caavo - Smart Home Hub for TV, Cable, Streaming Apps and Devices

youtube demo


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

Caavo Brings Order to Your Jungle of TV Devices
Caavo review: the future of remotes, a little too soon
This $400 smart-TV box lets you control your Apple TV, cable box, and everything else with your voice

I was super excited for Caavo. I even set a reminder so I could get one first thing this morning.
The only negative I new about before today was no HDR support. I think anyone who is going to pay for a $400 device either already has an hdr tv or will be buying one soon. 
Then there's the fact it can't control your smart tv apps. I use my lg TVs Netflix and amazon video apps because of there hdr and Dolby vision support. 
The real deal breaker for me was no indexing of the TiVo. It might be only a matter of time till they support TiVo but I'll have to wait.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Rolow said:


> Caavo Brings Order to Your Jungle of TV Devices
> Caavo review: the future of remotes, a little too soon
> This $400 smart-TV box lets you control your Apple TV, cable box, and everything else with your voice
> 
> ...


my main TV is still 1080p and I do not use the TV smart apps, I use Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV and Tivo, but most of my viewing these days is internet originals from Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. I like the Alexa Echo support. I am really looking forward to seeing it in action. I figure when I am due for a new 4K HDR TV in a few years they will have new Caavos that will fully support it and I'll shift my old Caavo to a bedroom TV


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

No TiVo support yet, so I'm in the "wait and see" category. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

This is actually looks interesting, 8 HDMI ins got my attention. We'll see where this all goes.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

I watched the video. It looks like my Roku does almost all of that. Get the device with the most apps on it and go.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

Kinda what Tivo universal search purported to offer several years ago and almost did before Rovi blew the data base in the takeover.

Wonder where Caavo gets its data?

Interesting device but a very limited use case. Plex is supporting it as well but no idea how Caavo would know what is on a Plex server.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

My guess is that (whether or not this was the Caavo founders' plan) the actual Caavo product won't sell that many units but, if it works well, it will serve as a test model for the underlying concept and patents, which will get acquired by a larger company and somehow integrated into other, more mainstream, products. I could see aspects of the Caavo feature set integrated into an AV receiver or TV.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> My guess is that (whether or not this was the Caavo founders' plan) the actual Caavo product won't sell that many units but, if it works well, it will serve as a test model for the underlying concept and patents, which will get acquired by a larger company and somehow integrated into other, more mainstream, products. I could see aspects of the Caavo feature set integrated into an AV receiver or TV.


I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

my order shipped in 24 hours, nice


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

There are niche markets for products, future products could be scaled up or down or both.


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

Yes, I ordered mine on the day of and it is already shipped. My main wish was to replace OnePass with something that actually works more than 63% of the time since I have a ton of content split among Recording, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. I was saddened to see TIVO was not included in the initial deep linking and went to confirm by e-mailing support:



> Hello,
> 
> I was planning my base setup to be a Tivo Box and Roku through the Caavo to create a single Watchlist among all apps and recordings. If I understand the deep linking correctly, the Tivo Recordings will not show up on the Watchlist because it is not part of the program like the Dish or Xfinitity boxes are. Is my understanding correct? And if so, is this deep linking to Tivo and other boxes being added in the future?
> 
> Thanks!


And I got a response less than four hours later!!!



> Thanks for contacting Caavo.
> 
> You've asked about deep linking for your Tivo? Thats a good question and I'd be happy to answer your query.
> 
> ...


So there you go. Hopefully we'll get Deep Linking for TIVO in the next year or so and then Caavo will do everything I want. In the meantime, I'll at least have one list for all streaming content and will just manage my minimal recorded content (I've been weening off as much as possible).

To the person above who asked doesn't Roku do this, the answer is "no" on two fronts. One, Roku only adds something to its Feed when a new episode is added. So I could not add a show that already has episodes and get all the seasons listed as available to me. Two, Roku's Feed is not compatible with Netflix. Netflix shows up in Universal Search, but you cannot add a Netflix show to My Feed. I knew about the Netflix limitation (figuring at some point that would change), but I bought a Roku to specifically use My Feed to create a single Watch List.

Since Roku cannot do that and TIVO has a 37% failure rate of this function, Caavo seems like the next best (expensive) test to find something that will finally give a universal watch list. We'll see how it goes!


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

I should also note that I don't care about any of Caavo's other features like auto-switching between inputs (that aren't related to show watching like my house cameras) and voice integration because I already built my own solution with Harmony Hub + Raspberry Pi w/ Harmony API + Alexa + IFTTT + SmartThings + WebCore (Learned Groovy for that one!).


Tell Alexa action command
Alexa tells SmartThings or IFTTT (Depending upon the action)
IF IFTTT, kicks off weblink on WebCore that tells SmartThings multiple step actions
SmartThings tell Raspberry Pi w/ Harmony API
Raspberry Pi tell Harmony Hub
Harmony Hub performs action

Delay is roughly 1-2 seconds, better than Tivo's 5+ seconds, and I can do anything I want!


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

babsonnexus said:


> Yes, I ordered mine on the day of and it is already shipped. My main wish was to replace OnePass with something that actually works more than 63% of the time since I have a ton of content split among Recording, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. I was saddened to see TIVO was not included in the initial deep linking and went to confirm by e-mailing support:
> 
> And I got a response less than four hours later!!!
> 
> ...


Tivo does a rather poor job on setting up onepasses for streaming shows. At a minimum you cannot create a onepass for a streaming show until it has been out at least a week, and even then when you try to bookmark the season's episodes it usually does not work for several weeks and by that time you are done watching season 1. For example, Britannia on Amazon prime put out all 9 episodes on January 25 and they still do not show up in "my shows". I can name many other examples too

if Caavo improves on this mess at all the purchase will have been worth it because I like yourself watch more streaming originals now than cable fare


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

here is a detailed review on CNET

cliffs: wishes it had HDR supoort and a backlit remote bit otherwise LOVES watchlists, easy setup, Caavo's functionality, superb remote and Alexa integration

Caavo's spendy universal remote system does a lot -- just not enough


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

Hello everyone,
It has been a long time since I've posted here. Old-timers on this forum may recall that I'm an ex-TiVo employee (2000 - 2016) who was active in these forums until 2009 but stopped participating due to moving from Customer Support into the Beta team. I now work for Caavo as a Beta PM. 

I tried to create a different account (JustJerry) but found out I'm only allowed one username here, so that account can't actually post. So, let me be clear that I am no longer a rep of TiVo. I hold zero ill will towards the product, company, or employees in any way whatsoever. I loved my time there and am still friends with many current and previous employees at TiVo, but am glad to have been motivated to move on to new ventures. 

Being a lover of TiVo, I have tried to influence the Caavo team as best I can to include TiVo functionality. It is true that Caavo does not currently have the ability to retrieve the list of recordings from TiVo, and cannot link with its apps, but it does have full IR control (no RF or TiVo VOX). The Caavo remote uses Bluetooth to communicate with the Caavo device, which then sends IR commands to TiVo....so you won't have to worry about aiming the remote. With TiVo as my cable box, I can tell the Caavo remote "watch comedy central" and Caavo will switch to the TiVo input and change the channel. I can also navigate through the TiVo UI easily with the Caavo remote and switch over to the TiVo remote seamlessly (although it's rarely necessary). I can use Alexa to navigate TiVo's menu but I prefer using a remote. Searches on Caavo will pull all results from the services you get through your other attached streaming boxes....it just won't include TiVo recordings.

It is true that the current device we have does not support HDR, but does indeed support 4K. If you're anything like me, you have a complicated setup that confuses everyone else in your home. Caavo should actually be marketed as a marital aid....mine makes for a happy wife; she no longer has to know what device she's watching, which remote to grab (grabbing the wrong one in the past made the TV switch inputs), which input to use on the TV and/or AVR. Caavo truly simplifies the entertainment system environment.

I will do my best to try to answer questions on this forum as my time and duties permit. 
Thanks in advance for having me back,
Jer


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> Hello everyone,
> It has been a long time since I've posted here. Old-timers on this forum may recall that I'm an ex-TiVo employee (2000 - 2016) who was active in these forums until 2009 but stopped participating due to moving from Customer Support into the Beta team. I now work for Caavo as a Beta PM.
> 
> I tried to create a different account (JustJerry) but found out I'm only allowed one username here, so that account can't actually post. So, let me be clear that I am no longer a rep of TiVo. I hold zero ill will towards the product, company, or employees in any way whatsoever. I loved my time there and am still friends with many current and previous employees at TiVo, but am glad to have been motivated to move on to new ventures.
> ...


awesome that Caavo has a Tivo expert in the helm ! mine will arrive next week, I'm psyched, especially since my TV is 1080p and I have a zillion devices to connect to it and alexa too


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## TiVotion (Dec 6, 2002)

I actually seriously looked at this but ended up concluding I would wait to purchase due to the lack of TiVo indexing. However I would gladly reconsider if it becomes a reality.

Question. I have TiVo, Xbox One, Roku, Apple TV, and a cable DVR from Frontier all on one TV. I’m not actively using the cable DVR at the moment; it came with a renegotiated deal I made with Frontier and they couldn’t even understand how to process an order without it. That’s a long story. 

Anyway, my question is, since I have TiVo and the cable DVR, say I were to tell Caavo to watch Comedy Central, how would it decide which device, TiVo or cable DVR, and which input, to use? Can I have both connected and set one as a preference?


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

Whichever device you set up first would be the default tuner for LiveTV. You could still use the remote to control channel changes on the other.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

tivoknucklehead said:


> just ordered one
> got the email saying they are shipping after waiting a full year after the demo. I was impressed with the youtube demo. They said they will support many devices including tivo, but for now the caavo will only function as a remote for the tivo, but my guess is once tivo adds the upcoming voice support this will change. even so, if it controls my Roku, Amazon Fire TV and apple TV with voice commands I'll be fine with it
> 
> in case you missed it, the caavo is a sophisticated set top box that will find your shows on up to 8 devices using voice control if device is supported, or as a universal remote if not
> ...


Does it handle HDR now? I thought when I first read about this, that it did not have HDMi 2.0a? which is required for HDR. And no HDR capability on a $400 UHD switch device, in 2018, just seems crazy to me.

EDIT: I also just looked at the specs. Is it true that it only handles up to DD+? and only legacy 20+ year old DTS? So that means it can't even be used to properly bitstream audio with the old 2K BD format that launched in 2006? That has Dolby True HD and DTS-HD MA. Is that actually correct?


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

There’s currently no silicon that can do 8-port HDR, but we plan to support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA in an update soon.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

mine arrives today. I'll report back Friday when I set it up


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

ok set it up this morning. Fairly easy to connect devices. I have a Roamio, Roku Ultra, Fire TV, Apple TV and Sony Blu Ray connected. My only real issue (other than learning the remote buttons) is I can't get the Caavo to control my Tivo Roamio (and it should). I am using the extender they provided to connect my HDMI cable into the tivo with the other end an IR blaster, with another IR blaster connected to the Caavo. I can still easily use my Tivo remote until I get it figured out.
The watchlist feature is excellent. It lists all my Hulu, Netflix and Amazon watchlists on an easy to navigate screen. Alexa control is a bit funky. Setup was simple but it seems to want to play everything on my Fire TV even though my Roku is my preferred device. The Caavo mic does work great and does go to the Roku first, its just Alexa that is problematic. Am still playing with it. If I can get the Caavo to control my Roamio I'll be pretty satisfied


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I'm looking forward to hearing more as you work through it.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> ok set it up this morning. Fairly easy to connect devices. I have a Roamio, Roku Ultra, Fire TV, Apple TV and Sony Blu Ray connected. My only real issue (other than learning the remote buttons) is I can't get the Caavo to control my Tivo Roamio (and it should). I am using the extender they provided to connect my HDMI cable into the tivo with the other end an IR blaster, with another IR blaster connected to the Caavo. I can still easily use my Tivo remote until I get it figured out.
> The watchlist feature is excellent. It lists all my Hulu, Netflix and Amazon watchlists on an easy to navigate screen. Alexa control is a bit funky. Setup was simple but it seems to want to play everything on my Fire TV even though my Roku is my preferred device. The Caavo mic does work great and does go to the Roku first, its just Alexa that is problematic. Am still playing with it. If I can get the Caavo to control my Roamio I'll be pretty satisfied


If Roamio is in an enclosure separated from Caavo, the IR emitters are essential to getting commands from Caavo. Make sure that you are using the 3ft IR transmitter that mates with the HDMI-IR cable and that it is fully seated. That transmitter would then need to point at the front of Roamio.

To make sure IR is emitting, use your phone's camera to see the transmitter flashing. If you are using an iPhone, you may need to use the camera that faces the user because the main camera has an IR filter. See Infrared LED Light With an IPhone 4.... Use a working IR remote to confirm the functionality on your camera and then test it against the Caavo emitter. You can even check that the Caavo box is emitting IR from its six emitters (two on front, two on top, one on each side), as well as to test the 9ft transmitter.

As I understand it, even when the TiVo remote is set to RF capability, TiVo can still receive IR commands. If that has changed since my tenure there, then you may want to put TiVo into IR mode.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

TiVoJerry said:


> To make sure IR is emitting, use your phone's camera to see the transmitter flashing. If you are using an iPhone, you may need to use the camera that faces the user because the main camera has an IR filter. See Infrared LED Light With an IPhone 4.... Use a working IR remote to confirm the functionality on your camera and then test it against the Caavo emitter.


Good info no matter the specific device being debugged. Thanks.



TiVoJerry said:


> As I understand it, even when the TiVo remote is set to RF capability, TiVo can still receive IR commands. If that has changed since my tenure there, then you may want to put TiVo into IR mode.


TiVo boxes are ALWAYS in IR mode*, in addition to RF where applicable; only the remotes, themselves, can be toggled between IR and RF mode for communication with their associated box.

edit: * p.s. It should be noted that TiVos can be configured to a unique IR remote address, 1-9, which would prevent response to any IR commands sent using one of the other possible non-zero addresses. (Any remote configured for remote address 0, the default, can control any TiVo box via IR regardless of whether the TiVo box has been configured with a non-zero IR remote address, and vice versa.)


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

Sometimes IR blasters are like TV Antennas, you mess around until you find the magic spot, then you lock it in place. People who owned Tivo S2's remember doing this with cable boxes.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

tenthplanet said:


> Sometimes IR blasters are like TV Antennas, you mess around until you find the magic spot, then you lock it in place. *People who owned Tivo S2's remember doing this with cable boxes.*


Mine was/is pretty good: it picks up the signal bounced off the room ceiling (no need to point the remote at the box sweet spot).


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

tenthplanet said:


> Sometimes IR blasters are like TV Antennas, you mess around until you find the magic spot, then you lock it in place. People who owned Tivo S2's remember doing this with cable boxes.


ok day 2 in the morning, the IR blasters continue to perform poorly in controlling the Tivo. After getting used to 99.9% instant response with my Harmony or my Tivo remotes this is completely unacceptable.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tivoknucklehead said:


> the IR blasters continue to perform poorly in controlling the Tivo


What means "poorly"? Slow, delayed relay of commands or missed commands? Or both?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> What means "poorly"? Slow, delayed relay of commands or missed commands? Or both?


I'm defining poorly as only doing the command 10% of the time in a well lit room. I will compare again tonight when the room is dark to see if that is it. If they make extenders for the IR that connects to the Tivo I can get them much closer together and that would probably help too.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tivoknucklehead said:


> The IR extenders have to have line of sight with each other. I simply pointed the caavo IR blaster at the Tivo IR blaster and this works,


What do you mean by TiVo IR blaster? You mean the IR receiver on the front of the TiVo? I don't suppose you are partially blocking the TiVo receiver with your 2 Slingbox blaster/transmisitters?



TiVoJerry said:


> Make sure that you are using the 3ft IR transmitter that mates with the HDMI-IR cable and that it is fully seated. That transmitter would then need to point at the front of Roamio.


Do you have this setup as (ex)TiVoJerry indicated? I don't see the square box transmitter in front of the TiVo in your picture? Is see it in front of the Caavo (which seems odd unless that's for another device)?










Scott


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> What do you mean by TiVo IR blaster? You mean the IR receiver on the front of the TiVo? I don't suppose you are partially blocking the TiVo receiver with your 2 Slingbox blaster/transmisitters?
> 
> Do you have this setup as (ex)TiVoJerry indicated? I don't see the square box transmitter in front of the TiVo in your picture? Is see it in front of the Caavo (which seems odd unless that's for another device)?
> 
> ...


Here is a new pic of my setup.



I moved the IR's to face each other and they are just over 6 ft. apart at close to the same height. I am using the 2 that came in the box and they are installed properly because they work fine at night when the room is dark. The room is still fairly dark now at 9 am and they are still working. I will test again this afternoon when the room is well lit to see if that kills them

this is the TV IR controller plugged into the Caavo that points to the other one connected to the Tivo



Does anyone know if I can buy a dongle for this with a longer cord, or if they make one with a longer cord? If I had a longer cord I could put both the blasters within a few inches of each other and I'm sure that would solve this issue


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

I can’t quite tell what kind of plug is on that cord. It might be possible to buy an extension cable for it.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

stevel said:


> I can't quite tell what kind of plug is on that cord. It might be possible to buy an extension cable for it.


I have Caavo tech support researching this


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tivoknucklehead said:


> moved the IR's to face each other and they are just over 6 ft. apart at close to the same height. I am using the 2 that came in the box and they are installed properly because they work fine at night when the room is dark. The room is still fairly dark now at 9 am and they are still working. I will test again this afternoon when the room is well lit to see if that kills them
> 
> this is the TV IR controller plugged into the Caavo that points to the other one connected to the Tivo


Those are both IR transmitters (not a transmitter and a receiver as your picture seems to have them pointed at each other). One is for the TV and the other is for other hidden devices (ie the TiVo). The second black box should be sitting in front of the TiVo and point *toward* the TiVo like your Slingbox IR blaster/transmitters (again like TiVoJerry's post indicated).

I found a quick start guide on the FCC's site but it isn't very helpful and I couldn't find a full user manual on Caavo's site.

R1100 Remote control User Manual Caavo Inc

I did find a review of the Caavo which referred to the IR over HDMI for the second IR transmitter/blaster.

"There's another neat cable trick as well: Caavo's version of an IR blaster has been engineered to work over HDMI, so you only have to run one cable to devices that need IR control; a breakout box at the other end splits off the IR blaster. I don't love IR blasters, but it's clever."

Scott


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> Those are both IR transmitters (not a transmitter and a receiver as your picture seems to have them pointed at each other). One is for the TV and the other is for other hidden devices (ie the TiVo). The second black box should be sitting in front of the TiVo and point *toward* the TiVo like your Slingbox IR blaster/transmitters (again like TiVoJerry's post indicated).
> 
> I found a quick start guide on the FCC's site but it isn't very helpful and I couldn't find a full user manual on Caavo's site.
> 
> ...


here is what I know for sure. Both of these "transmitters" are installed correctly. The one in the bottom pic in post 33 is connected to the caavo. the other two
pictured below snap together and are connected to the tivo's hdmi port. They work fine in a dark room as I have them setup pointing to each other in post 33 pic. Right now the room is well lit and they don't work at all. I need to get them much closer together to see if that fixes it, thus looking for an extender solution


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## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

TonyD79 said:


> I watched the video. It looks like my Roku does almost all of that. Get the device with the most apps on it and go.


my 55" roku tv cost less than this caavo. no hdr on my tv though


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> here is what I know for sure. Both of these "transmitters" are installed correctly. The one in the bottom pic in post 37 is connected to the caavo. the other
> pictured below is connected to the tivo's hdmi port. They work fine in a dark room as I have them setup pointing to each other in post 37 pic. Right now the room is well lit and they don't work at all. I need to get them much closer together to see if that fixes it, thus looking for an extender solution


In the meanwhile, I wonder: would there be a benefit to trying a readily-available HDMI extension cable with the IR dongle that attaches to the TiVo, to get that closer to the Caavo IR dongle? (Buy locally so as to be able to return, if it doesn't help.) I would think that this could be easy enough to do/try. It looks like the other IR dongle could use an almost audio-like extension cable, but it is difficult to tell from here/the pic. Perhaps a quick visit to a local electronics store (if there even is one near you, nowadays) could be beneficial. Or checking with Caavo (here or elsewhere)/waiting for its response.


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## ginginlala (Jul 15, 2011)

I received my Caavo a few days ago and am a TiVo Bolt Vox user. LOVE the Caavo so far...works surprisingly well, particularly the deep linking. I am having one nuisance issue in that it's stopped turning my Panasonic TV on (it actually shuts it off, just doesn't turn it on), which is double odd in that this worked fine at first and then stopped at some point. Probably some component conflict issue...I have a weird setup in that my Sonos Playbar doesn't do HDMI audio and my Panasonic TV's optical out doesn't pass DD through so I have to use a splitter to get DD audio, and the Caavo is running through the splitter, which is on 100% of the time.

ANYway, nonsense details. If the HDR thing doesn't bother you and if you have multiple boxes I highly recommend getting this thing.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tivoknucklehead said:


> here is what I know for sure. Both of these "transmitters" are installed correctly. The one in the bottom pic in post 37 is connected to the caavo. the other two
> pictured below snap together and are connected to the tivo's hdmi port. They work fine in a dark room as I have them setup pointing to each other in post 37 pic. Right now the room is well lit and they don't work at all. I need to get them much closer together to see if that fixes it, thus looking for an extender solution


That doesn't mean they are installed correctly since they shouldn't be pointing at each other.  It just means in a dark room you are getting enough IR to the TiVo for it to work. Can you please move the box on the TiVo side to point to the front of the TiVo (with the window pointing to the TiVo) as TiVoJerry (who works for Caavo) indicated?

I am curious about that little HDMI adapter cable that the IR transmitter plugs into though, I'm assuming it has an HDMI female connector on one end where the HDMI cable that goes to the Caavo is connected?

Scott


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> In the meanwhile, I wonder: would there be a benefit to trying a readily-available HDMI extension cable with the IR dongle that attaches to the TiVo, to get that closer to the Caavo IR dongle? (Buy locally so as to be able to return, if it doesn't help.) I would think that this could be easy enough to do/try. It looks like the other IR dongle could use an almost audio-like extension cable, but it is difficult to tell from here/the pic. Perhaps a quick visit to a local electronics store (if there even is one near you, nowadays) could be beneficial. Or checking with Caavo (here or elsewhere)/waiting for its response.


I have caavo checking on a solution . The one attached to the Tivo has a nice long 9 ft cord, that one is fine. The other cord attached to the caavo ir is only 3 ft, that one is the problem


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> That doesn't mean they are installed correctly since they shouldn't be pointing at each other.  It just means in a dark room you are getting enough IR to the TiVo for it to work. Can you please move the box on the TiVo side to point to the front of the TiVo (with the window pointing to the TiVo) as TiVoJerry (who works for Caavo) indicated?
> 
> I am curious about that little HDMI adapter cable that the IR transmitter plugs into though, I'm assuming it has an HDMI female connector on one end where the HDMI cable that goes to the Caavo is connected?
> 
> Scott


see post 58


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

stevel said:


> I can't quite tell what kind of plug is on that cord. It might be possible to buy an extension cable for it.


It is a 3.5 mm connector standard ir blaster


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> It is a 3.5 mm connector standard ir blaster


Boy, then, if you want to experiment some while waiting for Caavo: couldn't you just pick up locally (for return purposes) and experiment some with a standard 3.5mm cable extension? A Sunday afternoon experiment?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> Boy, then, if you want to experiment some while waiting for Caavo: couldn't you just pick up locally (for return purposes) and experiment some with a standard 3.5mm cable extension? A Sunday afternoon experiment?


Lol I'm on my way to Best Buy to get an extension cable for $6


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Wouldn't it be great if this just came down to a $6 solution (and even that's at a BB price, rather than Monoprice or eBay/China)? And then you could patent the solution and sell the implementation to Caavo and its users for ($1) per. 

Recommendation: try to make sure that you get a compatible extension (duh)--there are various (at least initially-appearing) similar types.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> Wouldn't it be great if this just came down to a $6 solution (and that's at a BB price, rather than Monoprice or eBay/China)? And then you could patent the solution and sell the implementation to Caavo and its users for ($1) per.
> 
> Recommendation: try to make sure that you get a compatible extension (duh)--there are various (at least initially-appearing) similar types.


Lmao I just want the damn thing to work. Otherwise I'm pretty happy with the caavo, it's pretty snazzy


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> Lmao I just want the damn thing to work. Otherwise I'm pretty happy with the caavo, it's pretty snazzy


Nah--hit the jackpot. 

Good luck--keep us (and Caavo, as you're doing its work--sigh, the life of an electronics consumer) advised.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tivoknucklehead said:


> I did that more than once and that didn't work. Caavo tech support said the ir's need line of site each other. Totally different than slingbox ir's that need pointed to the Tivo "window"


I would say you are getting bad advice from support unless they are referring to line of sight from the Caavo IR transmitter to the device, but I guess we'll have to wait until either TiVoJerry chimes back in or you get your issue resolved. Not sure why it would not have worked when you pointed the Caavo extended IR transmitter toward the TiVo.

I hope you get it resolved soon. 

Scott


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## mrizzo80 (Apr 17, 2012)

So it looks like the Watchlist is provider-specific rather than a TiVo-style My Shows list that is provider-agnostic?


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

mrizzo80 said:


> So it looks like the Watchlist is provider-specific rather than a TiVo-style My Shows list that is provider-agnostic?


I thought the point was to aggregate the separate watchlists?


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## mrizzo80 (Apr 17, 2012)

krkaufman said:


> I thought the point was to aggregate the separate watchlists?


I'm not sure. It looks like they are listed by provider.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

tivoknucklehead said:


> this is the TV IR controller plugged into the Caavo that points to the other one connected to the Tivo


That is NOT a standard IR plug - has too many rings. This is the one you said you wanted longer.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

mrizzo80 said:


> I'm not sure. It looks like they are listed by provider.


Good catch; perhaps it's been changed since that video was produced. (edit: Though unlikely, given the video was just published to YouTube on Feb.14th.)

I'm also eager to hear how the Caavo handles multiple users and all the various user profiles within each service and their associated unique watchlists.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

So I think something is being lost in translation with Caavo support. The Caavo comes with two wired IR emitters and NO IR receivers. The two wired emitters are meant to be aimed at two different electronic devices as needed.

If you tried pointing the Caavo break out hdmi/ir dongle at the tivo ir window. I would suggest unplugging it all together. Then plug which ever ir emitter has the longest cable into the back of the Caavo and then point it toward the TiVo ir window.

The IR on Caavo works identical to all other ir emitters including the ones you already have on the front of your TiVo. With the only exception being the Caavo will send the remote signals down the hdmi cable then the break out hdmi/ir emitter you posted a picture of can reach out of site of the Caavo. The box itself has six ir emitters built in and one wired in the back.

Im suspecting the hdmi/ir break out dongle Caavo supplied is faulty


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> Wouldn't it be great if this just came down to a $6 solution (and even that's at a BB price, rather than Monoprice or eBay/China)? And then you could patent the solution and sell the implementation to Caavo and its users for ($1) per.
> 
> Recommendation: try to make sure that you get a compatible extension (duh)--there are various (at least initially-appearing) similar types.


well the frustration continues. I bought this extender at Best Buy for $6

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insign...extension-cable-black/4370029.p?skuId=4370029


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Rolow said:


> So I think something is being lost in translation with Caavo support. The Caavo comes with two wired IR emitters and NO IR receivers. The two wired emitters are meant to be aimed at two different electronic devices as needed.
> 
> If you tried pointing the Caavo break out hdmi/ir dongle at the tivo ir window. I would suggest unplugging it all together. Then plug which ever ir emitter has the longest cable into the back of the Caavo and then point it toward the TiVo ir window.
> 
> ...


you sir are a genius ! I did exactly what you said. I unlpugged the 9 ft IR transmitter from the Tivo HDMI port, connected my new 6 foot extender, pointed the square head at the same IR window my slingbox IR's are pointed to, and plugged it into the caavo. And it works in a well lit room 
I will report back later to ensure it is not a fluke


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

mrizzo80 said:


> I'm not sure. It looks like they are listed by provider.


yes, there are separate watchlists imported from each provider (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon) all on one screen as per above called "watchlists". It is not all jumbled together on one list and I like it


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tivoknucklehead said:


> yes, there are separate watchlists imported from each provider (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon) all on one screen as per above called "watchlists". It is not all jumbled together on one list and I like it


How well does the Caavo handle multiple users and associated profile-specific watchlists?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> How well does the Caavo handle multiple users and associated profile-specific watchlists?


from their support site

Caavo supports Netflix watchlists for all profiles in your Netflix account. Linking your credentials enables the Watchlist browse feature and "watch" command to automatically pick up where a you left off. Caavo will sync your watchlist nightly for shows and movies you have watched.

The Netflix app can be launched and controlled via the Caavo remote on:


Apple TV
FireTV
Roku
nVidia Shield

same for Hulu. I don't think Amazon allows multiple accounts


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

one weird bug is my re-chargeable remote shows 63% after a 12 hour charge and this is what it showed from day one. It works fine so must be a software bug


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Does the Caavo, itself, allow for switching between users, so each user could be connected to their personal YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, etc. account and service profiles, filtering out all the content and watchlists associated with other profiles?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> Does the Caavo, itself, allow for switching between users, so each user could be connected to their personal YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, etc. account and service profiles, filtering out all the content and watchlists associated with other profiles?


good question, I don't know. If that is important to you call Caavo and ask em before you buy
*1-844-GO-CAAVO*


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tivoknucklehead said:


> you sir are a genius ! I did exactly what you said. I unlpugged the 9 ft IR transmitter from the Tivo HDMI port, connected my new 6 foot extender, pointed the square head at the same IR window my slingbox IR's are pointed too, and plugged it into the caavo. And it works in a well lit room
> I will report back later to ensure it is not a fluke





TiVoJerry said:


> Make sure that you are using the 3ft IR transmitter that mates with the HDMI-IR cable and that it is fully seated.


Jerry did say that the 3 foot IR transmitter goes with the HDMI-IR cable so maybe that was the issue if you were using the 9 foot IR transmitter with the HDMI-IR cable as you indicated above?

Scott


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

HerronScott said:


> Jerry did say that the 3 foot IR transmitter goes with the HDMI-IR cable so maybe that was the issue if you were using the 9 foot IR transmitter with the HDMI-IR cable as you indicated above?


That's one thing I was wondering. Does the 3ft cable have the same pinouts (pin rings) as the 9ft cable?


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

I plug all my devices into my receiver and let it do the switching. Does this thing sit upstream of the receiver and you have a single HDMI from the it to the receiver?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> Jerry did say that the 3 foot IR transmitter goes with the HDMI-IR cable so maybe that was the issue if you were using the 9 foot IR transmitter with the HDMI-IR cable as you indicated above?
> 
> Scott


Maybe I had it backwards but now that it works I'm done messing with it. And it has worked perfectly since I swapped cables 
And yes the caavo support guy gave me bad advice but it's all good now thanks to you guys here I am grateful


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

zalusky said:


> I plug all my devices into my receiver and let it do the switching. Does this thing sit upstream of the receiver and you have a single HDMI from the it to the receiver?


Yes that is my setup too using an onkyo receiver


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

HerronScott said:


> Jerry did say that the 3 foot IR transmitter goes with the HDMI-IR cable so maybe that was the issue if you were using the 9 foot IR transmitter with the HDMI-IR cable as you indicated above?


Comparing the pins on the two different cables does seem to confirm the different pinouts, so they're not interchangeable...


tivoknucklehead said:


> this is the *TV IR controller *plugged into the Caavo ...


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> Maybe I had it backwards but now that it works I'm done messing with it. And it has worked perfectly since I swapped cables
> And yes the caavo support guy gave me bad advice but it's all good now thanks to you guys here I am grateful


Understandably, "I finally got it to work and I'm not going to screw around with it now!"


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

ok I've been using it for a full week now and overall I really like it after I got the IR blasters configured properly. the voice remote is the best I've ever used in any device I've owned including my iphone 7+. the unified watchlists of netflix, hulu and amazon are great for me since that is most of my viewing these days. the remote controls the tivo perfectly fine and I have not touched my harmony all week, don't need it any more

if it had HDR support and a backlit remote it would be a spectacular device, but I don't need HDR right now and I am getting used to the remote in a dark room anyway


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

I've been using it for a few days, still getting used to the remote and where things are. Overall, the interface is very good and smooth and it's actually done a good job on the voice side (both built in and with Alexa) replacing everything I custom built into a Raspberry Pi/Harmony Hub combination. I really enjoy the ease of switching sources and apps in a single place and having better versions of apps than are on TiVO.

The setup process was long and a bit tricky for the uninitiated, especially if you have items that Caavo does not recognize. Although deep linking with Tivo does not exist yet, it works really well after customizing the remote a little (mapping the D button, for instance). I was actually quite happy how easily it worked. I do wish for a remote with all the TiVo buttons as Caavo's minimalist choice of having two buttons do one thing is not that great an experience.

However, I have issues both as bugs and enhancement requests that I have submitted to Caavo:



> *Bug Request - Changing Tivo Channels*
> 
> When asking Caavo to watch a channel (IE, "Watch CNN"), Caavo is able to successfully change the channel. However, it appears that the Caavo sends the "Enter/Last" key first and then the numbers. This is very visible as the channel changes to the "Last" first and then the numbers start typing on screen. The Enter should happen after the numbers in order to avoid this.





> *Bug Request - Searching for Items with Roman Numerals*
> 
> I did a voice action to "Watch Planet Earth Two" and Caavo could not correctly launch it. Instead, it came up with a search for just "Planet Earth", not "Planet Earth II". I also tried saying "Planet Earth Eye Eye", but that came up with the same request.





> *Bug Request - Launching the Wrong Program*
> 
> When launching "Planet Earth II" s01e03 on Netflix from my Watchlist, it instead launched "Planet Earth" s01e08. There seems to be a disconnect in the launching path.





> *Enhancement Request - Single Watchlist*
> 
> One of the benefits I was looking for from Caavo was to create a single Watchlist across all services and not have to keep track of what program is on what service. Additionally, if a program is on multiple services, I want it to list my default priority service and ignore the other listing. I am deeply disappointed to have to go through multiple lists still, even if they are in one menu.





> *Enhancement Request - Deep Linking Showing Availability and Watched Status*
> 
> While the ability to see all episodes of a show that is on a Watchlist is helpful, it does not show me if I have already watched other episodes. For something non-linear like "House Hunters" this is problematic as it is not clear which episodes have already been watched without going in to Hulu. Furthermore, seeing all potential episodes is not useful if they are not on a service I have. I'd like to be able to filter to only show episodes available to me based upon my services.





> *Enhancement Request - Sort Watchlist Alphabetically*
> 
> In the Watchlist, the order appears to be in last watched/added to the list. This is not always useful as I often add programs for later watching and do not always want those items to be on top or want items that I added long ago now. This makes searching through the Watchlist incredible difficult and inefficient and is a big complaint in my household.





> *Enhancement Request - Filters, Folders, and Sorting in Watchlists*
> 
> Inside of Watchlists, there is no additional way to sort/filter even between Movies and Shows. There is a big difference in the decision to watch a movie vs. the decision to watch an episode of a show and the current mixing of everything does not allow a basic separation. Additionally, having a way to tag our own metadata to create some type of filtering would be very useful. Creating categories or using base categories to allow further filtering can help make content easier to find in the Watchlists.





> *Enhancement Request - Watchlist Immediate Index on Watch*
> 
> While the Watchlists are only indexed once overnight, that does not help in intra-day activity. For instance, if I watch s01e04 of an episode at one point in the day and then come back several hours later, the Watchlist will stay say the next episode is s01e04. If I watch an episode, upon exit there should be an automatic index to get it up to speed, otherwise it will be quite off during the intra-day time period.





> *Enhancement Request - Integration with Harmony Hub*
> 
> I already have a Harmony Hub set up to do IR blasting. Instead of using the proprietary IR blaster that comes with the Caavo and having yet another cord running around, it would be useful to be able to just integrate directly into existing IR blasters and extenders that already exist.





> *Bug Request - Caavo does not recognize already on*
> 
> We have many ways to turn on our entertainment system, including other voice tools. If any other method is used to turn on the TV/Audio system, Caavo does not recognize the system as on. Hitting the power button creates a confused state where the TV turns off and then back on again while the audio system just turns off.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

babsonnexus said:


> I've been using it for a few days, still getting used to the remote and where things are. Overall, the interface is very good and smooth and it's actually done a good job on the voice side (both built in and with Alexa) replacing everything I custom built into a Raspberry Pi/Harmony Hub combination. I really enjoy the ease of switching sources and apps in a single place and having better versions of apps than are on TiVO.
> 
> The setup process was long and a bit tricky for the uninitiated, especially if you have items that Caavo does not recognize. Although deep linking with Tivo does not exist yet, it works really well after customizing the remote a little (mapping the D button, for instance). I was actually quite happy how easily it worked. I do wish for a remote with all the TiVo buttons as Caavo's minimalist choice of having two buttons do one thing is not that great an experience.
> 
> However, I have issues both as bugs and enhancement requests that I have submitted to Caavo:


I actually prefer having separate watchlists by channel than one huge mixed one, it is cleaner for me. some of your other requests are good ones. we will see if they take you up on any of them, I'm sure they are getting a lot of feature requests. I am sure they can do a software update to implement them down the road


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

When I put in my first request on shipping day I was number 1008. This set of bugs/requests was 1288-1297, so there have been at least a couple hundred things (though I wonder how much of that was people just having setup/IR blaster issues).

I think for the WatchList it could be the options to either see all together or by channel, along with my other filter ability selection. I guess in a way it's also a request for profiles. I don't mind running all of our family's selections through a single profile on each service, but I know others have been clamoring for that type of ability for a long time.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

babsonnexus said:


> I guess in a way it's also a request for profiles. I don't mind running all of our family's selections through a single profile on each service, but I know others have been clamoring for that type of ability for a long time.


Clamor... Clamor,Clamor.


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

Caavo support has been fairly responsive, though they've wanted me to also do logging on the Caavo itself even though the steps I sent were the detail and repeatable (and actually asked me to do the actions on one of the items they told me they repeated). I found trying to use the voice to record issue awkward and not a good way to gather my thoughts. Also, when there was voice the sending seemed to take forever (I actually cancelled after several minutes). However, just capturing logs and sending the feedback number that pops up was quick.

Now, though, I'm wondering about the first 500 people who had Caavo for a beta test because I'm finding base issues:



> *Bug Request - Watchlists are all wrong*
> 
> Netflix - Only showing 3 shows. I have tried completely removing and re-adding and it is not corrected. It is not even showing the list of "Continue Watching", just a random list of 3 shows. I have dozens of unwatched shows on there.
> 
> ...


Watchlists (OnePass) are my #1 issue with TiVO and I found the now 37% failure rate to be completely unacceptable. This is by far worse (90% failure). I'm starting to truly doubt this product was ready for primetime and the veracity of the beta testers.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

I was pleasantly surprised to see Caavo has free 24/7 phone tech support 7 days a week


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

babsonnexus said:


> Caavo support has been fairly responsive, though they've wanted me to also do logging on the Caavo itself even though the steps I sent were the detail and repeatable (and actually asked me to do the actions on one of the items they told me they repeated). I found trying to use the voice to record issue awkward and not a good way to gather my thoughts. Also, when there was voice the sending seemed to take forever (I actually cancelled after several minutes). However, just capturing logs and sending the feedback number that pops up was quick.
> 
> Now, though, I'm wondering about the first 500 people who had Caavo for a beta test because I'm finding base issues:
> 
> Watchlists (OnePass) are my #1 issue with TiVO and I found the now 37% failure rate to be completely unacceptable. This is by far worse (90% failure). I'm starting to truly doubt this product was ready for primetime and the veracity of the beta testers.


my Netflix, Amazon anf Hulu watchlists are all good on Caavo


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

> my Netflix, Amazon anf Hulu watchlists are all good on Caavo


I'm glad I have you and other people to have other examples. With only 5000 people (plus the beta testers) out there, there's not a large pool to draw from. I told them that you were not having the same issue as me, so we'll see if it's a me thing, why, and what can be done!


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> one weird bug is my re-chargeable remote shows 63% after a 12 hour charge and this is what it showed from day one. It works fine so must be a software bug


I apologize for not coming back to this thread sooner. I wasn't getting notifications for this thread. I've seen one report of this from CS and we have sent out a replacement remote. If that was not you, please do call support and we will send you a new remote.

As an FYI, I am going to be on vacation for two weeks so I will be unresponsive again. Sorry about that, but a delayed honeymoon is finally in order.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

TiVoJerry said:


> I apologize for not coming back to this thread sooner. I wasn't getting notifications for this thread. I've seen one report of this from CS and we have sent out a replacement remote. If that was not you, please do call support and we will send you a new remote.
> 
> As an FYI, I am going to be on vacation for two weeks so I will be unresponsive again. Sorry about that, but a delayed honeymoon is finally in order.


Congratulations, enjoy your honeymoon.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> I apologize for not coming back to this thread sooner. I wasn't getting notifications for this thread. I've seen one report of this from CS and we have sent out a replacement remote. If that was not you, please do call support and we will send you a new remote.
> 
> As an FYI, I am going to be on vacation for two weeks so I will be unresponsive again. Sorry about that, but a delayed honeymoon is finally in order.


I got my remote to show 100% charged after a reset so I did not need a new one


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

So I learned over the past week that Caavo only looks at "Continue Watching" on Netflix, not the "My List", so it cannot be used to keep track of programs I add. It also seems to still have quite a bit of metadata disagreement with Hulu and Amazon Prime, causing some shows not to show up and others to be listed very differently (this also impacted Netflix, but not as much). Recently, it read my movies on Plex but not any other content and does not recognize what was watched and what was not, so the organization in Plex has no bearing on results shown (a big flat list instead). I can't believe I'm saying this, but OnePass is far superior to this experience and I've decided to return to the TiVO being the front end. Here's the full story:



> I wish to return my Caavo for a full refund. Caavo has not lived up to my expectations and contrary to what I would believe has actually made watching TV more difficult.
> 
> As an example, last night we wanted to watch something about "Space". I know we have something in our queue, so it seemed like a simple task. However, first we had to remember which service it might be on. Then, within that service the order is complete nonsense. Then, items were missing that are on the service online and are not appearing in Caavo. Fine, we say we want to watch Nova on Amazon Prime. However, the search does not filter out included with Prime vs. Paid episodes, so it brings us to a Paid episode. Finally, we go to the Amazon Prime Watchlist where sure enough was a show on the list that is not showing up in Caavo.
> 
> ...


To which I got the response:



> We appreciate your being an early supporter of Caavo and are sorry to hear you're not loving it.
> 
> If there are specific things that aren't working as you expected, we'd love to hear about them. Would you be open to taking a brief call from one of our product specialists from our engineering team to discuss? As you know, we're a brand new company, so your feedback is super important for helping create the best experience for future Caavo customers. Simply reply to this email with a good time and phone number and we'll give you a call.
> 
> ...


And my final response:



> I believe I gave Caavo a fair shot over the past five weeks and have documented my issues and requests in prior bugs/enhancements. I don't have good availability to assist right, so I'd just like to complete the return process. I've already disconnected the Caavo, put everything back to the way it was, and factory reset. Thanks for being responsive, but the product is not meeting my needs and I doubt it will in the next 50 days.


So I am sad because I thought I finally had a solution to the woes of OnePass, but OnePass is still the best option for now. Even with a 32% failure rate, the experience was way easier and cleaner. At this point, I think my best bet is to build my own solution, but the level of coding needed is most likely outside my skillset. Guess it's time to learn something new!


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

babsonnexus said:


> So I learned over the past week that Caavo only looks at "Continue Watching" on Netflix, not the "My List", so it cannot be used to keep track of programs I add. It also seems to still have quite a bit of metadata disagreement with Hulu and Amazon Prime, causing some shows not to show up and others to be listed very differently (this also impacted Netflix, but not as much). Recently, it read my movies on Plex but not any other content and does not recognize what was watched and what was not, so the organization in Plex has no bearing on results shown (a big flat list instead). I can't believe I'm saying this, but OnePass is far superior to this experience and I've decided to return to the TiVO being the front end. Here's the full story:
> 
> To which I got the response:
> 
> ...


i have incorporated my caavo quite nicely with my tivo. Caavo is excellent for jumping to my non tivo devices quickly. I still use my tivo onepasses bookmarked in "myshows" to keep track of the next streaming episode to watch, then use the mic on the caavo to jump there

my Hulu watchlists are perfect in caavo, my netflix ones are fine if I have watched at least one episode, but my Amazon ones are all over the place. over all I'm really liking the caavo, the remote is great and I no longer use my harmony or my tivo remotes


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

> my netflix ones are fine if I have watched at least one episode


And there is the rub. I don't want to start watching a series to get it to appear on the list (this applies to movies, too). There already is a feature in Netflix that you can just add series to, so the fact that is does not read this list is a miss.



> my Hulu watchlists are perfect in caavo


Mine are not, but they're the best of the bunch.



> I still use my tivo onepasses bookmarked in "myshows" to keep track of the next streaming episode to watch, then use the mic on the caavo to jump there


Right, so you are managing a list in TiVO and then using another tool on top of that to launch somewhere else. That's the extra step I don't want and my family cannot stand (we did this a few times and it was met with complaints). If I'm going to be managing in TiVO, I might as well be using in TiVO instead of having extra steps.



> Caavo is excellent for jumping to my non tivo devices quickly


That it is, but not $450 worth of doing that. I have a setup that I can already do this easily by voice, so Caavo added nothing for me. Maybe if I had not already done this myself it would be different, or if I had a lot more devices, but I just can't get on board the way it is right now.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

Did anyone else get the $100 off email?

Use code MADNESS at checkout for $100 off your Caavo.

Isn’t it a little fast to be discounting it that much?


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## brentsg (Sep 19, 2004)

Rolow said:


> Did anyone else get the $100 off email?
> 
> Use code MADNESS at checkout for $100 off your Caavo.
> 
> Isn't it a little fast to be discounting it that much?


I got this as well. The product just looks so awesome, so with a few tweaks I could see it on at least 2 of my TV's. But as-is.. I'd want to test it on my gaming setup and not passing HDR would be a no-go.

It would have saved me a lot of money too, as I just picked up 2 Gefen HDMI switches and a Logitech remote to accomplish what this could do.. again, without the obvious flaws.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Same here. Unfortunately no ATMOS means it's not for me yet.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Rolow said:


> Did anyone else get the $100 off email?
> 
> Use code MADNESS at checkout for $100 off your Caavo.
> 
> Isn't it a little fast to be discounting it that much?


I'm more than a bit annoyed at that


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tivoknucklehead said:


> I'm more than a bit annoyed at that


Yeah, that's potentially insulting to the extra-early adopters.

Could an early adopter opt to return their gear and purchase anew, using the coupon?


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## babsonnexus (Jan 13, 2016)

Hearing about the coupon made me quite upset as an early adopter of just a six weeks prior. I was actually offered a $200 refund to keep the Caavo instead of returning it. Thought it over and decided it was still not worth it for me right now. They already sent me a pre-paid shipping label, so they did leave the decision completely in my hands. Nice people, good customer service, just a product that isn't there yet and apparently isn't even selling in the limited 5,000 run.


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## wyzard (Jan 17, 2003)

Getting ready to order a Caavo. With the discount and the 100 day trial period Ifigured it's worth a shot. Hopefully they'll have a software update for Tivo deep linking in that time. I'll keep everyone up to date on my experience. Also, any Caavo owners that can share more about their experiences would be a great help.

Thanks.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

This thing is the biggest kludge I've just about ever seen for a consumer electronics product. I would never get one of these things. It doesn't really DO anything, and makes the whole setup way more complicated and much harder to troubleshoot. I think they're trying to get purchased to use their technology for something else, as it's an incredibly cool tech demo that makes a really stupid product.


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## Skotyman (May 27, 2018)

Right now for Fathers day, they are having a buy 1 Caavo get one free deal..


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

What's the latest report on these? How are they holding up in day to day use? Any word on ATMOS?


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Bigg said:


> This thing is the biggest kludge I've just about ever seen for a consumer electronics product. I would never get one of these things. It doesn't really DO anything, and makes the whole setup way more complicated and much harder to troubleshoot. I think they're trying to get purchased to use their technology for something else, as it's an incredibly cool tech demo that makes a really stupid product.


Yeah, this totally strikes me as a "patent-showcase startup product". As Caavo's IP improves (thanks to the feedback of the guinea pig early adopters), I could see it getting incorporated into an AV receiver or something like that new Android TV-powered JBL soundbar that's coming out this fall. Or maybe Apple TV could use this tech to, if nothing else, get Netflix content incorporated into the universal watchlist in the TV app.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

NashGuy said:


> Yeah, this totally strikes me as a "patent-showcase startup product". As Caavo's IP improves (thanks to the feedback of the guinea pig early adopters), I could see it getting incorporated into an AV receiver or something like that new Android TV-powered JBL soundbar that's coming out this fall. Or maybe Apple TV could use this tech to, if nothing else, get Netflix content incorporated into the universal watchlist in the TV app.


It's too kludgy for Apple, but it's just asking to the integrated into something.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

So Caavo announced control center today.
The highlights 
$99 + subscription (19.99 a year or 1.99 a month)
4k hdr10 with an update for Dolby vision coming
Dolby atmos
4 hdmi's

It looks like they killed the original box. Ouch 
I hope this new box will interface with TiVo 
Caavo's universal streaming remote packs machine vision for $100
The $99 Caavo Control Center is a universal remote built on machine vision


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

Just noticed they have TiVo on there list. 
Control Center Works With


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Rolow said:


> So Caavo announced control center today.
> The highlights
> $99 + subscription (19.99 a year or 1.99 a month)
> 4k hdr10 with an update for Dolby vision coming
> ...


So finally the version they needed from the beginning. If the first version had those specs then I would have considered it. Instead I got Harmony Hubs which works great with the fifteen devices in my primary UHD setup and the dozen devices in my secondary uhd setup. I only wish Harmony could handle more than fifteen devices.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Oy vey. Another subscription on top of a kludge that adds no value to anything. This still looks like an IP/integration play to me. Or a high-end production that would be integrated into high-end Control4 or Crestron systems. However, it still seems like a solution in search of a problem.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

so my Caavo is already obsolete? and 4 hdmi ports is not going to cut it for me, even at that decent price and HDR


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## brentsg (Sep 19, 2004)

Not enough ports, and I'd only pay a subscription if the integration was REALLY tight and on the ball. Maybe I'm underestimating it, but I can't imagine it'll handle all the Apple TV apps that I regularly use seamlessly.

I would also want optical out for the soundbar on my main floor. Passing thru the TV to get stereo sound isn't ideal.

If it works as great it theoretically could, my family could really use the simplification. My wife just quit watching "cable" when we moved to Youtube.tv / PS Vue. I can't wrap my head around how it's challenging but she'll have no part of it.


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## Flojomojo (Dec 30, 2001)

I'm intrigued by one remote to rule them all, and the $20 annual fee is reasonable, but I'm skeptical of "deep linking" and dubious that this thing will work quickly enough to replace direct input to my Tivo and AppleTV. It seems like yet another thing to break, and a little more complexity to troubleshoot if HDMI linking acts up, as it sometimes does.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

I have had a caavo since February. It is great at switching quickly between inputs. However it is poor and slow if you click the next episode of xxx in your Hulu, Amazon or Netflix watchlist. So slow that it pauses for 5-10 seconds, then the episode plays for 10-15 seconds (you can hear it) but on screen it says "switching to xxx) and I have to go back and watch from the beginning to see what I missed

and it was very good at recognizing every device I plugged into it. the remote is poor for handling a tivo, I use my tivo remote instead.
bottom line is I use my caavo to turn on / off my TV and switch between devices. Not worth the $400 or whatever I paid for it, not even close. If this new device had 8 inputs I'd consider it, but not 4


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Flojomojo said:


> I'm intrigued by one remote to rule them all, and the $20 annual fee is reasonable, but I'm skeptical of "deep linking" and dubious that this thing will work quickly enough to replace direct input to my Tivo and AppleTV. It seems like yet another thing to break, and a little more complexity to troubleshoot if HDMI linking acts up, as it sometimes does.


Exactly. HDMI is already absurdly complicated, adding yet another component into the chain is the last thing that anyone needs right now.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

I can't find a use case in my house hold as of right now. I have AVRs in my den and living room so it handles the switching. The interface for the Control Center (looking at videos) looks rather inelegant as well so I'm a little dubious on that point as well. My Harmony can switch devices just fine and while I would appreciate a universal search, I get some of that via Tivo/Roku/AppleTV already.


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

smark said:


> I can't find a use case in my house hold as of right now. I have AVRs in my den and living room so it handles the switching. The interface for the Control Center (looking at videos) looks rather inelegant as well so I'm a little dubious on that point as well. My Harmony can switch devices just fine and while I would appreciate a universal search, I get some of that via Tivo/Roku/AppleTV already.


Since it cannot search & play DVR listings on Tivo, this will be a pass for now. Might revisit if they get that working. Or better yet, if Tivo would add the missing big "apps" like Showtime, STARZ, ESPN, etc. there would be no need for a device like this.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

JayMan747 said:


> Since it cannot search & play DVR listings on Tivo, this will be a pass for now. Might revisit if they get that working. Or better yet, if Tivo would add the missing big "apps" like Showtime, STARZ, ESPN, etc. there would be no need for a device like this.


They didn't get the TiVo stuff fixed for the new hardware?


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

JayMan747 said:


> Since it cannot search & play DVR listings on Tivo, this will be a pass for now. Might revisit if they get that working. Or better yet, if Tivo would add the missing big "apps" like Showtime, STARZ, ESPN, etc. there would be no need for a device like this.


What would the use case be in the first place? If you don't want to have a zillion remotes, get a universal remote. This is the most ridiculously over-complicated version of a universal remote I've ever seen!


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

Bigg said:


> What would the use case be in the first place? If you don't want to have a zillion remotes, get a universal remote. This is the most ridiculously over-complicated version of a universal remote I've ever seen!


I wouldn't say that if it could truly deep link *all* apps/sources available to you. Nothing else can do that at this moment so being able to do that would be great. And by all apps I also mean the ones like PopcornFlix or Pluto, etc.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

smark said:


> I wouldn't say that if it could truly deep link *all* apps/sources available to you. Nothing else can do that at this moment so being able to do that would be great. And by all apps I also mean the ones like PopcornFlix or Pluto, etc.


I'm not seeing the use case for that. You'd give up each app's native interface in order to get some sort of universal search that's still a total kludge.


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## miketx (Sep 22, 2005)

Like others, I don't get the usecase for Caavo. It would have to be "flawless" deep learning, with no hiccups, for me to even remotely consider it. I have trouble enough keeping my wife happy with a Harmony remote (which she hates) and my Tivo system. All it would take is one delay or hiccup by Caavo and it would be in the "good intentions but no Bueno" trashcan at my house. And it's too costly for that risk.


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## tommiet (Oct 28, 2005)

I give it 6-8 months and it will be gone.


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## Landroverman (Jan 16, 2012)

Just ordered the new Caavo Control Center

Very excited to set it up and use it...


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

Landroverman said:


> Just ordered the new Caavo Control Center
> 
> Very excited to set it up and use it...


Let us know your thoughts, and perhaps some screen shots or videos.
Good Luck!


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## Landroverman (Jan 16, 2012)

Will do

I mainly bought it so I can go completely hands free with Amazon Alexa...

Hopefully they will add deeplinking for TiVo My Shows Recordings...

They have really continued to add apps and more things throughout the year, was waiting for a 4K HDR version, stink it got lowered to only 4 HDMI ports but hopefully in the future they will make a 8 HDMI port version that supports 4K HDR...

Will post pictures of whatever is requested by the forum once I have it set up...


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

$60 plus free gift on there Black Friday sale. Right now on there site.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

I don't need one yet, but I like their development direction.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

JayMan747 said:


> Let us know your thoughts, and perhaps some screen shots or videos.
> Good Luck!





Landroverman said:


> Will do
> ..............
> Will post pictures of whatever is requested by the forum once I have it set up...


Hmmmm .... been over a month now. Is this an ominous silence?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

hulu and amazon watchlists have been broken the last 8 weeks on my caavo. tech support no use, they no longer have phone support either


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

Does anyone knowhow well Caavo Gen 2 (the "Control Center") integrates with Tivo? I believe it still relies on IR blasters, but does the search feature bring up the shows recorded on the Tivo? Is the limitation due to something on Caavo's part (e.g., something that they can solve with a software update) or on TiVo's part (unlikely to be solved)?


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## tommiet (Oct 28, 2005)

tommiet said:


> I give it 6-8 months and it will be gone.


Ok... So I was wrong.... it looks like it may have died in less than a month.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

tommiet said:


> Ok... So I was wrong.... it looks like it may have died in less than a month.


?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Rolow said:


> $60 plus free gift on there Black Friday sale. Right now on there site.


I see it's also $60 at bestbuy.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> hulu and amazon watchlists have been broken the last 8 weeks on my caavo. tech support no use, they no longer have phone support either


Please email me at [email protected] with your MAC ID (Settings> About) and contact info (email address used on the account and a phone number). I'll look into the issue for you.



SidKa said:


> Does anyone knowhow well Caavo Gen 2 (the "Control Center") integrates with Tivo? I believe it still relies on IR blasters, but does the search feature bring up the shows recorded on the Tivo? Is the limitation due to something on Caavo's part (e.g., something that they can solve with a software update) or on TiVo's part (unlikely to be solved)?


We are working with TiVo on the APIs that would allow us to collect recording lists from TiVo. At the moment we only perform IR control of TiVo devices but it should only be a matter of time for us to finish the API work.


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

TiVoJerry said:


> We are working with TiVo on the APIs that would allow us to collect recording lists from TiVo. At the moment we only perform IR control of TiVo devices but it should only be a matter of time for us to finish the API work.


Thank you, that's great to know! Any approximate timeframe as to when this might roll out? It's a pretty big feature for me and happy to sign on as a beta tester


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

SidKa said:


> Thank you, that's great to know! Any approximate timeframe as to when this might roll out? It's a pretty big feature for me and happy to sign on as a beta tester


I wouldn't feel comfortable quoting a timeline. Do feel free to sign up for beta at beta.caavo.com.


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## Myrtledog (Jul 10, 2017)

Bought a Caavo last week and set it up in the bedroom to see what all the fuss is about...

So far I’m really impressed with the direction this device is going even if it’s not quite there yet. 

One issue I’ve encountered when using it is that it is sometimes very slow to react to button presses. For example when watching tv via TiVo and I press pause it can take a few seconds to actually pause. Same thing when I then hit play. Of course when it doesn’t react I think it didn’t take the button press and I hit it again. 

Also - It can take a good deal of time to do simple things like change the channel etc.

Not sure if there’s something wrong in the way I’m set up or if it’s just slow. 

The remote itself feels a bit flimsy and cheap. Really needs to feel more substantial. Also needs backlighting. 

Over all a really promising start and I’m really excited to see where the Caavo team takes this.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> Please email me at [email protected] with your MAC ID (Settings> About) and contact info (email address used on the account and a phone number). I'll look into the issue for you.


thanks, I will get you that info tonight when I get home


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

aaronwt said:


> I see it's also $60 at bestbuy.


$50 today.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

Well that sucks


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

I can't believe anyone is actually going to buy this massive kludge.


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## Myrtledog (Jul 10, 2017)

Bigg said:


> I can't believe anyone is actually going to buy this massive kludge.


This "massive kludge" works pretty well...


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> Please email me at [email protected] with your MAC ID (Settings> About) and contact info (email address used on the account and a phone number). I'll look into the issue for you.


email sent, thanks for your help


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Myrtledog said:


> This "massive kludge" works pretty well...


And for what purpose? It's pointless. Get a universal remote. This thing is just a giant kludge that's asking for a whole bunch of problems when installed in an AV system.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Getting 4k HDR to work properly with an AVR, TV, and source can be tricky enough. Now add yet another box in the middle of the HDMI chain, and you're just asking for trouble. On the control side, anything using IR blasters is doomed to fail. For voice control, which is a gimmick in the first place, Caavo has commands coming from Google Home or Alexa and then going to Cavvo, and then IR blasting out to a box. What could go wrong there? How about just using the box's remote in the first place? This is super cool technology that is a solution in search of a problem. The solution that is going to crack the multi-service dilemma is something like Apple TV's TV app when they get Netflix on board and can interface with a networked OTA DVR, so that all the content is actually in one place, not cobbled together in a big kludge like Caavo.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

For those of you who are experts with your entertainment system and/or universal remote I can totally see why you might not appreciate the benefits. You've invested a lot of time and money building exactly what you want. It's a crowning achievement for many people to get their system working like a fine Swiss watch, but it can often take some adjustments and trial-and-error to find that perfect combination. For many households they, or even just the rest of the family, may find it easier to set up and use Caavo as the unifying hub (and potential marriage-saver). What works for you may not work for others....and for a variety of valid reasons. Many people find it overwhelming to cobble together a system that works for them. My wife happens to be an example of someone who doesn't want to know "how" the system works or "why"....she just wants it to work intuitively.

One recent feedback I've seen was from a family saving quite a bit of time and confusion explaining how to use the system to their babysitter. Another was in regards to how easy it was for grandparents to pick up the remote and easily watch what they wanted, when it was confusing for them beforehand. We created Caavo to solve a super complex problem - which stems from the fact that media devices and environments can be unique and there are no standards to control many of these devices. While we have a large set of happy customers, our goal is to continue to make the product as flawless as possible.

BTW as for TiVo integration, once we get the APIs to work via IP control we won't need to rely on IR. Keep in mind that many other devices use IP, BT, and CEC for control. IR is the last resort that covers the rest of the devices. But isn't that generally what any universal control device ends up having to use when all else fails?


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

Bigg said:


> And for what purpose? It's pointless. Get a universal remote. This thing is just a giant kludge that's asking for a whole bunch of problems when installed in an AV system.


You have a strong dislike for anything not used by you...


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

TiVoJerry said:


> For those of you who are experts with your entertainment system and/or universal remote I can totally see why you might not appreciate the benefits. You've invested a lot of time and money building exactly what you want. It's a crowning achievement for many people to get their system working like a fine Swiss watch, but it can often take some adjustments and trial-and-error to find that perfect combination. For many households they, or even just the rest of the family, may find it easier to set up and use Caavo as the unifying hub (and potential marriage-saver). What works for you may not work for others....and for a variety of valid reasons. Many people find it overwhelming to cobble together a system that works for them. My wife happens to be an example of someone who doesn't want to know "how" the system works or "why"....she just wants it to work intuitively.


And somehow Cavvo is supposed to be easy to set up and troubleshoot? Give me a break. This is an over-complicated kludge that is a solution in search of a problem. The one application I could possibly see is ultra high-end installations where an installer configured it, but even that is a stretch, and it would need to be available in a rackmount form factor with more connectivity options. This whole thing smells like an IP move to me, either to license to other companies, or get bought up, as it might actually make some semblance of sense if it were built into a TV that also had streaming built in, and the only thing it had to control through a kludge is a cable box, but even that market is rapidly disappearing, as cable is going the way of the dodo bird, so at that point, why not just build good software into the TV and skip all the other boxes altogether? Another application might be an AVR, especially if it also had Android TV and Chromecast built in along with BT and IP, so that it's not yet another box piled on top of all the other crap. Even then, however, it's still a kludge to "read" the screen that's being input to it and try to control it that way, and if Android TV and Chromecast were integrated into an AVR, there would be little purpose to connecting anything else to it anyway, as it could just BE the TV experience.



> One recent feedback I've seen was from a family saving quite a bit of time and confusion explaining how to use the system to their babysitter. Another was in regards to how easy it was for grandparents to pick up the remote and easily watch what they wanted, when it was confusing for them beforehand. We created Caavo to solve a super complex problem - which stems from the fact that media devices and environments can be unique and there are no standards to control many of these devices. While we have a large set of happy customers, our goal is to continue to make the product as flawless as possible.


It's not hard to use a universal remote to get the inputs lined up properly, which is the main problem that people are trying to solve today. Further, universal remotes or Caavo's remote is never going to be as good as the OEM remote, many of which are RF



> BTW as for TiVo integration, once we get the APIs to work via IP control we won't need to rely on IR. Keep in mind that many other devices use IP, BT, and CEC for control. IR is the last resort that covers the rest of the devices. But isn't that generally what any universal control device ends up having to use when all else fails?


Some devices, like some cable boxes, cannot be IP controlled. Universal remotes do use IR, but they are just replacing multiple IR or RF remotes with a single IR remote, not adding yet another box to the equation with another stop in the HDMI chain and IR blasters, which are the true sign of a complete kludge. The higher end Logitech Harmony models do have a base station and IR blasters, and they are somewhat of a kludge too. Introducing yet another device into the HDMI chain between the source devices and the AVR also makes my skin crawl, as getting two links in the chain to work is difficult enough already, now we're looking at 3 with 4K/HDR, which just sounds like a nightmare. On top of that, Caavo only has four inputs, which is not going to be enough for many more complex setups, so then where are all the other devices going to go? They're either not going to be controlled by Caavo at all, partially defeating the purpose of it, or it's going to have to control an HDMI switch connected to one of it's inputs, which is even more terrifying to get 4 links in the HDMI chain to get screwed up.


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## Myrtledog (Jul 10, 2017)

Bigg said:


> And somehow Cavvo is supposed to be easy to set up and troubleshoot? Give me a break. This is an over-complicated kludge that is a solution in search of a problem. The one application I could possibly see is ultra high-end installations where an installer configured it, but even that is a stretch, and it would need to be available in a rackmount form factor with more connectivity options. This whole thing smells like an IP move to me, either to license to other companies, or get bought up, as it might actually make some semblance of sense if it were built into a TV that also had streaming built in, and the only thing it had to control through a kludge is a cable box, but even that market is rapidly disappearing, as cable is going the way of the dodo bird, so at that point, why not just build good software into the TV and skip all the other boxes altogether? Another application might be an AVR, especially if it also had Android TV and Chromecast built in along with BT and IP, so that it's not yet another box piled on top of all the other crap. Even then, however, it's still a kludge to "read" the screen that's being input to it and try to control it that way, and if Android TV and Chromecast were integrated into an AVR, there would be little purpose to connecting anything else to it anyway, as it could just BE the TV experience.
> 
> It's not hard to use a universal remote to get the inputs lined up properly, which is the main problem that people are trying to solve today. Further, universal remotes or Caavo's remote is never going to be as good as the OEM remote, many of which are RF
> 
> Some devices, like some cable boxes, cannot be IP controlled. Universal remotes do use IR, but they are just replacing multiple IR or RF remotes with a single IR remote, not adding yet another box to the equation with another stop in the HDMI chain and IR blasters, which are the true sign of a complete kludge. The higher end Logitech Harmony models do have a base station and IR blasters, and they are somewhat of a kludge too. Introducing yet another device into the HDMI chain between the source devices and the AVR also makes my skin crawl, as getting two links in the chain to work is difficult enough already, now we're looking at 3 with 4K/HDR, which just sounds like a nightmare. On top of that, Caavo only has four inputs, which is not going to be enough for many more complex setups, so then where are all the other devices going to go? They're either not going to be controlled by Caavo at all, partially defeating the purpose of it, or it's going to have to control an HDMI switch connected to one of it's inputs, which is even more terrifying to get 4 links in the HDMI chain to get screwed up.


So Bigg...You gonna' buy one?


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

Bigg said:


> And somehow Cavvo is supposed to be easy to set up and troubleshoot? Give me a break. This is an over-complicated kludge that is a solution in search of a problem. The one application I could possibly see is ultra high-end installations where an installer configured it, but even that is a stretch, and it would need to be available in a rackmount form factor with more connectivity options. This whole thing smells like an IP move to me, either to license to other companies, or get bought up, as it might actually make some semblance of sense if it were built into a TV that also had streaming built in, and the only thing it had to control through a kludge is a cable box, but even that market is rapidly disappearing, as cable is going the way of the dodo bird, so at that point, why not just build good software into the TV and skip all the other boxes altogether? Another application might be an AVR, especially if it also had Android TV and Chromecast built in along with BT and IP, so that it's not yet another box piled on top of all the other crap. Even then, however, it's still a kludge to "read" the screen that's being input to it and try to control it that way, and if Android TV and Chromecast were integrated into an AVR, there would be little purpose to connecting anything else to it anyway, as it could just BE the TV experience.
> 
> It's not hard to use a universal remote to get the inputs lined up properly, which is the main problem that people are trying to solve today. Further, universal remotes or Caavo's remote is never going to be as good as the OEM remote, many of which are RF
> 
> Some devices, like some cable boxes, cannot be IP controlled. Universal remotes do use IR, but they are just replacing multiple IR or RF remotes with a single IR remote, not adding yet another box to the equation with another stop in the HDMI chain and IR blasters, which are the true sign of a complete kludge. The higher end Logitech Harmony models do have a base station and IR blasters, and they are somewhat of a kludge too. Introducing yet another device into the HDMI chain between the source devices and the AVR also makes my skin crawl, as getting two links in the chain to work is difficult enough already, now we're looking at 3 with 4K/HDR, which just sounds like a nightmare. On top of that, Caavo only has four inputs, which is not going to be enough for many more complex setups, so then where are all the other devices going to go? They're either not going to be controlled by Caavo at all, partially defeating the purpose of it, or it's going to have to control an HDMI switch connected to one of it's inputs, which is even more terrifying to get 4 links in the HDMI chain to get screwed up.


Strongly worded letter to follow.


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

TiVoJerry said:


> BTW as for TiVo integration, once we get the APIs to work via IP control we won't need to rely on IR. Keep in mind that many other devices use IP, BT, and CEC for control. IR is the last resort that covers the rest of the devices. But isn't that generally what any universal control device ends up having to use when all else fails?


Is there any time frame for this? 
I bought a Caavo on Black Friday, and plan to install during the Holiday break, and am very interested in this feature.
Will it display what is currently on [LIVE] as well as TiVo-ed programs?


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

I won't be comfortable stating an ETA until I'm very certain about hitting. I know that setting a timeline, no matter how vague or with as many qualifiers as I can provide, can bite me in the butt if it isn't hit for ANY reason. We definitely see a volume of requests for this functionality and are working on it as quickly as we can. Once it passes beta assessment, we will want to push it out to the general public very quickly. IF all goes well in that regard, the time in beta would not be very long.

Currently if you run a search for a program it will display search results starting with "LiveTV", followed by "Atreaming" and then "Upcoming on Live TV". This is the same behavior for any cable/sat STB, regardless of DVR capability or not.


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## LlamaLarry (Apr 30, 2003)

REDACTED


Spoiler



I'm not in any Control Center or Caavo betas, but wouldn't mind it


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Myrtledog said:


> So Bigg...You gonna' buy one?


Yeah right lol. This is something I would avoid at all costs.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

Bigg said:


> Yeah right lol. This is something I would avoid at all costs.


So you're returning yours?

Because obviously, if you didn't own one, it would be very strange to post 1,000 word diatribes about the product.

-smak-


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

Wanted to share that I've been testing Caavo for a couple of days now, and my initial impressions are VERY, VERY, positive. I would highly recommend anyone on the fence to give it a try.

As context, my primary media platforms are Tivo and Nvidia Shield, and my setup also includes gaming platforms and an AVR. I was using a Harmony remote to manage everything before Caavo, and it compares very favorably so far:

Setup was much easier than the Harmony, with everything visual/on screen. Caavo did a great job auto-detecting almost all my equipment, save the TV (where I was presented a menu on screen to choose from). It also automatically cycles through control options (CEC, IP and then IR, I think) and I didn't have to do any button training, etc. There are a couple of times I have to navigate away (once to download an app on the Shield, and another time to pick apps on a web browser) but this felt very easy
Using it generally has been a MUCH more enjoyable experience than the Harmony. The on-screen display / visual overlay, combine with the multi platform voice search on the remote makes things incredibly seamless. As an example, I much prefer the Shield's Netflix app over the Tivo's and it automatically starts off the specific show I'm looking for (not just navigating to the app) on the Shield with a simple voice search - could never have done that before!
It's presumably controlling the Tivo through IR, but there's little to no lagginess that I observe (at least, so far). In fact, it feels slightly *faster* than the Harmony remote at controlling the Tivo. Control of my other devices seems very easy too
There are real limitations with the Tivo management so far. Most obviously, as noted in prior postings, the Caavo is not able to retrieve the list of Tivo recordings in search results - this is a big deal for me, since I almost always watch recordings only, not live TV any more. But if it's genuinely a matter of time to program the software to benefit from the Tivo's APIs and not a hardware limitation, I'm ready to wait a little bit. There are also other, general improvements I can already think of (probably best to be shared with the Caavo team directly).


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

smak said:


> Because obviously, if you didn't own one, it would be very strange to post 1,000 word diatribes about the product.


I do not own one, and I have no interest in such a pointless kludge. I am going to try a Logitech Harmony 650 that I got on clearance at Wal-Mart for $20 for input alignments, and AVR and UHD-BD control, but I'll probably keep the Roku and especially TiVo OEM remotes, as they are really, really good remotes that offer an experience that cannot be replicated by universal remotes.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

smak said:


> So you're returning yours?
> 
> Because obviously, if you didn't own one, it would be very strange to post 1,000 word diatribes about the product.
> 
> -smak-


If you notice, he doesn't venture out of this forum so my assumption is that he's just around to troll.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

smark said:


> If you notice, he doesn't venture out of this forum so my assumption is that he's just around to troll.


WRONG. You obviously didn't bother to look at my post history.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

smark said:


> If you notice, he doesn't venture out of this forum so my assumption is that he's just around to troll.


IMHO, that's unfair. Posting considered opinions ≠ trolling, automatically.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

Mikeguy said:


> IMHO, that's unfair. Posting considered opinions ≠ trolling, automatically.


I could review the new Spider-Man movie, and I could call it my considered opinion, but it would be strange to do so, and post about it 5 times, because I haven't seen it.

-smak-


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I'm kicking myself for not getting in on the sale. The more I hear about this the more I want it.


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

SidKa said:


> Wanted to share that I've been testing Caavo for a couple of days now, and my initial impressions are VERY, VERY, positive. I would highly recommend anyone on the fence to give it a try.
> 
> As context, my primary media platforms are Tivo and Nvidia Shield, and my setup also includes gaming platforms and an AVR. I was using a Harmony remote to manage everything before Caavo, and it compares very favorably so far:
> 
> ...


My impressions reflect yours. I picked one up on the Black Friday sale, and am so far impressed. I think it has so much potential.

There are certainly improvements I'd like to see, like real episode tracking to automatically take me to the next episode of what I want to watch (something like Plex's 'On Deck' feature). And the remote itself DESPERATELY needs a backlight. But my impressions are overall positive.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

David Platt said:


> My impressions reflect yours. I picked one up on the Black Friday sale, and am so far impressed. I think it has so much potential.
> 
> There are certainly improvements I'd like to see, like real episode tracking to automatically take me to the next episode of what I want to watch (something like Plex's 'On Deck' feature). And the remote itself DESPERATELY needs a backlight. But my impressions are overall positive.


I could see them having an expander to add more HDMI ports in the future. Having a lot of these in people's hands will pave the way for future improvement, having the price being lower than the original Caavo is a good thing.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

It's back to $69.99 on Caavo's site.

So tempted.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

PJO1966 said:


> It's back to $69.99 on Caavo's site.
> 
> So tempted.


You know you want it. And all the cool cats have it. And it's the holidays.


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

I'm tempted by it, but my TV is running Roku and I don't know whether or not Caavo would control the Roku aspects of the TV.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

smak said:


> I could review the new Spider-Man movie, and I could call it my considered opinion, but it would be strange to do so, and post about it 5 times, because I haven't seen it.
> 
> -smak-


You don't need a hands-on with this thing to realize that it's a terrible idea that's answering a question no one asked, as well as introducing more points of failure/problems into your HT setup.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

And yet we have actual owners saying the opposite. So what exactly are you offering in this debate vs them?


-smak-


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> You know you want it. And all the cool cats have it. And it's the holidays.


Missed it again.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

smak said:


> And yet we have actual owners saying the opposite. So what exactly are you offering in this debate vs them?


What what problem is it solving?  None.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Bigg said:


> What what problem is it solving?  None.


I'll tell you what problem it is solving. The problem of peace in the house. Unfortunately Tivo's cannot control all devices. Caavo's can. Installed mine this past week. Easy as pie to set up. Paid $100 including lifetime support. Caavo does most of the work, you just follow along with the questions and it configures itself to run all your devices. Now my wife no-longer gets mad because she can't find the Roku remote. She is much happier and you know the saying "Happy wife, happy life". I am very satisfied with my purchase. If Tivo's apps performed the way the Roku apps do all I would need is the Tivo. But it doesn't and probably never will. Oh, if you are worried about the "commercial skip" button Caavo does automatically assign a button for that. The remote is really cool on how it works. It displays what the button does on the bottom right of the screen just by putting your finger on a button (without pressing). Most buttons have dual function (short press/long press) and a few are assignable by the user. Just a well thought out machine. Don't poo poo something you haven't used.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

PJO1966 said:


> Missed it again.


Back to 69.95 at Best Buy



dadrepus said:


> I'll tell you what problem it is solving. The problem of peace in the house. Unfortunately Tivo's cannot control all devices. Caavo's can. Installed mine this past week. Easy as pie to set up. Paid $100 including lifetime support. Caavo does most of the work, you just follow along with the questions and it configures itself to run all your devices. Now my wife no-longer gets mad because she can't find the Roku remote. She is much happier and you know the saying "Happy wife, happy life". I am very satisfied with my purchase. If Tivo's apps performed the way the Roku apps do all I would need is the Tivo. But it doesn't and probably never will. Oh, if you are worried about the "commercial skip" button Caavo does automatically assign a button for that. The remote is really cool on how it works. It displays what the button does on the bottom right of the screen just by putting your finger on a button (without pressing). Most buttons have dual function (short press/long press) and a few are assignable by the user. Just a well thought out machine. Don't poo poo something you haven't used.


What button did assign to commercial skip?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Purchased.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Rolow said:


> What button did assign to commercial skip?


There is a button that looks like a "house", long push gives you commercial skip. It is to the right of guide button.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

PJO1966 said:


> Purchased.


You're one of the cool crowd now. 

Congrats, and enjoy it (and let us know if the rest of us should join you).


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

dadrepus said:


> There is a button that looks like a "house", long push gives you commercial skip. It is to the right of guide button.


That doesn't do anything if I hold it down.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I've only tried to watch one thing, but the image is much darker than usual.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

PJO1966 said:


> That doesn't do anything if I hold it down.


Your right I was wrong it is the fast forward button that you hold down. Sorry. I don't see any difference in image quality.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

Long press the fast forward gives me the 30 second skip
Channel up while watching a recording with skip available does work to slip the whole commercial break. 
Long press of the rewind button gives you replay. I wish I could program replay to a single press button but I can’t figure it out.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

dadrepus said:


> There is a button that looks like a "house", long push gives you commercial skip. It is to the right of guide button.


It's actually long press of the Pg Up Button. TiVo's skip function is enabled with the D or Chan Up. From what I can tell, TE4 doesn't display the "Chan Up" note any longer (TE3 still does).


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## TiVotion (Dec 6, 2002)

I kinda want one of these but I have a logistical question.

Currently I have a TiVo, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Apple TV, and Roku. My receiver is an old one that doesn't have HDMI, so I use optical into it. The TiVo runs into the Xbox, and the Xbox runs out to the TV. My TV has 4 HDMI inputs, so that's how I get around having 5 HDMI devices and only 4 HDMI TV inputs.

With the Caavo, would I still be able to leave the TiVo and XB1 chained together like that, or would I lose functionality? Otherwise, if I have 5 devices and 4 inputs on the Caavo, seems like I'd need to lose 1 device.


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## Harsha (Feb 26, 2018)

I have a similar setup. I have my TiVo connected to XBox and XBox connected to Caavo. Caavo can either control XBox or Tivo(with some extra setup) but not both at the same time. Harmony can do this as we can assign any device to any button on the remote. When they are connected individually there is no problem at all.

I spoke to Caavo support and they told me there is no way of controlling a device which is connected to hdmi in of another device. They gave me some instruction to let Xbox identify as Tivo and control Tivo and not Xbox. Personally I haven’t tried that yet.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

TiVotion said:


> I kinda want one of these but I have a logistical question.
> 
> Currently I have a TiVo, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Apple TV, and Roku. My receiver is an old one that doesn't have HDMI, so I use optical into it. The TiVo runs into the Xbox, and the Xbox runs out to the TV. My TV has 4 HDMI inputs, so that's how I get around having 5 HDMI devices and only 4 HDMI TV inputs.
> 
> With the Caavo, would I still be able to leave the TiVo and XB1 chained together like that, or would I lose functionality? Otherwise, if I have 5 devices and 4 inputs on the Caavo, seems like I'd need to lose 1 device.


It's not ideal but youcould plug your 4 most used devices in to Caavo then go old school and plug one into the tv.

You run optical out of the tv and into your reciver?


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

dadrepus said:


> There is a button that looks like a "house", long push gives you commercial skip. It is to the right of guide button.


 Yes, that works - but so does the "channel up" button, which does commercial skip on a "short push".

I actually have the Tivo IFTTT applet set up which automatically does commercial skipping for me.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

TiVotion, Harsha is correct in that we only identify one device per input. You can manually configure it to be the device of your choice, most likely TiVo (most game controllers are a better option when playing than using a universal remote).

It is easier to just hook up TiVo during setup and then connect Xbox inline later.


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

David Platt said:


> ... I'd like to see, like real episode tracking to automatically take me to the next episode of what I want to watch ...


This would be great on something like HBO-GO, as it [HBOGO] does NOT track where you are in a series.


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

toricred said:


> I'm tempted by it, but my TV is running Roku and I don't know whether or not Caavo would control the Roku aspects of the TV.





JayMan747 said:


> This would be great on something like HBO-GO, as it [HBOGO] does NOT track where you are in a series.


Yes, great idea. This could also be extended to show the place you last watched for search results. For example, searching for "The Walking Dead" could highlight season 2, episode 7 amidst all other episodes, if I just finished episode 6 the previous time


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## TiVotion (Dec 6, 2002)

Thanks for the feedback all. I ordered one. I think I'm just going to connect 4 devices to the Caavo and connect the 5th (PS4) to the TV directly. I really don't use the PS4 all that much, not at the moment anyway. So I'll at least have the main devices responsible for TV content (TiVo, Roku, Apple TV) running through Caavo, and that's what matters most to me.


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## NYHeel (Oct 7, 2003)

Bigg said:


> You don't need a hands-on with this thing to realize that it's a terrible idea that's answering a question no one asked, as well as introducing more points of failure/problems into your HT setup.


This thing doesn't seem too terrible when you think of it as a universal remote and compare it to a Harmony. My issue with this thing is that I don't like minimalist remotes. The remote needs more buttons. It needs a keypad and it needs specific 30 second skip and 8 second rewind buttons. I hate short and long presses. I use those two buttons all the time when watching sports. I don't want to mess around with short and long presses.

On the other hand it looks like it can do some pretty cool things. You can just ask it to play a specific movie and it will bring it up on Vudu and play it. That's better than switching to the AppleTV (or just leaving it on the TiVo and opening the Vudu app), opening the Vudu app, going to my movies, and then finding the movie you want. The same goes for TV shows on Netflix. My one question is does this thing have separate user profiles? If not, how does it know which episode I'm up to vs. which one my kid is up to?

If the remote wasn't so terrible I might strongly consider getting one of these at $70, once real TiVo support was added. But not with the remote this useless. 95%+ of my TV watching is on the TiVo (either DVR or one of the built in apps) and I'd rather just use the excellent TiVo remote. In my opinion, the TiVo slide (the one with RF) remote is the best remote ever created. I wish someone would make an identical remote that was universal.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

NYHeel said:


> . . . and I'd rather just use the excellent TiVo remote. In my opinion, the TiVo slide (the one with RF) remote is the best remote ever created. I wish someone would make an identical remote that was universal.


This +1000.

I've said for a long time, TiVo should add some further user-programmable keys to the Slide Pro remote (there's ample room at the bottom for an arced row of buttons, mirroring the A-B-C-D row above) to increase its functionality with other devices. And a VOX button should be added (perhaps with an option to program it for other purposes or to shut it off, to prevent TE4 from being inadvertently triggered on a TE3 box).


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

NYHeel said:


> This thing doesn't seem too terrible when you think of it as a universal remote and compare it to a Harmony. My issue with this thing is that I don't like minimalist remotes. The remote needs more buttons. It needs a keypad and it needs specific 30 second skip and 8 second rewind buttons. I hate short and long presses. I use those two buttons all the time when watching sports. I don't want to mess around with short and long presses.


There is a setting (Ring Gestures) that allows you to swipe the Directional pad left or right 120 degrees to accomplish a RWD/Replay or FF/Skip based on your preference. This then sets the RWD/FF buttons to perform the other functionality.

You can still bring up a keypad separately if you don't wish to issue a verbal channel change.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I'm taking the Caavo through some paces today. I'm noticing a definite lag between button presses and the desired action. When using the TiVo I hit the "up arrow" button to skip. It takes a good 2-3 seconds before the skip happens. Also, when I was on the TiVo I hit the Caavo microphone and told it to start Plex, which is on the Apple TV. It got suck thinking about it. If I use the mic to just switch devices, it's quicker to select the device manually.

It's taking some getting used to the remote, but I'll get there. The device is still the best way to keep HDMI-CEC to switch inputs without me requesting it.


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

NYHeel said:


> ... My issue with this thing is that I don't like minimalist remotes. The remote needs more buttons. It needs a keypad and it needs specific 30 second skip and 8 second rewind buttons. I hate short and long presses. I use those two buttons all the time when watching sports. I don't want to mess around with short and long presses...


Is it possible to reverse these?
<< short press = replay; long press = RR
>> short press = 30 second skip; long press = FF

I find I use replay & skip way more than RR & FF.

I think TivoJerry answered this. Thanks!


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

dadrepus said:


> I'll tell you what problem it is solving. The problem of peace in the house. Unfortunately Tivo's cannot control all devices. Caavo's can.


So can a <$50 universal remote if people are really that averse to spending 10 seconds grabbing 2 or three remotes and changing inputs to get the system up and running to the source that they want. The universal remotes can be used to actually control the TiVo, or they can just do the power on and input changing sequences and then you can use the superior OEM remote.



> Installed mine this past week. Easy as pie to set up. Paid $100 including lifetime support. Caavo does most of the work, you just follow along with the questions and it configures itself to run all your devices. Now my wife no-longer gets mad because she can't find the Roku remote.


If she or other people in your household are losing remotes, then they'll just lose the Caavo remote. That doesn't solve anything except introduce yet ANOTHER remote to lose. With a universal remote, you can use it as the remote (IR), or the Roku's own remote (RF).



> She is much happier and you know the saying "Happy wife, happy life". I am very satisfied with my purchase. If Tivo's apps performed the way the Roku apps do all I would need is the Tivo. But it doesn't and probably never will. Oh, if you are worried about the "commercial skip" button Caavo does automatically assign a button for that. The remote is really cool on how it works. It displays what the button does on the bottom right of the screen just by putting your finger on a button (without pressing). Most buttons have dual function (short press/long press) and a few are assignable by the user. Just a well thought out machine. Don't poo poo something you haven't used.


Caavo's remote is a piece of crap. Even Logitech Harmony remotes are better. Of course nothing will ever touch the Peanut. The Peanut is awesome since you don't need to look at it, you don't need prompts about how to use it, it's 100% user-intuitive, and you can use it entirely by touch, and very quickly as that. There's no need to re-invent the wheel when the wheel already works. Caavo is an absurdly complex device that is a solution for a problem no one ever had in the first place, or has been solved already by universal remotes.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

The thought of plugging all your stuff into a magical box and having all of it work together without you programming anything has a certain appeal. Many folks are also either averse to doing any remote programming at all, or are unaware of what universal remotes can do, or that they exist at all.

So yes, you (Mr. Bigg) and I are perfectly content with universal remotes and would never even consider something like Caavo. But it does appeal to some segment of the market for whatever reason. And given that it was recently on sale for $59 makes it pretty competitive with a lot of universal remotes. As a JP1 guy, $59 is more than double what I've paid for any remote in my life. But your average Harmony user would consider it a bargain.

I also have to disagree about the perfect peanut. It still has lots of tiny buttons that are exactly alike. The fact that a DVR remote has no Stop button has always been a real head scratcher to me. In my collection of about 100 universal remotes, I'd consider a lot of them much better designed than the peanut.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

mdavej said:


> I also have to disagree about the perfect peanut. It still has lots of tiny buttons that are exactly alike. The fact that a DVR remote has no Stop button has always been a real head scratcher to me. In my collection of about 100 universal remotes, I'd consider a lot of them much better designed than the peanut.


Really, for sight-unseen operation? Which universal remote would you recommend, in that regard?


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

Stop is go to live tv, always has been.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tenthplanet said:


> Stop is go to live tv, always has been.


You need to qualify that. Before the Video Window was added to menus, stop has always been selecting any action which takes you away from viewing the current show. For us that was always the TiVo button but could have been Live TV or Back (also Left for TE3). Personally I would have considered having a Stop button as a little redundant as I assume the action after Stop would be to put you back at the show menu which Back does.

The introduction of the Video Window did change that original model though so for those that have that feature turned on a Stop button might make more sense but for those with the Video Window off all of the original actions stop/pause the show.

Scott


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Exactly. No Stop means you’re always watching something, like it or not. What if I just want a moment’s peace to browse my recordings without disabling the video window. I have to mute or pause live tv? I actually used Stop from an old TiVo remote for years until they killed it once and for all in Hydra. Netflix never gives you a moment’s peace either and it’s annoying as hell. 

As for good remote ergos, she ain’t pretty, but you can’t beat the old Atlas 1056. All the buttons are nicely grouped and different shapes. Even the colored buttons each have a unique shape - triangle, square, circle, diamond. And it’s one heck of a universal if you load the extender program. I have a backlit version in every room. I think I paid $5 a piece for them years ago.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

mdavej said:


> Exactly. No Stop means you're always watching something, like it or not. What if I just want a moment's peace to browse my recordings without disabling the video window. I have to mute or pause live tv? I actually used Stop from an old TiVo remote for years until they killed it once and for all in Hydra. Netflix never gives you a moment's peace either and it's annoying as hell.


Personally, I don't see a big difference between stop and pause--if I want some quiet, I just pause the playing show (or eliminate the p-in-p window, if I'm at TiVo Central). I'm not even sure what would show if you press stop. But perhaps I'm missing a use somewhere.


> As for good remote ergos, she ain't pretty, but you can't beat the old Atlas 1056. All the buttons are nicely grouped and different shapes. Even the colored buttons each have a unique shape - triangle, square, circle, diamond. And it's one heck of a universal if you load the extender program. I have a backlit version in every room. I think I paid $5 a piece for them years ago.


Thanks. Will have to locate and read through the manual. I like the TiVo peanut remote and find it great for my general use, but if I need to do something on my TV, such as set the sleep timer or go into the settings, I need to reach for that separate remote; likewise, using my Blu-ray player. I've long wished that the TiVo Slide Pro remote had more universal remote capability and think that TiVo is losing a market there.

By the way. what is the Atlas 1056 extender program/where can it or a description be found? (You may have mentioned it long ago, but my neurons aren't firing.)


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tenthplanet said:


> Stop is go to live tv, always has been.


Kill me.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Mikeguy said:


> Personally, I don't see a big difference between stop and pause--if I want some quiet, I just pause the playing show (or eliminate the p-in-p window, if I'm at TiVo Central). I'm not even sure what would show if you press stop. But perhaps I'm missing a use somewhere.


Ideally NOTHING would show after Stop. Pause implies you intend to resume at some point. If I'm done watching for good, I'd prefer to press Stop then get prompted to delete. But that ship sailed a long, long time ago. I was mainly just presenting my ideal remote design compared to Tivo's design. I didn't mean to beat this dead horse again. I know all the work-arounds and know Stop will never exist on a Tivo remote. My Tivo days are numbered anyway since I switched to Recast.



> By the way. what is the Atlas 1056 extender program/where can it or a description be found? (You may have mentioned it long ago, but my neurons aren't firing.)


Extender: JP1 Remotes :: File Section
Follow the Guide link on that page for more info. You must join the group to download files. You'll also need a JP1 cable and Remote Master software to load the extender and configure it. If you're shopping for one, search "atlas remote cable" or you'll end up with a bunch of model train parts in your results. If you see a model called Sunflower, it might have backlighting and learning, but it's hard to tell for sure.

Man, do I know how to derail a thread or what?

Let's talk about Caavo instead ...

Looks like the $50 and $60 deals are dead. But they're still only $70 most places at the moment:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/caavo-...universal-remote-with-voice-control/6302877.p


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## convergent (Jan 4, 2007)

After watching a few reviews and reading the comments here, I'm thinking of getting one of these to give a try. I'm not currently using a Tivo, but may be depending on my experience with Spectrum over the next few weeks. I have used Harmony remotes for years and currently have a Harmony Elite/Hub. My devices consist of Roku, Chromecast, BluRay Player, and AT&T Uverse DVR (moving to Spectrum next week when we move). 

The Harmony works OK, but it frequently messes up because it claims to have lost its WiFi connection, even though its sitting about 10' from a Netgear Orbi. This is a frustration because when it does this you have to wait. I've had some success moving it around. My understanding from others with this problem is that it is getting hung up switching back and forth between the bands. Why they've not been able to fix this is mind boggling. No other Wifi equipment I use has this problem, and its an expensive device to have persistent problems. Fixes involve putting it on an dedicated Wifi network that only has one band, but that is kind of silly. It also gets confused if you have to use another remote, and you have to go through the help routine. And finally, configuration is a bit of a chore. From what I am reading about Caavo, it deals with all of this better, and is much less expensive. If it gets everything into the proper state the way a Harmony does, then seems like a good option. The whole unified search is just icing on the cake.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

convergent said:


> After watching a few reviews and reading the comments here, I'm thinking of getting one of these to give a try. I'm not currently using a Tivo, but may be depending on my experience with Spectrum over the next few weeks. I have used Harmony remotes for years and currently have a Harmony Elite/Hub. My devices consist of Roku, Chromecast, BluRay Player, and AT&T Uverse DVR (moving to Spectrum next week when we move).
> 
> The Harmony works OK, but it frequently messes up because it claims to have lost its WiFi connection, even though its sitting about 10' from a Netgear Orbi. This is a frustration because when it does this you have to wait. I've had some success moving it around. My understanding from others with this problem is that it is getting hung up switching back and forth between the bands. Why they've not been able to fix this is mind boggling. No other Wifi equipment I use has this problem, and its an expensive device to have persistent problems. Fixes involve putting it on an dedicated Wifi network that only has one band, but that is kind of silly. It also gets confused if you have to use another remote, and you have to go through the help routine. And finally, configuration is a bit of a chore. From what I am reading about Caavo, it deals with all of this better, and is much less expensive. If it gets everything into the proper state the way a Harmony does, then seems like a good option. The whole unified search is just icing on the cake.


Maybe it has something to do with your wifi network? I have two harmony remotes and two Harmony Hubs. In use with my two UHD setups. I am not having any lost wifi issues with my Harmony Hubs.

For me the Caavo would not work. But then I also have more devices than Harmony can handle as well. Their limit is only fifteen devices. So for me, the Caavo wouldn't work with the way it's designed. But for a limited setup, it seems like it would work great for someone adverse to universal remotes.


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## TiVotion (Dec 6, 2002)

I’ve had my Caavo Control Center for a day. I’m still learning it, but my initial assessment is thumbs up. 

I have a Harmony hub. I have an Xbox. I have Amazon Echos. So I’m used to using voice commands. My fear was that with the Caavo the voice controls I’m used to would suffer. They haven’t. I can do everything via voice I could do before, and the search for content by voice is a bonus. 

Setup wasn’t complicated. In fact I’m impressed at how Caavo identified my four devices and set them up perfectly. The only thing remotely close to a stumble was when Caavo was waiting for the Apple companion app on my Apple TV. But I quickly realized what the issue was there and I resolved it. I think even a novice user wouldn’t have an issue getting everything connected. The hardest thing I had to deal with was going behind my TV to unplug the HDMI cables. The only suggestion I’d offer is to consider adding a fifth or sixth HDMI port. I know that the original 8 port model was probably too much and 4 is supposed to be the sweet spot, but like in my case, I actually have 5 devices (two game consoles is my downfall). Then again I’m sure research went into this and those cost/need factors were considered in the design, so I could be off base on that entirely. 

I tend to like dedicated remotes with lots of buttons too, but I can also appreciate that Caavo went with a streamlined remote that provides as much functionality with as few buttons as possible. Personally, I think the remote is fine for what I want to do. And again I can do a lot by voice.

Anyway, I have to say that IMO this is a pretty good effort on Caavo’s part to make content easier to find, at an affordable price. I was impressed enough after set up to go ahead and buy lifetime service for it.


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

I just got one of these and overall I’m fairly pleased. The main gripe I have is that it doesn’t replicate the long press volume up/down for my Yamaha AVR. On the AVR remote (and on the Harmony), long pressing (or holding) the volume buttons will quickly raise/lower the volume. When you hold the volume buttons on the Caavo remote, it will send the repeated commands but just raise or lower in 0.5 dB increments somewhat slowly. 

I haven’t found a way to change any of that in the settings. 

Not the end of the world, but can be a little cumbersome if you want to quickly raise/lower the volume.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

PJO1966 said:


> I'm taking the Caavo through some paces today. I'm noticing a definite lag between button presses and the desired action. When using the TiVo I hit the "up arrow" button to skip. It takes a good 2-3 seconds before the skip happens.





swyman18 said:


> I just got one of these and overall I'm fairly pleased. The main gripe I have is that it doesn't replicate the long press volume up/down for my Yamaha AVR. On the AVR remote (and on the Harmony), long pressing (or holding) the volume buttons will quickly raise/lower the volume. When you hold the volume buttons on the Caavo remote, it will send the repeated commands but just raise or lower in 0.5 dB increments somewhat slowly.


We've seen some IR lags for certain devices and are actually in the middle of testing an improvement that seems to speed things up considerably.



JayMan747 said:


> Is it possible to reverse these?
> << short press = replay; long press = RR
> >> short press = 30 second skip; long press = FF
> I find I use replay & skip way more than RR & FF.
> I think TivoJerry answered this. Thanks!


Go to Settings> Devices> TiVo> Control Settings> Ring Gestures.


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## convergent (Jan 4, 2007)

aaronwt said:


> Maybe it has something to do with your wifi network? I have two harmony remotes and two Harmony Hubs. In use with my two UHD setups. I am not having any lost wifi issues with my Harmony Hubs.


I use a Netgear Orbi setup for Wifi which is rock solid and I don't think that is the issue. From searching on google, and on Reddit, I've found that many people experience these random Wifi connection issues with their Elite/Hub setup and the only solution was to put it on a separate Wifi access point that didn't have multiple bands as an option.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

convergent said:


> I use a Netgear Orbi setup for Wifi which is rock solid and I don't think that is the issue. From searching on google, and on Reddit, I've found that many people experience these random Wifi connection issues with their Elite/Hub setup and the only solution was to put it on a separate Wifi access point that didn't have multiple bands as an option.


Mine connects to an AP that uses 5Ghz AC and 2.4Ghz N. I have five SSIDs on that one AP. And I use four other APs in my condo.


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

TiVoJerry said:


> We've seen some IR lags for certain devices and are actually in the middle of testing an improvement that seems to speed things up considerably.


Thanks for the reply... for my Yamaha AVR, I don't really see any lag during a single volume button press. It's just when you hold the button it doesn't quickly lower/raise like the original remote does. Not sure if that is something unique to the original remote.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing how things progress down the road. Thanks!


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## convergent (Jan 4, 2007)

aaronwt said:


> Mine connects to an AP that uses 5Ghz AC and 2.4Ghz N. I have five SSIDs on that one AP. And I use four other APs in my condo.


Well either you are getting lucky with the placement, or maybe its a hardware problem that doesn't effect all of them. Either way, I've seen lots of people report the issue I have. Its not a show stopper, just annoying because it seems to do it when most inconvenient. I've moved it around on the shelf gotten it to do it less. Very strange because its open air about 10' to the Orbi that serves the whole floor and even outside near the house, without issue on my phone.


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## philhu (Apr 11, 2001)

hi I currently use 3 tivos, and a roku, ps3 
i built my system using an hdmi 8x4 switcher, so any device can be put on any tv

So, how does this handle 2 tv's? Each device, like tivo, only has 1 hdmi port. Sp how do you get the output on a 2nd tv?

on my setup, i can even pause a tivo, go to another tv, select same device, and push play

So, does this have a second hdmi output?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Has anyone added a Chromecast Ultra to their Caavo? I'm wondering if it still powers everything up when you send a Cast.


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## convergent (Jan 4, 2007)

philhu said:


> hi I currently use 3 tivos, and a roku, ps3
> i built my system using an hdmi 8x4 switcher, so any device can be put on any tv
> 
> So, how does this handle 2 tv's? Each device, like tivo, only has 1 hdmi port. Sp how do you get the output on a 2nd tv?
> ...


Caavo is not able to handle complex setups like that. It only has one HDMI out.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Haha. 

If you check it out on amazon, it says it is often purchased with a fogless shaving mirror!

Guess it really can do a lot!


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

Sorry if I missed it if perhaps it’s known, but it appears the Caavo is not passing through DTS HD-Master Audio and Dolby True-HD to my AVR. Regular DTS and Dolby Digital are being passed through fine. If I hook the HDMI cable directly from the device to my AVR bypassing the Caavo, then it decodes them so I know my AVR can handle them. I am seeing this using my BlueRay player and on the Shield using Kodi. 

Anyone else seeing something like this?


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## WhosDatIs (Dec 8, 2017)

I experienced lag using the Xbox after putting in the Caavo My son immediately noticed it and it made some games unplayable (Fortnite). Please don't ask me if my TV is set to "game mode/low latency". It is, and was before. 

When I disconnect the TV and plug the Xbox back into the TV it works fine again. It's definitely the Caavo causing it. 

Sorry if this should be obvious, but I'm new here. Is there an official way to report bugs? 

I've also seen mention of a beta signup. How does one get on the beta?


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

swyman18 said:


> Sorry if I missed it if perhaps it's known, but it appears the Caavo is not passing through DTS HD-Master Audio and Dolby True-HD to my AVR. Regular DTS and Dolby Digital are being passed through fine. If I hook the HDMI cable directly from the device to my AVR bypassing the Caavo, then it decodes them so I know my AVR can handle them. I am seeing this using my BlueRay player and on the Shield using Kodi.
> 
> Anyone else seeing something like this?


This is concerning. I was hopping to pick up a second Caavo for my main room. Hopefully some one has more information. 
I did find the tech specs on there website 
Supported Audio Formats
PCM, 8 Channels, 24 bits, 192kHz 
Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos up to 8 channels and up to 192kHz 
DTS and DTS-HD Master Audio up to 8 channels and up to 192kHz


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

Hmm, something else just cropped up. It looks like long press of the Select button for Nvidia Shield doesn’t work. Not seeing a way to configure/alter this. 

I may pull this from my system for a while and revisit after an update or two. Too bad, I really do like it. I certainly don’t want to give up on it completely, but at this point I don’t think I can use it as a “daily driver” so to speak.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

swyman18 said:


> Sorry if I missed it if perhaps it's known, but it appears the Caavo is not passing through DTS HD-Master Audio and Dolby True-HD to my AVR. Regular DTS and Dolby Digital are being passed through fine. If I hook the HDMI cable directly from the device to my AVR bypassing the Caavo, then it decodes them so I know my AVR can handle them. I am seeing this using my BlueRay player and on the Shield using Kodi.
> 
> Anyone else seeing something like this?


The fix for this is already in the next build for public release. We are still finalizing the release plans but it should happen soon.


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## convergent (Jan 4, 2007)

I picked up one at Best Buy tonight and will give it a try when I setup my news system in the new house Monday. I also picked up a Sonos Beam and a couple of Ones which will be the sound for the system.


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

Looks like I've discovered a quirk in my system that doesn't allow the Caavo to work very well with the Apple TV 4K. After the latest update on both (which both happened around the same time, so no telling which is the culprit), when the Caavo goes to the Apple TV input the picture looks incredibly washed out. I did some initial troubleshooting with Caavo tech support, and the only way to get the proper color back was to disable HDR on the Apple TV and set it to output 4k without HDR, obviously not a long-term solution. 

They had me submit a trouble ticket along with all my system configuration info and said they'd be in touch within 24-48 hours. After four days of silence, I emailed and got a response that sounded very much like nothing had yet been done: "oh, I see you're having problems with HDR. We're going to look into it! We'll be in touch soon" That's been three days ago, and I just got another reply saying they haven't heard from me in a while and if I had no further comment they were going to close out my ticket. 

Doesn't seem like the best tech support here, to tell someone you're going to close a trouble ticket for non-response when they specifically told me to sit tight.


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

$60 now on Amazon and Caavo’s site.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

David Platt said:


> Looks like I've discovered a quirk in my system that doesn't allow the Caavo to work very well with the Apple TV 4K. After the latest update on both (which both happened around the same time, so no telling which is the culprit), when the Caavo goes to the Apple TV input the picture looks incredibly washed out. I did some initial troubleshooting with Caavo tech support, and the only way to get the proper color back was to disable HDR on the Apple TV and set it to output 4k without HDR, obviously not a long-term solution.
> 
> They had me submit a trouble ticket along with all my system configuration info and said they'd be in touch within 24-48 hours. After four days of silence, I emailed and got a response that sounded very much like nothing had yet been done: "oh, I see you're having problems with HDR. We're going to look into it! We'll be in touch soon" That's been three days ago, and I just got another reply saying they haven't heard from me in a while and if I had no further comment they were going to close out my ticket.
> 
> Doesn't seem like the best tech support here, to tell someone you're going to close a trouble ticket for non-response when they specifically told me to sit tight.


Hi Dave,

I'll notify CS of their workflow. As for the issue we are indeed working on it as more reports come in. In most of these cases, including in my setup, the issue occurs even with Caavo taken out of the picture. I've logged my own issue report with Apple.


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

TiVoJerry said:


> Hi Dave,
> 
> I'll notify CS of their workflow. As for the issue we are indeed working on it as more reports come in. In most of these cases, including in my setup, the issue occurs even with Caavo taken out of the picture. I've logged my own issue report with Apple.


Thanks Jerry! In my case, I removed the Caavo and the HDR problem went away. I'm betting this is one of the most challenging things with this product on your end-- there are so many variables with different people's systems that can cause problems.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

David Platt said:


> Thanks Jerry! In my case, I removed the Caavo and the HDR problem went away. I'm betting this is one of the most challenging things with this product on your end-- there are so many variables with different people's systems that can cause problems.


Hey guys, I was going to add in some advice I got from @NashGuy on HDR with an Apple TV that can cause pictures to get washed out. I was having problems with almost all apps not giving me a "bright" picture when watching on my 4K HDR capable Samsung. This adjustment fixed it.

"_Hey man, just now saw this. If you're still having the problem, make sure that you set your Apple TV 4K (assuming that's what you have) to use 4K SDR 60Hz as its main standard form of output. And then set Match Dynamic Range to On so that it will automatically switch to Dolby Vision or HDR10 output when that kind of video is available. (If you like, also set Match Frame Rate to On too, so that the output switches to 24Hz for 24 frames-per-second content.)

If you have the main output setting at the default 4K HDR 60Hz, then it will take traditional SDR content from the DirecTV Now app and turn it into "fake HDR". The result is that highlights will be brighter but dark areas look darker, with a loss of shadow detail. It seems to just crank up the contrast. I wonder if that's what you were seeing as the difference in brightness between the same channels in DTV Now on the ATV vs. QAM cable on TiVo._"


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

Thanks @PSU_Sudzi!! So just to confirm-- even though output would be set to SDR, as long as I have 'match dynamic range' on, it'll still output HDR if I'm watching a Netflix HDR show?


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

David Platt said:


> Thanks @PSU_Sudzi!! So just to confirm-- even though output would be set to SDR, as long as I have 'match dynamic range' on, it'll still output HDR if I'm watching a Netflix HDR show?


Yes, that is how @NashGuy explained it to me and it works, I saw immediate benefit in increased picture quality from making this change. If you have Netflix, you can check out one of their HDR shows to confirm this. I believe GLOW is in HDR, that's the only one I can recall that is "HDR" vs their 4K though I'm sure there are others.

Edited: more background at this link

https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-tv-4k-no-longer-forces-you-to-watch-everything-in-hdr/


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Yes, that is how @NashGuy explained it to me and it works, I saw immediate benefit in increased picture quality from making this change. If you have Netflix, you can check out one of their HDR shows to confirm this. I believe GLOW is in HDR, that's the only one I can recall that is "HDR" vs their 4K though I'm sure there are others.
> 
> Edited: more background at this link
> 
> https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-tv-4k-no-longer-forces-you-to-watch-everything-in-hdr/


That didn't work for me, unfortunately. As soon as GLOW started playing and it switched to HDR, the color again became washed out and faded.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

David Platt said:


> That didn't work for me, unfortunately. As soon as GLOW started playing and it switched to HDR, the color again became washed out and faded.


That sucks, best of luck sorting it out.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

Yesterday I ordered two Caavo while they were on sale for $59.95 at Amazon (same price at Best Buy and Caavo at the moment).

Quick question for the experts...can you use two separate Caavo remotes to run the same control center hub? The reason I ask is that to keep "harmony" in the house I've always had two identically programmed Logitech Harmony Remotes, one for me and one for the wife. If we end up switching over to Caavo I'd like to do the same. If so, are there any setup tips I should be aware of?

TIA!


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

mdavej said:


> The thought of plugging all your stuff into a magical box and having all of it work together without you programming anything has a certain appeal. Many folks are also either averse to doing any remote programming at all, or are unaware of what universal remotes can do, or that they exist at all.
> 
> So yes, you (Mr. Bigg) and I are perfectly content with universal remotes and would never even consider something like Caavo. But it does appeal to some segment of the market for whatever reason. And given that it was recently on sale for $59 makes it pretty competitive with a lot of universal remotes. As a JP1 guy, $59 is more than double what I've paid for any remote in my life. But your average Harmony user would consider it a bargain.


And those people aren't going to know what Caavo is, or how to use it. They probably are using their TV's crappy speakers and maybe have a streaming box connected in addition to their cable box.



> I also have to disagree about the perfect peanut. It still has lots of tiny buttons that are exactly alike. The fact that a DVR remote has no Stop button has always been a real head scratcher to me. In my collection of about 100 universal remotes, I'd consider a lot of them much better designed than the peanut.


The Peanut is incredibly easy to use blind. The Peanut is the pinnacle of AV remote design. It's so intuitive and easy to use. I love the newer RF models, which is why I bought the sliding keyboard one for my Premiere so that I can keep my arms under a quilt in the winter and use it completely blind.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

The latest update by Caavo caused many issues. I chatted with support for over an hour and someone is going to call me in the morning.


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

Looks like the latest update resolved the audio passthrough issue for DTS-HD MA, etc. 

A couple of issues still exist which prevent it from being a permanent fixture in my setup. 

- Repeated IR commands are too slow on my Yamaha AVR when holding down the volume buttons. Makes it impossible to quickly raise/lower the volume. 

- Long press of the Select button does not work for the Nvidia Shield.


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

I just picked one up on Friday and installed it. Overall I like it, but I wish there was a way to make the skip forward and skip backward the short presses instead of the long press.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

NM


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

SidKa said:


> Does anyone knowhow well Caavo Gen 2 (the "Control Center") integrates with Tivo? I believe it still relies on IR blasters, but does the search feature bring up the shows recorded on the Tivo? Is the limitation due to something on Caavo's part (e.g., something that they can solve with a software update) or on TiVo's part (unlikely to be solved)?


I'm about to get one of these, but are you saying that there isn't a button on the remote to go to the TiVo's playlist? If I'm not able to get to my recorded TiVo shows via the remote (even if it is limited by IR), then this is a nonstarter for me.

Also, the instructions say that an IR blaster will need to be in front of the TV and the AVR. I was surprised that I would need an IR blaster as I thought the Caavo remote would control the devices. Does they Caavo remote emit an IR or is the IR blaster needed to control all devices (I have a Bolt, an Apple TV and a Nintendo Switch)?

I currently have my Bolt hidden since I don't need line of sight for the TiVo remote. Will I need line of sight for the Caavo? If so, will the line of sight need be from the control center or the remote?


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

RMSko said:


> I'm about to get one of these, but are you saying that there isn't a button on the remote to go to the TiVo's playlist? If I'm not able to get to my recorded TiVo shows via the remote (even if it is limited by IR), then this is a nonstarter for me.
> 
> Also, the instructions say that an IR blaster will need to be in front of the TV and the AVR. I was surprised that I would need an IR blaster as I thought the Caavo remote would control the devices. Does they Caavo remote emit an IR or is the IR blaster needed to control all devices (I have a Bolt, an Apple TV and a Nintendo Switch)?
> 
> I currently have my Bolt hidden since I don't need line of sight for the TiVo remote. Will I need line of sight for the Caavo? If so, will the line of sight need be from the control center or the remote?


The Caavo remote is bluetooth only, but the Caavo unit itself emits IR commands. It controls everything it can via Bluetooth, CEC, or IP commands, and relies on IR as a last resort. I *think* it controls a TiVo via IP, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

There is a button on the Caavo remote that acts as the TiVo Menu button, so it's very easy to get to your recorded shows.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

David Platt said:


> The Caavo remote is bluetooth only, but the Caavo unit itself emits IR commands. It controls everything it can via Bluetooth, CEC, or IP commands, and relies on IR as a last resort. I *think* it controls a TiVo via IP, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
> 
> There is a button on the Caavo remote that acts as the TiVo Menu button, so it's very easy to get to your recorded shows.


Thanks for this, very helpful. I just saw that my Apple TV and Nintendo Switch are Bluetooth capable. My Samsung TV remote is also Bluetooth capable. Am I right that for all of these devices, including the TV, I won't need to use IR and line of sight and can just go with the Bluetooth Caavo remote (the reason I'm asking is because the setup says to put the IR blaster in front of the TV)?

Does anyone know if it does in fact control the TiVo via IP?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

It controls the TiVo via IR, but I have the TiVo right next to the Caavo and don't need the repeater. 
You don't need line of site between the Caavo remote and the control center.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> It controls the TiVo via IR, but I have the TiVo right next to the Caavo and don't need the repeater.
> You don't need line of site between the Caavo remote and the control center.


So if I'm hearing you right, that means for the TiVo I'll either need to use the IR Blaster or have the TiVo next to the control center - is that right?

Will the Caavo remote itself transmit Bluetooth to Bluetooth capable devices such as Apple TV and my Samsung TV?


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

I tried to install the Caavo today, but it didn't recognize my TiVo Bolt - allI saw was a black screen for that device during setup. So I unplugged the TiVo and then when I plugged it back in it saw the device, however, while it was booting up it disappeared again and I was left with a black screen. Does anyone have any thoughts?


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## xxsj (Jun 21, 2016)

TiVoJerry said:


> Please email me at [email protected] with your MAC ID (Settings> About) and contact info (email address used on the account and a phone number). I'll look into the issue for you.
> 
> We are working with TiVo on the APIs that would allow us to collect recording lists from TiVo. At the moment we only perform IR control of TiVo devices but it should only be a matter of time for us to finish the API work.


Looking forward to it! Also hope Caavo can move away from IR for my TiVo and TV, I hate having extra IR blasters everywhere. Every single device in my cabinet supports digital control, with the exception of my Creative Digital Decoder (DDTS-100) which is a relic and I was surprised I could train my Caavo to control at all. I still have my harmony hooked up both in the bedroom and family room, but hoping Caavo will continue to improve and gain traction, so I can retire them!


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

RMSko said:


> I tried to install the Caavo today, but it didn't recognize my TiVo Bolt - allI saw was a black screen for that device during setup. So I unplugged the TiVo and then when I plugged it back in it saw the device, however, while it was booting up it disappeared again and I was left with a black screen. Does anyone have any thoughts?


I think I figured out the problem. I was running everything through a Denon receiver and the receiver is not 4K compatible so I need to change the TiVo to 1080p instead of Auto (4K).


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

RMSko said:


> I think I figured out the problem. I was running everything through a Denon receiver and the receiver is not 4K compatible so I need to change the TiVo to 1080p instead of Auto (4K).


If possible try hooking up the AVR to receive audio out from the TV. That way you can keep the higher video resolution settings all the way through to the TV.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Ever since the last update, the video output from the Caavo has been exceptionally dark. The same thing happened with the previous update. After jumping through a bunch of hoops with tech support last time we were able to get it to work. This time nothing we have done has helped. I did chat tech support and then phone support. They escalated the issue and someone was supposed to call me back on the 24th. Apparently they were too busy to get to me. I've done everything humanly possible. At this point I just want them to send me a replacement unit to see if that solves the issue. They want to call me again, but the next available day for me is the 5th. In the meantime I've disconnected it. It's literally like night and day.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

PJO1966 said:


> Ever since the last update, the video output from the Caavo has been exceptionally dark. <snip>


Well, this is worrisome. I was about to set mine up today. Wonder if I should prevent it from updating?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

richsadams said:


> Well, this is worrisome. I was about to set mine up today. Wonder if I should prevent it from updating?


I could just have a bad box, or it could be an issue with compatibility with my Samsung display.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

TiVoJerry said:


> If possible try hooking up the AVR to receive audio out from the TV. That way you can keep the higher video resolution settings all the way through to the TV.


Thanks for the suggestion. Do you mean run the Caavo output to my TV and then run optical from the TV to the AVR? If yes, the problem with that is that my Samsung only outputs DD sound for the native apps and it won't for sources connected via hdmi. So, what I would pick up on picture I would lose on sound. Instead, I'm looking to buy a low level 4K AVR (there's a pretty good Sonybon sale for $179) and that way I can have both a good picture and good sound. Although my current AVR (Denon 2309) is somewhat high end, at this point it's outdated.


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

RMSko said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. Do you mean run the Caavo output to my TV and then run optical from the TV to the AVR? If yes, the problem with that is that my Samsung only outputs DD sound for the native apps and it won't for sources connected via hdmi. So, what I would pick up on picture I would lose on sound.


Yeah, I had a tech support person suggest that same thing to me when troubleshooting a setup problem. That's totally not a workable solution-- for most setups, you'd lose so much in sound quality.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

I continue to have a problem, although I'm not sure if it's the Caavo, my TiVo Bolt or my Sony AVR. Basically, if I choose 4K resolution in the TiVo setup menu, I'm unable to play any Netflix or Amazon Prime shows as all I get is a black screen. Sometimes restarting my Bolt or switching inputs back and forth helps, but not always. It seems that I have some processing or handoff issue, but I have no idea how to fix it. I could pick 1080p as the preferred resolution and that probably will fix the issue, but then I'd lose 4K capability. Anyone have any thoughts?


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Hey guys, I was going to add in some advice I got from @NashGuy on HDR with an Apple TV that can cause pictures to get washed out. I was having problems with almost all apps not giving me a "bright" picture when watching on my 4K HDR capable Samsung. This adjustment fixed it.
> 
> "_Hey man, just now saw this. If you're still having the problem, make sure that you set your Apple TV 4K (assuming that's what you have) to use 4K SDR 60Hz as its main standard form of output. And then set Match Dynamic Range to On so that it will automatically switch to Dolby Vision or HDR10 output when that kind of video is available. (If you like, also set Match Frame Rate to On too, so that the output switches to 24Hz for 24 frames-per-second content.)
> 
> If you have the main output setting at the default 4K HDR 60Hz, then it will take traditional SDR content from the DirecTV Now app and turn it into "fake HDR". The result is that highlights will be brighter but dark areas look darker, with a loss of shadow detail. It seems to just crank up the contrast. I wonder if that's what you were seeing as the difference in brightness between the same channels in DTV Now on the ATV vs. QAM cable on TiVo._"


This didn't work for me, but what I did was just hit "reset video" and out of the box it's set to 4k and it's not washed out so I just left it at that. Hope this helps.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Caavo finally agreed to send a replacement device. I hope that fixes the issue.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

PJO1966 said:


> I could just have a bad box, or it could be an issue with compatibility with my Samsung display.


I wasn't able to set up our new Caavo without updating the box to v1.2.151 first. After setup the TiVo image was indeed darker than without Caavo. It wasn't unbearable, nothing that couldn't be overcome by increasing the brightness on our TV, but noticeable.

After working with it for a few hours I've decided to return the Caavo though. The concept is good and would probably make sense to someone with several components, particularly if they stream a lot of content. However we only have a TiVo Bolt Plus and an Apple TV 4K to deal with. The Caavo talking remote is nice but not all that intuitive and the last thing I want to do is subject the wife to a whole new way of dealing with more electronics than she probably thinks are necessary anyway. The Caavo didn't recognize our somewhat aging Denon AVR either.

So it was a nice experiment, but we'll stick with our Harmony remotes for now.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I've never been able to get Harmony to work consistently.


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## TiVotion (Dec 6, 2002)

I have a Caavo in the living room. If I ordered another one for the bedroom (and its connected components), would I be able to use both of them on one account? I’m guessing I’d lose the ability to control the 2nd one via Amazon Echo, since Alexa would have no way to differentiate between the two. Otherwise, would it work?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

richsadams said:


> I wasn't able to set up our new Caavo without updating the box to v1.2.151 first. After setup the TiVo image was indeed darker than without Caavo. It wasn't unbearable, nothing that couldn't be overcome by increasing the brightness on our TV, but noticeable.
> 
> After working with it for a few hours I've decided to return the Caavo though. The concept is good and would probably make sense to someone with several components, particularly if they stream a lot of content. However we only have a TiVo Bolt Plus and an Apple TV 4K to deal with. The Caavo talking remote is nice but not all that intuitive and the last thing I want to do is subject the wife to a whole new way of dealing with more electronics than she probably thinks is necessary anyway. The Caavo didn't recognize our somewhat aging Denon AVR either.
> 
> So it was a nice experiment, but we'll stick with our Harmony remotes for now.


if you still have it hooked up it would be a great help if you could file a bug report for the image going darker after the update


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

PJO1966 said:


> if you still have it hooked up it would be a great help if you could file a bug report for the image going darker after the update


That's a good idea, but I've already put the Caavo back in the box to return it.



PJO1966 said:


> I've never been able to get Harmony to work consistently.


Harmony remotes are not what they used to be for sure. We've used various models for more more than a decade (two decades?) and currently have three Harmony 650 remotes in the house. They execute macro commands consistently, but again, we only have the TiVo and Apple TV plus the TV and Denon AVR. I like that I can program one for me and one for the wife... keeps things, um, equal. 

My two biggest complaints about Harmony these days is that the remote IR signals are weaker than they used to be requiring us to aim them at the components more carefully and that they are no longer built to last. The 650s seem to be good for about a year and then start acting up. Oh, and the "My Harmony" website/app to setup and modify them is still built in Flash. :smirk:

But for now, for what we need, the Harmony remotes do the job.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

TiVotion said:


> I have a Caavo in the living room. If I ordered another one for the bedroom (and its connected components), would I be able to use both of them on one account? I'm guessing I'd lose the ability to control the 2nd one via Amazon Echo, since Alexa would have no way to differentiate between the two. Otherwise, would it work?


I had the same plan, although I only set the one up initially. From what I could tell it looks like each control center requires its own account... so $4/mo. or whatever for two.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

PJO1966 said:


> Caavo finally agreed to send a replacement device. I hope that fixes the issue.


It was supposed to arrive today but according to UPS tracking it hasn't left the warehouse.

Comedy of errors.


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## LlamaLarry (Apr 30, 2003)

I have the original Caavo in my living room and the Control Center in my bedroom. The CC is definitely a step up from my Monoprice Blackbird 4x1 HDMI switch but I am running into a problem with controlling my DirecTV 4K Mini Genie (C61K-700) and have to use IR. Anyone here able to get theirs working without IR?


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

richsadams said:


> Yesterday I ordered two Caavo while they were on sale for $59.95 at Amazon (same price at Best Buy and Caavo at the moment).
> 
> Quick question for the experts...can you use two separate Caavo remotes to run the same control center hub? The reason I ask is that to keep "harmony" in the house I've always had two identically programmed Logitech Harmony Remotes, one for me and one for the wife. If we end up switching over to Caavo I'd like to do the same. If so, are there any setup tips I should be aware of?
> 
> TIA!


To answer my own question, I received a reply from Caavo support and it turns out that pairing two Caavo remotes to one control center is not possible at this time. Adam at Caavo support said that it sounded like a "cool idea" and that he'd pass it along to their developers.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

Periodically my Caavo remote seems to lose contact with the control cernter and it requires a few button presses in order to re-establish control. This happens on all inputs and happens whether I use IR or IP. Anyone else experiencing anything like this?


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

RMSko said:


> Periodically my Caavo remote seems to lose contact with the control cernter and it requires a few button presses in order to re-establish control. This happens on all inputs and happens whether I use IR or IP. Anyone else experiencing anything like this?


I haven't noticed a problem.

The remote does go to sleep to save battery. If you find it bothersome you could give the enhanced sensitivity setting a try. Go to settings then remote


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

Rolow said:


> I haven't noticed a problem.
> 
> The remote does go to sleep to save battery. If you find it bothersome you could give the enhanced sensitivity setting a try. Go to settings then remote


Thanks - that actually answers the question! I didn't realize that the remote goes to sleep and you need to pick it up to wake it up before you press the buttons. That's exactly what has been happening, i.e., I've needed to wake the remote up.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Caavo tech support was able to get the issue with the picture brightness solved. They also stayed on the phone with me and worked out a couple of other issues I had with my sound bar and TV that really had nothing to do with Caavo. 

Excellent customer service!


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> Caavo tech support was able to get the issue with the picture brightness solved.
> Excellent customer service!


What was the fiix? I also may be having some brightness issues.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

NYHeel said:


> The remote needs more buttons. It needs a keypad and it needs specific 30 second skip and 8 second rewind buttons. I hate short and long presses. I use those two buttons all the time when watching sports. I don't want to mess around with short and long presses.


One little trick I learned that I think helps a little bit is if you hit the play button first and then hit the RW button it does jump back. The same doesn't work for the FF though. Maybe Caavo can implement this in the next update for both RW and FF. That would be a good work around for me.

As for the ring gestures, I've been using them, but they are more difficult to use. The instructions say it should be a 120 degree motion, but for me it requires about 270 degree motion. Anyone else have a similar experience?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

RMSko said:


> What was the fiix? I also may be having some brightness issues.


My Samsung TV has an option in the settings to "Reset Picture". That did it. It's been working perfectly ever since.


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## convergent (Jan 4, 2007)

I've been using the Caavo now for a couple of week and so far its been pretty good for a replacement of my Harmony, but had mixed results with its search,
- When I tried to use its search, it seems to favor paid content and doesn't know about what is available on demand from Spectrum. (it didn't identify my Spectrum DVR during discovery, so maybe that's it... or maybe it isn't supposed to do this). It does find live content that hasn't been showed, and if it took me to that, then I could hit record. But, more often than not it takes me to the wrong channel. For example, I searched for Game of Thrones, when an episode was playing live, and it took me to the wrong HBO channel. I tried the search a few times and then abandoned it for now.
- As a remote, its been pretty reliable. My Harmony kept losing WiFi multiple times a day. The one quirk is that I thought I read that you could still use your regular remotes and it would stay in sync. I've not completely trained the family on Caavo yet, so they are using the Spectrum remote and Roku remote. There doesn't seem to be a way to switch input to go to the Roku from the cable box, so they get stuck there. It makes sense since its all going to one TV input, but should the Caavo notice that the TV remote is asking to change input and intercept that somehow? Not sure that's even possible.


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## lucidrenegade (Aug 21, 2013)

Any news on if/when Caavo will be able to access DVR recordings on Tivo?


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## Myrtledog (Jul 10, 2017)

...or pass Dolby Vision?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Maybe we'll get some news from CES


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

lucidrenegade said:


> Any news on if/when Caavo will be able to access DVR recordings on Tivo?


Which version of Tivo. We are using the new UI and can access all our recordings on any Tivo we own through Caavo. Just a side note, someone already is seling their Caavo in Craigslist in my area for $50. Someone is not happy.


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## LlamaLarry (Apr 30, 2003)

Hey now! I just won a free Control Center + lifetime sub via Caavo's CES promotion on Facebook! Check out their Facebook page for how to enter as I believe that they are doing something every day!


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

have been using control center for a few weeks now and it has worked perfectly. My lists within "Watch" works with netflix, hulu and amazon , unlike the original caavo that only worked with netflix. My only complaint is it is limited to 4 devices, if it had 8 it would be awesome, maybe the next version will


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

FYI...


JayMan747 said:


> There's a Caavo in that demo...
> 
> 
> davezatz said:
> ...


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

But they didn’t use the caavo to control the devices. Just switch, it appears. They used the native device remotes.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

How do we do the jump back on TiVo using the Caavo remote?


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> How do we do the jump back on TiVo using the Caavo remote?


There are to ways. You can either do a long press of the rewind button or you can set the circular ring to have that capability.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

RMSko said:


> There are to ways. You can either do a long press of the rewind button or you can set the circular ring to have that capability.


I tried following the directions to set the ring for that and the option to change the ring settings wasn't where the instructions said they would be. I'll try the RW button. Thanks.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> I tried following the directions to set the ring for that and the option to change the ring settings wasn't where the instructions said they would be. I'll try the RW button. Thanks.


Did you go to Caavo > Settings > Devices > TiVo > Control Settings > Ring Gesture and then select "Skip Back/Skip Forward"? Once you do that you then need to run your finger around the outside ring in a circular motion and it will skip.

BTW - If you select the last option ("Disabled -Skip Back/Skip Foprward Primary"), it will reverse the long press/short press options for the Rewind/FF button, i.e., a short press will skip and a long press will FF or Rewind. Also, while it is not very clear, if you select the second option ("Rew/FF"), it will reverse the long and short press commands of the Rewind/FF button so that a short press is skip and long press is Rewind or FF, PLUS it will also then still allow the ring for FF and Reverse.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

RMSko said:


> Did you go to Caavo > Settings > Devices > TiVo > Control Settings > Ring Gesture and then select "Skip Back/Skip Forward"? Once you do that you then need to run your finger around the outside ring in a circular motion and it will skip.
> 
> BTW - If you select the last option ("Disabled -Skip Back/Skip Foprward Primary), it will reverse the long press/short press options, i.e., a short press will skip and a long press will FF or Rev. I actually wish there were a few more options here such as use the reverse the long and short press commands but still allow the ring for FF and Reverse.


When I go to Caavo > Setting > Devices > TiVo > Control Settings, there's no option for Ring Gestures. The only options are Auto-Switch Settings or Change Control Type. Neither of those takes me to Ring Gestures.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> When I go to Caavo > Setting > Devices > TiVo > Control Settings, there's no option for Ring Gestures. The only options are Auto-Switch Settings or Change Control Type. Neither of those takes me to Ring Gestures.


Hmmm - that's strange. For me there are three options and the middle option is "Ring Gesture". I have a TiVo Bolt. Maybe it depends on the type of TiVo? You should probably have an online chat with Caavo. I've found them to be very helpful.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I have a new TiVo Bolt OTA. I'll give support a try. Thanks


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

PJO1966 said:


> I have a new TiVo Bolt OTA. I'll give support a try. Thanks


I've got them stumped. Again.


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## SonnyEclipse (Jan 14, 2019)

Hi everyone
I don’t have a TiVo but this is the best support discussion I can gind online so I hope you don’t mind me posting here.

I got a Caavo from my wife for Xmas and really enjoy it but I’m having an issue

This is my setup:
Apple TV/ switch/Xbox/ps4 into Caavo
Out of Caavo into my Yamaha AVR
Out of Yamaha into my tv.

When I switch devices on my Caavo, if the device isn’t currently on or in sleep mode, (or sometimes not honestly isn’t super consistent)I have no sound. I get a picture, my receiver shows “decoder off”. I have to physically turn receiver on and off or switch inputs back and forth to trigger sound to return
I’ve tried every option. HDMI CEC on, off, IR only, etc. 90% of time I swap devices I have no sound

Any advice?


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

This sounds like an hdmi problem. I would try moving the hdmi cable to a different input on the Yamaha. I would also suggest swapping out the hdmi cable from the Caavo to the Yamaha. 
Monoprice is a great resource for inexpensive good quality hdmi cables.


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## SonnyEclipse (Jan 14, 2019)

Rolow said:


> This sounds like an hdmi problem. I would try moving the hdmi cable to a different input on the Yamaha. I would also suggest swapping out the hdmi cable from the Caavo to the Yamaha.
> Monoprice is a great resource for inexpensive good quality hdmi cables.


I actually tried that already. I have a super high quality 4k cable I tried and also switched inputs.
Same issue. no sound when changing devices 90% of time via Caavo. This doesn't happen when directly connected to AVR only


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

Sorry I’m at a loss. I run my Caavo into a denon with zero issues.


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## SonnyEclipse (Jan 14, 2019)

Rolow said:


> Sorry I'm at a loss. I run my Caavo into a denon with zero issues.


I figure it was some kinda HDMI thing so I'm going IR only and not using CEC but still nothing. It's very frustrating because I love the Caavo otherwise


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

SonnyEclipse said:


> I figure it was some kinda HDMI thing so I'm going IR only and not using CEC but still nothing. It's very frustrating because I love the Caavo otherwise


Not sure if your TV and/or Yamaha receiver have the capability (sounds like it since you mentioned CEC), but if so have you tried this:

HDMI from Caavo output to TV HDMI input
Set TV to that HDMI input
TV HDMI ARC output to receiver HDMI ARC input
Set receiver to ARC HDMI input
Setting both the TV and receiver to utilize CEC should allow Caavo to turn your TV on, then the TV to turn your receiver on. Audio should pass through from the source. When you turn it off it should turn your TV off and your TV should put your receiver in standby.

You may have to reboot everything one-by-one, Caavo - TV - receiver, to get them all to "talk" to each other.

Or you may have already tried that, but that setup worked for me.


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## SonnyEclipse (Jan 14, 2019)

richsadams said:


> Not sure if your TV and/or Yamaha receiver have the capability (sounds like it since you mentioned CEC), but if so have you tried this:
> 
> HDMI from Caavo output to TV HDMI input
> Set TV to that HDMI input
> ...


I don't have HDMI out on my tv . I may try using optical out but I'd prefer HDMI for sound

I also mass a (crappy) video to show their support is figure I'd share it here so people can see (or hear ha) my issue. I go from Apple to switch and shockingly have sound but then back to Apple no sound


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

SonnyEclipse said:


> I don't have HDMI out on my tv . I may try using optical out but I'd prefer HDMI for sound
> 
> I also mass a (crappy) video to show their support is figure I'd share it here so people can see (or hear ha) my issue. I go from Apple to switch and shockingly have sound but then back to Apple no sound


Huh... bummer.

TOSlink optical out from the TV may be the way to go then. It works fine with an old Samsung plasma we have in our bonus room.

Otherwise, you might give Caavo a shout. Caavo support is pretty good about trying to get things sorted out.

Best of luck!


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## SonnyEclipse (Jan 14, 2019)

richsadams said:


> Huh... bummer.
> 
> TOSlink optical out from the TV may be the way to go then. It works fine with an old Samsung plasma we have in our bonus room.
> 
> ...


Thanks I've been taking support for a week or so . I may just try exchanging it to just rule that out also just to see


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

SonnyEclipse said:


> Thanks I've been taking support for a week or so . I may just try exchanging it to just rule that out also just to see


Understood...might just be defective, who knows?

Keep us posted!


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

PJO1966 said:


> I've got them stumped. Again.


From what I'm hearing we're still finalizing OTA support. One of the downsides was that we filtered out Ring Gestures. It should be available for you soon.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> From what I'm hearing we're still finalizing OTA support. One of the downsides was that we filtered out Ring Gestures. It should be available for you soon.


They said it would be in the next update, whenever that is.


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

As much as I liked Caavo and think it has a LOT of potential, I had to take it out of the rotation and return it. It was causing more problems than it solved. I was constantly having to reboot different components of my system to get them to play nice with Caavo, and the support was maddening. They'd tell you they were researching an issue, then they'd close out a ticket automatically because you hadn't provided any update after you provided the info they'd asked for. Happened at least three times. I also found myself disliking the form factor of the remote more and more, and kept wanting to pick up my Logitech Harmony Elite again.


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## ebockelman (Jul 12, 2001)

Any update in passing Dolby Vision?


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## LlamaLarry (Apr 30, 2003)

My big Caavo controls my HR54 without needing IR, but my remote C61K in my bedroom wasn't found on the network. Does anyone else have a similar setup so I can stop using the IR blaster?


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## Myrtledog (Jul 10, 2017)

ebockelman said:


> Any update in passing Dolby Vision?


This...

I have a Caavo in my bedroom set-up and I like it. In my main set-up in the living room I've been a long time Harmony user. That said I'm anxious to try another Caavo there too. However no DolbyVision is a deal breaker for me. Once DV is available I'll add Caavo to my main room...


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

David Platt said:


> As much as I liked Caavo and think it has a LOT of potential, I had to take it out of the rotation and return it. It was causing more problems than it solved. I was constantly having to reboot different components of my system to get them to play nice with Caavo, and the support was maddening. They'd tell you they were researching an issue, then they'd close out a ticket automatically because you hadn't provided any update after you provided the info they'd asked for. Happened at least three times. I also found myself disliking the form factor of the remote more and more, and kept wanting to pick up my Logitech Harmony Elite again.


Yeah, Customer Support's Ticket Closing mechanism is still being refined. I've spoken with them about your issue a couple of times. I really wish we would've done a better job all around in your case and solved your washed our HDR sooner. We have released updates that fixed it for some people but yours was much more persistent. We've got some changes from our chip manufacturer that are currently in beta. Once those release I want to follow up with you personally.



ebockelman said:


> Any update in passing Dolby Vision?


The team realizes it was not wise to promise a hard date. We have it working but there are some configurations that need improvement before it is released. I'll make sure to post here when I have something concrete.


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## richsadams (Jan 4, 2003)

David Platt said:


> As much as I liked Caavo and think it has a LOT of potential, I had to take it out of the rotation and return it. It was causing more problems than it solved. <snip>


Our experience as well. Heaps of potential, but between our Apple TV 4K, TiVo and Harmony remotes we're pretty much covered, making the Caavo a bit kludgy. Other use-cases may make Caavo more sensible.

If it's to replace our TiVo remote (or even a 3rd party remote) having a Caavo remote that would easily emulate their commmands would be welcome as well.

I do hope they keep refining their product and wish them success.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I've tried using Caavo's search feature. It shows me where I can find a show, but when I click for it to take me there, I get a spinning symbol. I usually last through seeing two or three quotes on the screen before I cancel the search and just navigate manually. The Control Center is plugged into ethernet, and my download speeds are usually around 200Mbps. There's no obvious reason for it to take so long.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

PJO1966 said:


> I've tried using Caavo's search feature. It shows me where I can find a show, but when I click for it to take me there, I get a spinning symbol. I usually last through seeing two or three quotes on the screen before I cancel the search and just navigate manually. The Control Center is plugged into ethernet, and my download speeds are usually around 200Mbps. There's no obvious reason for it to take so long.


This sounds like a bad connection with the target streaming device (Roku, Shield, FireTV, AppleTV). This can happen for several reasons, for which the first recommendation is to restart the target device. If still failing, try setting that device up again (it is possible that if you have more than one Roku, as an example, that you could've accidentally set up IP control with the wrong device...or FireTV pairing could've failed).
If that doesn't work, please contact Customer Support for further troubleshooting help.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

It happens regardless of the destination device, and it happened on both Control Centers I've owned. I guess I have a call to tech support in my future.


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## zexel (Aug 4, 2012)

PJO1966 said:


> They said it would be in the next update, whenever that is.


If you really want to try this, get the menu you need by going thru setup again on the Tivo (you must remove the tivo to redo setup I think) and choose a cable provider instead of OTA. I have a standard bolt that I use for OTA only and did this and the option to change the remote settings showed up. So far this hasn't caused any problems for my use of the Tivo as an OTA device. The only thing it might mess with is a search for programming. For me it is worth it to get the skip as a short push.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

zexel said:


> If you really want to try this, get the menu you need by going thru setup again on the Tivo (you must remove the tivo to redo setup I think) and choose a cable provider instead of OTA. I have a standard bolt that I use for OTA only and did this and the option to change the remote settings showed up. So far this hasn't caused any problems for my use of the Tivo as an OTA device. The only thing it might mess with is a search for programming. For me it is worth it to get the skip as a short push.


I can wait for the next update. It's not urgent.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

A new Caavo owner here after purchasing it last week when it was $60.

I set it up yesterday and enjoyed several aspects of it. However, I have removed it for now due to degradation of picture quality.

With the Caavo in the chain, low light scenes had noticeable artifacts or lower quality (via Apple TV 4K but I noticed it as well when playing something via TiVo).

















Also the auto switching when using the native components remote did not work for me. Though this particular issue would not cause me to abandon Caavo by itself.

I have let Caavo support know of both issues.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

JolDC said:


> I have let Caavo support know of both issues.


Can you PM me with your name or case number so I can follow up internally?


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

TiVoJerry said:


> Can you PM me with your name or case number so I can follow up internally?


The support team is doing a good job. They added me to a list to get the latest firmware (assuming a beta) which I now have. Haven't had the time yet to test it to see if image has improved.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

hey TivoJerry, any troubleshooting tips on why my new Sony XBR65A9f won't turn on or off via control center? My control center connects my devices to my Onkyo AVR and works fine, and turns the Onkyo off and on, but not my new TV. my prior Sony TV worked fine with control center. the only difference I can see is the new TV uses HDMI 3 which has arc


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Does anyone have a mini PC hooked up to Caavo? I'm just wondering if I'll be able to step through menus using the Caavo remote.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> hey TivoJerry, any troubleshooting tips on why my new Sony XBR65A9f won't turn on or off via control center? My control center connects my devices to my Onkyo AVR and works fine, and turns the Onkyo off and on, but not my new TV. my prior Sony TV worked fine with control center. the only difference I can see is the new TV uses HDMI 3 which has arc


 TV power control is currently "IR only" (we are working to add CEC control back, many TVs didn't respond well to this when we first released) so this is likely a line of sight issue. New TV may have a different location for the sensor than the older TV. If Caavo is not out in the open try using an IR emitter.
If you have CEC capability, you may have some success with Caavo controlling the AVR and then the AVR actually sending CEC power commands to the TV.



PJO1966 said:


> Does anyone have a mini PC hooked up to Caavo? I'm just wondering if I'll be able to step through menus using the Caavo remote.


I would only expect to be able to switch to that input. That said, I recall seeing a report in the past of a PC actually responding to commands but no longer recall the details of that setup.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Thanks


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> TV power control is currently "IR only" (we are working to add CEC control back, many TVs didn't respond well to this when we first released) so this is likely a line of sight issue. New TV may have a different location for the sensor than the older TV. If Caavo is not out in the open try using an IR emitter.
> If you have CEC capability, you may have some success with Caavo controlling the AVR and then the AVR actually sending CEC power commands to the TV.


thanks for the response. Unfortunately I'm already using the IR blaster to control my tivo. I can live with caavo not turning tv off because it has google voice assistant built in and I can say "ok google, tv off" and it turns off instantly


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

tivoknucklehead said:


> hey TivoJerry, any troubleshooting tips on why my new Sony XBR65A9f won't turn on or off via control center? My control center connects my devices to my Onkyo AVR and works fine, and turns the Onkyo off and on, but not my new TV. my prior Sony TV worked fine with control center. the only difference I can see is the new TV uses HDMI 3 which has arc


edit:
finally got it to turn my tv on and off by rerunning tv setup and turning off TV with long press and turn on tv with short press


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

Just ordered one...excited to see how this turns out...


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

I got one for living room and love it. So much so that i got another one for master bedroom. Wife likes the simplicity of one remote for all our devices; Panasonic Plasma HDTV, Sony HDTV, Sony HDMI receiver, Roku, Nvidia Shield, DVD player, PS4, DirecTV and a TiVo.

The only thing I noticed is the TiVo operates via only the IR transmitter where as most of the other devices (Roku, DirecTV and Shield) are controlled through the network connections. No biggie and still a nice product.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

After reading about the present pros and cons ... I am going to bite the bullet and buy at least 1 CAAVO unit ... its my hope that I can make a 'better' one stop shop setup for my mother. Fortunately the basic setup would be relatively simple ... Tivo Bolt, Shield Pro, Spectrum (backup DVR) and Roamio OTA. Tivo would handle basic TV DVR, Shield - Plex/Hulu/Amazon Prime/Netflix and Youtube, Spectrum box as fallback and OTA from the Roamio if everything goes south. It's a shame though, I almost had a simpler setup with a more centralized Tivo ... but the Tivo App did not cut the functionality mustard (particularly when compared to the Shield or NAS)


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## OrangeCrush (Feb 18, 2016)

I'm going to try one out as well, there is currently a Valentine's day promo (I noticed a simliar one around the superbowl too, so it seems like this is a perennial thing).

I've been hopeful for a one-remote for everything solution.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

word of caution, although the control center is much improved over the original caavo ( except for 4 hdmi slots instead of 8 ) using a tivo with it is clunky and I still use my tivo remote. The caavo control center is excellent for switching between devices and for setting up streaming watchlists. The caavo remote is perfectly adequate to control a roku, fire tv or apple tv


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

tivoknucklehead said:


> word of caution, although the control center is much improved over the original caavo ( except for 4 hdmi slots instead of 8 ) using a tivo with it is clunky and I still use my tivo remote. The caavo control center is excellent for switching between devices and for setting up streaming watchlists. The caavo remote is perfectly adequate to control a roku, fire tv or apple tv


Thanks for the hands on ... I did inwardly cringe a bit when I saw the remote ... I personally like a bit more in the way of hard buttons myself (and actually really like the Tivo Remotes in general) ... particularly when compared with the (IMHO) polarizing Shield Remote.

Question: When you say 'clunky' ... could you clarify a bit? Do you mean something like a really slow response time or awkward remote translation? ... or is there a more fundamental interface problem like missing or disabled functionality?

On a side note ... my dream implementation would be something like a collaboration between a CAAVO like company to come out with a hybridized solution ... now its commonly held that Tivo apps are ... weak or average at best ... why not extend functionality by 'outsourcing' capability. Now with something like the CAAVO ... a more effective bridge would IMO start with a more 'universal' remote modeled after the foundational unit (in this case Tivo Remote) ... then add in a "CAAVO" button that pulls up a list of apps (that are assigned/sourced to the device of choice)?

So now the Tivo could function in its full glory within its native design capacity with INTEGRATED linkages to hardware optimized apps of the owners choosing? I would think that this would be a win/win for all involved. Tivo gets unlimited app accessory growth with intrinsic capacity leveling/scalability/selection ... and all hardware contributers get share potential within the linked spheres of service coverage by way of consumer gravitation to a 'one stop shop media mall'.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Qnapfan said:


> Thanks for the hands on ... I did inwardly cringe a bit when I saw the remote ... I personally like a bit more in the way of hard buttons myself (and actually really like the Tivo Remotes in general) ... particularly when compared with the (IMHO) polarizing Shield Remote.
> 
> Question: When you say 'clunky' ... could you clarify a bit? Do you mean something like a really slow response time or awkward remote translation? ... or is there a more fundamental interface problem like missing or disabled functionality?


the response is fine, but the generic buttons only partially cover all the tivo remote buttons. For example, there is no A,B,C,D, thumbs down or up, etc. And it is not backlit. It is much easier just to use the great tivo peanut remote. even any harmony remote is much better than a caavo for controlling a tivo


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I don't really need the Caavo anymore since I got rid of the TiVo, but I've gotten used to the remote. My primary device is an Apple TV and I never got used to that one. I'm not a fan of Harmony, so the Caavo stays.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

PJO1966 said:


> I don't really need the Caavo anymore since I got rid of the TiVo, but I've gotten used to the remote. My primary device is an Apple TV and I never got used to that one. I'm not a fan of Harmony, so the Caavo stays.


Hahaha ... I find it funny that the present problem seems to distill down to direct interface issues (remote) ... <scratches head> ... I guess I've always puzzled over this to some extent, but the same question remains for me ... why doesn't the device manufacturer account for the spectrum of user desire to some reasonable degree? Now I realize there is a practical limit to how far and to what degree the manufacturer caters to the user base ... but I think there is a surplus of red tape in regards to the glacial rate of effective consensus based change (as an option). The key here is the integration of a seemless evolutionary add on option for the consumer to choose from (or at the very least) a more neutral stance by the manufacturer for qualified variations.


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

buscuitboy said:


> I got one for living room and love it. So much so that i got another one for master bedroom.


Do you have the monthly $2 charge? - Does it cover both, or is it $4?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

PJO1966 said:


> I don't really need the Caavo anymore since I got rid of the TiVo, but I've gotten used to the remote. My primary device is an Apple TV and I never got used to that one. I'm not a fan of Harmony, so the Caavo stays.


I agree, I have always hated the apple tv remote. The tivo remote is > *, but the Roku and fire tv remotes are solid too


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I just got my monthly Caavo charge. I don't think I need the service. I basically just use it as an HDMI switcher and for the remote. I never had much luck using the service. If I searched for a show it would take over a minute to switch devices and load the show.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

PJO1966 said:


> I just got my monthly Caavo charge. I don't think I need the service. I basically just use it as an HDMI switcher and for the remote. I never had much luck using the service. If I searched for a show it would take over a minute to switch devices and load the show.


That seems to be the general consensus at this point ... really good hardware solution to link devices, but the pay service is of questionable value. I've come across a number of in depth reviews (notably Lon.tv on youtube <I'm not that guy haha>) that come to the same conclusion ... barring an effective globalization and unifying of a monolithic database, the one from CAAVO remains segmented and partially blind to the totality of your multimedia index.

That said, for what the hardware does (enhanced device and app indexing/switching) ... I think the box itself is potentially a winner sans paid service too. IIRC a purchaser can opt out of the paid service after the initial 45 day trial ... is this accurate?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Qnapfan said:


> That seems to be the general consensus at this point ... really good hardware solution to link devices, but the pay service is of questionable value. I've come across a number of in depth reviews (notably Lon.tv on youtube <I'm not that guy haha>) that come to the same conclusion ... barring an effective globalization and unifying of a monolithic database, the one from CAAVO remains segmented and partially blind to the totality of your multimedia index.
> 
> That said, for what the hardware does (enhanced device and app indexing/switching) ... I think the box itself is potentially a winner sans paid service too. IIRC a purchaser can opt out of the paid service after the initial 45 day trial ... is this accurate?


Yes. Since I signed up for monthly service bills I can opt out at any time. It's only $1.99 so I'll hang onto it for another month.


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## TiVotion (Dec 6, 2002)

Ok so I know I can have more than one Caavo in my house and on my account. I have one in the living room and I want one for the bedroom. But...

When it comes to the Amazon Alexa skill, is there any way to be able to control both by voice? Or just one? If I say “Alexa ask Caavo to turn on”, is it going to turn on the TV in both rooms? In the Caavo skill for Alexa, I currently don’t see a way to choose between Caavo devices (although I do only have one right now). 

I also have a Harmony Hub in the living room so worst case I can use that to turn on the living room by voice...if there’s a way to separate the Caavo.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

TiVoJerry said:


> Hello everyone,
> It has been a long time since I've posted here. Old-timers on this forum may recall that I'm an ex-TiVo employee (2000 - 2016) who was active in these forums until 2009 but stopped participating due to moving from Customer Support into the Beta team. I now work for Caavo as a Beta PM.
> 
> I tried to create a different account (JustJerry) but found out I'm only allowed one username here, so that account can't actually post. So, let me be clear that I am no longer a rep of TiVo. I hold zero ill will towards the product, company, or employees in any way whatsoever. I loved my time there and am still friends with many current and previous employees at TiVo, but am glad to have been motivated to move on to new ventures.
> ...


Hi TiVoJerry,

Fellow Tivo and potentially a CAAVO user as well ... now I've read through this thread and found it both illuminating and encouraging ... and have 1 niggling concern (I can live with it being a 'brilliant' switching device). The remote. IMHO, for the 'universal' role in which it has been tasked ... its sleek and simple layout, becomes problematic in terms of being able to reproduce/replace the range of remotes possible with a 4 unit switch array. Case in point, the Tivo remote in particular,it has more and (arguably) better placed buttons for useful functionality. The CAAVO unit on the other hand is clean and sleek no doubt, but it suffers from what I call the Shield effect (or Apple if you prefer) ... the remote is actually too simplistic in layout ... which then requires an often awkward and less intuitive variation of 'long' or 'short' push of the button, or possibly a combination/series of button+menu activations. The question now becomes ... can this issue be addressed? I'd say a qualified yes ... by way of introducing a followup 'evolved' remote that builds upon the existing CAAVO system for optional adoption (or not) based upon usage preference ... in short, make a version of the CAAVO remote more Tivo (or Harmony Universal) with (more and better placed buttons - with a reasonable hedge of a few user definable ones as well for future growth). Now a word on the Shield Remote ... now as dreadful as I find this remote, I am presently guessing that I would like it marginally better than the CAAVO remote (despite the CAAVO having more buttons) ... because, at the very least, the Shield Remote was designed up to be used with ONE device (and one general command set/operating system) ... Now the CAAVO on the other hand, has to juggle the spectrum of the Tivo all the way to something like the Apple remote (not to mention the basic TV remote as well)

... I know, this is probably TLDR, to which I will simple say this - Make a more universal remote for the CAAVO and I honestly think you improve the product by something like 50% (the other half problem being the segmented database problem).


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

tivoknucklehead said:


> the response is fine, but the generic buttons only partially cover all the tivo remote buttons. For example, there is no A,B,C,D, thumbs down or up, etc. And it is not backlit. It is much easier just to use the great tivo peanut remote. even any harmony remote is much better than a caavo for controlling a tivo


If you touch the CH UP/DN buttons the onscreen hint will show you that Thumbs Up and Down are LONG PRESS functions of those buttons. You can use the CH UP button to perform commercial skip instead of "D".
You can also press the KEYPAD button and map the Thumbs Up/Down functions to Slow, Zoom, Clear, Last, or any of the letters. I have Thumbs Down mapped as CLEAR since I use that function much more often.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

TiVoJerry said:


> If you touch the CH UP/DN buttons the onscreen hint will show you that Thumbs Up and Down are LONG PRESS functions of those buttons. You can use the CH UP button to perform commercial skip instead of "D".
> You can also press the KEYPAD button and map the Thumbs Up/Down functions to Slow, Zoom, Clear, Last, or any of the letters. I have Thumbs Down mapped as CLEAR since I use that function much more often.


I would say that this approach seems reasonable ... for the motivated and or focused. I submit that the demographic in question ... - the casual user, the unmotivated will find the multi-multi-function approach less than appealing... now hover/discover buttons, that's not a bad idea ... but even that comes at a cost of illuminated buttons (so not exactly a total positive) ... Now what I would really hate to see is a review assessment that follows the path of the Shield TV - which is to say... controversial at best. Some love the ergonomics, others hate it ... as opposed to a more balanced ... most like it with some on the ends that either adore it or hate it in spades.

Now to clarify, when i say 'unmotivated' ... I don't mean lazy or stupid ... I refer to those who just prefer a simpler and more direct method that is fundamentally intuitive. Button push variations and menu mapping ... for the general public ... tend not to be.


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## djones18 (Jan 6, 2006)

Anyone using this device with latest version of the TiVo Mini? I expect it would operate the same as when hooking up to a TiVo Bolt but want to know before I purchase a Caavo.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

... should be getting my CAAVO today. Best guess arrangement - Shield TV Pro or Roku Ultra, Tivo Bolt+, Blu Ray (placeholder, watching less and less actual physical disks). 

My main assessment will be how the CAAVO handles the remote translation for everyday usage (with a minimum of 'exotic' button press techniques).


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

Got the CAAVO ... and in total took maybe an hour and half total setup (fugly but working). In general (sans any attempt at voice function or 'unifying database' ... I'm happy with the performance. The IR extenders for the Bolt+ (default setup) are a bit cumbersome and large, but not a deal breaker. Button layout, not too bad ... but zoinkees ... the lack of numeral keys is a royal pain in the posterior. CAAVO supplies with a multifunction button (yes 1 button for something like 10) ... press it and you get an on screen 'virtual' button array 0-9 with the ability to story 'quick dial' numbers (don't know how many yet, but I KNOW I will put them it to the limit). Same base problem that the Roku and Shield have (remote with no keypad) ... upshot, to change the channel, its probably faster to scroll through the channel guide, rather than peck and poke 4 digits + enter (plus it actually takes time to transcribe the numbers) to change channels. Now, I've not tried any permutation of 'voice commands' ... but I don't use that functionality anyway (I don't want my house to THAT automated yet).

15 second upshot? Good hardware (a few more ports would have been nice ... like 8), way to few hard buttons (weakest part by far for the hardware) - I will say though, the on screen hover/discover buttons is not as bad as I thought, that is a neutral for me, software base smart switching - brilliant worth the price, unifying software ... not so much. Voice - don't use.

Overall, Keep the hardware (hope to god a new 3rd party <or better in house> remote is offered) ... ditch the subscription.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

Qnapfan said:


> Got the CAAVO ... and in total took maybe an hour and half total setup (fugly but working). In general (sans any attempt at voice function or 'unifying database' ... I'm happy with the performance. The IR extenders for the Bolt+ (default setup) are a bit cumbersome and large, but not a deal breaker. Button layout, not too bad ... but zoinkees ... the lack of numeral keys is a royal pain in the posterior. CAAVO supplies with a multifunction button (yes 1 button for something like 10) ... press it and you get an on screen 'virtual' button array 0-9 with the ability to story 'quick dial' numbers (don't know how many yet, but I KNOW I will put them it to the limit). Same base problem that the Roku and Shield have (remote with no keypad) ... upshot, to change the channel, its probably faster to scroll through the channel guide, rather than peck and poke 4 digits + enter (plus it actually takes time to transcribe the numbers) to change channels. Now, I've not tried any permutation of 'voice commands' ... but I don't use that functionality anyway (I don't want my house to THAT automated yet).
> 
> 15 second upshot? Good hardware (a few more ports would have been nice ... like 8), way to few hard buttons (weakest part by far for the hardware) - I will say though, the on screen hover/discover buttons is not as bad as I thought, that is a neutral for me, software base smart switching - brilliant worth the price, unifying software ... not so much. Voice - don't use.
> 
> Overall, Keep the hardware (hope to god a new 3rd party <or better in house> remote is offered) ... ditch the subscription.


use the caavo remote to switch inputs and for controlling a roku or fire tv it works just fine . Still use your tivo peanut remote for the tivo and you will be happy like me


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

tivoknucklehead said:


> use the caavo remote to switch inputs and for controlling a roku or fire tv it works just fine . Still use your tivo peanut remote for the tivo and you will be happy like me


Actually, to clarify ... its an irritation for me, but I designed the system to be used by others (including a mother who doesn't like more than one remote) For the AV den I have all the remotes and a Harmony ... but I had hoped to make a 'one stop shop' for the family... if I seem particularly perturbed in this instance, its likely due to the 'so close, and yet so far ..." feeling I get after the dissapointment with Plex on Tivo ... and now the mentioned hardware limits of CAAVO.


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

Got my Caavo today...so far so good, wife isn't mad yet lol


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

Am_I_Evil said:


> Got my Caavo today...so far so good, wife isn't mad yet lol


gotta admit ... outside the channel change issue ... its more intuitive than the Harmony (and arguably faster to in terms of switching).


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

@TiVoJerry is it possible at some point, maybe through an update, to control my Vizio TV power on/off through CEC? Right now I don't see an option to change it. I have another Vizio TV in the same room so having it via IR is a little annoying.

edit: think i may have figured something out this morning...hit the caavo button instead of the power button and the TV/receiver came on...will test more when i get home from work...

edit again: nope, still IR...just worked in the morning yesterday because something was blocking the IR from reaching the other TV


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

Tried out the 'speed channel' function for the CAAVO ... and it's a very welcome element considering the lack of a number pad. So useful, in fact that I wish they added more slots (it has 6 definable channel 'buttons')... Heck, with the way Spectrum (and others) bundle channels in their plans - a personally definable preference list would be an almost must have! Unfortunately the snag ... before I knew it, I used up the 6 slots! More slots please CAAVO, and the option to download an image (channel logo - ABC,CBS,NBC,Bravo etc).

As for design ... the present channel matrix is 2 x 3 ... why not add another column as in 3 columns of say 10? So there would be a total of 30 channel slots - user definable ... where when the channel button is pushed the channel box #2 would be selected (top row middle column) ... then all the user has to do is scroll down and 1 left or 1 right click? Oh, and 'loop' the scroll of channels ... so when you reach 28, 29, 30 ... it goes back to 01, 02, 03 ... this way, no matter where you are, by going forward or back, you can't be more than 5 rows away ...


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

With continued usage ... I think I found another 'bug' .. the Tivo Skip Botton (that is automapped to the >> button on the CAAVO remote, does not work in the same fashion. When the Skip button is activated for commercial advance (Long Push) ... it only advances 30 seconds, and not the whole commercial ... with the authentic Tivo remote, one push of button 'D' zips through the entire series of commercials in one fell swoop. In one instance, I had to press the >> button (CAAVO) something like 6 times - 6 x 30 second intervals ... to clear the commercials. Clearly not ideal, nor authentic in behavior.

As much as I admire the ingenuity built into the CAAVO remote ... I keep hitting the brick wall of the reality of a remote that has to few buttons ... trying to do too much. Simple solution really ... just add a bunch of ergonomically placed programmable buttons, this would go a long way towards an effective duplication of feature functionality ... for the widest range of diverse media devices.

... and lest folks think I am exaggerating the scope for this device ... I leave the following tagline and internet descriptor ...

Caavo.com | _One Remote For Everything_ | Remote Control by Caavo‎


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I had better luck using the up button on the bottom right of the Caavo remote.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

Hmmmm ... thanks, I'll try that.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

Qnapfan said:


> Hmmmm ... thanks, I'll try that.


Yea, that's the one I use and it works perfectly every time. No long press required


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

Am_I_Evil said:


> @TiVoJerry is it possible at some point, maybe through an update, to control my Vizio TV power on/off through CEC? Right now I don't see an option to change it. I have another Vizio TV in the same room so having it via IR is a little annoying.


CEC control for TVs is something we had issues with on the first platform but hope to resurrect in the near future. Got a few higher priorities to focus on at the moment.



Qnapfan said:


> With continued usage ... I think I found another 'bug' .. the Tivo Skip Botton (that is automapped to the >> button on the CAAVO remote, does not work in the same fashion. When the Skip button is activated for commercial advance (Long Push) ... it only advances 30 seconds, and not the whole commercial ... with the authentic Tivo remote, one push of button 'D' zips through the entire series of commercials in one fell swoop. In one instance, I had to press the >> button (CAAVO) something like 6 times - 6 x 30 second intervals ... to clear the commercials. Clearly not ideal, nor authentic in behavior.
> ‎


Commercial Skip is activated on TiVo remotes with the D or Ch Up button, not FF. If you're watching a program with Commercial Skip, press the UP arrow on the bottom right of the Caavo remote.
Now if you're actually talking about Skip Ahead functionality vs Fast Forward, the default behavior is set under Settings> Devices> TiVo> Control Settings> Ring Gestures. First two options set the default for the REW/FF buttons and also enable the Ring to use a 120 degree swipe for the secondary function.

As for channel changes and unification, voice control is where much of that resides. "watch History Channel", "watch channel 1102", all of the Search/Watch ("watch Big Lebowski") commands are much much faster using voice. Our microphone is very good so you don't even have to lift the remote up to your mouth.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

djones18 said:


> Anyone using this device with latest version of the TiVo Mini? I expect it would operate the same as when hooking up to a TiVo Bolt but want to know before I purchase a Caavo.


I have been using it with TiVo Mini VOX since buying one on Black Friday.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

TiVoJerry said:


> CEC control for TVs is something we had issues with on the first platform but hope to resurrect in the near future. Got a few higher priorities to focus on at the moment.
> 
> Commercial Skip is activated on TiVo remotes with the D or Ch Up button, not FF. If you're watching a program with Commercial Skip, press the UP arrow on the bottom right of the Caavo remote.
> Now if you're actually talking about Skip Ahead functionality vs Fast Forward, the default behavior is set under Settings> Devices> TiVo> Control Settings> Ring Gestures. First two options set the default for the REW/FF buttons and also enable the Ring to use a 120 degree swipe for the secondary function.
> ...


_Qnap Fan: While I understand where the design emphasis is ... I would submit that a more conventional button arrangement (virtual or actual) would INCREASE the versatility and thus global appeal of the remote and system. Case in point, I made this system primarily for the family and mother ... and voice commands are (even in 2019) still fresh and relatively novel. Simply put, the kids are okay with it ... adults I know in general are like ... meh ... and seniors? Very few if any of mothers friends actually feel comfortable or like voice commands. It seems to me that the very segment that would most benefit by this device ... is the one that seems to be glossed over in regards to the hype of new technology.

To give you a rough idea of the kind of numbers I'm talking about ... my mother had large group of her friends over (she is 87 and the group was about 15) ... she showed them the CAAVO based system and for the most part they all liked it ...

Very few raved about the remote ... and almost none liked the voice function as a reliable method of device usage. (Most of them have tried Siri, Alexa, Cortana, etal.) Out of curiosity, I asked one of that generations techie type ... and his response? He said to me ..."Voice is nice, but the paradigm of A.I. assessment and problem solving is the key ... give me Hal or give me a keyboard._


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

TiVoJerry said:


> CEC control for TVs is something we had issues with on the first platform but hope to resurrect in the near future. Got a few higher priorities to focus on at the moment.


Got it, thanks for the update. Hopefully this makes its way back in at some point.


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

How many of you are fans of their remote? The corners are downright painful. Do they have support for a third party IR remote? The voice button and hover feature are neato, but assuming their remote controls EVERYTHING is losing proposition. If I could use my own remote, it might be tolerable.


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## zexel (Aug 4, 2012)

cenright said:


> How many of you are fans of their remote? The corners are downright painful. Do they have support for a third party IR remote? The voice button and hover feature are neato, but assuming their remote controls EVERYTHING is losing proposition. If I could use my own remote, it might be tolerable.


I have no problem with the remote for everyday use. I occasionally need the tv remote to change some settings but other than that I use the Caavo remote exclusively. The only real problem is the sharp corners which are very uncomfortable, but the wife made a short pouch that fits on the remote that mostly alleviates the problem.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

cenright said:


> How many of you are fans of their remote? The corners are downright painful. Do they have support for a third party IR remote? The voice button and hover feature are neato, but assuming their remote controls EVERYTHING is losing proposition. If I could use my own remote, it might be tolerable.


That's the thing ... the acknowledged scope of the product seems to be ... universal remote/device changer (up to 4 devices)? If this is design intent, one should consider the global context of* how many functions are needed* (common and proprietary per device) in lock step with reasonable ergonomic placement. Ideally the linear flow would be something like - determine number of functions common to all usable devices (baseline) configure button layout with most successful arrangement per the users ... then add the unknowable fudge factor ... purpose installed user definable buttons either placed strategically or as a bank of buttons which are color coded or labeled in some way. Then to hedge even one step more ... make ALL the buttons potentially user definable with clear cut variations (double tap? short press? long press?) Shape of the remote? Others have made clear and compelling points on that ...

Then the ace up the sleeve ... the advertised potential (and invitation) to third parties for collaborative designs for remote variations ...

In thinking of an analogy ... the closest I could come to the feeling ... would be something like having to use a "Chicklet" style keyboard sans numeric pad and mouse for a Windows 10 desktop machine... _it could be done, but it wouldn't be fun_ ... all the while knowing that there are better physical input devices for the usage context.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I prefer the Caavo remote to the Apple TV remote. I was never able to get a Harmony product to work as it should, so I'm sticking with the Caavo remote.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

PJO1966 said:


> I prefer the Caavo remote to the Apple TV remote. I was never able to get a Harmony product to work as it should, so I'm sticking with the Caavo remote.


Given the comparison, I agree completely ... relative to the (IMHO hideously ineffective Apple TV remote, the Caavo remote is a relative gem by comparison <Apple Remote for me is THE reference standard for bad remote>. As for the Harmony remote, for me its an ambivalent 50/50 ... a pain to set up and justify due to cost, but once working, it did/does a better job at mimicking the functionality of the range of original devices.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

The AppleTV is the only device plugged into the Caavo that uses a remote. I have a Chromecast and a pc. i could put away the Caavo remote, but with the Apple remote being what it is, I'll stick with Caavo.

That being said, I've been having issues with the Caavo remote not controlling the Apple after turning everything on. I need to start the Caavo app, and then use the Apple remote to refresh the control setting. It's a PITA.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

My Harmony works just fine with my Apple TV and we use it daily. The only downside compared to the Apple TV remote is the fast scrubbing available on that remote.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

smark said:


> My Harmony works just fine with my Apple TV and we use it daily. The only downside compared to the Apple TV remote is the fast scrubbing available on that remote.


If you add "Apple TV Beta" as a Harmony device you'll get the scrubbing feature on your Harmony remote. That's the one thing that worked as expected for me.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

Whenever I use the voice command on my Caavo and try to tune to a channel (e.g., “Tune to Showtime”), it just goes to a “Top Results” screen and doesn’t tune to the channel. Is there something wrong or something I need to do to get this to work?


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

RMSko said:


> Whenever I use the voice command on my Caavo and try to tune to a channel (e.g., "Tune to Showtime"), it just goes to a "Top Results" screen and doesn't tune to the channel. Is there something wrong or something I need to do to get this to work?


That command should work in most situations, however I can think of several technical reasons why it might not. Since this would go way off topic for this thread, I recommend contacting Customer Support so they can look at the details of your equipment, firmware version, and help troubleshoot further.


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## JHeavner (May 4, 2004)

My biggest complaint with the system is that the remote communicates to the base using bluetooth and all my equipment is on a different floor in a rack (and I control using IP and not IR). I've made a couple requests through support to either open their API or allow customers to populate their control database but to no avail. Right now it's working as a smart HDMI switch using the original remotes, which given I paid $60 for it is something. I don't even know where my Caavo remote is. I've given up on a single physical remote that intuitively controls all devices and while soft remotes can do it, you're stuck with all the downfalls of a soft remote. I do appreciate Caavo's model of trying to make content agnostic from the platform and I think they are the first company to attempt to disrupt the space in quite awhile. Build an IP-based remote, open-source the control library, and I'll put one in every conference room we have.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

PJO1966 said:


> The AppleTV is the only device plugged into the Caavo that uses a remote. I have a Chromecast *and a pc. *i could put away the Caavo remote, but with the Apple remote being what it is, I'll stick with Caavo.
> 
> That being said, I've been having issues with the Caavo remote not controlling the Apple after turning everything on. I need to start the Caavo app, and then use the Apple remote to refresh the control setting. It's a PITA.


Nice versatility! ... I was eventually thinking of adding a NUC (Celeron 4100x or higher) for native 4k ... and was thinking that it could be easily integrated into the CAAVO command train? I am guessing that it responds to something like the old Wake Up On Lan protocol? ... or is this hdmi based CEC?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

The pc is only hooked into the Caavo in case I need to access it directly. It's only used as a Plex server and handles the HDHomeRun and Channels app. I don't actually play any content directly from the pc. It's mostly "headless".


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

PJO1966 said:


> The pc is only hooked into the Caavo in case I need to access it directly. It's only used as a Plex server and handles the HDHomeRun and Channels app. I don't actually play any content directly from the pc. It's mostly "headless".


Ah, okay, that makes function sense ... with the added freebie bonus of a more elegant if 'headless' link to your server and tuners.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

JHeavner said:


> My biggest complaint with the system ........
> .......open-source the control library, and I'll put one in every conference room we have.


I have passed your feedback along internally. Thank you!


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

TiVoJerry said:


> I have passed your feedback along internally. Thank you!


Not sure what 'open source the control library' specifically means, but hopefully it includes front side and back side / both allowing open remote control api (controlling the caavo appliance features in place of / along with the existing remote) in addition to allowing a third party to add new 'controlled devices' (so anyone can add support for some new device caavo does not yet support). Wow would this be a great device....


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Sorry, still dreaming, but killer feature - 4K PIP support - regular, Picture And Picture (side by side), All four inputs tiled, etc. Swapping audio between shown sources, mixing audio between sources, choosing size of sub picture. This feature seems worth the price of admission for sports fans - I paid more than the cost of caavo to get a crappy no-name device that only does only two sources at 1080p.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

Talking about dreaming ... how about a modular stackable expansion unit with 4 more hdmi inputs ... maybe POE power or daisy chain from a beefier external ps ....


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

TiVoJerry said:


> That command should work in most situations, however I can think of several technical reasons why it might not. Since this would go way off topic for this thread, I recommend contacting Customer Support so they can look at the details of your equipment, firmware version, and help troubleshoot further.


I worked with customer support but they couldn't fix it. Candidly they really didn't seem like they understood the problem. In any event, for some networks it works (e.g., watch ESPN or tune to FOX works), but tune to (or watch) HBO, Showtime, Big Ten Network does not work.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

PJO1966 said:


> The AppleTV is the only device plugged into the Caavo that uses a remote. I have a Chromecast and a pc. i could put away the Caavo remote, but with the Apple remote being what it is, I'll stick with Caavo.
> 
> That being said, I've been having issues with the Caavo remote not controlling the Apple after turning everything on. I need to start the Caavo app, and then use the Apple remote to refresh the control setting. It's a PITA.


Caavo tech support had suggested I try switching either the Control Center or Apple TV (or both) to WiFi to try to fix this issue. I didn't really feel like tearing everything apart to make the changes. Instead I went to Devices and deleted the Apple TV from the Control Center. After adding it back the remote was able to control the ATV again.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

I've had similar results in 'resetting' the CAAVO ... going into settings seems to me to be the most expedient way to get the system to run with existing (reset) or new devices. I also find it easier to keep mental track of given the similarity to the old school method of changing devices on 'dumber' devices.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I still need to toggle the remote setting for the Apple TV every time in order to get the Caavo remote to control it. As requested, I sent in a bug report.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

PJO1966 said:


> I still need to toggle the remote setting for the Apple TV every time in order to get the Caavo remote to control it. As requested, I sent in a bug report.


Can you send me an email at [email protected] with either the bug number, or the MAC of your unit, or your contact info? (whichever you prefer). Please include which version of ATV you have (Gen4 non4k, 4k, gen 3, etc) and OS just to cover the bases.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> Can you send me an email at [email protected] with either the bug number, or the MAC of your unit, or your contact info? (whichever you prefer). Please include which version of ATV you have (Gen4 non4k, 4k, gen 3, etc) and OS just to cover the bases.


Done. Thanks.


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## OrangeCrush (Feb 18, 2016)

I received mine and installed it on a non-primary TV to test it out and see how well it works for us. The early impressions are generally positive. The setup process wasn't terribly painful, but the initial batch of updates took quite a while--about half an hour.

The main issue I'm experiencing right now is unreliable Power-on of the TV. I have to press power once, twice, three times to get the TV to come on, and sometimes it never does until I use another remote. It didn't have my TV in its internal database so I had to teach it the codes by pointing the original TV remote at the box, although it didn't seem to learn it correctly.

And it's not a line-of-sight issue. Every other function works fine (volume, power off, etc.), just not power on. I've tried every arrangement of box, blaster and sensor I can think of, going so far as pointing the main box directly at the TV sensor and it still doesn't work reliably.

I've got an email in to support and we'll see what happens.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I use the Caavo button to turn everything on and use the power button to turn it all off.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

... Now that is a good use for that button ... I like how you think ... will steal that one ... too.


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## Mcpack (Mar 5, 2019)

My Caavo arrives tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous after reading this excellent group. It seems like a perfect solution for our needs. I've tried Harmony 665 (simple) but sent it back twice. I have a Tivo Roamio OTA, Roku, and a Samsung BluRay feeding into my new Yamaha AVR, which outputs to my new LG OLED. We mainly watch Roku or Tivo OTA, pretty basic. My concern is if Caavo controls the Roamio NOT using IR. Second concern is will it turn everything on with one button, and turn everything off with one button (not including Tivo).


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

Bought one of these on BlackFriday and just set this up over the weekend.
Only have a Tivo and nVidia Shield connected as sources on Caavo. Denon AVR and Panasonic TV also in the mix.
Is there a way to set the TiVo as "primary" for any of the apps that it supports (NetFlix, Prime, Hulu, HBOGo, etc)?
From the menu, it will only allow nVidia as an option. -Is this because the TiVo doesn't have the Deep-Linking?
Thanks,


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

Mcpack said:


> My concern is if Caavo controls the Roamio NOT using IR. Second concern is will it turn everything on with one button, and turn everything off with one button (not including Tivo).


We are testing IP control for TiVo but can't say for certain when that will be finalized and released to the public. IR control (Remote Address = 0) is currently the only control option. 
Caavo will turn everything on with one button press (either POWER or the CAAVO button). It will turn off the TV and your AVR/soundbar and some cable/sat boxes but not all (we often "crawl" the DVR list shortly after powering down). Many other devices will eventually time out into a sleep mode.



JayMan747 said:


> Bought one of these on BlackFriday and just set this up over the weekend.
> Only have a Tivo and nVidia Shield connected as sources on Caavo. Denon AVR and Panasonic TV also in the mix.
> Is there a way to set the TiVo as "primary" for any of the apps that it supports (NetFlix, Prime, Hulu, HBOGo, etc)?
> From the menu, it will only allow nVidia as an option. -Is this because the TiVo doesn't have the Deep-Linking?
> Thanks,


That is correct. Even the initial support for controlling TiVo via IP will not include app deeplinking. That takes a lot more work to enable.


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## nyjklein (Aug 8, 2002)

TiVoJerry said:


> We are testing IP control for TiVo but can't say for certain when that will be finalized and released to the public. IR control (*Remote Address = 0*) is currently the only control option.


So you can't specify which TiVo remote IR address to use? That seems to mean you can't use the Caavo to control more than one TiVo? Further, you likely can't even use the Caavo to control one TiVo if you have more than one TiVo in the room (IR blaster will hit multiple TiVos using address 0).

Correct?

Jeff


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

At the moment that is correct. Once IP control is working you won't have that limitation.


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## Mcpack (Mar 5, 2019)

TiVoJerry said:


> We are testing IP control for TiVo but can't say for certain when that will be finalized and released to the public. IR control (Remote Address = 0) is currently the only control option.
> Caavo will turn everything on with one button press (either POWER or the CAAVO button). It will turn off the TV and your AVR/soundbar and some cable/sat boxes but not all (we often "crawl" the DVR list shortly after powering down). Many other devices will eventually time out into a sleep mode.
> 
> Thanks Jerry. To clarify, I need to use the IR blaster for the TiVo? If so, does it need to sit next to the box?
> ...


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## JHeavner (May 4, 2004)

TiVoJerry said:


> We are testing IP control for TiVo but can't say for certain when that will be finalized and released to the public. IR control (Remote Address = 0) is currently the only control option.
> Caavo will turn everything on with one button press (either POWER or the CAAVO button). It will turn off the TV and your AVR/soundbar and some cable/sat boxes but not all (we often "crawl" the DVR list shortly after powering down). Many other devices will eventually time out into a sleep mode.
> 
> That is correct. Even the initial support for controlling TiVo via IP will not include app deeplinking. That takes a lot more work to enable.


I think this is an area where the community could really help out. IP control of a tivo is pretty walked upon ground. Assuming that you are using some kind of containerized architecture, have you thought about building a store or plug-in library? Or maybe start a Kickstarter to get the Tivo work funded and pushed to the front?


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

Truly appreciated but not necessary as the work is pretty far along already.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

TiVoJerry said:


> Truly appreciated but not necessary as the work is pretty far along already.


I can send you "clean" Pronto files for TiVo IR codes 0-9, but IP control is probably a better option in the long run.


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

One thing I hope Caavo does is allow a bit more customization of the remote. It should at least let you switch the short press/long press. For example, for TiVo play, I personally don’t use pause as much as I use play and would like the short press to be play and the long press to be pause. I was able to switch short/long for FF and skip so that is good - but I just hope Caavo is working on more customization.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I've stopped using the Caavo search feature completely. When it comes to switching to the device I get the spinning icon and sit through seven or eight quotes before giving up and switching manually. I've never had it successfully switch, meaning I never had the patience to continue waiting beyond a couple of minutes.


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## Myrtledog (Jul 10, 2017)

PJO1966 said:


> I've stopped using the Caavo search feature completely. When it comes to switching to the device I get the spinning icon and sit through seven or eight quotes before giving up and switching manually. I've never had it successfully switch, meaning I never had the patience to continue waiting beyond a couple of minutes.


I have to say I understand where you're coming from here...
Really like the Caavo experience but searching and switching takes way too long. This is my number one issue with Caavo.


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## Mcpack (Mar 5, 2019)

Hi TiVoJerry - I just hooked up my Caavo and noticed the quality of the picture is not as good as before. I had calibrated my OLED and feel the must be a change I need to make in settings. I seem to remember this popping up as an issue in other forums. Is there something in settings I need to change?


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## OrangeCrush (Feb 18, 2016)

As a universal remote and auto-switching HDMI hub, the Caavo seems to be working well. I was able to resolve my power-on remote issue (I think) by forcing it to re-learn the code from the original remote and repositioning the IR blasters. So far so good.

I'm not sure whether I prefer the Caavo remote to the device native remotes yet. It's hard to get accustomed to it when it's on only one TV and the others are using the native remotes. I'll have to take more time with it to make up my mind,. Although I have learned I definitely prefer to set the remote to higher sensitivity or whatever it says in the settings menu so that it doesn't go to sleep. The default behavior puts the remote to sleep when you set it down to save battery and the buttons don't work until you pick it up again. I didn't like that, I'll take the reduced battery life.

The search and deep linking stuff seems like a nice idea, but I haven't found it that useful in practice.


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## Qnapfan (Feb 13, 2019)

Myrtledog said:


> I have to say I understand where you're coming from here...
> Really like the Caavo experience but searching and switching takes way too long. This is my number one issue with Caavo.


Fundamentally agree ... personal druthers though, on device switching ... for the unique capacity, for me, its speed is not an issue ... and of course the search function is optional (45 day trial) ... I'd just wish that the CAAVO unit would round out its imput capability to better address a manual favorite channel entry model beyond 6 presets. IMHO, I could easily see 6 'favorites' in the days of local channels only , but in the age of the internet - where its common to 300 channels (of which say 25 are personal 'go tos') ... 6 slots becomes a head scratching that pose the question ... why?

Granted, the device is made and _biased for voice entry as a primary means of navigation ... _as perhaps it should be ... with the expedient awareness of just how effective the model is for real world application. Long story short ... by all means keep the Voice Navigation ... but until its refined to the point of manifesting comments indicating 'great, good, 'woudn't do without it ...' etc.) then I suggest refining the manual aspects of the remote, along with the associated mechanics/programs governing function activation.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

Mcpack said:


> Hi TiVoJerry - I just hooked up my Caavo and noticed the quality of the picture is not as good as before. I had calibrated my OLED and feel the must be a change I need to make in settings. I seem to remember this popping up as an issue in other forums. Is there something in settings I need to change?


If this is across all input devices you may want to check out the TV's preset selections for HDR vs SDR and find what you like best. If the issue is only on one device, go to that device's output settings. If you need more help, please contact customer support via chat or by logging an issue on the device [Settings> General] (CS tries to reach back within a day or so).


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

Mcpack said:


> Hi TiVoJerry - I just hooked up my Caavo and noticed the quality of the picture is not as good as before. I had calibrated my OLED and feel the must be a change I need to make in settings. I seem to remember this popping up as an issue in other forums. Is there something in settings I need to change?


One thing that's worth looking into is if TiVo is still outputting at your maximum resolution (presumably 4K HDR). I had an issue once where the TiVo restarted and since the playback was through Caavo (and not the TV directly), it "auto reset" output to 1080P. I changed it manually back to 4K and the picture quality returned to where it was


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## NiteCourt (Mar 31, 2005)

In my email today.

*Expanded TiVo Support*
Caavo now offers more robust support for TiVo BOLT, including the ability to retrieve DVR recordings and search through them as part of Universal Search. Control Center is the only universal remote that provides voice search and playback of content recorded from your TiVo BOLT DVR.

Control Center Feature Update! In-home TV Monitoring and New Features Now Available


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

Ugh. Bolt only? That's disappointing.


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

So I did a update on my Caavo. But I'm not sure what this line from the release notes means
"TiVo IP control & DVR functionality, requires a re-setup of TiVo"
Release Notes


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

Rolow said:


> So I did a update on my Caavo. But I'm not sure what this line from the release notes means
> "TiVo IP control & DVR functionality, requires a re-setup of TiVo"
> Release Notes


Ahhhhh, that explains why setting Caavo to IP control isn't working...hopefully they release some instructions for the new features... @TiVoJerry ?


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## NiteCourt (Mar 31, 2005)

Am_I_Evil said:


> Ahhhhh, that explains why setting Caavo to IP control isn't working...hopefully they release some instructions for the new features... @TiVoJerry ?


I wonder if that means re-setup the TiVo device in the Control Center. I've had to do that before when installing the Caavo app on a Fire TV. Couldn't hurt to try. I checked for a firmware update last night but said I was up to date, nothing found.


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

NiteCourt said:


> I wonder if that means re-setup the TiVo device in the Control Center. I've had to do that before when installing the Caavo app on a Fire TV. Couldn't hurt to try. I checked for a firmware update last night but said I was up to date, nothing found.


Yup, that was it...working now


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## dhoward (Mar 15, 2002)

How does Caavo work if someone has a speech impediment problem. More specifically how would said person access Tivo for channel changes and getting into Tivo Central to watch recorded shows?


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## NiteCourt (Mar 31, 2005)

I see Best Buy has the Caavo Control Center for $59.95 today as part of their Deal of the Day.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

dhoward said:


> How does Caavo work if someone has a speech impediment problem. More specifically how would said person access Tivo for channel changes and getting into Tivo Central to watch recorded shows?


Voice access is optional. You can use the Caavo remote buttons to access anything you need. It will take longer (access menu, select search, enter search term one character at a time versus click voice button and say search term.)


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

NiteCourt said:


> I wonder if that means re-setup the TiVo device in the Control Center. I've had to do that before when installing the Caavo app on a Fire TV. Couldn't hurt to try. I checked for a firmware update last night but said I was up to date, nothing found.


What is the process for re-setup?

I have two Caavo only one showed me an available update. The other says it has the newest firmware when it actually has the February release.


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

I just removed the device in Caavo settings and then it auto goes through setup again for that device


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## NiteCourt (Mar 31, 2005)

Rolow said:


> What is the process for re-setup?
> 
> I have two Caavo only one showed me an available update. The other says it has the newest firmware when it actually has the February release.


Device Settings are accessed from the Settings > Devices menu.

Device Settings - Source Devices

(Follow change device option)


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

JolDC said:


> A new Caavo owner here after purchasing it last week when it was $60.
> 
> I set it up yesterday and enjoyed several aspects of it. However, I have removed it for now due to degradation of picture quality.
> 
> ...


Following up in this issue. With the just released upgrade, I checked my test video and the picture quality is as good as it is without the Caavo in the chain. Yay!

Haven't tried the deeper integration with TiVo yet though.

Maybe having an HDR handshake issue. My TV supports Dolby Vision where Caavo only supports HDR10 for now. Connecting Apple TV to Caavo to TV, the Apple TV registers HDR support. Netflix on the Apple TV, however, does not give me HDR10 playback.

If I force HDR only mode and no range matching on the Apple TV, Netflix sends HDR and the TV triggers HDR mode.

Not a showstopper for me. Until DV support is rolled out to Caavo I can deal with forcing HDR mode if I need to watch something that really cries out for HDR.


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## dhoward (Mar 15, 2002)

I don't really understand this device that well. How does someone just go to Tivo central and their recordings without any kind of search. Just like the Tivo remote does today. The person I am thinking about this has Parkinsons so voice commands are out and a complicated sequence of buttons would not be feasible. Why is this better?


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

dhoward said:


> I don't really understand this device that well. How does someone just go to Tivo central and their recordings without any kind of search. Just like the Tivo remote does today. The person I am thinking about this has Parkinsons so voice commands are out and a complicated sequence of buttons would not be feasible. Why is this better?


In that case, I don't believe it is better than just using the TiVo remote. If they have multiple devices (I have TiVo, Apple TV and a BluRay player) it MIGHT save them a few keystrokes.

Think of Caavo as an HDMI switch plus a universal remote plus an optional universal search plus intelligent source selection (tell it to watch next episode of x and it knows to switch to the right device and launch the app and start the episode).

All that said, they do have good Alexa support so if the person can learn to work with an Echo with their limited speech issues, it could be a good solution. Alexa might be more forgiving with voice control than other things.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

Took the time to re-set up TiVo with the new firmware and it works okay. 

* Press voice button and say Arrow and Caavo search results are shown with my next TiVo Arrow episode at top and highlighted. Button for “play on DVR” selected. Next to it, the “View all recordings” button will show all my Arrow recordings. 
** choosing “play on DVR” will unfortunately display the Caavo splash screen for the episode while it finds and plays the episode. I said unfortunately because I was already using TiVo actively so it “felt” like I left TiVo then returned to TiVo a few seconds later. 
** if you stop watching and use the above steps again, it starts the episode from the beginning not where you left. 
* using voice commands “play Arrow” started the episode on TiVo after the Caavo episode splash screen. 
* “play Arrow on TiVo” or “play arrow on DVR” (or using “watch” instead of “play”) didn’t work at all. It brought me to weird search results (for example “watch the magicians on TiVo found a web video named “the TiVo magician” as its top result). 

The starts from beginning aspect I can see as a pain because it is nice to hit one button and say “play Arrow” and get the episode but not being able to pick up mid episode will confuse people.


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## tommiet (Oct 28, 2005)

BEST BUY.... $59.95 today only..

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/caavo-...te-with-voice-control/6302877.p?skuId=6302877


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

One thing I don’t like is you you have every episode of a show recorded when you use Caavo voice search you can’t tell what shows you already watched. So say the last episode you watched was season 3 episode 6 there is no way to tell. It’s definitely getting better though.


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

"Caavo now offers more robust support for TiVo BOLT VOX, including the ability to retrieve DVR recordings and search through them as part of Universal Search. Control Center is the only universal remote that provides voice search and playback of content recorded from your TiVo BOLT DVR"

I wonder if this means Tivo BOLT VOX = "Hydra" only? 

I tried with a Bolt on "Encore" and it's not able to get my DVR recordings. Import DVR List acts like it's working, stops shortly after with "Your TiVo DVR hasn't been loaded" - even after restart.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

Rolow said:


> One thing I don't like is you you have every episode of a show recorded when you use Caavo voice search you can't tell what shows you already watched. So say the last episode you watched was season 3 episode 6 there is no way to tell. It's definitely getting better though.


I hope (haven't watched enough via Caavo to confirm) that it will work like other options. If you watch something via Caavo, it will be tracked with the Caavo Cache. If you watch something directly via TiVo, Caavo Cache will not know and won't consider it watched.


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## LlamaLarry (Apr 30, 2003)

Does the new firmware apply to both the Control Center and the original Caavo?


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## Bryan Lyle (Feb 6, 2002)

Should switching channels by voice be seamless at this point?

If I ask Caavo to "Watch ESPN" it seems to fire off the following.

1. Goes to Tivo home screen
2. Goes back to a tuner
3. Switches to a different tuner
4. Enters each number individually for ESPN (almost as if entered through IR)

Was hoping it would just switch to ESPN as if I were using the iOS app. I did go through set up again and it found the Tivo and does control other functions through IP.


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## bukzin (Sep 14, 2002)

PJO1966 said:


> I use the Caavo button to turn everything on and use the power button to turn it all off.


Did you mean the silver Caavo button?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

bukzin said:


> Did you mean the silver Caavo button?


yes


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

With this new firmware my Tivo Bolt seems to be put into Standby any time I change away from it. I have all the power saving options turned off and it started right when I got the update yesterday. I'd like it to stop doing that.


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## bukzin (Sep 14, 2002)

Rolow said:


> So I did a update on my Caavo. But I'm not sure what this line from the release notes means
> "TiVo IP control & DVR functionality, requires a re-setup of TiVo"
> Release Notes


What is meant by 're-setup' of Tivo? Might this also apply to non-Tivo devices?


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## Bryan Lyle (Feb 6, 2002)

toricred said:


> With this new firmware my Tivo Bolt seems to be put into Standby any time I change away from it. I have all the power saving options turned off and it started right when I got the update yesterday. I'd like it to stop doing that.


Yep. I'm seeing the exact same thing. Hopefully they'll switch that back (or at least give us the option to disable that).


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## Myrtledog (Jul 10, 2017)

Mines going to standby too...


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

Bryan Lyle said:


> Yep. I'm seeing the exact same thing. Hopefully they'll switch that back (or at least give us the option to disable that).


My Caavo and TiVo are not doing this with the latest firmware. Any specific settings on either device anyone would like to compare?


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## NiteCourt (Mar 31, 2005)

cenright said:


> "Caavo now offers more robust support for TiVo BOLT VOX, including the ability to retrieve DVR recordings and search through them as part of Universal Search. Control Center is the only universal remote that provides voice search and playback of content recorded from your TiVo BOLT DVR"
> 
> I wonder if this means Tivo BOLT VOX = "Hydra" only?
> 
> I tried with a Bolt on "Encore" and it's not able to get my DVR recordings. Import DVR List acts like it's working, stops shortly after with "Your TiVo DVR hasn't been loaded" - even after restart.


I just got a second Caavo and connected it to my Premiere. I also have 3 Minis V1 and a Bolt which are on Hydra. I was able to select, retrieve and play on my Premiere.


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

NiteCourt said:


> I just got a second Caavo and connected it to my Premiere. I also have 3 Minis V1 and a Bolt which are on Hydra. I was able to select, retrieve and play on my Premiere.


Thanks. I'll redo setup and try on roamio and see if it works there.

Edit:
Works now after a second 'change device'


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## RMSko (Sep 4, 2001)

Ever since my Caavo upgraded I’m having HDMI handshake issues with TiVo. Anyone experiencing this? Anyone have any ideas?


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## Rolow (Jun 1, 2004)

No hdmi problems here. I am experiencing a bug after using voice search. When I go back to my shows if I select something it goes right back to my shows.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

Checking back in after a while with the latest firmware. I am about a week away from putting my Logitech Harmony in the closet. 

The better integration with TiVo is good and assume it will nail down the last few annoyances later. 

The improved integration with my Sony TV’s Android TV is very good which allows me to use the onboard apps for crucial viewing HDR (Sony’s implementation of HDMI Dolby Vision is less than the onboard apps’ implementation). 

I still feel the picture quality is a little softer but the benefits outweigh that minor concern. 

The lack of a hard numeric keypad is a pain but I can get used to using the TiVo menus instead of shortcuts.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I just hooked my TiVo up again last night. i'm looking forward to checking out the new integration.


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## OrangeCrush (Feb 18, 2016)

Bryan Lyle said:


> Should switching channels by voice be seamless at this point?
> 
> If I ask Caavo to "Watch ESPN" it seems to fire off the following.
> 
> ...


Mine tunes to some weird number I don't even have, like it's the west coast feed or something. Definitely not working for me.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Has anyone with a Caavo and a TiVo figured out which button to use for Enter? I need to reboot my TiVo and the Enter button is required.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> Has anyone with a Caavo and a TiVo figured out which button to use for Enter? I need to reboot my TiVo and the Enter button is required.


Click the more button (the middle bottom button) and select enter from the list. You can also set long press on the bottom right and left buttons to one of the TiVo commands. I set the left long press to clear and the right to enter.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

JolDC said:


> Click the more button (the middle bottom button) and select enter from the list. You can also set long press on the bottom right and left buttons to one of the TiVo commands. I set the left long press to clear and the right to enter.


When I clicked on the more button I didn't see Enter listed.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> When I clicked on the more button I didn't see Enter listed.


(I am away from home so from memory). Last is the same as Enter. I believe Last is there.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

JolDC said:


> (I am away from home so from memory). Last is the same as Enter. I believe Last is there.


Thanks


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

NiteCourt said:


> In my email today.
> 
> *Expanded TiVo Support*
> Caavo now offers more robust support for TiVo BOLT, including the ability to retrieve DVR recordings and search through them as part of Universal Search. Control Center is the only universal remote that provides voice search and playback of content recorded from your TiVo BOLT DVR.
> ...





David Platt said:


> Ugh. Bolt only? That's disappointing.


I'm not sure why the email said that. I can confirm that this "expanded TiVo Support" works on Roamio devices as well. Running either TE3/Encore or TE4/Hydra.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Heh, funny blog post from @davezatz:

The Logitech Harmony Express Made Me Buy Caavo

Welcome aboard, Zatz!


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

Fofer said:


> I'm not sure why the email said that. I can confirm that this "expanded TiVo Support" works on Roamio devices as well. Running either TE3/Encore or TE4/Hydra.


Excellent, thanks. I hadn't bothered to try setting it up since I have a Roamio.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

PJO1966 said:


> If you add "Apple TV Beta" as a Harmony device you'll get the scrubbing feature on your Harmony remote. That's the one thing that worked as expected for me.


This probably belongs in the [URL="https://www.tivocommunity.com/community/index.php?threads/logitech-changes-their-minds-will-keep-harmony-line-of-remotes.500075/page-89#post-11764455"]Logitech thread but I'm curious for more details about this. I suspect this only works on the Harmony Elite's touch screen? How well does it work? I haven't seen much mention of it elsewhere.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

I keep looking at the Caavo but then when I read I can't use two remotes, that poses a problem for me as we use two Logitech Smart Remotes in the bedroom (where I would consider using the Caavo). Though that setup could be somewhat odd since it's a Roku TV with an Apple TV 4K, Nvidia Shield and a Tivo Mini.

Then I think, what about my living room and then I read the instructions with an AVR in the way and I decide against it since I would have to setup CEC to avoid IR line of site. 

Always keep coming back to my Harmony remotes.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

smark said:


> I keep looking at the Caavo but then when I read I can't use two remotes, that poses a problem for me as we use two Logitech Smart Remotes in the bedroom (where I would consider using the Caavo). Though that setup could be somewhat odd since it's a Roku TV with an Apple TV 4K, Nvidia Shield and a Tivo Mini.


I'm curious about the two remotes and your rationale behind them. Are they configured as "his" and "hers" or something like that?


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

Fofer said:


> I'm curious about the two remotes and your rationale behind them. Are they configured as "his" and "hers" or something like that?


We have a few hubs that we have on each of the TVs. We have a Harmony Touch for the Living Room and our Den which we paired with the hubs. Then we've used the included Smart Remotes for the TV in the bedroom (also paired with a Harmony Hub) so we each have one by the bedside if one of us falls asleep and the other is still watching TV or something. Works really well.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Fofer said:


> This probably belongs in the Logitech thread but I'm curious for more details about this. I suspect this only works on the Harmony Elite's touch screen? How well does it work? I haven't seen much mention of it elsewhere.


My Harmony is currently collecting dust and it's been a while. Being able to see while FFing worked very well with DirecTV Now and HBO Go. I didn't try it with anything else. That was really the only thing that worked as expected with the Harmony remote. The Caavo Control Center has been much more successful at doing everything I needed it to do (and thus we are still on topic  )


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I believe I first heard about it on AVSForums. I tried searching but haven't come up with any more info beyond this: Harmony and Apple TV


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## pbw (Apr 11, 2003)

toricred said:


> With this new firmware my Tivo Bolt seems to be put into Standby any time I change away from it. I have all the power saving options turned off and it started right when I got the update yesterday. I'd like it to stop doing that.





Bryan Lyle said:


> Yep. I'm seeing the exact same thing. Hopefully they'll switch that back (or at least give us the option to disable that).





JolDC said:


> My Caavo and TiVo are not doing this with the latest firmware. Any specific settings on either device anyone would like to compare?


I just bought a Caavo and it updated to firmware v1.3.242. When it powers off my system (TV, AVR, etc.), it puts my TiVo Bolt into Standby. This makes all of my TiVo Minis stop working. I emailed support since this is a showstopper .

Here are my settings for the TiVo (under Caavo Settings - Devices):
Control Type: IP
Auto-Switch to this device on detecting:
Power On: Enabled
TiVo IR Remote Operation: Enabled

Edit: TiVo Bolt SW v20.7.4.RC42-USC-11-849 (non-Hydra)


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

I have tested TiVo Mini and Mini Vox, both streaming from Roamio that is attached to a different Caavo and put into standby. Both stream fine. Granted that Roamio is on TE4. I'll have to see about testing against a different Roamio that is still on TE3.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

I am unable to replicate a failure to stream via Mini when the base unit is in standby, even after messing with the Power Savings Settings. Is anyone else able to replicate this (even without using Caavo)? I also tried looking at TiVo's support pages and have yet to see any mention of standby in relation to streaming.


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

TiVoJerry Is there any way to use a Caavo Control Center with a Bolt and not try to put the Bolt into standby when changing sources or shutting down for the night?


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

toricred said:


> TiVoJerry Is there any way to use a Caavo Control Center with a Bolt and not try to put the Bolt into standby when changing sources or shutting down for the night?


At the moment the only option is to switch to IR control, but then you lose DVR Watchlist functionality. I've brought this issue up internally and am pushing to make it more of a priority, but so far this is the only case of failed streaming I've come across. Others have asked for standby to be removed due to not having live cache (not sure how the decision was made to put TiVo into standby in the first place).

pbw, are you using the original TiVo Mini or the Mini Vox?


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## pbw (Apr 11, 2003)

TiVoJerry said:


> pbw, are you using the original TiVo Mini or the Mini Vox?


I apologize. I am unable to replicate the lack of streaming when the TiVo enters standby. It seems to be working now. I'm not sure why I saw this issue multiple times during my first day of using Caavo. Maybe my TiVo was crashing (which was something it would do at random in the past and seemed to be associated with streaming to a PC web browser (more often) or to the iOS TiVo app (less often)? If I am able to replicate the issue, then I will post details. Again, I apologize for sending you on a wild goose chase.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

No worries, glad to hear we hadn't missed that detail during testing (that IS my area after all!)


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## nyjklein (Aug 8, 2002)

Looking for a little help on IFTTT integration. The FAQ says " Play: Action plays, launches, or tunes to any channel, app, device or content". I'm looking for a bit more info on the syntax. For instance, if I want to play a particular device, what do I use as the device name?

Jeff


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

TiVoJerry said:


> At the moment the only option is to switch to IR control, but then you lose DVR Watchlist functionality. I've brought this issue up internally and am pushing to make it more of a priority, but so far this is the only case of failed streaming I've come across. Others have asked for standby to be removed due to not having live cache (not sure how the decision was made to put TiVo into standby in the first place).
> 
> pbw, are you using the original TiVo Mini or the Mini Vox?


No, I only have one Bolt in place right now.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

BTW the "pbw" was a response to the other poster 
We are making good progress with removing standby. I am hoping it makes it through testing quickly and out to the field very shortly.


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## celtic pride (Nov 8, 2005)

I wont even buy this for $59.95 without DOLBY VISION! I have a lg tv that does dolby vision as well as my oppo blu ray player and appple tv 4k there is no way i will switch to HDR when i can watch in dolby vision. so come on caavo get with the program and make caavo work with dolby vision!


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

TiVoJerry said:


> (not sure how the decision was made to put TiVo into standby in the first place).


Following the threads about TiVo's latest software update (21.19.3) and I think this has something to do with a new standby issue TiVo has introduced, perhaps nothing to do with Caavo?


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## newrod (Apr 7, 2008)

Fofer said:


> Following the threads about TiVo's latest software update (21.19.3) and I think this has something to do with a new standby issue TiVo has introduced, perhaps nothing to do with Caavo?


I don't think its the new TE4 software update. Caavo puts my Tivo Premier running TE3 into standby when I power off. Also, anytime I turn Caavo on or switch back to the Tivo it comes back in the Tivo Central menu instead of live tv, which is kind of annoying.


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## nyjklein (Aug 8, 2002)

celtic pride said:


> ... so come on caavo get with the program and make caavo work with dolby vision!


Has Caavo mentioned if or when they intend to add Dolby Vision support? I've actually disconnected my Caavo and gone back to plain old HDMI switch which has no problem passing through Dolby Vision.

Jeff


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

nyjklein said:


> Has Caavo mentioned if or when they intend to add Dolby Vision support? I've actually disconnected my Caavo and gone back to plain old HDMI switch which has no problem passing through Dolby Vision.
> 
> Jeff


Yes, they have stated DV is coming but not when. I recently reconfirmed this while discussing other issues with their support and engineering teams.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Their latest support article on the subject: Dolby Vision


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

Fofer said:


> Their latest support article on the subject: Dolby Vision


Well that is a sucky find.


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## nyjklein (Aug 8, 2002)

JolDC said:


> Well that is a sucky find.


Extremely sucky and, frankly, misleading! Will work in "parallel"! Completely loses the HDMI expansion/switching capability of the Caavo.
Jeff


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

But retains universal remote control, which is at least one selling point of the Caavo.


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## newrod (Apr 7, 2008)

newrod said:


> I don't think its the new TE4 software update. Caavo puts my Tivo Premier running TE3 into standby when I power off. Also, anytime I turn Caavo on or switch back to the Tivo it comes back in the Tivo Central menu instead of live tv, which is kind of annoying.


Fixed with today's update.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Some very interesting new features today! Roping in Sonos control too? Wow! I'm excited about this!

Caavo Wants Your Whole Home, Starting With Sonos


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Fofer said:


> Some very interesting new features today! Roping in Sonos control too? Wow! I'm excited about this!
> 
> Caavo Wants Your Whole Home, Starting With Sonos


I'd be more excited about an Android app. 

I've been debating about cancelling the paid service. I don't really use any of the features. Now that the price is going up I'm debating just springing for lifetime service now for future improvements.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

That sure is a big jump in price on the lifetime service though. 
Initially IIRC it was $50, then raised to $60, now it's $130.










The Verge confirms that Caavo will still work just fine, as a great HDMI switcher and universal remote, without the subscription though. But advanced features like voice commands, universal search and lists won't.



> The Control Center device will now cost $59.95 (down from $99.95). But the mandatory service plans are going up in price: paying monthly will now be $3.99 / month (previously $1.99), the annual plan jumps to $39.99 (from $19.99), and lifetime service will now run $129.99, whereas it was previously $59.99.
> 
> These subscriptions are required for the Caavo's core features like voice commands and universal search to work. You can buy the Control Center and ignore the service plan side, but you'll be losing out on its more advanced features. (It'll still serve as a universal remote for all of your devices, though.)


Strange that The Verge calls them "mandatory service plans," then.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Existing customers can lock in for $59.95 lifetime, otherwise I wouldn't be considering it.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

I'd recommend it highly - this device is going to get better and better and you'll regret not grabbing the subscription when it was less than half the new cost.


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## zexel (Aug 4, 2012)

newrod said:


> Fixed with today's update.


What is the current firmware on your caavo. Mine says it is up to date and it still goes into standby.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Fofer said:


> I'd recommend it highly - this device is going to get better and better and you'll regret not grabbing the subscription when it was less than half the new cost.


Upgraded. Cue a different model in 5... 4... 3...


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## newrod (Apr 7, 2008)

zexel said:


> What is the current firmware on your caavo. Mine says it is up to date and it still goes into standby.


v2.0.151


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## Kintaro (May 2, 2016)

PJO1966 said:


> Existing customers can lock in for $59.95 lifetime, otherwise I wouldn't be considering it.


Ugh I was going to buy this last night with the 40% off code they had, but I could have sworn that it said the coupon was ending this Saturday, so I waited until today to purchase it and then I saw the price change. I'll hold off for the next coupon I guess.


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## bjheels (Mar 5, 2003)

newrod said:


> v2.0.151


Interesting. I am on v1.3.242 and it says I have the latest firmware.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

bjheels said:


> Interesting. I am on v1.3.242 and it says I have the latest firmware.


Caavo indicated it is a rolling distribution and that it could be 72 hours before it is available for everyone.


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## OrangeCrush (Feb 18, 2016)

Has anyone tried using a Caavo w/ a Roku TV? How's the experience?

I'm thinking about getting another Caavo for the bedroom TV, but it's got the Roku built-in. I'm wondering how different that's going to be from the living room TV which has the TiVo on input 1 and a Roku stick on input 2. I don't mind losing deep-linking, but I want the universal remote features.


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Caavo TV & Movie Guides App


> The Caavo TV & Movie Guides app can be found in the Apple App Store and will be coming to Android at a later date.


Anybody heard any word on when the android version of the caavo app will become available?


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

Fofer said:


> I'd recommend it highly - this device is going to get better and better and you'll regret not grabbing the subscription when it was less than half the new cost.


Completely agreed. They've been great about releasing firmware updates with meaningfully new features and wider support of devices


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Fofer said:


> That sure is a big jump in price on the lifetime service though.
> Initially IIRC it was $50, then raised to $60, now it's $130.
> 
> 
> ...


I didn't get this email. Is this just for those targeted with this email or all existing lifetime members? I see there is a code SUNNY right now to save $60 - I assume off the $130 price?


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

OrangeCrush said:


> Has anyone tried using a Caavo w/ a Roku TV? How's the experience?
> 
> I'm thinking about getting another Caavo for the bedroom TV, but it's got the Roku built-in. I'm wondering how different that's going to be from the living room TV which has the TiVo on input 1 and a Roku stick on input 2. I don't mind losing deep-linking, but I want the universal remote features.


Based on the below, sounds like it sucks.
TCL Roku TV (Series 4 and Up) Required Settings


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

smark said:


> Based on the below, sounds like it sucks.
> TCL Roku TV (Series 4 and Up) Required Settings


How so? All that page offers is setup instructions, doesn't mention any limitations or annoyances, as best I can tell. Can you be more specific?


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

Fofer said:


> How so? All that page offers is setup instructions, doesn't mention any limitations or annoyances, as best I can tell. Can you be more specific?


You can't access the apps within the Roku TV so that would make Caavo IMO on that TV since you wouldn't be able to watch any of the content available to you. It's just working with CEC to control say a soundbar if you have it. You could do this with something much cheaper/the Roku TV remote.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Ah, gotcha. Yeah, it works a lot better with AndroidTV currently. Hopefully more compatibility with more devices and platforms are on the way.


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

I have my TCL 5 series working fine with apps and all with the Caavo Control Center. The only problem is that I can't get it out of TV mode without unplugging the Caavo and then plugging it back in.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

toricred said:


> I have my TCL 5 series working fine with apps and all with the Caavo Control Center. The only problem is that I can't get it out of TV mode without unplugging the Caavo and then plugging it back in.


This can happen if you aren't currently on the Home screen of the TV. Try pressing the CAAVO button first.

Sorry for being offline a while. Had a death in the family and then forgot to log in, so I wasn't getting updates to this thread.


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

TiVoJerry said:


> This can happen if you aren't currently on the Home screen of the TV. Try pressing the CAAVO button first.
> 
> Sorry for being offline a while. Had a death in the family and then forgot to log in, so I wasn't getting updates to this thread.


Being on the home page for the TV doesn't work. Neither does pressing the Caavo button first. Any other ideas?


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

toricred said:


> Being on the home page for the TV doesn't work. Neither does pressing the Caavo button first. Any other ideas?


What is the make/model of the TV?

I would suggest that you reproduce the issue and then log a bug via the remote (double press the SOURCES button [box with up arrow], add a short verbal summary and submit). This process not only sends vital debug info to engineering but also generates a support ticket for agents to reach out for followup, where they should definitely collect the TV make/model info. We can then investigate and see if there is a solution to be had.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Had a small issue when the Caavo would not pair with the tv. All other things turned on but not tv. It corrected itself a few hour later and I got an email from you guys saying a bug report was sent but I don't remember sending one. My wife was quite impressed when I told her about the email from Caavo. Keep up the good work.


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Anyone else using telescope feature? When I use it, it's kind of like a motion jpeg at 1 frame a second. Is that how it's supposed to be?


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

cenright said:


> I didn't get this email. Is this just for those targeted with this email or all existing lifetime members? I see there is a code SUNNY right now to save $60 - I assume off the $130 price?


Well, I found out SUNNY does not work for existing caavo or at least mine. I also got a code, but it's only for a new caavo and lifetime and does not work for existing.


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

TiVoJerry said:


> What is the make/model of the TV?
> 
> I would suggest that you reproduce the issue and then log a bug via the remote (double press the SOURCES button [box with up arrow], add a short verbal summary and submit). This process not only sends vital debug info to engineering but also generates a support ticket for agents to reach out for followup, where they should definitely collect the TV make/model info. We can then investigate and see if there is a solution to be had.


The TV is a TCL 6 Series model 65R615.

I can't get the double press of the source key to work either so I can't get it to send the feedback or anything else.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

toricred said:


> The TV is a TCL 6 Series model 65R615.
> 
> I can't get the double press of the source key to work either so I can't get it to send the feedback or anything else.


I would suggest going to caavo.com, click on the support link and start a chat session. With you not being able to log a bug the situation is going to need someone to work with you directly to resolve further. There are too many questions to ask in a thread like this, and our CS is able to spend all the time you might need to work through the details.


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## siratfus (Oct 3, 2008)

Curious about this product, so I'm bumping this thread.  How has the tivo development going? Do you yet have access to your recordings? Secondly, let's say you're in the Caavo interface and you select Tivo, is there an option to use the actual tivo interface instead of the Caavo's? I'm guessing not. If we buy this and we don't like how it handles tivo, then I guess I would need to use the second HDMI out from tivo to my TV, and switch it every time I view Tivo. But then, that kinda defeats the purpose. Please shed any info, thank you.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

When you select the TiVo from the Caavo devices menu, it switches you to the TiVo input and you're in the TiVo menus.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

What PJO said.



siratfus said:


> Do you yet have access to your recordings?


yes, it does also have access to your TiVo recordings, under the Watch -> DVR section.


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## siratfus (Oct 3, 2008)

Hmm, sounds like this thing has improved. Think I'll give it a spin. Thanks!


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## AMike (Oct 22, 2004)

I have 2 Caavos: one for my family room, the other for my master bedroom. I have multiple devices in each room. Set-up was seemless and works great with all of my devices including the TiVos. There is a slight learning curve using the remote, but the onscreen hints help.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

AMike said:


> I have 2 Caavos: one for my family room, the other for my master bedroom. I have multiple devices in each room. Set-up was seemless and works great with all of my devices including the TiVos. There is a slight learning curve using the remote, but the onscreen hints help.


I have one in my main TV room and have thought about adding another to my bedroom. My question is do the 2 remotes interfere with each other? I don't want to turn on my two Sony TVs at once


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## ellinj (Feb 26, 2002)

Just got a new Caavo, I have it all hooked up and trying to figure things out. One thing I have noticed so far is that deeplinks especially into Amazon on AppleTv don't bring me to the actual show. Usually just to the main show page not the desired episode. Anyone else seen this?


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

tivoknucklehead said:


> I have one in my main TV room and have thought about adding another to my bedroom. My question is do the 2 remotes interfere with each other? I don't want to turn on my two Sony TVs at once


No, the remotes wouldn't interfere with each other.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

Has anybody bought lifetime service with the box? How did it give you lifetime, was their a code in the box, or did the box just have it?

-smak-


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

fyi, Caavo with lifetime is $139.99 at least until Sunday. Father's day code.

Amazon & Caavo site has it, not sure if Best Buy somehow will sell you this vs the $59.99 box, but Jeff didn't know about it, so probably BB doesn't have it.

-smak-


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## siratfus (Oct 3, 2008)

smak said:


> Has anybody bought lifetime service with the box? How did it give you lifetime, was their a code in the box, or did the box just have it?
> 
> -smak-


I bought mine from Amazon with lifetime. Once you go through the set-up, create an account, etc., it will automatically detect and know your device is lifetime. There is actually no mention of the length of service during set-up. After everything was done, I went to my Caavo account online to check out the details and it shows lifetime for my unit.


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## siratfus (Oct 3, 2008)

I have to say, this thing is pretty awesome! I read the reviews and was a little concerned, but I didn't have any of the issues people had. I guess this product has truly matured. I can access my tivo recordings and can record too. I can set my plex as the primary search, and voice recognition is excellent. This is basically how smart tv's handle multiple inputs with the added functionality of being a universal remote. 4 inputs is a bit skimpy though, I would like it to have at least 6. Anyway, this thing is great, and I hope this company can stick around.


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## siratfus (Oct 3, 2008)

When we select APPS from the Caavo menu, I have 16 apps. Were these apps pulled from detecting what I have on xbox or fire tv? Or, are these just default apps? Is there a way to add more? I don't see a youtube app. I like the convenience of the voice search that gives me web results, and if it's a youtube video, it's opening silk browser on the Fire TV, and I'd like to change this to youtube app on my Xbox. I know you can assign what devices will open the default 16 apps, but there is no Youtube among them. Any ideas?


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## siratfus (Oct 3, 2008)

Can anybody confirm if the DVR import is supposed to work with the Tivo Mini? I had the Caavo hooked up to the main Tivo Roamio and it was able to pull the listings. But when I moved it to a different room with a mini, it hasn't pulled anything, and when I manually import it, it takes forever, and doesn't seem to work. Thanks.


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## siratfus (Oct 3, 2008)

siratfus said:


> Can anybody confirm if the DVR import is supposed to work with the Tivo Mini? I had the Caavo hooked up to the main Tivo Roamio and it was able to pull the listings. But when I moved it to a different room with a mini, it hasn't pulled anything, and when I manually import it, it takes forever, and doesn't seem to work. Thanks.


Answering my own question. After a few restarts of the tivo mini, as well as the Caavo, it finally pulled the recordings list.


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## JandS (Oct 1, 2010)

Fofer said:


> I'm curious about the two remotes and your rationale behind them. Are they configured as "his" and "hers" or something like that?


Is there any hope that Caavo will ever support multiple remotes? We might be an outlier case, tho, we regularly use 6 Tivo remotes for our main living/dining/kitchen area (channel changing, volume, muting). We could conceivably be able to continue using those for Tivo-specific functions and have 2 Caavo remotes for AV-device-related functions, maybe.


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## ehardman (Feb 18, 2004)

Installed a new Caavo a few days ago. Why is my apps page blank?


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## JaySundahl (Feb 5, 2018)

ehardman said:


> Installed a new Caavo a few days ago. Why is my apps page blank?


My apps page was blank until I added a device that Caavo could manage apps for. A Roku box in my case. My Roku-TV didn't count since the Caavo smart tv function is limited.


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## ehardman (Feb 18, 2004)

JaySundahl said:


> My apps page was blank until I added a device that Caavo could manage apps for. A Roku box in my case. My Roku-TV didn't count since the Caavo smart tv function is limited.


So Tivo apps won't populate? I have no streaming devices other than my Tivo and my Blu-ray player.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

No, in your case the Caavo will simply act as a great HDMI switcher and universal remote control. Add a Roku or FireTV or AppleTV and you'll have many more options available to you. Streaming sticks are pretty inexpensive.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Right. The Caavo will see your TiVo recordings, but not the apps on the TiVo.


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## JaySundahl (Feb 5, 2018)

PJO1966 said:


> Right. The Caavo will see your TiVo recordings, but not the apps on the TiVo.


Yes, although Tivo playing trough the Caavo HDMI switch at least stands a chance at app support in the future. Support for smart TV is likely to be very limited. I don't recall if Caavo search provided web results if you didn't have a supported box. It would be helpful to allow it to switch to a device it doesn't support directly, that you could choose in the Apps page.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

Set it up this weekend. Really liking that my DVR and streaming boxes are all on the same input, and same box.

Going to try to now set it up with my soundbar, which never really worked all that great with the Harmony.

Lifetime for $139 was a really good deal.

The killer app for me is if the Caavo Cache has shows from all streaming services combined, which it seems to do. But they could use some work in that area. Maybe with some graphics.

-smak-


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## KLINK (Aug 17, 2004)

I have a Roamio OTA (TE3) and a Bolt(TE4). They are next to each other in my entertainment center separated by a wood partition. Can I hook both of them to the Caavo without the signals interfering with each other.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

Has anybody figured out a way to physically plug in a fire stick?

When I plug mine in, nothing happens...

I figured it needed to be powered, but you can't plug in the USB adapter because it's blocked by other cables.

-smak-


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

smak said:


> I figured it needed to be powered, but you can't plug in the USB adapter because it's blocked by other cables.


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07FGFNZG8/ref=nosim/appleink/


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

Fofer said:


> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07FGFNZG8/ref=nosim/appleink/


Good idea. I have a few of those already.

I don't really need the stick plugged in, but I have it, so why not.

-smak-


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## JayMan747 (Nov 10, 2008)

Is it possible to change the FFWD/Skip & RRWD/Replay to reverse the short/long press?
Thought I had done this before, and it must have been reset after an update.

From the dots button, It has a note:
*Toggle FF/Skip Play/Pause RW/Replay in Settings-General

-but I dont see that option.

Please help.


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

JayMan747 said:


> Is it possible to change the FFWD/Skip & RRWD/Replay to reverse the short/long press?
> Thought I had done this before, and it must have been reset after an update.
> 
> From the dots button, It has a note:
> ...


Under Control Settings, ring gesture choose "Disabled - Skip Back/Skip Forward"

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Curious, TiVo is now selling the Caavo via its store (priced at $200) ...







​Accessories

Caavo Home Theater Kit and Universal Remote


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## RJV (Sep 4, 2003)

I'd like to give my kudos to the Caavo team on their product. I truly hope this company continues to survive as I'm thoroughly enjoying it's performance so far. 

I've recently turned 70 and have been blessed to be a TiVo customer since the beginning of time. For primarily video, I've also acquired a Fire tv, Roku, and Apple TV over the years, in addition to the TiVo. These are the boxes I attached to Caavo. My Spectrum box is covered with dust in storage; I have, but don't use, a blueray player; I game and interface with my PC now using a Steam Box. 

I have recently been very happy with the TiVo's app integration features since I upgraded to the Bolt and have knowingly left the other devices under utilized because each had its own drawbacks, missing apps, and wonky interfaces that I didn't want to absorb or couldn't deal with; additionally my memory is not good (to remember where to go to get what, or whatever what is.) Tivo's integrations, including Season Passes to track episodes, were a boon to mankind, but the limited app selection and sometimes search omissions/errors were a constant, bearable, pain. So far, all my usage has been covered by a variety of primarily Harmony remotes, although my museum piece multi-remotes pre-Harmony would impress you. 

Due to a whimsy, I put Caavo on my birthday wishlist and it was a nice suprise to get one. I now really enjoy the stark simplicity of the Caavo interface and am using the other devices to the max without having to memorize how to find or what content when I want it. I'm still settling into my own version of "work flow" with the device, but I'm always pretty happy. A big surprise to me is the incredible usefulness of the voice command and search. I NEVER used any voice interface before other than as a techy experiment or demonstration. 

PLEASE do all you can to keep this product going. It's not perfect, so there's room to grow, but It's given my retirement an impressive pleasurable boost.


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## Landroverman (Jan 16, 2012)

Looks like they are going to offer a pro model with 8 imputes

Caavo the Miracle Remote? I'll Take One for Me, One for Mom - CEPRO


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Who in the world has 8 devices going to the same machine?


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## Landroverman (Jan 16, 2012)

It would be very useful for myself

I have

TiVo 
Kaleidescape Strato
AppleTV
Xbox One X
PS4 Pro
Nintendo Switch
Zappiti Pro 4K HDR

So I am really looking forward to this upgrade


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

It's not that tough to have 5 or 6 devices. Right I'm looking now at
1. Tivo
2. Apple TV
3. Roku
4. ATT TV Now "Osprey" Beta Box
5. Blu-ray player
6. HD-DVD player


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

Maybe if they get to the point of making the software work better. Just far too slow for our use. And the interface wasn’t attractive to my wife.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Landroverman said:


> It would be very useful for myself
> 
> I have
> 
> ...


Oh, I forgot about all you gamers. You can definitely use all those ports but I'm wondering about any latency. My son, who is an avid gamer would never use a TV to play his games. He has a dedicated system with a big ass monitor that gives him 4k, and 1ms response time and hooked into the display port as opposed to hdmi. Probably why he is still single. ha ha


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

dadrepus said:


> Who in the world has 8 devices going to the same machine?


I have 6 and will buy this in a heartbeat


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

dadrepus said:


> Who in the world has 8 devices going to the same machine?


I have at least fifteen devices in use in each of my UHD setups. I use 18Gbps, HDMI switches to help accommodate everything .


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Would be nice if they add complete their android remote / add API to control the existing caavo before they develop a whole other product....


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

@TiVoJerry I've been experiencing random blackouts with my Caavo recently. I've been dealing with it, but with the Superbowl coming up and people coming over my wife really wants it fixed sooner rather than later (she also is super annoyed by it but I've been testing different things, ie: different cables, different receiver, etc... so she at least knows i'm trying). Any chance I could try a new firmware (i've been signed up at the beta site since i ordered the product but have heard nothing) or do you have any other ideas?

Thanks!


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Am_I_Evil said:


> @TiVoJerry I've been experiencing random blackouts with my Caavo recently. I've been dealing with it, but with the Superbowl coming up and people coming over my wife really wants it fixed sooner rather than later (she also is super annoyed by it but I've been testing different things, ie: different cables, different receiver, etc... so she at least knows i'm trying). Any chance I could try a new firmware (i've been signed up at the beta site since i ordered the product but have heard nothing) or do you have any other ideas?
> 
> Thanks!


Caavo's customer service is really excellent about troubleshooting with devices that aren't theirs. I would recommend calling.


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## ehardman (Feb 18, 2004)

FWIW, got tired of issues like this and sold mine on eBay.


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## ellinj (Feb 26, 2002)

Mine has been rock solid since I got it. I'd definitely give them a call because your experience doesn't sound typical to me.


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## HazelW (Dec 6, 2007)

I use mine as an HDMI switcher and a universal remote for an Apple TV and a Firestick. Sometimes, the remote does not work and I need to reboot the Caavo to get it to work again. Other times, the unit does not function at all (TV shows no signal) and I have to pull the Caavo plug to reboot. Also, if I use the Tivo remote to turn on the TV I get no sound from the sound bar even though it is on. I have to use the Caavo remote to turn on the TV.


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

Am_I_Evil said:


> @TiVoJerry I've been experiencing random blackouts with my Caavo recently. I've been dealing with it, but with the Superbowl coming up and people coming over my wife really wants it fixed sooner rather than later (she also is super annoyed by it but I've been testing different things, ie: different cables, different receiver, etc... so she at least knows i'm trying). Any chance I could try a new firmware (i've been signed up at the beta site since i ordered the product but have heard nothing) or do you have any other ideas?
> 
> Thanks!


If she is worried so much about the Super Bowl, why not just remove the Caavo for the day and connect your device/box directly to the receiver?

Hopefully it would reduce the chances of having unhappy guests.


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

I would definitely recommend contacting support as there are many questions to ask to troubleshoot (including "does this affect just one device or all?"). I am not aware of any "known issue" to this effect(at least nothing that pops into mind). 
A few recommendations for starters:

Make sure you are running 2.1.290 firmware or higher (Settings> About). 
Confirm if you can see Caavo UI when this happens (helps determine if issue is before or after Caavo)
Check HDMI connections, swap out cables, perhaps try a different input port.


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

Any idea when Caavo will release a firmware that will allow for the Dolby Vision workaround they've documented?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

any news on when the pro model should be coming out? I need those extra ports


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## TiVoJerry (Jul 26, 2005)

Regarding the last two questions, I have passed them along but have nothing I can share at this time.


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## BillyClyde (Mar 3, 2017)

toricred said:


> Any idea when Caavo will release a firmware that will allow for the Dolby Vision workaround they've documented?


What workaround is this? Sony LLDV Dolby Vision compatibility?


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## Am_I_Evil (Apr 7, 2009)

TiVoJerry said:


> I would definitely recommend contacting support as there are many questions to ask to troubleshoot (including "does this affect just one device or all?"). I am not aware of any "known issue" to this effect(at least nothing that pops into mind).
> A few recommendations for starters:
> 
> Make sure you are running 2.1.290 firmware or higher (Settings> About).
> ...


update: this appeared to just be a cable (the cable that came with the Caavo), but since replacing there have been no more issues (replaced so many things before this lol, but i'm glad it's fixed)


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I've been having an issue. I just chatted with support and submitted a bug report. Every day my remote loses connection to the Apple TV 4K. I have to go into the menus and disconnect it. It automatically reconnects and then is fine. Sometimes it's just once a day, sometimes it's two or three times a day. It's really annoying. I need to keep the Apple TV remote handy to navigate through the menus to disconnect it.

I've also noticed that the labels are coming off of the Caavo remote. I was told if I wanted to replace it I would need to pay $25. It's still functioning (unless the remote is causing my connection issues) so I'll keep it for now. I'm just waiting to hear back from support regarding the connection.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

Caavo is going to get less and less useful, if they aren't adding new streaming services.

No Apple TV+, Disney+...Not sure about HBO Max.

I know they are alive. New shows seem to be added.

-smak-


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Coming Soon

Today, we’re excited to be the bearer of good news: Your favorite smart remote is getting a much-anticipated update! Enhancements include a streamlined on-screen experience, and support for additional devices and streaming apps like Disney+, HBO Max, and Apple TV+.

Still not seeing the promised android app to control caavo....

...but in the meantime they developed an app for both ios and android (plus chrome extension) to "watch with friends". Some of us don't have friends or ios devices.


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## janitor53 (Jun 9, 2016)

I'd be way more interested in Caavo if the remote was better.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I like the remote. My only problem is it keeps disconnecting from the AppleTV. I need to unpair and re-pair frequently. I've been dealing with Caavo support for a couple of months and they're stumped.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

I just pulled our Caavo out of the HT setup. It was more trouble than it was worth. We had a 4K computer, a Roku Premiere (also 4K) and the TiVo attached, with the output running through our AV receiver. On a semi-regular basis the Caavo would just refuse to output a signal and would need to be restarted. It often lost its network connection (wired or wireless) and we had to turn off the on-screen button prompts because they started popping up when the remote was on the table, untouched. Their “added value” service never quite worked (e.g., it never found titles I knew were available).

We spent 6 weeks working with Caavo support, and no solution was ever found. Add to that the poor HDR support, and we decided to end the experiment.

We went back to using the AV receiver to do switching.


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## convergent (Jan 4, 2007)

I just mothballed our Caavo because it just wasn't necessary any more. We used to have a cable box, a couple of streaming boxes, DVD player, sound bar, etc.. Now we are 99% through one streaming box with an occasional DVD. I was able to greatly simplify the amount of crap on our HT bookcase, cables, power strips, etc.. I do like the Caavo remote, but its not worth the extra complexity anymore. Sadly it is the only remote that correctly operate the TV button on Apple TV.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

We used ours for 6 months, and it was great at first. I don’t know if it was a system update that Caavo pushed, or if it was just failing hardware, but either way the experience deteriorated until we decided to pull it out. Too bad...it was a great idea, but they never quite worked it out. For example, our Vizio TV can be completely controlled with IP based commands, but Caavo insists on using IR blasters! Smart TVs have built in apps, but they are inaccessible via Caavo. They can’t support Dolby Vision, so are planning another workaround where you’ll need to connect your streamer to the TV directly and the Caavo will just switch to that input (via IR again) and then control the streamer with the Caavo remote (hopefully...that wasn’t totally clear). This was announced months ago, but still hasn’t arrived. This also makes the “smart search” not available for that streamer.

Caavo was great idea when they started out, but haven’t really advanced their solution since they launched.


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Caavo still has an opportunity --- they should look at software like reelgood - if they can keep up...

Still wish they'd allow third party remotes or at least an api.

=========
As you may know, we planned to roll out a new feature update to your Caavo Control Center last week. We want to make sure you have the best possible experience, and unfortunately, testing is taking longer than anticipated. 

The update is currently in the hands of our trusted beta community. We hope to roll it out to everyone next week, and you'll see an on-screen message as soon as it's ready.

We apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience. 

Yours in TV,
Team Caavo


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

The update starts rolling out today.

Announcing New Caavo Control Center Feature Updates


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

9 months of development - not seeing much difference in the way I use it - at least they are keeping support for apps up to date. Still have hope for something like reelgood - pretty interface that ties all content together (plex, tivo, streamed), and launch from single spot. It still does work good if I know in advance what I want to watch and use the voice feature. Still don't see any APIs / way to use a third party remote. Still no android version of remote app.


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## djones18 (Jan 6, 2006)

Diana Collins said:


> We used ours for 6 months, and it was great at first. I don't know if it was a system update that Caavo pushed, or if it was just failing hardware, but either way the experience deteriorated until we decided to pull it out. Too bad...it was a great idea, but they never quite worked it out. For example, our Vizio TV can be completely controlled with IP based commands, but Caavo insists on using IR blasters! Smart TVs have built in apps, but they are inaccessible via Caavo. They can't support Dolby Vision, so are planning another workaround where you'll need to connect your streamer to the TV directly and the Caavo will just switch to that input (via IR again) and then control the streamer with the Caavo remote (hopefully...that wasn't totally clear). This was announced months ago, but still hasn't arrived. This also makes the "smart search" not available for that streamer.
> 
> Caavo was great idea when they started out, but haven't really advanced their solution since they launched.


Thanks for your update on the Caavo. We have a similar setup to you and I was about to get one. I think I'll now wait and see if they come out with something new with updated firmware for Dolby Vision, a better remote and more features.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I'm pretty much in daily contact with Caavo support. I really want this thing to work, but it's just not happening. It was fine for quite a while, and then it wasn't.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

still like my caavo and will buy 8 hdmi port one when it ships


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Are there any other similar devices on the market?


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## janitor53 (Jun 9, 2016)

Sure, professionally installed devices from Control4, Savant, Crestron, etc.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

the 8 port Pro model was supposed to ship 1st qtr 2020. haven't heard any updates on it


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## HazelW (Dec 6, 2007)

I have been sing the CAAVO for several months. I basically use it as an HDMI switch. My TiVo and sound bar (via ARC) are on a separate port on the TV while a number of other devices go through the CAAVO for both switching and remote. Every few days something happens--the remote loses connectivity to my Apple TV, the CAAVO goes dead and kills my TV and has to be rebooted by pulling the plug, or now, since the latest update, it knocks out my sound bar for some reason. I am about to abandon it and get an HDMI switcher and a universal remote.

I'll try removing the TV and sound bar form the CAAVO and see if that helps, but it always seems to want to add them back in to its control.


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## ncted (May 13, 2007)

janitor53 said:


> Sure, professionally installed devices from Control4, Savant, Crestron, etc.


We deal with these at work (University). They require extensive programming, and they often require manual intervention. We have permanent staff just to run around and fix them all the time.


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

I really don't get the point of this box or maybe it's just not something I need. I have a smart TV, a Tivo Bolt and an Xbox One. I get all the content I need mostly through my TV. Not sure why anyone would need multiple content boxes like Apple TV and a Roku.


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## ncted (May 13, 2007)

Resist said:


> I really don't get the point of this box or maybe it's just not something I need. I have a smart TV, a Tivo Bolt and an Xbox One. I get all the content I need mostly through my TV. Not sure why anyone would need multiple content boxes like Apple TV and a Roku.


Every device has missing apps, and then some apps work better on one device vs. another. Based on what I've read here and elsewhere, this box was a good idea, but the execution needs work.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Resist said:


> I really don't get the point of this box or maybe it's just not something I need. I have a smart TV, a Tivo Bolt and an Xbox One. I get all the content I need mostly through my TV. Not sure why anyone would need multiple content boxes like Apple TV and a Roku.


I have a TiVo, an Apple TV, a mini PC, and a Chromecast. All have different features and functions.


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## bukzin (Sep 14, 2002)

Questions... I have 2 Control Centers, trying to setup one that was offline for months.
Can’t get past the subscription page to find my units mac number to make sure I’m adding a subscription 
to the correct unit.

Submitted a support ticket but nothing yet. Any tips (chat or phone number) on getting quicker help?

Also, are you aware of a more active forum for Caavo?

Thx!


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

So bought my second Caavo but took a chance on an eBay purchase instead of direct purchase. It hasn't arrived yet but this merchant had over 400 of them to sell so I assume he got them directly from Caavo, somehow, with that volume. My question is about registration and fee. Will I be able to register it and is my lifetime per box or account? Or did I just waste my money?


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

dadrepus said:


> So bought my second Caavo but took a chance on an eBay purchase instead of direct purchase. It hasn't arrived yet but this merchant had over 400 of them to sell so I assume he got them directly from Caavo, somehow, with that volume. My question is about registration and fee. Will I be able to register it and is my lifetime per box or account? Or did I just waste my money?


Service registration is via the website which is still very much active, so I don't see why you should experience any issues.

The Caavo website says that lifetime membership is ""_good for the lifetime of your Control Center_" which I'm interpreting as "per box", but you should be able to purchase that for your new box.

Isn't it amazing that it's literally been **many months** and there are still no brand new Caavo boxes available to be purchased? How's the company even staying in business if it has no products to sell?!


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## cenright (Feb 11, 2007)

Dead Jim? Not Quite?
Caavo receives FCC approval for a New Remote Control


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I just disconnected my Caavo this past weekend. I was only using it as a master remote and HDMI switcher. The search function always took forever and the results were inconsistent. I'm back to using three remotes, but it's fine.


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## dhoward (Mar 15, 2002)

I just ordered one on EBay. It is an unused open box and only $10 higher then list. With Harmony exiting I am looking for a replacement. I am unsure of this device. Quick question during registration I know you have to list a credit card. Don't you get 45 days of a trial to use? Also from what I am reading during registration you have to pick a plan. If I decide I don't like it, during the first 45 days, can I opt out without being charged. I am concerned because I cannot figure out how they stay in business with no product to sell. I never saw why this was better then harmony. Do most who have it like it?


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

dhoward said:


> I just ordered one on EBay. It is an unused open box and only $10 higher then list. With Harmony exiting I am looking for a replacement. I am unsure of this device. Quick question during registration I know you have to list a credit card. Don't you get 45 days of a trial to use? Also from what I am reading during registration you have to pick a plan. If I decide I don't like it, during the first 45 days, can I opt out without being charged. I am concerned because I cannot figure out how they stay in business with no product to sell. I never saw why this was better then harmony. Do most who have it like it?


Personally, I just use it as a fancy HDMI switcher. Works pretty good for that.


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

dhoward said:


> Do most who have it like it?


I personally have 3 CAAVO units (living room, basement, bedroom), but I got them early when they were offering lower lifetime subscriptions (I think about $70 at the time). I got lifetimes on all 3. They work great for me and I think they are a good product. They integrate well with all my sources witch include TiVo, DirecTV, Nvidia Shield, Firestick, Xbox, Roku & HDTVs (Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp). Also work good with my Sony and Onkyo HDMI receivers. I even have one hooked up to an older Pioneer AV receiver and works with it (via IR) as well. No complaints here


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

dhoward said:


> Do most who have it like it?


Mine is collecting dust.


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## dhoward (Mar 15, 2002)

That surprises me. When they first came out I remembered that you were a big fan of it. I am interested in it only because Harmony is no longer manufacturing their remotes. Mine has not arrived yet but I wish they did not require you to provide a credit card and pick a plan before the 45 day trail period is up. That should come near the end of the 45 days.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

dhoward said:


> That surprises me. When they first came out I remembered that you were a big fan of it. I am interested in it only because Harmony is no longer manufacturing their remotes. Mine has not arrived yet but I wish they did not require you to provide a credit card and pick a plan before the 45 day trail period is up. That should come near the end of the 45 days.


I was a big fan. It solved the multiple remote issue in a way that Harmony never could. I tried Harmony and it was inconsistent. The Caavo worked. I ended up getting rid of the TiVo and just use the Apple TV for everything. There was no longer a need for an HDMI switcher.


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## bchboy1206 (May 8, 2021)

Hello, newbie here!!! My cheapo soundbar died and now I decided to go big with a receiver and 7.1.2 sound system and like many of you I have quite a few remotes but the difference is I have to hide mine all the time due to my puppy, she loves eating them. Also for some reason I have a hard time with having to use 2 remotes and a certain secret procedure that I have to follow to turn them both on so I am looking for something that will fit the bill. Seems like Caavo will fit the bill but Harmony will too but I hate to buy an item that will soon be extinct. Oh I am so confused!!!


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

bchboy1206 said:


> Hello, newbie here!!! My cheapo soundbar died and now I decided to go big with a receiver and 7.1.2 sound system and like many of you I have quite a few remotes but the difference is I have to hide mine all the time due to my puppy, she loves eating them. Also for some reason I have a hard time with having to use 2 remotes and a certain secret procedure that I have to follow to turn them both on so I am looking for something that will fit the bill. Seems like Caavo will fit the bill but Harmony will too but I hate to buy an item that will soon be extinct. Oh I am so confused!!!


As of now I'd say neither solutions are ideal.

What about a newer and better soundbar, like a Sonos Beam or Arc, that connects via HDMI-Arc and uses CEC for remote control? This would certainly be an easier, more integrated system, you can expand it wirelessly for more surround with a Sonos sub and two rears too, and this will keep you closer to the "one remote to rule them all" goal.  It doesn't have to be Sonos, I'm just saying the remote control can be natively integrated if you get one that uses CEC. In that case you'd just use the original remote for the device you're controlling, it handles power and soundbar volume too. And then you can hide that remote in a drawer when you're not using it, so the puppy can't eat it 

If you have a collection of streaming devices you want to use all at once, the Caavo isn't a bad choice. But I don't think it's what you're looking for.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I will add that Caavo has excellent customer support. I was on the phone with them for an issue I was having and I made an offhand comment about an issue I was having with my (then) new TV. I was asked for the make and model and Caavo customer support was able to help with an issue that had nothing to do with Caavo. :thumbsup:


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## dhoward (Mar 15, 2002)

PJO1966 said:


> I will add that Caavo has excellent customer support. I was on the phone with them for an issue I was having and I made an offhand comment about an issue I was having with my (then) new TV. I was asked for the make and model and Caavo customer support was able to help with an issue that had nothing to do with Caavo. :thumbsup:


I agree about their customer service as I have contacted them twice while am waiting for my unit. They were very helpful. If it was not for Harmony going away I would not be trying this as I am very satisfied with my three harmony setups. What I don't know is how Caavo has stayed in business without any product for over a year and am concerned that they maybe short lived also. My Harmony's still work so this is a curiosity purchase.


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

PJO1966 said:


> I was a big fan. It solved the multiple remote issue in a way that Harmony never could. I tried Harmony and it was inconsistent. The Caavo worked. I ended up getting rid of the TiVo and just use the Apple TV for everything. There was no longer a need for an HDMI switcher.


That's basically the boat I'm in. I have two of them for reasons to convoluted to explain here. Loved the product, but just didn't have a need for it anymore since I simplified my system. They're both collecting dust as well.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Anybody want to sell me their Caavo on the cheap? I need a 3rd one for the bedroom, it does what we need.


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## dhoward (Mar 15, 2002)

Well it came yesterday and I set it up. The setup went well with the equipment I had. I cannot see, for me, any reason to keep the subscription. Since it turned out the unit had been used I could not get the 45 day trial. So I took monthly and will cancel it before the next billing cycle. Most of the quirks I have encountered so far are with Tivo. Maybe someone can enlighten me. When using voice and I tell it to go to a certain channel it first goes to the Tivo menu then back to live TV and then it enters the channel number. Very slow process. Is this normal. Also I prefer a remote with the number keypad rather then an on screen keypad. When I power on the unit it always goes from live TV again to the menu and then back to live TV. The buttons on the remote in some cases are not intuitive. Like record. Turns out that is a long press of the home key. Seriously they could not add a dedicated record button. Anyway, at this point, I don't think my family is going to like it and I will have to go back to the Harmony Hub. I think another weakness is the HDMI switch box. That is hardware that will limit some of the audio and video features of home theater. This probably is why they don't have HDR or Atmos. Harmony is just a remote and the user supplies his own hardware to get all of the AV features.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

I started this thread 3 years ago. Bought the lifetime early on. Still use my Caavo every day. It is an excellent HDMI switch. I only wish it had more than 4 ports, they were supposed to come out with an 8 port "pro" unit but apparently that is dead, at least for now. And I wasn't aware that they added phone support, the last time I had an issue (more than a year ago) it was text support only so that is good news.


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

dadrepus said:


> Anybody want to sell me their Caavo on the cheap? I need a 3rd one for the bedroom, it does what we need.


I have two. A lifetimed unit I sometimes use and experiment with and an unsubbed unit that I just plugged in, which downloaded three or four updates - ha. Happy to pass along my unsubbed unit for $25 - that should cover shipping to wherever and my Starbucks handling fee. I think you have to submit credit card to get trial and then cancel if you want it without a subscription. Otherwise $2/mo or $99 for lifetime looks like the going rates.

There was talk of a new unit coming this month, but their website is pretty quiet.

[email protected] if interested


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

dhoward said:


> I just ordered one on EBay. It is an unused open box and only $10 higher then list. With Harmony exiting I am looking for a replacement. I am unsure of this device. Quick question during registration I know you have to list a credit card. Don't you get 45 days of a trial to use? Also from what I am reading during registration you have to pick a plan. If I decide I don't like it, during the first 45 days, can I opt out without being charged. I am concerned because I cannot figure out how they stay in business with no product to sell. I never saw why this was better then harmony. Do most who have it like it?


Just reconnected ours after a year collecting dust. Had enormous problems with 4K through the Caavo - never worked correctly with a PC (kept locking up and needed to be restarted), doesn't support Dolby Vision (and never will - the hardware is lacking) and HDR10 was flakey. It also got REALLY hot (too hot to touch) when handling 4K. Worked with their support folks for weeks and they insisted it was our equipment (PC, AVR and/or TV) that caused the problem.

Just hooked it back up in another room, basically as a switcher/universal remote, that only runs at 1080p. Seems to be MUCH happier with the lower resolution - doesn't get as hot, doesn't lock up, etc. The aggregation and preference learning was never very good, so we cancelled the service long ago.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

davezatz said:


> I have two. A lifetimed unit I sometimes use and experiment with and an unsubbed unit that I just plugged in, which downloaded three or four updates - ha. Happy to pass along my unsubbed unit for $25 - that should cover shipping to wherever and my Starbucks handling fee. I think you have to submit credit card to get trial and then cancel if you want it without a subscription. Otherwise $2/mo or $99 for lifetime looks like the going rates.
> 
> There was talk of a new unit coming this month, but their website is pretty quiet.
> 
> [email protected] if interested


Well, isn't my face red. Asked my wife if she wanted the one for the bedroom (should have done that first) and she said "no" she is just happy with the Tivo as that is all she watches in bed. I never watch that TV.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Well, my Caavo is messed up now because i did a factory reset. It will not pair with my Tivo. It lost connection with the tv and would not turn it on or shut it off. A suggestion on the Caavo reddit said to do a factory reset. I tried it but it won't let me get past this screen








anybody have a suggestion? Is there a Caavo phone# I can use to get in contact with Technical Support? Live chat does not work on the website.


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

dadrepus said:


> anybody have a suggestion? Is there a Caavo phone# I can use to get in contact with Technical Support? Live chat does not work on the website.


Caavo support ([email protected]) is working. You can just email them. That said, if it's a genuine hardware issue and seeing as they're out of hardware completely, I do hope they're able to help. Good luck, and let us know what happened.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

I’m optimistic they’ll get it resolved but I’m also sure there are units available on the various “used, for sale” marketplaces like eBay too.

That said, if they can’t fix it, I’d probably be loathe to purchase more of their hardware, from any source.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

SidKa said:


> Caavo support ([email protected]) is working. You can just email them. That said, if it's a genuine hardware issue and seeing as they're out of hardware completely, I do hope they're able to help. Good luck, and let us know what happened.


I did send them an email but that is really a slow way of communicating when your 
tv no longer functions.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

It’s not the TV though, it’s the Caavo. Can you not just plug the TiVo back into the TV the way you had it before Caavo came into the picture? The same way your TiVo is set up in the bedroom? At least for now, until you get the Caavo fixed or replaced?


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## HazelW (Dec 6, 2007)

dadrepus said:


> I did send them an email but that is really a slow way of communicating when your
> tv no longer functions.


I have one I am no longer using. Make me an offer I can't refuse. -


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Fofer said:


> It's not the TV though, it's the Caavo. Can you not just plug the TiVo back into the TV the way you had it before Caavo came into the picture? The same way your TiVo is set up in the bedroom?
> 
> At least for now, until you get the Caavo fixed or replaced?


I sure can but that's not the point is it?


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Fofer said:


> That said, if they can't fix it, I'd probably be loathe to purchase more of their hardware, from any source.


My thoughts as well.
Wife is really pissed I messed with it.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

dadrepus said:


> I sure can but that's not the point is it?


You said your "TV no longer functions" (while venting about Caavo's slow communication.) So yes, that is the point I was making. Offering help to get your "TV working" immediately, while you waited for official support.


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## swyman18 (Jan 7, 2016)

dadrepus said:


> I sure can but that's not the point is it?


I'm not sure if having a non-functioning TV and a pissed off wife is worth it to make the point. But that's just me. Good luck.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Yes, I guess you are technically right and my snarky remark was just my frustrations replying. I do know enough to just plug the Tivo into the back of my receiver to get tv again while I wait and in fact it currently is. We just have to go back to two remotes. I know you were just trying to help.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Thanks for that... yes, I was just trying to help. I was thinking that maybe your equipment was installed inside a cabinet or something, in a way that would make removing the Caavo control more difficult than just switching around some cables.

Anyway, I do hope you get this sorted.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Fofer said:


> Thanks for that... yes, I was just trying to help. I was thinking that maybe your equipment was installed inside a cabinet or something, in a way that would make removing the Caavo control more difficult than just switching around some cables.
> 
> Anyway, I do hope you get this sorted.


It actually is but I just reached back there with a new HDMI cable and connected it to another HDMI input and attached that to the tivo. Left the other cables alone.We now have to go to BD/DVD on the receiver remote to see the Tivo. No biggie. Thanks.

Still no reply from Caavo to my email of this morning.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Spent a lot of time chatting with Caavo (finally) but eventually figured it out on my own. 1st I unplugged the tivo and booted up the Caavo so it only saw my Roku, amp and Tv. Went through all the steps to establish a completed connection and then plugged in the Tivo and it asked me if I wanted to add an item. i added the tivo and a window popped up with a black square in the middle of the screen showing no handshake occurred. Unplugged the tivo power and replugged and it started the handshake. You could see little tivo guy within the black square. Caavo eventually asked if I wanted to use their remote control on the tivo. I clicked a couple of buttons and now it works again. I assume if the Tivo was running android it would have gone a lot smoother. I may upgrade the next time this snafus.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

Ok, here's a hoot. I just missed a phone call from Caavo corporate, he left a message. Some fella with an Indian accent said he just flew in and heard about my problem and wanted to make sure I was satisfied. Sounded like one of the corporate heads in the message. Now that is impressive as hell.


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## ellinj (Feb 26, 2002)

Really wish I knew what was going on with this company, I love their product, but it seems they are dead.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

I was thinking the same, until dadrepus said he got a personalized call from a corporate head making sure he was satisfied with the tech support he'd received? Like, that doesn't happen at a dead company. But a live company also updates and improves their product of this nature, and doesn't go radio silent for a year, especially after announcing a strange pivot: https://seniorliving.caavo.com

It's odd. Seems like this would be a busy and successful time for Caavo, given the pandemic but also the state of the remote control industry. I do wonder what's going on with them, and what will happen next.


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

Yes, very odd indeed... I can confirm that Tech Support is active as well, but that's about it. Caavo boxes (new _OR_ refurbished) have been unable to be purchased for over year now! Chip shortage is worldwide phenomenon but every other impacted company is still making units (maybe fewer units than before, but still some)... only Caavo seems to be at zero. How are they hanging in there? And what's the point of the senior living pivot if they can't supply boxes?


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## ellinj (Feb 26, 2002)

The senior living thing looks neat, but completely useless without available hardware. I did just oder another another remote, since they were in stock, I figure why not, its also the thing most likely to break.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

I'm still waiting for the 8 port caavo pro they talked about ages ago, I would buy it in a second


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

This thread has reminded me that my Caavo has been sitting back in its box for over a year. Time for craigslist!


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

My Caavo sees the Tivo just fine, but seems unable to send it any commands (the Tivos in question respond to my iPhone running the Tivo app as well as simple HTTP commands, so it isn't the Tivo) and I never reset it to factory settings.

The Caavo was a great idea that never quite delivered. Between the ridiculous amount of heat it generated (they once told me it was not designed to be in a cabinet...it is ONLY supposed to sit in the open air), the fact that they couldn't pass through DolbyVision , that their content aggregation never worked quite right, and that their integration with many types of hardware, including Smart TVs, was solely based on IR, it was, at best, a quirky solution.

In our case, we had a PC attached as well and the Caavo would sometimes simply stop processing the video. It was, in the end, way more trouble than it was worth. I moved it to another room, where all it had to deal with was a 720p TV, a Tivo and a BluRay player (and it could sit in the open). That was okay, until it stopped controlling the Tivo.

Had they ever delivered the 3rd model (with 8 inputs and supporting all HDR standards) they might have been able to make it. But like Tivo, they didn't have the money to do the hardware and software development when it could have made a difference.


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## SidKa (Dec 21, 2017)

Diana Collins said:


> Had they ever delivered the 3rd model (with 8 inputs and supporting all HDR standards) they might have been able to make it.


It's not just Caavo, though.. the _entire_ universal remote category seems to have failed. Logitech Harmony has stopped making hardware, Sevenhugs has stopped making hardware, Caavo has stopped making hardware...there's no one left, to my knowledge.

I imagine the mass market forecast for this category is grim. With all content moving to streaming apps on a couple of dominant OSes/providers (Apple TV, Roku TV, Android TV/Shield), consumers simply don't _need_ universal remotes any more.

And here we are. The TiVo lovers. Still hanging on to a device in decline and with no future. Commenting on a TiVo forum on another product - Caavo - for which the need would probably not exist if we had all jumped on to the streaming bandwagon the rest of the world is already on. Sigh.


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