# Hydra vs Classic - OTA



## mrick (Jan 6, 2008)

I have just read horror stories about Hydra. Also I have read with OTA one is stuck with Hydra.

I just ordered my bolt today.

Should I scratch the purchase. I have a Nvidia Shield so all I need Tivo to do is reliably record shows and let me watch them. I can do everything else from the Shield.

However, if Hydra is fine then this was a good time to upgrade. My Tivo is really old.

By the way I have a Harmony Touchscreen remote. I don't even use my Tivo remote. Is that going to be a problem?

Thanks in advance.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

Hydra is fine. It's not better...it is different. But it's fine.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Keep on with and enjoy your new TiVo purchase! 

Hydra aka TE4 has a few deficits, for some people, as compared to TE3: Suggestions is broken, PC -> TiVo box transfers aren't possible, inter-TiVo box transfers can't be done on the boxes themselves (they must be done at TiVo Online), and the Live Guide is gone. If those features aren't of interest/concern, TE4 may be just fine for you--many people like it just fine (for me, but for these matters, I would switch my TiVo boxes to TE4).

Also, apart from on the Bolt OTA box, the Bolt boxes can be sidegraded to TE3, if you would like (note that any recordings on the box will be lost in the process--shows that you want to preserve can be transferred to a PC first, and then back to the TiVo box after).


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## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

Mikeguy said:


> Also, apart from on the Bolt OTA box, the Bolt boxes can be sidegraded to TE3, if you would like (note that any recordings on the box will be lost in the process--shows that you want to preserve can be transferred to a PC first, and then back to the TiVo box after).


You cannot put TE3 on a BOLT OTA. The OP is correct. It is not possible. The BOLT OTA was never shipped with TE3 and the TiVo downgrade procedure to go from TE4 to TE3 will not work.

For this reason I did not opt to replace my four-tuner BOLTs to BOLT OTAs.

Best,
craigr


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

You have 30 days to return it, so try it out and decide for yourself.


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## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

OP, if you want TE3 than you can buy a regular four-tuner BOLT and use it for OTA. That said, the reception on the OTA model may be better because it does not have on board MoCA. If I were further from my towers or had reception issues I would have opted to swap out for the OTA version in spite of TE4. But I’m in Chicago and only five miles from my towers so I’m fine.

I’m actually considering trying TE4 again on one of my boxes. It’s been a while and it does have some nice new features.

craigr


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

CIR-Engineering said:


> You cannot put TE3 on a BOLT OTA. The OP is correct. It is not possible. The BOLT OTA was never shipped with TE3 and the TiVo downgrade procedure to go from TE4 to TE3 will not work.


Yep--that's why I had written, "Also, _apart from on the Bolt OTA box_, the Bolt boxes can be sidegraded to TE3, if you would like like . . ." (emphasis added).


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

No one addressed the remote. The same remote will work for any TiVo. A couple buttons have been repurposed in TE4 but it should work just fine.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

mrick said:


> I have read with OTA one is stuck with Hydra.
> 
> I just ordered my bolt today.


You need to be more specific. Did you order a BOLT model that is capable of OTA tuning/recording, or, specifically, the "BOLT OTA" model?


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## mrick (Jan 6, 2008)

It is the Bolt OTA model. I have never had cable TV .


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

mrick said:


> It is the Bolt OTA model. I have never had cable TV .


That wouldn't preclude you from buying a TiVo capable of both, especially recently given the $99 Lifetime/All-in transfer promotion that just ended ... in which a BOLT OTA was *not* an option available for purchase.

Anyway... your BOLT OTA can *only* run TE4/Hydra, as mentioned several times in the thread, with one plus being that you'll have access to AutoSkip. (VOX Voice control and search will be possible, as well, but only with the stock TiVo VOX Remote, not via your Harmony. Obviously.)


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## mrick (Jan 6, 2008)

Ahh. Technology. Making life simple via complexity. I see there is a work around for the harmony from If This Than That. I might give that a try. 

Really, I got a promo offer in an email and I thought since my TIVO was really old, I might should upgrade. I never considered an alternative other than TIVO. Now all the discussion has me thinking. If I was TIVO, I would think about trying to expand my box to stream media libraries stored on a NAS to mimic Kodi boxes. And if I were Nvidia I would start thinking about adding some tuners.

Thanks to everyone for their valuable input. I will continue to watch this thread for additional advice and perspective.

Best,
Mrick


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Why not just add a Homerun and Channels DVR to your Shield and forget about TiVo?


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## mrick (Jan 6, 2008)

That's a great idea. Every unit in the house could replicate the TIVO. I spent time last night watching HDHomerun videos and Channels DVR videos. The Channels DVR software has a cost and a monthly fee. Currently, this new package of Tivo/Lifetime will pay for itself in 4 years. If the HDHomerun free channel update software was ready for primetime, I think that would be the way. But consensus is that it isn't.

My son says every time he changes cable providers his wife complains about the user interface. Then she gets used to it. He changes again, and she complains about the new UI. His suggestion is to get used to the TE4.

The upside to keeping the Tivo is the same reason for sending it back. Redundancy. I could turn the shield into a DVR but I have had the shield fail. Nvidia is forever updating the software and occasionally it will brick the unit. The new update screwed up file transfer. Should I lose the shield, the Tivo is still there. I can still get to Amazon prime. I can still get to Netflicks. I wish Tivo could get to my video library via a Plex or Kodi solution but there isn't a way to do that. With a big hard drive there should be.

The Bolt still in the box and still weighing my options. If the mini was cheaper I would call it done.

So appreciate the feedback from everyone.


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## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

mrick said:


> ...wish Tivo could get to my video library via a Plex or Kodi solution but there isn't a way to do that. With a big hard drive there should be.
> 
> The Bolt still in the box and still weighing my options. If the mini was cheaper I would call it done.
> 
> So appreciate the feedback from everyone.


TiVo does have PLEX preibstalled along with the Amazon, PRIME, and Netflix apps. I use PLEX all the time through the TiVo for my kids never ending onslaught of cartoons. I pull the cartoons off the TiVo from time to time and keep them on my 140TB unRAID server 

craigr


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## Puppy76 (Oct 7, 2004)

mrick said:


> I have just read horror stories about Hydra. Also I have read with OTA one is stuck with Hydra.
> 
> I just ordered my bolt today.
> 
> ...


You can switch to the old interface, which is better. Hydra is okay mostly, though the last update ran the fans too loud, and now Tivo desktop is broken for me...

I'd have not "upgraded" had I known.

There seem to be rumblings that they're aware people like the old interface better, so maybe they'll switch it to something more like that.

He interface itself isn't totally horrific though, it's still easy to use, just worse.


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