# Sad lack of ne features



## TrackZ (Jan 5, 2004)

Seems like TiVo has really fallen off the new features with thr Bolt since updates months ago.

By now, we should have or heard about stuff like:

- HDMI 2.0a update for HDR
- Netflix HDR streaming
- Amazon uhd and HDR streaming
- VUDU uhd streaming
- YouTube uhd streaming

I've seen not chatter about these. Anyone else? Do you think we will see this stuff or has TiVo priority changed with the acquisition and such?


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

TrackZ said:


> HDMI 2.0a update for HDR


Wouldn't this require new hardware? And isn't this a prerequisite for all the other things you mention? Or is it just for the HDR things but not UHD?

Maybe something will be mentioned in the Thursday Q&A.


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## TrackZ (Jan 5, 2004)

The box is already HDMI 2.0. Making it 2.0a should be firmware. HDMI 2.0a is required before any HDR output could be enabled. 

They still have already added uhd resolutions to more than Netflix though.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Seems that the "they" is a bit confused here. Tivo does not write the apps for these third party providers any more than apple does for their environment. 

Of course Tivo would like to advertise and provide these services. But, its not up to them to write such apps.


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## TrackZ (Jan 5, 2004)

jrtroo said:


> Seems that the "they" is a bit confused here. Tivo does not write the apps for these third party providers any more than apple does for their environment.
> 
> Of course Tivo would like to advertise and provide these services. But, its not up to them to write such apps.


But it's their platform. They hold the ultimate responsibility to go out and evangelize and get those app features on their box. Bolt is sold as an aggregate entertainment box for broadcast and streaming focused on uhd and nothing has expanded in several months now.

My TiVo is on the chopping block in the wake of the new Xbox and HDHomeRun app that just launched. Hoping to see TiVo deliver more.


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## mikeyts (Jul 10, 2004)

I believe that HDR10 doesn't require special hardware whereas Dolby Vision does (though I could be wrong). TiVo would be responsible for platform support; I'm sure that all of the apps use TiVo platform APIs.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

TrackZ said:


> Bolt is sold as an aggregate entertainment box for broadcast and streaming focused on uhd and nothing has expanded in several months now.


You've been with Tivo long enough to know their development process is not in the "several months" kind of schedule for new features. New features have never been promised as part of the package, except OOH streaming. 

Again, Tivo does not write the apps. They can plead and beg, and probably have been, but those other providers are under no obligation to update anything if they don't see the business need.

You may want to go to ask some questions from the VP from Tivo who is entertaining a kind of "AMA" tomorrow. Check out the coffee house for info.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

jrtroo said:


> You've been with Tivo long enough to know their development process is not in the "several months" kind of schedule for new features. New features have never been promised as part of the package, except OOH streaming.
> 
> Again, Tivo does not write the apps. They can plead and beg, and probably have been, but those other providers are under no obligation to update anything if they don't see the business need.
> 
> You may want to go to ask some questions from the VP from Tivo who is entertaining a kind of "AMA" tomorrow. Check out the coffee house for info.


App providers could not add HDR to their Bolt apps if they wanted. Only TiVo can enable that support. Unless TiVo adds HDR10 support, HDR will never be added by app providers.


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## mikeyts (Jul 10, 2004)

BTW, YouTube has featured UHD streaming since day one. Go to the menu on the left and scroll down to BEST OF YOUTUBE and select 4K. You can also search for 4K and UHD. A search for "4K trailers" turns up some nice stuff. 

The problem is that they started with 4K YouTube and 4K Netflix and there hasn't been any advancement since, nearly a year after launch. 

4K VUDU has been an exclusive to Vizio UHD TVs and Roku 4 since launch, but that seems to be coming to an end. At the beginning of July they added NVIDIA Shield TV and some 2016 LG TVs to the list. A couple of months back I noticed 4K in the VUDU app, but apparently it was just a test and the feature was removed after a few days. Perhaps it'll be back soon.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

mikeyts said:


> I'm sure that all of the apps use TiVo platform APIs.


TiVo uses a generic HTML5 platform via the Opera browser. It's the same basic platform/API as used for Samsung smart TVs.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Dan203 said:


> TiVo uses a generic HTML5 platform via the Opera browser. It's the same basic platform/API as used for Samsung smart TVs.


Is all opera html5 or is opera the platform that can use html5?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Opera is the browser they use to render the HTML5. HTML5 is generic and can be run in any modern browser.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Dan203 said:


> Opera is the browser they use to render the HTML5. HTML5 is generic and can be run in any modern browser.


Okay. Makes sense. Thanks.


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## mikeyts (Jul 10, 2004)

Dan203 said:


> TiVo uses a generic HTML5 platform via the Opera browser. It's the same basic platform/API as used for Samsung smart TVs.


I don't think that Netflix uses HTML5 in their embedded apps. From this Netflix technology blog article:



> How can we squeeze as much performance as possible out of budget devices and add more cinematic animations on game consoles?
> 
> We think JavaScript, HTML and CSS are great technologies to build compelling experiences with, such as our HTML 5 player UI. But we wanted more fine-grained control of the graphics layer and wanted optimizations for apps that do not need reflowable content. Our SDK team built a new rendering engine with which we can deliver animations on very resource constrained devices, making it possible to give customers our best UI. We can also enrich the experience with cinematic animations & effects on game consoles.


Their engine has to be ported to devices. When the old common Netflix UI was first ported to TiVo, I believe that it was running in the Opera platform. I don't know how any of the other major streaming apps are constructed. No other company shares details of their software development efforts as Netflix (not to mention tons of data and transaction processing code).


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Netflix is the only app on TiVo that's not HTML5.


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