# Life after WMC as a Bolt Newbie (Ist day)



## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

Hello,

I just received my Tivo Bolt from FedX delivery on Sunday (yes, Sunday @ 10AM). Having gone through initial set-up (lifetime subscription installed already by Tivo) of about an hour, I have a few questions about using the Bolt (Oct. 2019).

I have read about the heating issue & remedies thereof. How do you find the temperature on the menu OR do I need a thermometer w/readout for this? Being brand new, I don't want to open it up until I have to, apparently for hard drive replacement. I do have it elevated and the cable card door removed as I have read in postings, but is there an internal readout for heat?

For the channel search, the Bolt did fine with the guide, but actual results differed. Some weak channels did not televise, so I ran an antenna signal test. The signal on a strong channel was good, but taking the advice from the sidebar of going up or down channels, shuts off the Tivo, only to go through restarting process. Is this inherent or must I go through each channel by leaving the antenna strength page to return with desired channel to test? The strength meter appears fine on the one channel, drifting a little each second or two of time.

The channel up goes Cuckoo and the channel down does the reverse. Is there any way to silence this and all sound effects? It is disturbing coming from 15 years of Windows Media Center and the near silence it had.

What would it have taken Tivo to include a users manual? I went online to read it and it is short enough, yet inclusive for anyone who desires it.

If WMC didn't go belly up as of January 1st with no more TV guide, I would have stayed with it. Tivo was chosen as DVR of choice by many cord cutters, so here I am at this point frustrated at something seemingly untweakable compared to what WMC was. Does anyone have any methods of remedy for me or is it simply "get used to it, it's Tivo!"?

One last observation is that my remote (voice) uses 2 AA batteries inserted the same way. Is this a 3 Volt remote? What is the life span of your batteries? From what I remember, the lower the Voltage, the more efficient a device is. Anyone have a 9 Volt device and another like device that uses 2 AAA's? Sure, the 9 Volt device delivers, but the battery has a shorter life span versus the AAA device. OR am I wrong with this, being the batteries are inserted into the remote drawing 1 1/2 Volts TOTAL, extending the life expectancy of the batteries, thusly a highly efficient remote?

Thank-You for reading this and especially for remedies in your responses. Like I mentioned, Tivo is new to me and I wish to incorporate it into my life.

Regards,

Dave with Bolt


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## jay_man2 (Sep 15, 2003)

Bolt+ Overheating - Cooling Method? - Please Post Pictures


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

No interest in EPG123? Works fine and would be much cheaper than Tivo.

I'll leave your other questions to others as my Tivo has never behaved the way you describe.

I personally use the far cheaper Amazon Recast. I also came from WMC many years ago.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

jay_man2 said:


> Bolt+ Overheating - Cooling Method? - Please Post Pictures


Thanks! I found it and ODT is 60 after about 7 hours on, recording about 1/4 of the time as test. Key test for 1st run is now for 3 hours / Sunday night. Seems OK so far. Thx jay-man2!


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## jay_man2 (Sep 15, 2003)

I took the cable card door off, and put my Bolt on a cooling fan. Last I checked the ODT was 47. 60 is kind of high.

https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-...d=1578271668&sprefix=aircom+s7,aps,115&sr=8-1


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

mdavej said:


> No interest in EPG123? Works fine and would be much cheaper than Tivo.
> 
> I'll leave your other questions to others as my Tivo has never behaved the way you describe.
> 
> I personally use the far cheaper Amazon Recast. I also came from WMC many years ago.


I looked into EPG123, thought it was a way, but WMC computer is old and outdated (HP Z565, Z560, etc.). Something new and separate from computers as a stand alone so I could upgrade from Win7 to Win10 ... eventually (I have a 64 which can do so, the Z's only 32).

ATSC 3.0 is the thing, when will it roll out, 5 years or ? I figure $375 spent is $70/year over 5 years. Buying a Sunday paper for the TV guide at $1.75 per week times 52 = $91/year. Plus all the fooling around getting a newspaper (live where it would be stolen if I subscribed) and translating the guide into time and channel coordinates ... for the birds!

EPG123 would definitely be cheaper, but even that has a few bugs which, even being retired, don't need to address fixes. Tivo hopefully has enough going for it that I can live with, if nuances can't be remedied.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

jay_man2 said:


> I took the cable card door off, and put my Bolt on a cooling fan. Last I checked the ODT was 47. 60 is kind of high.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-Top-Exhaust-Receivers-Components/dp/B01LVW4SLP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10TVIL1TK47TW&keywords=aircom+s7&qid=1578271668&sprefix=aircom+s7,aps,115&sr=8-1


 First time I "actually" looked at this (thought it was a replacement / substitute for oem fan). Read many kudos of the AC Infinity in the posts this last week. This one or another model? Which way will it circulate air, in or out? ODT still at 60 after checking; under 50 next goal (did I read someone had a 37 somewhere in these posts?). I'm sure removing the cover will decrease temperature, especially if I placed a 120mm fan (or 2) such as I have with my media center setup over the hot spots. The AC Infinity fan way is good to keep the Bolt intact and original, along with it's 30 day / 1 year warranty. BTW, the oem fan runs quiet ... maybe because of Oct. 2019 on cover.


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## bruce316 (Nov 2, 2003)

Dave with Bolt said:


> First time I "actually" looked at this (thought it was a replacement / substitute for oem fan). Read many kudos of the AC Infinity in the posts this last week. This one or another model? Which way will it circulate air, in or out? ODT still at 60 after checking; under 50 next goal (did I read someone had a 37 somewhere in these posts?). I'm sure removing the cover will decrease temperature, especially if I placed a 120mm fan (or 2) such as I have with my media center setup over the hot spots. The AC Infinity fan way is good to keep the Bolt intact and original, along with it's 30 day / 1 year warranty. BTW, the oem fan runs quiet ... maybe because of Oct. 2019 on cover.


I've tried a few fans with the bolt and the one linked in your post (S7) is the nicest looking one and the most effective, also quite expensive at $50. There is another AC Infinity fan (S4 linked below) that is cheaper and almost as effective but the bolt will run about 4 degrees hotter with that one and not look as nice, but it is only $14. These fans will sit under the bolt's cable card door that you took off and blow air into the bolt. If your bolt is running about 60 without a fan it will probably run between 45-50 with the fan. It's hard to get it running much cooler without a lot of modification, drilling holes into the case and such.

https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-MULTIFAN-Receiver-Playstation/dp/B00MWH4FL4/ref=sr_1_43?crid=3HDVG1ODCV6FM&keywords=ac+infinity&qid=1578276479&sprefix=ac+in,aps,180&sr=8-43


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## bruce316 (Nov 2, 2003)

Dave with Bolt said:


> Hello,
> 
> The channel up goes Cuckoo and the channel down does the reverse. Is there any way to silence this and all sound effects? It is disturbing coming from 15 years of Windows Media Center and the near silence it had.
> 
> Dave with Bolt


You can adjust the sound effects volume. Go to Settings, Audio & Video Settings, then choose Sound Effects volume. You can choose Low, Medium, High, or you can even turn them Off if you want.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

bruce316 said:


> You can adjust the sound effects volume. Go to Settings, Audio & Video Settings, then choose Sound Effects volume. You can choose Low, Medium, High, or you can even turn them Off if you want.


 THANK-YOU BRUCE!!! I found OFFFF!! The sound effects were too much ... how can anyone live with them?!


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

Have I made a set-up error by selecting Tivo+ if I don't want it at this time? It appears at every 8th line of the channel guide as I scroll up or down. I don't need apps or movies, just a TV recorder. It is nice to know such a variety is available, but not now. One good thing about it is when I'm looking ahead in the guide, if I go on that space, I can leap ahead 2 hours at a time instead of 1/2. How do I get rid of it? TV guide real estate size is precious, every line of it. Shall resetting the box from scratch WITHOUT clicking on Tivo+ in the process do it? Dare I call Tivo with this dilemma?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Dave with Bolt said:


> THANK-YOU BRUCE!!! I found OFFFF!! The sound effects were too much ... how can anyone live with them?!


I actually like the sound effects and miss them if they've gone away--but I also set the volume level to the lowest.


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## bruce316 (Nov 2, 2003)

Dave with Bolt said:


> Have I made a set-up error by selecting Tivo+ if I don't want it at this time? It appears at every 8th line of the channel guide as I scroll up or down. I don't need apps or movies, just a TV recorder. It is nice to know such a variety is available, but not now. One good thing about it is when I'm looking ahead in the guide, if I go on that space, I can leap ahead 2 hours at a time instead of 1/2. How do I get rid of it? TV guide real estate size is precious, every line of it. Shall resetting the box from scratch WITHOUT clicking on Tivo+ in the process do it? Dare I call Tivo with this dilemma?


I've gotten used to the Tivo+ info in the guide and I don't even notice it much anymore. Some people use Tivos with an earlier system version (TE3) that doesn't have Tivo+. It sounds like you have a newer bolt ota and if that's the case you have to run the newest system version TE4 Hydra. I'm not aware of any way to get rid of Tivo+ if your tivo runs TE4.



Mikeguy said:


> I actually like the sound effects and miss them if they've gone away--but I also set the volume level to the lowest.


I agree with you Mike, I like the tivo sounds also. But I also miss the little movie of the tivo guy that used to play when the tivo restarted so I'm probably more of a diehard Tivo fan than I care to admit.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

bruce316 said:


> I agree with you Mike, I like the tivo sounds also. But I also miss the little movie of the tivo guy that used to play when the tivo restarted so I'm probably more of a diehard Tivo fan than I care to admit.


A miscalculation by TiVo, eliminating the TiVo guy and movie. They added character and generated goodwill. Likewise, TiVo should bring back TiVo merchandise--there is a place for (and monetary benefit from) fun.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

I drilled into my old HP Z565 & Z560, installed a 120mm fan in each with dust grill using a 4 inch hole saw, and they still work fine. Being not a day old yet, I would rather keep the Bolt oem as long as possible (warranty of 1 year), then decide on keeping the cover off, cover off with some fan arrangement to dissipate heat, or drill holes wherever needed with the likes of an S7 utilized and be showcased (if neatness counts). I am ready to drill if need be.

You guys, listen to what channel up sound effect sounds like ... a coo-cooo is what I heard until it was switched off. I found it condescending & demeaning acoustically to the point where that I thought I was in some Marx Brothers movie project as a Margaret Dumont substitute. And who knows what channel down might be associated with! LOL! The sound effects are one aspect I can live without, even though people have straight jackets ready for me when I crack, the Bolt now won't place me in one.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

The ODT is OK at 60.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

If you use Lithium batteries they will display as 100% in System Information. When the show 90%, they are beginning to fail. They fail quickly and the first indication is loss of TV or AVR control since it seems IR functions need more power. Other batteries start at 90% but expire at a slower rate and don't last as long.


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## V7Goose (May 28, 2005)

Dave with Bolt said:


> Being not a day old yet, I would rather keep the Bolt oem as long as possible (warranty of 1 year), then decide on keeping the cover off, cover off with some fan arrangement to dissipate heat, or drill holes wherever needed with the likes of an S7 utilized and be showcased (if neatness counts). I am ready to drill if need be.


The TiVo warranty is pretty much worthless, but I do understand if you want to leave the box untouched - nothing wrong with that.

Your absolute best cooling option is to use a flat blower placed on the shelf at the left rear corner of the Bolt and angled slightly so that the air sweeps across the back and some blows under that ugly hump. On a completely stock Bolt, this fan keeps the ODT at about 53 (with the fan running on low). It actually works best if the bolt is NOT raised up on any bumpers. The blower is very cheap on Amazon. I explain it better, with pictures, in this post: External Cooling Fan

Unless they have made changes to newer Bolts, taking off the CC door will do zero to help cool it if you do not actually have a cable card installed - that little cavity does not have an vents in it on my two Bolts. Remember that the only air intake on a Bolt is tiny little vents along the bottom of the left and right sides, so you must never place the Bolt on any soft surface like a towel or other cloth.


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## stuart628 (Jul 5, 2006)

Dave with Bolt said:


> THANK-YOU BRUCE!!! I found OFFFF!! The sound effects were too much ... how can anyone live with them?!












My wife and I love the sound effects lol....welcome to Tivo, SOLID dvr.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

V7Goose said:


> Unless they have made changes to newer Bolts, taking off the CC door will do zero to help cool it if you do not actually have a cable card installed - that little cavity does not have an vents in it on my two Bolts. Remember that the only air intake on a Bolt is tiny little vents along the bottom of the left and right sides, so you must never place the Bolt on any soft surface like a towel or other cloth.


Maybe I got "lucky," but removing the cablecard compartment hatch door on my earlier-model Bolt box definitely did have a real, measurable effect in lowering the box's ODT (and no cablecard here).


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

To each their own, but to me the sound effects were (before disabling them) horrid, like a loud video game in a solemn church gathering; a terrible condescending user option.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Dave with Bolt said:


> To each their own, but to me the sound effects were (before disabling them) horrid, like a loud video game in a solemn church gathering; a terrible condescending user option.


Miranda loved 'em.*

* A "Sex in and the City" plot line.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Mikeguy said:


> Miranda loved 'em.*
> * A "Sex in the City" plot line.


Common error. "Sex and the City".


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

I can try this now (improvised) with 120mm fans I have. All I need are 4 bushings / grommets for the fan to rest on (reduce / eliminate any possible vibration). What of the AC Infinity fan set-up? The S7 looks good to me. Even a larger option to encompass the sides (and especially the RF cable area), but what model?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

JoeKustra said:


> Common error. "Sex and the City".


Of course, you're right--thanks.  (It's been a while for me.)


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Dave with Bolt said:


> I can try this now (improvised) with 120mm fans I have. All I need are 4 bushings / grommets for the fan to rest on (reduce / eliminate any possible vibration). What of the AC Infinity fan set-up? *The S7 looks good to me. *Even a larger option to encompass the sides (and especially the RF cable area), but what model?


The AC Infinity AIRCOM S7 is way sleek and cool (no pun intended), for us tech. geeks (as long as you can stomach paying that price to just cool the Bolt box some).

Having said that, the AC Infinity MULTIFAN fans look pretty cool as well, in a steampunk sort of way.  And the low price is just as cool.


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## jay_man2 (Sep 15, 2003)

Mikeguy said:


> The AC Infinity AIRCOM S7 is way sleek and cool (no pun intended), for us tech. geeks (as long as you can stomach paying that price to just cool the Bolt box some).
> 
> Having said that, the AC Infinity MULTIFAN fans look pretty cool as well, in a steampunk sort of way.  And the low price is just as cool.


I got the MULTIFAN S2 first, and switched it out for the AIRCOM S7 a few days later. The temp dropped about 6 as a result. Currently running at 47 in a 72F room.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

jay_man2 said:


> I got the MULTIFAN S2 first, and switched it out for the AIRCOM S7 a few days later. The temp dropped about 6 as a result. Currently running at 47 in a 72F room.


Thanks for the comparison report--makes me feel internally justified in spending the extra for the AIRCOM S7.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

For my (seemingly) 1st surprise, how do you turn the Bolt off? I can go on standby OK, but how to turn it off? Does it even turn off? I looked everywhere for power options & found none. I'm thinking that the Bolt needs to be on to record 24/7 instead of turned off. Is standby the closest what the Bolt can do?

Just now I scrolled through the menu / help areas and found "no internet connection". Having yesterday set the Bolt up in a temporary test area, I used an "iffy" ethernet wire with a broken away plastic lock clip which caused bad contact, as the wire crept out of it's place. I slipped it back in and immediately checked my TV guide to see if the every 8th line was "Tivoed". It is ... now I wonder if disconnecting the ethernet wire is a way to circumvent around having every 8th line of TV guide clutter (by no live internet connection). Has anyone seen this or experimented with it? Connect it once a day or week for current guide update? I just now slipped the connector out, went to standby, woke up Tivo, and checked the guide ... Tivo+ in 3 of 4 pages. I will report back my findings.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Dave with Bolt said:


> For my (seemingly) 1st surprise, how do you turn the Bolt off? I can go on standby OK, but how to turn it off? Does it even turn off? I looked everywhere for power options & found none. I'm thinking that the Bolt needs to be on to record 24/7 instead of turned off. Is standby the closest what the Bolt can do?


No power switch and Standby/Power Saving has caused problems for some members. I never use Standby except on Mini boxes.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

The TV guide Tivo+ 8th line reappeared after a loose ethernet was reconnected and I manually went through the menu and updated the Bolt to the internet. I then experimented with removing the ethernet connection (same 8th Tivo+), placing the Bolt on standby (same 8th Tivo), then I unplugged the Bolt for a moment ... Voila! The guide looses every 8th line filled by Tivo+ and is slick and clean! My theory is leave the ethernet cable off until I need a TV guide update, plug the ethernet cable in when I do a Bolt update, receive new guide with Tivo+, exit all and disconnect ethernet & unplug for a moment again. I will update this post with any deviations of my findings.



Dave with Bolt said:


> Today my guide is slick and clean with NO extra wasted entries! Go figure ... maybe the Bolt had to go a day to entirely set up or possibly factor in my viewing habits / needs. Guide is perfect, even glorious! Quick Mode is perfect! Happy camper here! All I have to do is get used to all the remote buttons to get my desired results. WMC is/was simple compared to the Bolt. I haven't mentioned that I have a Channel Master CM-7500TB1 (no Quick Mode / speed play) and it is a breeze to use. Both the WMC & CM are straight forward with their guides, to record a show, and playback, whereas the Bolt is convoluted even for the easiest of tasks, although a plethora of foreground info is available for many levels of Tivo geeks. Even with the superficial value of a glorious TV guide (compared to WMC & CM) & Quick Mode, is the Bolt worth the time & effort trying to accomplish seemingly the easiest of tasks? Do I need to go through this learning curve or sell it on eBay or Craigslist for say $400 w/life subscription? The jury, so to speak, is out on this ... will decide quickly if I keep, return, or sell the Bolt.





Dave with Bolt said:


> For my (seemingly) 1st surprise, how do you turn the Bolt off? I can go on standby OK, but how to turn it off? Does it even turn off? I looked everywhere for power options & found none. I'm thinking that the Bolt needs to be on to record 24/7 instead of turned off. Is standby the closest what the Bolt can do?
> 
> Just now I scrolled through the menu / help areas and found "no internet connection". Having yesterday set the Bolt up in a temporary test area, I used an "iffy" ethernet wire with a broken away plastic lock clip which caused bad contact, as the wire crept out of it's place. I slipped it back in and immediately checked my TV guide to see if the every 8th line was "Tivoed". It is ... now I wonder if disconnecting the ethernet wire is a way to circumvent around having every 8th line of TV guide clutter (by no live internet connection). Has anyone seen this or experimented with it? Connect it once a day or week for current guide update? I just now slipped the connector out, went to standby, woke up Tivo, and checked the guide ... Tivo+ in 3 of 4 pages. I will report back my findings.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

The bolt stays on? Don't go into standby, it may cause (a) problem(s)? Does it miss recordings in standby? I'm leaving it as-is on until I experiment with it with bogus recordings.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Yep, it stays on--so that it can record Suggestions (if you have that feature set to on), record things on your Wishlists that show up in the middle of the night or while you are away, record shows on your OnePasses whenever they might occur, etc.

People have reported TiVo system issues from TiVo's standby options (there are posts/threads here on this)--given the very small amount of energy savings (yes, I know, all energy should be conserved), many people feel it best just to not use standby. (Also, one could get into hard drive wear-and-tear explanations, also discussed in earlier standby posts/threads.)


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

When in standby it won't record? It doesn't partially wake to record what I have set to record? Tivo is different from WMC and Channel Master Cm7500, they do, so new rule book w/Tivo. I will experiment with this.

I assume the hard drive spins when in standby (without searching posts for info on it) and the amount of power is negligible to me either on or in standby. The HD life may be 2-3 years as found in my environment with previous needs, so I expect likewise here with the Bolt, all mentioned HD's run 24/7.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Dave with Bolt said:


> When in standby it won't record?


It records in Standby. Find System Information and post your ODT. Something in the 50s is ok. Keeping the unit cool will let it live a longer life.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

My Rovi guide is back on WMC (through Jan. 21). Someone made note of this while EPG123 searching & I checked ... it was there. Win7 support ends Jan. 14 ... what of this Jan. 21 guide?

I noticed when my TV is switched from Bolt HDMI to regular TV on my TV remote, the Bolt does (how long? I didn't watch the time) does "light off" and goes into standby. I woke up the Bolt and all recordings were made A-OK. ODT is 58 after 5 hours on.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Dave with Bolt said:


> I noticed when my TV is switched from Bolt HDMI to regular TV on my TV remote, the Bolt does (how long? I didn't watch the time) does "light off" and goes into standby. ODT is 58 after 5 hours on.


Power saving is causing the Bolt to enter Standby. These are the options: 20.4.6 issue?

Most find removing the cable card cover helps with cooling. Most find Standby is not worth the tiny savings.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

I have power saving set from day one set-up at medium, so the Bolt enters standby after 4 hours dormancy. Lowest ODT observed is 55 and highest 62 (before setting small fan to blow over/under unit). Cable card cover removed from 1st set-up time. Current ODT is 59. Not the "plug & play" I thought Tivo was.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Dave with Bolt said:


> My Rovi guide is back on WMC (through Jan. 21). Someone made note of this while EPG123 searching & I checked ... it was there. Win7 support ends Jan. 14 ... what of this Jan. 21 guide?
> 
> I noticed when my TV is switched from Bolt HDMI to regular TV on my TV remote, the Bolt does (how long? I didn't watch the time) does "light off" and goes into standby. I woke up the Bolt and all recordings were made A-OK. ODT is 58 after 5 hours on.


Well, Windows 7 support ends on January 20, so guide data should continue around then. The only thing about January 1 was how WMC guide always stops around the new y ear, when DST changes, and other such things where it appears Microsoft needs to fix their guide data server. This wasn't a problem when they were working on WMC (you'd get down to maybe a week of data), but when Microsoft disbanded the WMC team, it routinely gotten worse and worse - I'm guessing some WMC user at Microsoft goes and fixes the server when it dies.

Of course I use both WMC and TiVo, and upgraded my WMC to use EPG123. I'm sort of torn now - I like TiVo, but now WMC has superior guide data.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

Being curious, I went to WMC guide update and it advanced 15 hours, from Jan 21 2AM to 5PM. I also have Win7 across the board, with one computer Win10 capable. Getting a Bolt was to me separating away from expiring Win7 support and having a stand alone DVR away from computers, as were Beta & VHS recorders way back when (then go to Win10 & live that). More & more thinking to ditch the Bolt & go EPG123, using my Channel Master CM7500TB1 as redundant failsafe until EPG123 fully integrated & time tested. Still exploring EPG123 for now, main question being is whether to have WMC on Win7 or Win10, or what configuration of WMC will work until ATSC 3.0 fully in place.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

WMC has gotten broken many times in the past several years due to Win 10 updates. That alone would make me wary of moving away from Win 7. You've got at least 5 more years of ATSC 1.0.

Personally, I think moving from WMC to Tivo is just moving from one nearly obsolete platform to another nearly obsolete platform. Amazon Recast is cheaper, easier and far more functional overall. And of course, now there's Tivo's own new streaming dongle integrated with Sling (and hopefully with AirTV for OTA).


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Well, I have hands in both camps, TiVo and WMC. And with WMC guide ending, I installed EPG123 and got back the good guide data (since EPG123 uses Schedules Direct, which uses Tribune (Gracenote) which was what TiVo used to use).

TiVo is good in that it's an appliance that really just works. Dead simple to use and just works. Problem is, Rovi's guide pretty much sucks, and it's obvious they're not willing to put in the work to fix it. It's been how many years since the transition and guide errors are still common

My WMC HTPC gives me plenty of problems (and nowhere near a high WAF as a TiVo), but it's only been just over a week since I switched back to Tribune for guide data and have been impressed at how good the guide is. 

Rovi's come a long way - I remember when WMC made the transition from Tribune to Rovi was an epic disaster in bad guide data. Rovi's purchase of TiVo and the fanbase at least improved the guide data from barely anything to mediocre at least.

So right now, I'm still stuck using both


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

To me, the cheapest solution of keeping the Bolt's internals cooler is just buying laptop cooling pads with fans in them. I bought a bunch of different models for fairly cheap at Fry's at different times.

I like the sound effects and have been a TiVo user since Series 1 days.

It's too bad the Bolt+ no longer has boot videos like 



(I had a TiVO HD... well still have it but not longer has subscription due to their transfer offer). And there was the Series 1 boot movie: 



.


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## Dave with Bolt (Jan 5, 2020)

Hello All who helped me with the new Tivo Bolt in the first few days after purchasing it and the nuances that could be tweaked from the menu. I have come to the conclusion that the Bolt is a device beyond my practical needs of simply recording TV, not needing streamed aps and such diversity in my viewing options, so I have sold my OTA Bolt with lifetime subscription. I instead went with EPG123 with one year guide for $25 and am very happy to report my WMC is resurrected as of Feb. 1 with a fuller guide that goes 14 days. It took about an hour to tweak down to bare bones as I like and works flawlessly the same as the old WMC guide did, but with more complete listings. Downloading the EPG123 at first was looking intimidating and overwhelming, but following instructions, it loaded right up and voila! Just what I wanted (back) and not have hundreds of dollars tied up when the ATSC 3.0 change takes effect and renders all current tech obsolete in some 5 years or so as spoken about. We will all be dropped in the same boat that day and have to plan our video needs from there. Enjoy your Tivos / Bolts, as they are rated and reviewed as best or near best in all I researched as a stand alone DVR on the market today. This is my last post / Thanks for your time and guidance sorting things out, Dave


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