# Itching to cut the cord - What will my Roamio do?



## Welshdog (Jan 4, 2005)

We have a Roamio Pro that we like quite a bit. Especially when it is recording 6 shows at once. We also really like it's ability to stream HBO, Netflix and other things. However, I don't like the ever increasing cable bill we get from Time Warner (soon to be Spectrum aster their merger with Charter.) I also don't like the tuning adapter and it's kluged functionality.

So we plan to cut the cord. We plan to stream whatever we can on Roamio and record OTA with our old Tivo Series 3 until I buy a Bolt. My main question here is how will the Roamio function when I yank the cable card out? Will it still let us stream? Will already recorded shows disappear or be locked in some way? Will I need to run setup again and if so how would that work without a cable signal?

Thanks!


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

As long as it has service you can watch the recorded content and stream internet services. Removal of the cable card will make recording very hard and beyond my ability to explain here. Running guided setup is not needed. The cable channels will not be easily accessible, if at all.


----------



## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

If you plan on (or have no choice) keeping TWC as your Internet provider, before you cancel cable I would see what the price difference is between keeping some basic cable package with Internet versus just having Internet. 

I have a friend that has a TWC package that is only the unscrambled channels. She get all the same locals as any other TWC package plus a few more and just uses her TVs tuner (most of the channels are in HD). You would not need a tuning adapter for that (you could just unplug it) and while you might not get them to give you a cable card if you where just signing up for that you likely could keep the one you have if you don't say anything.


----------



## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

I have internet through TW but not cable. But I do get their notices and understand they are converting even more of their analog channels to digital. They have sent out a notice that a digital box will be needed for all TV's in the house. So I don't know if that would limit even more what could be tuned without a cable card.

Also they have internet for as low as $14.99 per month for 2Gb/sec. Not enough to stream High Def but you can stream standard def. Higher speeds start at about $50/month.


----------



## Welshdog (Jan 4, 2005)

TeamPace said:


> I have internet through TW but not cable. But I do get their notices and understand they are converting even more of their analog channels to digital. They have sent out a notice that a digital box will be needed for all TV's in the house. So I don't know if that would limit even more what could be tuned without a cable card.


They already did that here - there is no analog signal on the cable now at all. We got a free 1 year on the adapters and now they are charging for them. We found that since it's just the two of us that there was really no need for the adapters on TVs that we have for guests etc. Plus TWC have raised rates across the board again. They do that almost every year and I'm sick of it. Our bill for Internet and digital cable with one cable card adds up to $155 a month - just not worth it to me.

Right now I'm tempted to get the Roamio OTA 1Tb w/lifetime for $399. That seems like a real deal and I can sell the Roamio Pro on Ebay for $600 probably. That kind of seems like a no brainer for my situation. The Bolt would be nice, but one configured the same as the OTA with lifetime is $850. Oh we also have a Mini in the bedroom that works flawlessly with the Roamio. Might get another one to use as a floater for other rooms.


----------



## Rkkeller (May 13, 2004)

I am OTA only with the Roamio and it works fine, the lack of apps and addons makes me also use a 2nd device (Nvidia ShieldTV) for Kodi, games and streaming, but no DVR I have found, Tablo, HD Homerun come close to what a TiVo can do.

I also use Hulu for $8 to try to get some of the shows missing from OTA. You can't get everything, but OTA, Hulu and some apps you can come close.


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of sticking with TiVo but, as someone who uses a TiVo with free OTA TV plus various streaming services, I'd say that you MAY want to consider simply forgetting about an OTA DVR and instead rely on ad-free Hulu for $12/mo. That gives you all the primetime shows from NBC, ABC, Fox and the CW, plus some cable shows, uncut movies, and quality Hulu original series. Granted, some of those shows only have the last five episodes available but, at least in my case, I've found that all but 2 of the series I watch on NBC/ABC/Fox/CW have every episode back to the start of the series available on Hulu.

If you watch a lot of CBS shows, though, you'd also need the CBS All Access service for another $6/mo. (or fool with setting up a Plex Media Server and installing the free CBS Plex channel and then use the Plex app on a streaming box to access CBS shows for free). As for PBS, you can stream a lot of their stuff for free in HD via the PBS app on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, etc.

You're not going to be able to use your Roamio Pro as an OTA DVR anyhow. If you become a cord cutter and like it, you could sell that Roamio Pro for a good amount on eBay, assuming it has lifetime service. For what you'd get out of it, you could buy top-of-the-line Rokus for every TV you regularly use and still have cash left over to cover streaming costs for quite awhile. And the Roku 4 (or 3, if you don't need UHD/4K) is a way better streamer overall than any TiVo. If you want to subscribe to streaming HBO Now or Showtime, those apps aren't available on TiVo but they are on Roku, Android TV and Apple TV. Starz as a streaming service is available on Apple TV and Android TV but not TiVo (and not Roku yet). Sling TV is available on Roku and Android TV but not TiVo or Apple TV.

All that said, you may prefer to stay with the TiVo UI and the convenience of OnePass. And maybe you don't need any apps other than Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Vudu and YouTube, all of which are available on TiVo (although the Hulu app for Roamio is sub-standard).


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Welshdog, one other point about Hulu: it has apps on just about every device, whether its a set-top box, a smart TV, or a mobile device (phone/tablet/laptop). So there's no extra hardware cost to watch that content on various devices you may already have. However, Hulu only allows your account to stream to ONE device at a time, which is kind of a bummer. So you can't watch one show on Hulu on the TV while your wife or kid watches another Hulu show on the iPad at the same time.

Oh, and the Hulu app for Roamio kinda sucks, which you may have already discovered if you use it on your Roamio Pro. It's somewhat crash-prone and, last I checked a couple weeks ago, it supports a max bitrate of only 1.5 Mbps, which yields not-very-good quality HD. My understanding is that the Hulu app on the Bolt is not handicapped in that way, so I would presume it offers good quality HD like the Hulu app does on most set-top boxes, including my old Apple TV.


----------



## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

The points about considering Hulu or Hulu + CBS streaming are valid. It's certainly an option to consider. But for me I still watch a good bit of the non prime time shows that I like to record as well as access to live news etc. So I am one that still finds a great deal of value in the combination of OTA and TiVo.


----------



## Welshdog (Jan 4, 2005)

TeamPace said:


> The points about considering Hulu or Hulu + CBS streaming are valid. It's certainly an option to consider. But for me I still watch a good bit of the non prime time shows that I like to record as well as access to live news etc. So I am one that still finds a great deal of value in the combination of OTA and TiVo.


Same here. My wife loves her Tivo and would prefer for it to remain the primary tool to access her content. If we can record OTA we don't really need Hulu. WE have Netflix, AmazonPrime and access to my Dad's DishAnywhere which we play via a Mac Mini into the receiver via HDMI.

I am a bit annoyed to learn that the Roamio OTA doesn't stream recorded shown unless you get a Tivo Stream. I sure it will work, but I prefer integrated features like that. The Bolt solves the streaming problem, but with lifetime it costs more that twice the Roamio OTA.


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Maybe you've already done this but you'll probably want to stick up an antenna and test your reception for a few days before sinking money in a Roamio OTA. Despite relatively close proximity to all my local towers, I have ongoing interference problems with ABC, meaning that about half my recordings on that channel are so glitchy I choose not to watch them. (Since getting Hulu, I've just come to typically rely on it for ABC shows.)

Hopefully you get good reception across the spectrum!


----------



## Welshdog (Jan 4, 2005)

NashGuy said:


> Maybe you've already done this but you'll probably want to stick up an antenna and test your reception for a few days before sinking money in a Roamio OTA. Despite relatively close proximity to all my local towers, I have ongoing interference problems with ABC, meaning that about half my recordings on that channel are so glitchy I choose not to watch them. (Since getting Hulu, I've just come to typically rely on it for ABC shows.)
> 
> Hopefully you get good reception across the spectrum!


Yes thanks for that. We have an antenna what works fairly well with my old Series 3 - when it isn't spontaneously rebooting! The antenna is in the attic and sometimes gets interference from people walking around upstairs. I might move it outside.


----------



## mlcarson (Dec 31, 2007)

If you have any reception issues such that one antenna position can't get everything you want then I wouldn't recommend a Tivo OTA. You can get a product like the Silicondust HDHomerun tuner and dedicate an antenna to it without the pain of a rotor or some type of antenna merging system with traps/filters. Otherwise, the Tivo OTA is a very nice option.


----------



## Johncondor (Jun 20, 2016)

Just joined TC ! I bought new Roamio 1TB the day it was available. Cancelled DirecTV. I get great OTA reception. I do not miss DTV and wife loves TiVo. So far we can watch whatever we want on Amazon, Internet, Hoopla, etc. Even with slow DSL the 720HD streaming is fine. No more DTV Bill and slow old DVR with no room on harddrive.
Also, i reprogrammed my Extron IPCP505/TPL1000 to control Roamio. Turned on LAN control and I'm using the Premiere control code in Extron Network Port driver library. Some key functions are missing but a lot of the codes work. I'm hoping I can find LAN programming info and create the missing controls. This is challenging since I'm NOT a programmer 

TiVo is awesome!


----------



## Welshdog (Jan 4, 2005)

Johncondor said:


> Just joined TC !
> 
> TiVo is awesome!


Welcome to the community and thanks for the assessment of the OTA.

And yes, Tivo is awesome.


----------



## MannyE (Dec 7, 2001)

Roamio with no cord is awesome. I slapped a big ol' 1970's style outdoor antenna on the roof, and I'm getting all the channels in my area with better resolution than I ever got from DirecTV. Something about less compression of the signal...not sure. I DO know that all the OTA channels I watched on DTV and a whole bunch of other ones I didn't know existed are coming in with crystal clarity. I have lifetime on my Roamio which was transferred over from the 1999 vintage Phillips Tivo (finally something good comes from being an early adopter) and aside from a recent rebooting issue (I think the drive is failing) all is excellent.

Even if this Tivo fails, I will quickly replace it with a new one!


----------



## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

Consider holding off on cancelling cable until the Fall tv season starts, it is the summer tv doldrums. Using an antenna, my Roamio Basic is recording only a one or two new shows a day. And half of those I might not watch. There is just not that much new on.


----------



## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

TeamPace said:


> I have internet through TW but not cable.
> .....
> 
> Also they have internet for as low as $14.99 per month for 2Gb/sec. Not enough to stream High Def but you can stream standard def. Higher speeds start at about $50/month.


Around here, TW $14.99 gets 3 Gb/sec. YouTube is "720p". Per the TiVo info button, Netflix is "720", on rare occasions "1080". Looks good.

I am unsure though, if it is still available given the Charter/TWC merger.


----------



## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

jth tv said:


> Consider holding off on cancelling cable until the Fall tv season starts, it is the summer tv doldrums. Using an antenna, my Roamio Basic is recording only a one or two new shows a day. And half of those I might not watch. There is just not that much new on.


Good point. Especially if you haven't gone without cable before. There is definitely less new content over the summer. Especially if you consume quite a bit of TV it might be smarter to wait until the new seasons begin in the fall. Having been without cable for many years we just get creative with our viewing habits. We look for a series we may have never watched before and use Netflix to binge watch them. For instance we had never really gotten into Blue Bloods before but have now started from season one. It's all new content for us and in some ways more fun to watch this way. We also tend to give some shows we might not have automatically watched a try. Usually we can find more than enough to watch this way. Cutting the cord isn't for everyone. If you have a big family with lots of different tastes paying for pay TV may well be worth it. You just have to decide what the priorities are. For us saving over a grand a year is money we'd prefer to spend on something else and we find we have enough to watch without paying for TV.


----------



## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

jth tv said:


> Around here, TW $14.99 gets 3 Gb/sec. YouTube is "720p". Per the TiVo info button, Netflix is "720", on rare occasions "1080". Looks good.
> 
> I am unsure though, if it is still available given the Charter/TWC merger.


I have heard that the $14.99 everyday value speed is 2Mb/sec in some TW markets and 3Mb/sec in others. Definitely 3Mb/sec helps with streaming. Steaming can still be done at 2Mb/sec but there is some sacrifice in PQ as well as issues if you have teens who would be trying to stream or play games simultaneously. But for many people this level of internet is all they need and saves a bunch of $ over time. I suggest people give it a try for a month or two and see how it does for them. You can easily switch back to a higher speed and typically TW will offer you a deal if you do.

Not sure how the merger is going to affect this though. That is a concern.


----------



## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

TeamPace said:


> ....
> 
> Not sure how the merger is going to affect this though. That is a concern.


I just checked. $14.99 is no longer available here, looks like the Charter minimum is 50 Mbps for $50. I can't find the actual full retail price, sneaky....


----------

