# Ever wonder how much internet data a TiVo box consumes?



## A2JetGuy (Jan 24, 2013)

Here is some Data for TiVo geeks, like myself, regarding how much internet data a TiVo uses&#8230;.
(Disclaimer: this is a completely unscientific, layman's observation provided for your amusement and curiosity.)

Living in rural area, I have satellite internet with a limited amount of high-speed data. Because it's limited, I also have a Usage Meter that I can use to monitor how much data is being used each day. Recently, my wife and I were away from home on vacation for over a week giving me a unique opportunity to see how much data was being used while we were not home.

Here's the set-up...

We have five TiVos operating in the house (I did mention that I am a TiVo geek), all using OTA: one Bolt, three Roamios and a Series3 TiVoHD.
There are no other internet consuming devices in the house that I can think of. (No WiFi appliances, smart TVs or Nest thermostats or anything like that)
The usage meter does not monitor any data used by the satellite internet system itself, only data consumed by us.

Here is the Data usage for the days we were gone:

Day 1: Down 467 MB, Up 24 MB
Day 2: Down 148 MB, Up 24 MB
Day 3: Down 102 MB, Up 25 MB
Day 4: Down 93 MB, Up 22 MB
Day 5: Down 55 MB, Up 23 MB
Day 6: Down 97 MB, Up 23 MB
Day 7: Down 110 MB, Up 26 MB
Day 8: Down 69 MB, Up 23 MB

Average: Down 143 MB, Up 24 MB = 167 MB per day (all five TiVos)
That's about 33 MB per TiVo per Day. 
Not as much as I thought!


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

A2JetGuy said:


> Here is some Data for TiVo geeks, like myself, regarding how much internet data a TiVo uses&#8230;.
> (Disclaimer: this is a completely unscientific, layman's observation provided for your amusement and curiosity.)
> Average: Down 143 MB, Up 24 MB = 167 MB per day (all five TiVos)
> That's about 33 MB per TiVo per Day.
> Not as much as I thought!


Sounds good. To get more, a TiVo has one day when no guide data is received and one day when two days are received. You can check System Information to check the dates for your boxes.

My ISP has a usage meter. I can get it by the hour if I wished. I don't. It resolves to the byte also. You should buy a Kill-A-Watt. Then you can monitor your electrical power consumption too.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

To answer the title question, never cared, still don't, but cool data point for those who do.


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks for posting that info. When I lived in rural MN and used a hotspot I always wondered how much data the Tivo's used. Now I know


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## oscarfish (Mar 2, 2009)

I wonder why the upload number is so high. Well, it seems high to me.


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## eherberg (Feb 17, 2011)

oscarfish said:


> I wonder why the upload number is so high. Well, it seems high to me.


I would imagine it's your viewing usage heading back to the mothership.


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## A2JetGuy (Jan 24, 2013)

I’m curious about that myself. 
The upload is fairly consistent at 22-26MB (for all five boxes), so I wonder if each time the boxes connect with the mothership if the boxes themselves aren’t asking for specific information. Just a guess, but for example, maybe the box is reporting which broadcast area and channels it is receiving and is asking specifically for the guide information only for those channels. Otherwise it would needlessly download the guide info for Everywhere. 

I’m certain that eherberg’s Orwellian suspicions are spot-on with the viewing usage being beamed back as well.


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## eherberg (Feb 17, 2011)

A2JetGuy said:


> I'm certain that eherberg's Orwellian suspicions are spot-on with the viewing usage being beamed back as well.


Not suspicions -- we know that TiVo has had the ability to track usage for years. Remember nipplegate where TiVo was able to tell how many of it's users actually paused their boxes during the ... unveiling. There were articles back 8 years ago where the CEO stated they had the ability to track viewing down to the second. It doesn't bother me. If something were to be used to gauge actual viewership that is more accurate than Nielsen (which I don't believe is all that accurate given my own personal experience with radio ratings .. as well as what we know when a show goes from broadcast to OTT like Netflix, Hulu, etc where every play *can* be measured) ... that's fine by me.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Interesting data. Watch out for Chromecasts. I was away for a bit and checked my router, and I had something like 2GB/day of download. I don't really care about the bandwidth, since I had a 2 or 3TB soft cap, but I really wanted to know what was going on with my network in case I had some sort of compromised device. My router tells me what's using bandwidth on a device level, and it turned out that Chromecast constantly downloads new background pictures from Google. At the time, I had 3 of them just sitting there downloading pictures all day. What woulda thunkkit?

Also, that's unfortunate you're stuck on satellite. Where are you that has OTA reception and no LTE?


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

A2JetGuy said:


> Here is some Data for TiVo geeks...
> Average: Down 143 MB, Up 24 MB = 167 MB per day (all five TiVos)
> That's about 33 MB per TiVo per Day.
> Not as much as I thought!


Thanks for this data. Anyone have any idea how much data it takes to keep a TiVo running? I ask because I would like to terminate my ISP and use my cell phone's Hot Spot functionality for updates. How big is a typical Roamio/OTA update? How much guide data changes hand per TiVo (I have five Roamios and a pair of Minis).


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

wizwor said:


> Thanks for this data. Anyone have any idea how much data it takes to keep a TiVo running? I ask because I would like to terminate my ISP and use my cell phone's Hot Spot functionality for updates. How big is a typical Roamio/OTA update? How much guide data changes hand per TiVo (I have five Roamios and a pair of Minis).


TiVo is not what makes that plan a terrible idea. Look at updates for Windows 10, MacOS, iOS, Android, etc, over all the devices you have. Many get a half dozen software updates or more every WEEK. Then look at normal web use, streaming music, and then you get to the real whopper, streaming video. Add up all your Netflix/Amazon/Hulu/HBO/Showtime/whatever usage, and even a modest user is using triple digits of GB. If you're talking for a second/vacation home, then it would make sense, as long as you don't care if the TiVo runs out of guide data when you're not there.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

Really good point Bigg. May not even own a computer when I retire.


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## BadMouth (Mar 1, 2016)

Thanks for posting. I have the cheapest internet plan Comcast offers and plan to cancel if they raise the price by even $1 (They've raised it by a few bucks on their website, but it's still holding at $50 for me, which is already $15 more than I think it is worth).

My plan for the Tivos OTA to get updates was going to be a free FreedomPop hotspot which is limited to 500mb before incurring charges. Looks like I'd be over the limit even before the minis.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Freedompop’s webpage says 200Mbytes free. 500 costs $12.99.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

wizwor said:


> Really good point Bigg. May not even own a computer when I retire.


Not having a computer or fast internet sure will make your retired life SEEM a lot longer.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

wizwor said:


> Really good point Bigg. May not even own a computer when I retire.


You're not going to have a computer? You don't seem like the type.  No matter what devices you have, they are going to need updates, and the pace and size of updates just keeps getting faster and bigger. Add in streaming music and streaming video...


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

After 40 years building, supporting, and using computers for everything anyone can imagine, I am already spending less time with them. A lot of the work and costs related to computers is due to the fact that they are online. I am currently re-imagining my infrastructure with the following characteristics...

Private network for my local computers and devices which do not require internet connectivity
Move all trivial infrastructure to a separate network (IoT, internet)
Secure Crown Jewels on a hardly-ever-connected laptop
Minimize reliance on connectivity
I believe the convergence of my lighter use and the mainstreaming of 5G will make this possible. I own four DVR+ PSIP/autonomous DVRs. I'm looking at standalone media servers. Most of my trivial activity can be performed on a 'phablet'.

Just starting to think about this, but this thread is an opportunity to collect data points.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

BadMouth said:


> Thanks for posting. I have the cheapest internet plan Comcast offers and plan to cancel if they raise the price by even $1 (They've raised it by a few bucks on their website, but it's still holding at $50 for me, which is already $15 more than I think it is worth).
> 
> My plan for the Tivos OTA to get updates was going to be a free FreedomPop hotspot which is limited to 500mb before incurring charges. Looks like I'd be over the limit even before the minis.


One of the reasons I am reluctant to pull the plug on my ISP is that my price is locked for life. When Consolidated bought Fairpoint, they tried to upsell me with a promotion, but assured me they would honor my lifetime lock until I changed plans.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

wizwor said:


> Secure Crown Jewels on a hardly-ever-connected laptop


I use hardly connected usb's. One usb for banking, several times a month. One usb, several times a year, after a scan and disconnected from the internet. Several generations of usb's in a safe deposit box.

When it comes to computer security, "access is everything".


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

wizwor said:


> One of the reasons I am reluctant to pull the plug on my ISP is that my price is locked for life. When Consolidated bought Fairpoint, they tried to upsell me with a promotion, but assured me they would honor my lifetime lock until I changed plans.


Don't drop your internet. You will regret it. Even if you don't want to use regular computers so much, EVERYTHING is using more bandwidth, and you've got a semi-symmetrical fiber connection on top of it. IoT devices are using more bandwidth. Video streaming is using more bandwidth. Smartphones are using more bandwidth just for background sync processes. Even if you don't have a computer in your house, you could still easily consume quite a bit of bandwidth, and those requirements are just going up and up.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Thanks for your post. I have wondered about the data usage as well. 

I have a TiVo OTA I use in our RV with a Tivo mini in the bedroom. The Mini really doesn't work at all without an Internet connection. Campground wifi is rarely very good and often not available at all. I have a freedom pop hotspot that I've considered using but feared the 500Mb of free data wouldn't be enough. Sounds like it probably wouldn't be at least for any ongoing use. I've used the hotspot on my phone before but it does eat up a fair amount of data and my plan is limited.

The other concern I have with your particular test is how much extra data is used when actually using the TiVo. Wouldn't it use considerably more data because of all the graphics it would be pulling as you navigate channels, menus, pull up any info on shows, etc?


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## lafos (Nov 8, 2004)

I have Google WiFi. A neat feature of the app is that it can report internet usage by device in real-time, or 1, 7, or 30 days. My most active TiVo downloaded 732 MB and uploaded 407 MB over the last 30 days. I did use TiVo online a bit. The other two active boxes used 431 and 430 down, with 286 and 270 up (all MB for 30 days).


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## A2JetGuy (Jan 24, 2013)

TeamPace... For my data, my TiVos continuously have access to the internet, however, I don’t believe that a TiVo is constantly using internet data. It is my understanding that a TiVo box is only consuming data when it makes a Network Connection (daily-ish). Unless, of course, you are using a streaming app, then it would be continuous. 

Since you are using your TiVo in your RV, maybe you could let your TiVo only connect to the internet once a week. It’ll download two weeks of guide data. That might keep you below your monthly limit. I may be wrong, but I don’t believe that a TiVo box requires continuous internet connection to operate.

Hopefully, someone else will chime in that knows more about this than I do.


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## A2JetGuy (Jan 24, 2013)

lafos... It looks like each of your TiVos are using 700-1100MB per month. (Up and Down). I observed about 1000MB per month for each of my TiVo boxes, so that’s in line with what I am estimating. 

Maybe the occasional higher daily usage is due to a software update, which, I would assume would require more data than guide data.


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## A2JetGuy (Jan 24, 2013)

One thing I should mention is that all of my TiVos use the older user interface. I do not have Hydra on any of them. 

Not sure if that makes a difference, but it is worth mentioning.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

A2JetGuy said:


> One thing I should mention is that all of my TiVos use the older user interface. I do not have Hydra on any of them.
> 
> Not sure if that makes a difference, but it is worth mentioning.


Even prior to Hydra, TiVo's started using the internet in the fly for pictures and searches and deep data. Hence the blue circles pre-Hydra.


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

A2JetGuy said:


> Since you are using your TiVo in your RV, maybe you could let your TiVo only connect to the internet once a week. It'll download two weeks of guide data. That might keep you below your monthly limit. I may be wrong, but I don't believe that a TiVo box requires continuous internet connection to operate.
> 
> Hopefully, someone else will chime in that knows more about this than I do.


you can use it without internet but setting up one passes can be a b**ch. I know when I lived in rural Minnesota and used a AT&T hotspot I would connect to the Roamio and Series3/TivoHD every other day or every 3rd day. More issues with the Roamio and no internet than the TivoHD. You cant search on the Roamio with no internet but the Series 3 you can.


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## lafos (Nov 8, 2004)

My high data box is a Bolt, running the old interface. The other two are a Bolt Vox on Hydra and a Premiere, so at least in my case, Hydra isn't drawing more data. But that one is used by my wife, so Hydra doesn't get a lot of exercise.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

A2JetGuy said:


> TeamPace... For my data, my TiVos continuously have access to the internet, however, I don't believe that a TiVo is constantly using internet data. It is my understanding that a TiVo box is only consuming data when it makes a Network Connection (daily-ish).


No, not true at all.

Try unplugging the network from your Tivo. It whines right away..

Things you cannot do on Tivos (Premiere, Roamio, Bolt.. I think OLED S3 and TivoHD don't apply here if you're using those), or cannot do well without network:
1) It needs network to update the annoying pointless strip at the top of the screen.. least important of course.. (I would pay a one time fee to disable this strip always.. as I've said before -- I ALREADY HAVE A TIVO, I DON'T NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT ELSE TO WATCH)
2) You can't view upcoming/explore this show/search without network connections.. even though at least view upcoming and search SHOULD be available based on the data already on your Tivo..
(There was an earlier web-site-based (AFAIK) explore this show on OLED S3 & Tivo HD..)

I actually appreciate some of the "enhanced" stuff based on web searches.. (Though much of it has become worse since the Rovi takeover -- e.g. whenever you explore a show and look at the cast, ALL of the foreign language versions are listed.. that did NOT use to happen).. But I think you should get as much as you did on previous versions without network connection, even if the network connection _improved_ the situation.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

A2JetGuy said:


> TeamPace... For my data, my TiVos continuously have access to the internet, however, I don't believe that a TiVo is constantly using internet data. It is my understanding that a TiVo box is only consuming data when it makes a Network Connection (daily-ish). Unless, of course, you are using a streaming app, then it would be continuous.
> 
> Since you are using your TiVo in your RV, maybe you could let your TiVo only connect to the internet once a week. It'll download two weeks of guide data. That might keep you below your monthly limit. I may be wrong, but I don't believe that a TiVo box requires continuous internet connection to operate.
> 
> Hopefully, someone else will chime in that knows more about this than I do.


I wouldn't stream as it eats too much data. But you're correct on the primary TiVo. I do use it without an internet connection, I just lose graphics or any info that requires an active connection which is no big deal. The main issue is trying to use the Mini. Even with the Roamio and Mini plugged into the same router it won't allow anything except live channel viewing without an Internet connection. Not sure if there's any workaround for that issue. Suppose I should have just put a second Roamio OTA in the back. It's just a bit frustrating that TiVo designed the Mini the way they did.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

I received an update to TE4 to a Roamio and Mini VOX. It looks like 360MB. That includes minor activity and one service connection (no data).


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

mattack said:


> Try unplugging the network from your Tivo. It whines right away..
> 
> Things you cannot do on Tivos (Premiere, Roamio, Bolt.. I think OLED S3 and TivoHD don't apply here if you're using those), or cannot do well without network:
> 1) It needs network to update the annoying pointless strip at the top of the screen.. least important of course.. (I would pay a one time fee to disable this strip always.. as I've said before -- I ALREADY HAVE A TIVO, I DON'T NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT ELSE TO WATCH)
> ...


As someone who still uses a TivoHD and a Roamio I can assure you everything on a TivoHD works fine (search, view upcoming, etc) w/o internet. On a Roamio you can view upcoming. You cant search and 1p's are a b**ch to set up. I mentioned that in post 27


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

TeamPace said:


> I wouldn't stream as it eats too much data. But you're correct on the primary TiVo. I do use it without an internet connection, I just lose graphics or any info that requires an active connection which is no big deal. The main issue is trying to use the Mini. Even with the Roamio and Mini plugged into the same router it won't allow anything except live channel viewing without an Internet connection. Not sure if there's any workaround for that issue. Suppose I should have just put a second Roamio OTA in the back. It's just a bit frustrating that TiVo designed the Mini the way they did.


They were really developed for use on cable, where you inherently have internet available all the time. TiVos that don't have always-on internet are a fringe case of a fringe case. It doesn't make any less annoying if you have this type of setup, but it's not something TiVo would ever have thought important.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

unclehonkey said:


> As someone who still uses a TivoHD and a Roamio I can assure you everything on a TivoHD works fine (search, view upcoming, etc) w/o internet. On a Roamio you can view upcoming. You cant search and 1p's are a b**ch to set up. I mentioned that in post 27


Maybe I'm missing some very specific case which works, but when my network is hosed, I can't view upcoming since it says the network can't be found. (Roamio Pro).


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

mattack said:


> Maybe I'm missing some very specific case which works, but when my network is hosed, I can't view upcoming since it says the network can't be found. (Roamio Pro).


I just tried it on my Roamio OTA (with cable card added later) and it worked fine. I turned off my internet (since I live alone I dont have to worry about kids yelling "what happened to the wifi")  and went into my Roamio. When I selected search I got the "no internet" message. But I went into a few of my programs I recorded and selected "view upcoming" and it showed fine even though it says "no internet" at the top


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

That's very strange, because that certainly didn't work for me when I tried it. My Roamio and Premiere 4 (the latter of which is USUALLY in standby) are now both directly connected to my WiFI router, which is directly connected to the cable modem.. but the Roamio STILL loses connection sporadically (usually I seem to come BACK to it and it thinks there's no internet).. but it USUALLY realizes it within a few minutes. Annoyingly, I CAN do the test Internet connection, which WORKS, but DOES NOT immediately make it realize it can then do View Upcoming, see the other Tivo, etc.. (Sometimes I can switch to the OTHER Tivo, see the Roamio, THEN that seems to make it wise up.)

but yeah, when I was in this state over the weekend, I went into a show, then picked view upcoming, and it wouldn't work.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

Google WiFi also tracks data usage.
Here's a week's worth:


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Tony_T said:


> Google WiFi also tracks data usage.
> Here's a week's worth:
> 
> View attachment 37244


One can't help but wonder what you were doing on the 18th.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Mikeguy said:


> One can't help but wonder what you were doing on the 18th.


21.8.2.RC14 Release 10/18/18
Mira?


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## The Punisher (Feb 26, 2018)

I use a freedompop for a TiVO at my sisters, since she has no internet or data plan for her cell phone. When the TiVo was a Series 3 it didn't use much data, but I recently switch it to Bolt and it uses 600mb a month or more. And she doesn't use the apps or stream, so the freedompop solution is not a good one anymore. so, it there a way turn off some of the data functions of the Bolt? Or should I look for a cheaper data service for data for the TiVo.


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## Jim1348 (Jan 3, 2015)

unclehonkey said:


> KEYC-TV
> View attachment 37208


Every time I read or hear the callsign KEYC, it brings me back to my Mankato State days. I was there from the fall of 1978 to spring 1981. If I recall correctly, KEYC-12 was the local Mankato TV station and Chuck Pasek seemed to be a part of virtually everything locally produced there back then!


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

Jim1348 said:


> Every time I read or hear the callsign KEYC, it brings me back to my Mankato State days. I was there from the fall of 1978 to spring 1981. If I recall correctly, KEYC-12 was the local Mankato TV station and Chuck Pasek seemed to be a part of virtually everything locally produced there back then!


you are correct. KEYC is the only station for the Mankato DMA. They added FOX subchannel back in 07 and last year FINALLY upgraded it to "HD" (although during times when both CBS & FOX have sports FOX looks like crap due to the limited bandwidth its given). And you are correct that Chuck was part of most programs there including hosting Bandwagon for many many years.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

The Punisher said:


> I use a freedompop for a TiVO at my sisters, since she has no internet or data plan for her cell phone. When the TiVo was a Series 3 it didn't use much data, but I recently switch it to Bolt and it uses 600mb a month or more. And she doesn't use the apps or stream, so the freedompop solution is not a good one anymore. so, it there a way turn off some of the data functions of the Bolt? Or should I look for a cheaper data service for data for the TiVo.


I fear, the latter--I'm not aware that the Bolt's data functions can be turned off. You could leave the box disconnected from the Internet during regular use, but it relies on a connection for certain functioning (e.g. show images) and even seemingly non-Internet-related functions can cease functioning. A separate option is, move back to the earlier model.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

The Punisher said:


> I use a freedompop for a TiVO at my sisters, since she has no internet or data plan for her cell phone. When the TiVo was a Series 3 it didn't use much data, but I recently switch it to Bolt and it uses 600mb a month or more. And she doesn't use the apps or stream, so the freedompop solution is not a good one anymore. so, it there a way turn off some of the data functions of the Bolt? Or should I look for a cheaper data service for data for the TiVo.


Are all the apps unchecked?


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Mikeguy said:


> I fear, the latter--I'm not aware that the Bolt's data functions can be turned off. You could leave the box disconnected from the Internet during regular use, but it relies on a connection for certain functioning (e.g. show images) and even seemingly non-Internet-related functions can cease functioning. A separate option is, move back to the earlier model.


Yeah, for someone with no internet, I would recommend a Series 3, as they will work as long as ATSC 1.0 works, and the Bolt likely won't be able to be upgraded to work with an ATSC 3.0 tuner anyway. That being said, how does someone not have internet? There are places without great broadband connectivity, that's for sure, but there's nowhere I can think of that has no internet at all.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Bigg said:


> There are places without great broadband connectivity, that's for sure, but there's nowhere I can think of that has no internet at all.


RV parks. They may have internet but no security. A clue is an "rr" in someone's email. It's a big country.


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

Bigg said:


> That being said, how does someone not have internet? There are places without great broadband connectivity, that's for sure, but there's nowhere I can think of that has no internet at all.


are you talking like actual internet and not a hotspot? Well when I lived in Northern MN these were my options
-cable? HAHAHAHAHAHA....we are 20 miles from town (well the city our address is based out of. The nearest town is 12 miles way and they have NO cable at all. Never have. Its a town of 125 people)
-DSL? Nope. Use to have 1.5MB available when it was Sprint. Then when they merged to become Centurylink something "technical" happened and no longer an option
-satellite internet? yup. But that sh*ts costly

so that leaves internet via the phone or a hotspot. I lived there for a year (family lake house) and "survived" off 3GB a month (2GB hotspot and the 1GB that my phone had at the time) for internet and Tivo. So obviously streaming was not an option


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

JoeKustra said:


> RV parks. They may have internet but no security. A clue is an "rr" in someone's email. It's a big country.


Then they could use that for TiVo. Also, VPNs are a thing.



unclehonkey said:


> are you talking like actual internet and not a hotspot? Well when I lived in Northern MN these were my options
> -cable? HAHAHAHAHAHA....we are 20 miles from town (well the city our address is based out of. The nearest town is 12 miles way and they have NO cable at all. Never have. Its a town of 125 people)
> -DSL? Nope. Use to have 1.5MB available when it was Sprint. Then when they merged to become Centurylink something "technical" happened and no longer an option
> -satellite internet? yup. But that sh*ts costly


Well actually, HughestNet Gen 5 is available for $50-$60/mo, albeit with very limited data caps, so you'd want to use it only for basic browsing, and now like a normal broadband connection. It's fast, at least until you hit your datacap, and then you're at 1mbps or something like that.



> so that leaves internet via the phone or a hotspot. I lived there for a year (family lake house) and "survived" off 3GB a month (2GB hotspot and the 1GB that my phone had at the time) for internet and Tivo. So obviously streaming was not an option


There's also Unlimited data on AT&T with the iPad SIM or on a phone on any carrier. With something like the Note 9 and Dex, you could do Unlimited data on the phone and plug it into the TV, assuming you have decent reception at your house.

I'm not saying those are great option, nor making excuses for America's failed broadband policies that should have gotten gigabit fiber to everyone a decade ago. That being said, there are other options out there everywhere.


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

Bigg said:


> Well actually, HughestNet Gen 5 is available for $50-$60/mo, albeit with very limited data caps, so you'd want to use it only for basic browsing, and now like a normal broadband connection. It's fast, at least until you hit your datacap, and then you're at 1mbps or something like that.


$60 for 10GB and $70 for 20Gb per their website and the address
the electric company does Viasat which is $65/40, $90/60 and $140/100 (the 2nd number is the cap)



> There's also Unlimited data on AT&T with the iPad SIM or on a phone on any carrier.


last I checked most "unlimited" plans do not include a hotspot or tethering (on pre-paid Verizon doesn't, AT&T says 10GB, Sprint dont work there and T-Mobile I cant find the info)



> With something like the Note 9 and Dex, you could do Unlimited data on the phone and plug it into the TV, assuming you have decent reception at your house.


lets put it this way....reception sometimes reminds me of the old "Fox viewing position" where you had to be in the perfect spot for reception or its crap.



> I'm not saying those are great option, nor making excuses for America's failed broadband policies that should have gotten gigabit fiber to everyone a decade ago. That being said, there are other options out there everywhere.


Sure there are options. Hell dial up is an option last I checked 
The point is there are folks who may not want to pay for a bunch of internet when they only use it a little bit, or are RV'ers who can't just plug into something (or when they do its not reliable as some folks have pointed out), or folks that are very rural and have been for decades. Like I said previously, we _use_ to be able to get 1.5MB DSL through Centurylink. Then maybe 3 years ago they just "stopped" offering it. When you punched in the address it said "not available due to issues". I could deal with 1.5MB DSL. Hell my old house address in the Minneapolis suburbs as of 2018 STILL only qualifies for 1.5MB download yet my mother who lives 4 blocks away from there can get 1Gig.

Are there options? Sure. But the options may not be economically feasible for some folks.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

The Punisher said:


> I use a freedompop for a TiVO at my sisters, since she has no internet or data plan for her cell phone. When the TiVo was a Series 3 it didn't use much data, but I recently switch it to Bolt and it uses 600mb a month or more. And she doesn't use the apps or stream, so the freedompop solution is not a good one anymore. so, it there a way turn off some of the data functions of the Bolt? Or should I look for a cheaper data service for data for the TiVo.


I look at post 1 and post 37. I asked a question in post 44. Bottom line: I don't believe you use 600MB (not mb) per month. But if it is 600mb, that's only 75MB, so I can believe that.


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

JoeKustra said:


> I look at post 1 and post 37. I asked a question in post 44. Bottom line: I don't believe you use 600MB (not mb) per month. But if it is 600mb, that's only 75MB, so I can believe that.


but a Series 3 only uses data when it updates. I'm sure a bolt or Roamio uses internet constantly to update the pictures at the top of the screen (TivoCentral) or to do things when you select a program (hence the blue circles we see every now and then on a Roamio that doesnt show on a Series 3/Tivo HD)


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

unclehonkey said:


> $60 for 10GB and $70 for 20Gb per their website and the address
> the electric company does Viasat which is $65/40, $90/60 and $140/100 (the 2nd number is the cap)


It depends on the bandwidth tier. It's crappy to have that little data, but it is an option of last resort if you can't boost up reliable LTE service to get an Unlimited SIM on.



> last I checked most "unlimited" plans do not include a hotspot or tethering (on pre-paid Verizon doesn't, AT&T says 10GB, Sprint dont work there and T-Mobile I cant find the info)


There's various tricks to move SIMs around for people who didn't jump on the Unlimited Mobile Hotspot plan on AT&T while it was around. The iPad SIM is a common one people move to a mobile hotspot and get Unlimited data for $30/mo.



> lets put it this way....reception sometimes reminds me of the old "Fox viewing position" where you had to be in the perfect spot for reception or its crap.


Sounds like a good application for a WeBoost booster. If there's occasionally one bar of service outside, then a WeBoost booster will get reliable coverage indoors.



> Sure there are options. Hell dial up is an option last I checked
> The point is there are folks who may not want to pay for a bunch of internet when they only use it a little bit, or are RV'ers who can't just plug into something (or when they do its not reliable as some folks have pointed out), or folks that are very rural and have been for decades. Like I said previously, we _use_ to be able to get 1.5MB DSL through Centurylink. Then maybe 3 years ago they just "stopped" offering it. When you punched in the address it said "not available due to issues". I could deal with 1.5MB DSL. Hell my old house address in the Minneapolis suburbs as of 2018 STILL only qualifies for 1.5MB download yet my mother who lives 4 blocks away from there can get 1Gig.
> 
> Are there options? Sure. But the options may not be economically feasible for some folks.


They may suck, but there are options out there. If you can get any sort of LTE service and boost it, there are decent options, although they're still not as reliable as a real hardwired broadband connection. Satellite is available everywhere, and isn't actually bad for web surfing, but due to the tight bandwidth caps, it's truly a service of last resort.


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

always find it funny how people who live in the "big city" with multiple options for things want to try and explain to "rural folks" how to do it
must be nice.... 

but oh hell I'll continue to play along


> It depends on the bandwidth tier. It's crappy to have that little data, but it is an option of last resort if you can't boost up reliable LTE service to get an Unlimited SIM on.


last resort.....in a rural area its probably "2nd best option"



> There's various tricks to move SIMs around for people who didn't jump on the Unlimited Mobile Hotspot plan on AT&T while it was around. The iPad SIM is a common one people move to a mobile hotspot and get Unlimited data for $30/mo.


seem like too much work and then have to buy an ipad. And what happens when AT&T service isnt good at a location?



> Sounds like a good application for a WeBoost booster. If there's occasionally one bar of service outside, then a WeBoost booster will get reliable coverage indoors.


outdoors its fine. But when you get indoors it depends on where in the house you are. Phone works fine. Internet flips between 4G and 3G.....$550 for a WeBoost? um yeah sure......



> They may suck, but there are options out there. If you can get any sort of LTE service and boost it, there are decent options, although they're still not as reliable as a real hardwired broadband connection. Satellite is available everywhere, and isn't actually bad for web surfing, but due to the tight bandwidth caps, it's truly a service of last resort.


you've mentioned last resort twice. Let's just agree to disagree about the whole thing. Rural in Minnesota may be different than Rural in Conneticut which will be different than rural in Kentucky. Until you have truly lived in a rural area and saw the limited options for things its hard for "city folks" to see what its like.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

unclehonkey said:


> but a Series 3 only uses data when it updates. I'm sure a bolt or Roamio uses internet constantly to update the pictures at the top of the screen (TivoCentral) or to do things when you select a program (hence the blue circles we see every now and then on a Roamio that doesnt show on a Series 3/Tivo HD)


Drop the word constantly and we can grow to agreement. Just pull the Ethernet. Nothing happens. It's not until something is needed will a TiVo attempt access to the Akamai servers for thumbnails. With activity, soon the apps and WTWN will gray out. Search will quickly die. But there is no constant internet activity. Periodic yes.


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## eherberg (Feb 17, 2011)

unclehonkey said:


> always find it funny how people who live in the "big city" with multiple options for things want to try and explain to "rural folks" how to do it
> must be nice....
> 
> but oh hell I'll continue to play along


Don't. I already went down this road a while back in another thread. It will go nowhere.

I agree that having urban people weigh in on rural broadband is an absolute joke -- and is a hot-button of mine.

Neither my parents nor my sister have internet -- and with the available options I completely understand why. There's a difference between internet and *usable* internet. A couple of windows updates in a month and you're wiped out of data. Forget about trying to be a cord-cutter with streaming. I also live in a remote area - but I spent literally thousands to get a line run out to me. Most people can't absorb that cost -- and the cost of any of the laughable options offered are so pricey for what you get, that going without internet is an absolute reasonable solution.

And don't even start looking at the FCC report on broadband accessibility. Trip from rabbitears and I were in an offline conversation about the blatent lies in that report after I used my own area to prove how unbelievably inaccurate it is.

Investing time in getting your sparring partner in particular to acknowledge that the crappy options available are often not preferable to simply having none at all will just lead to frustration on your part. You might as well also throw in something about horrible interlaced video or voice-control remotes.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

In 24 hours of normal use I received 262MB of data. That includes:
Three Roamio: One TE4 Hydra guide update, one TE3 guide update, and one TE3 two-day guide update.
Two hours of Pandora Streaming
Two Windows 10 PC each receiving daily security updates
about 12 hours of general internet and TiVo use.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

unclehonkey said:


> always find it funny how people who live in the "big city" with multiple options for things want to try and explain to "rural folks" how to do it
> must be nice....


I'm not saying it doesn't suck, you just can't say that there is NO internet available, as that's just factually wrong.



> last resort.....in a rural area its probably "2nd best option"


Right. I'd do Unlimited LTE first, but if that's not available, satellite would be a last resort.



> seem like too much work and then have to buy an ipad. And what happens when AT&T service isnt good at a location?


Yeah, you need to have AT&T service somewhere nearby to boost.



> outdoors its fine. But when you get indoors it depends on where in the house you are. Phone works fine. Internet flips between 4G and 3G.....$550 for a WeBoost? um yeah sure......


If that's what it takes to get fairly reliable Unlimited internet, then yeah, it's well worth it. If you're in that situation you need it for phones anyway, as you don't have cable, VDSL, or fiber to use for Wi-Fi calling and data on phones.



> you've mentioned last resort twice. Let's just agree to disagree about the whole thing. Rural in Minnesota may be different than Rural in Conneticut which will be different than rural in Kentucky. Until you have truly lived in a rural area and saw the limited options for things its hard for "city folks" to see what its like.


100% of Connecticut has at least 300mbps cable. Absolutely it sucks. Our broadband policy has completely failed. Everyone should have gigabit fiber. However, on the other end of things, to say that there is NOTHING and that people just can't get internet access is simply false. There are options, they aren't actually expensive at all, they just suck. They're either heavily capped, slow, not terribly reliable, or some combination thereof.



eherberg said:


> Neither my parents nor my sister have internet -- and with the available options I completely understand why.


That's inexcusable in this day and age to just not have internet.



> There's a difference between internet and *usable* internet. A couple of windows updates in a month and you're wiped out of data. Forget about trying to be a cord-cutter with streaming. I also live in a remote area - but I spent literally thousands to get a line run out to me. Most people can't absorb that cost -- and the cost of any of the laughable options offered are so pricey for what you get, that going without internet is an absolute reasonable solution.


Yes, if you can't get any LTE service, then streaming much of any video is just not going to work. Even if you only have Verizon nearby, a WeBoost and DeX or an HDMI adapter together will allow you to stream on a UDP on a phone. Not the most elegant solution, but it would work. If you want regular pay tv or even premiums though, you'd likely have to go with DBS.



> And don't even start looking at the FCC report on broadband accessibility. Trip from rabbitears and I were in an offline conversation about the blatent lies in that report after I used my own area to prove how unbelievably inaccurate it is.


Yeah, the FCC numbers are all BS. They way overcount availability in a lot of areas.



> Investing time in getting your sparring partner in particular to acknowledge that the crappy options available are often not preferable to simply having none at all will just lead to frustration on your part. You might as well also throw in something about horrible interlaced video or voice-control remotes.


Internet is still a necessity, whether it's slow and crappy or not. And these days, a LOT can be done on a mobile device, so much of the necessary computing can be done there. However, anyone who can get decent AT&T LTE service with a booster can get decent Unlimited internet access, which is a LOT of people. Even with Verizon, you can get Unlimited HD streaming (720p) on your phone with HDMI output plus 20GB of hotspot per line. Yeah, it's expensive AF, but if you're not paying the cable company $90/mo for broadband, that's a much easier pill to swallow.


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## Mr Tony (Dec 20, 2012)

Its funny how the original post was about how much data a Tivo uses because the OP had satellite internet then the thread turns into a turdfest about "oh you can get better internet with this and this and a 2nd mortgage on your house" by people who live in the big city.

I'll say this one more time and then I'm done with this thread.

*always find it funny how people who live in the "big city" with multiple options for things want to try and explain to "rural folks" how to do it
must be nice.... *


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## lman (Nov 14, 2006)

unclehonkey said:


> Its funny how the original post was about how much data a Tivo uses because the OP had satellite internet then the thread turns into a turdfest about "oh you can get better internet with this and this and a 2nd mortgage on your house" by people who live in the big city.
> 
> I'll say this one more time and then I'm done with this thread.
> 
> ...


+1 I'm right there with you.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

unclehonkey said:


> *always find it funny how people who live in the "big city" with multiple options for things want to try and explain to "rural folks" how to do it
> must be nice.... *


When people make dumb posts like trying to make excuses for people who have no internet access at all, they are asking for it. And just because we have access to gigabit internet doesn't mean than even just broadband is cheap.


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