# OTA and cable on Bolt



## tashtash (Sep 16, 2016)

I am thinking of ordering Bolt+, but it doesn't support OTA. Can original Bolt record both OTA and cable at the same time or it has to be either-or?
Thanks.


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## Peter G (Jan 3, 2012)

No you can use Bolt as OTA or cable, but you need to pick one. I have a base Roamio for OTA, and am adding a Bolt for cable and to expand the system. 

No new TiVo device has allowed for both OTA and cable simultaneously, I think the last one you could us this way was Premiere?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Peter G said:


> No you can use Bolt as OTA or cable, but you need to pick one. I have a base Roamio for OTA, and am adding a Bolt for cable and to expand the system.
> 
> No new TiVo device has allowed for both OTA and cable simultaneously, I think the last one you could us this way was Premiere?


Yes, two tuner Premiere (746320/746500).


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Actually you can tune and record from both cable and OTA, but the limitation is that there's only one RF coax input and the frequencies can overlap and interfere with each other, so for all intents and purposes, they're correct and you shouldn't do it (it's not technically that you "can't").


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## sjmaye (Aug 28, 2003)

HarperVision said:


> Actually you can tune and record from both cable and OTA, but the limitation is that there's only one RF coax input and the frequencies can overlap and interfere with each other, so for all intents and purposes, they're correct and you shouldn't do it (it's not technically that you "can't").


Ouch! I never stopped to think of this. I bought the Bolt with the thought of cutting the cord in about a year and going to antenna. If I do this I can only record one channel at a time?


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

sjmaye said:


> Ouch! I never stopped to think of this. I bought the Bolt with the thought of cutting the cord in about a year and going to antenna. If I do this I can only record one channel at a time?


Huh? That's not what I was talking about. You can record more than one channel at a time, whether it's cable or OTA. There are four tuners each capable of tuning in cable QAM or OTA ATSC.


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## sjmaye (Aug 28, 2003)

Thanks for the clarification. It is just too early in the morning. I guess I just spazzed out.


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## abovethesink (Aug 26, 2013)

I've always been curious about the desire for this feature so this is as good of place as any to ask. Why? Do people really have over the air channels they would want to watch that are not part of their cable package? Or is it just a picture quality issue? This is hard for someone with one weak PBS station and nothing else available OTA to understand.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

abovethesink said:


> I've always been curious about the desire for this feature so this is as good of place as any to ask. Why? Do people really have over the air channels they would want to watch that are not part of their cable package? Or is it just a picture quality issue? This is hard for someone with one weak PBS station and nothing else available OTA to understand.


Usually it's the PQ. My CBS and NBC stations were without sub-channels until recently. Now they each have 2 480i subs. Before the change, one hour used 8GB. Now 1 hour uses 6GB. And I am on cable. My feed doesn't mess with the signals.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

abovethesink said:


> I've always been curious about the desire for this feature so this is as good of place as any to ask. Why? Do people really have over the air channels they would want to watch that are not part of their cable package? Or is it just a picture quality issue? This is hard for someone with one weak PBS station and nothing else available OTA to understand.


Because the cable companies don't always have all of the local channels. Sure they will have the main channel. But there are many sub-channels. And sometimes the cable companies don't broadcast all of the sub-channels.

I know my parents are always watching these sub-channels on their Comcast cable. They don't realize they are the local channels being broadcast on Comcast. But these channels run a lot of older content from the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's that they like to watch.


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

Exactly, for example theres excellent channels here in Vegas that are not part of the Cable package: COZI, Decades, Comet, LAFF, H&I, Buzzr, Retro, Movies..


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

*Subject: OTA and cable on Bolt*


abovethesink said:


> I've always been curious about the desire for this feature so this is as good of place as any to ask. Why? Do people really have over the air channels they would want to watch that are not part of their cable package? Or is it just a picture quality issue? This is hard for someone with one weak PBS station and nothing else available OTA to understand.


When I helped my mom cut the cord, she was thrilled to find there were 2 additional sub-channels broadcast by her local public television broadcaster (Create and World) that were not carried by her local cable TV provider (Comcast). Also, The CW is only carried in 4:3 SD by Comcast, but is available as 16:9 OTA (still 480i/SD, but widescreen is better than 4:3 cropping).

As I've implemented it at my sister's, we just use a separate OTA DVR to capture the bonus public sub-channels, CW and for some additional offloading of shows during peak recording times or for shows of secondary interest.


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## CaliforniaDream (Jun 28, 2015)

I agree with all of the above. WE have an OTA TiVo and enjoy the various extra local channels. Also we have comcast and and they charge $15 for partial local channels that is not as clear as our OTA stuff. I wish there was a way to adjust the now showing on a single TiVo to show everything on both the cable TiVo and the OTA TiVo.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

CaliforniaDream said:


> I agree with all of the above. WE have an OTA TiVo and enjoy the various extra local channels. Also we have comcast and and they charge $15 for partial local channels that is not as clear as our OTA stuff. I wish there was a way to adjust the now showing on a single TiVo to show everything on both the cable TiVo and the OTA TiVo.


A dual tuner Premiere can tune cable and OTA at the same time and would have programs from both sources in the now showing list.


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