# Will the Built in Stream in Bolt work without a subscription?



## junesen (Jun 17, 2008)

I am considering getting a BOLT, and after the subscription runs out using the BOLT just as a Stream if I don't feel like the BOLT is worth the monthly fee (currently I have 2 Roamios). 

Will this work?

Also will SkipMode work if I transfer a program from a Roamio? If I transfer a program to a Roamio? If I stream a program from a Roamio (watch on BOLT)? If I stream a program from a BOLT (watch on a Roamio)?


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## Peter G (Jan 3, 2012)

Without a subscription I think the answer is no.

Get the TiVo Stream to work with your Roamios, it does not require any additional subscription.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

junesen said:


> I am considering getting a BOLT, and after the subscription runs out using the BOLT just as a Stream if I don't feel like the BOLT is worth the monthly fee (currently I have 2 Roamios).
> 
> Will this work?
> 
> Also will SkipMode work if I transfer a program from a Roamio? If I transfer a program to a Roamio? If I stream a program from a Roamio (watch on BOLT)? If I stream a program from a BOLT (watch on a Roamio)?


Currently even an active Bolt will not stream content on a Roamio to another device. Without a subscription pretty much nothing is going to work except the tuners.

Regarding SkipMode currently it only works for content recorded on the Bolt and played on the Bolt. Also if you transfer the content to a computer/Roamio and back SkipMode is gone.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

junesen said:


> I am considering getting a BOLT, and after the subscription runs out using the BOLT just as a Stream if I don't feel like the BOLT is worth the monthly fee (currently I have 2 Roamios).
> 
> Will this work?
> 
> Also will SkipMode work if I transfer a program from a Roamio? If I transfer a program to a Roamio? If I stream a program from a Roamio (watch on BOLT)? If I stream a program from a BOLT (watch on a Roamio)?


You can't do much of anything without a subscription on the Bolt, except watch Live Tv. Although I do see all four buffers are still active. And now that guide data ran out, it doesn't show the name of the show any more.


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## junesen (Jun 17, 2008)

atmuscarella said:


> Currently even an active Bolt will not stream content on a Roamio to another device. Without a subscription pretty much nothing is going to work except the tuners.


So it sounds like the built in Stream in the Bolt is different from the built in Stream in the Roamio Plus/Pro. From what I understand, they have a Stream that just happens to be built-in to the unit. Can the Stream in the Roamio Plus/Pro stream content from a Roamio Basic to another device? And would the built-in stream work without a subscription? (all this is hypothetical, I don't think I would buy a Roamio Plus/Pro because it doesn't support OTA). There is a Roamio Plus with lifetime on craiglist locally for $350 that I've been tempted to get just for the Stream and to use it as a "mini", but so far have avoided the temptation.


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## Peter G (Jan 3, 2012)

Junesen

I think for less than $350 you can by standalone stream plus a Mini, no subscription or service fee required for these devices.

TiVo DVR without a subscription is mostly a brick.

Peter G


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## junesen (Jun 17, 2008)

Peter G said:


> Junesen
> 
> I think for less than $350 you can by standalone stream plus a Mini, no subscription or service fee required for these devices.
> 
> ...


Yes, I know you can buy a Stream for $130 (and about $100 used) and a Mini for about the same price. However, I somehow view those as "expensive" and a TiVo with lifetime as "cheap".

I bought a lifetime Roamio OTA to use as a Mini even though it was $300 versus $120 because I feel that the Roamio OTA has more value and was more versatile. I don't regret that purchase because now I have twice as much storage and tuners and I can take one with me on vacation while the other one sits at home continuing recording (I didn't consider this possibility when I made the purchase, but that is what I mean by being more versatile).

When I saw a BOLT for $175, I thought: "hey you can get this and have fun with the new features of the BOLT for a year, and thereafter you can use it as a stream which costs $130--so the cost for playing with it is only $45)." However, the BOLT being a brick without a subscription kind of put a damper on things.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

junesen said:


> So it sounds like the built in Stream in the Bolt is different from the built in Stream in the Roamio Plus/Pro. From what I understand, they have a Stream that just happens to be built-in to the unit. Can the Stream in the Roamio Plus/Pro stream content from a Roamio Basic to another device? And would the built-in stream work without a subscription? (all this is hypothetical, I don't think I would buy a Roamio Plus/Pro because it doesn't support OTA). There is a Roamio Plus with lifetime on craiglist locally for $350 that I've been tempted to get just for the Stream and to use it as a "mini", but so far have avoided the temptation.


Yes the Stream built into the Roamio +/Pro is very different. The Stream in the Roamio +/Pro is add on hardware and basically the same hardware as the stand alone stream. With the Roamio +/Pro or the stand alone Stream you can have up to 4 Streams & you can Stream content from any Premiere or Roamio DVR on the same network (that are on the same TiVo account). The Bolt's Stream functionality is built into the main processor. For the Bolt they are still working on getting everything working correctly, right now you can only have one stream (should be 2) and no out of network streaming. We don't know for sure if the current limitation to only work with the Bolt is temporary or not, but my guess is not.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

junesen said:


> Can the Stream in the Roamio Plus/Pro stream content from a Roamio Basic to another device?


Highly doubtful anything useful will work without a subscription.

But I can effectively answer YES to this part.

I use(*) the Stream in my Roamio Plus to transfer shows from my Premiere 4 to my iPad.

(*) WHEN IT WORKS. It's REALLY REALLY BUSTED for some of us, I get essentially constant errors, and it can take up to literally tens of attempts to get a show fully downloaded, and then it ends up having many glitches in it too. (Not _every_ failed download point seems to cause a glitch in the video, but many do... with slight skipped audio and/or video..)


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## wscottcross (Dec 24, 2014)

mattack said:


> Highly doubtful anything useful will work without a subscription.
> 
> But I can effectively answer YES to this part.
> 
> ...


That's one thing the Bolt does pretty well from my experience. I've transferred a couple dozen movies to my iPad without issue and I haven't seen any glitching in any of them yet.


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## PdX (Apr 12, 2016)

My bolt subscription is about to end and we are thinking of cutting cable and going OTA. A OTA Romiao is cheaper than the $500 lifetime on bolt so I am trying to decide what to do.

Question I have once my subscription ends on the bolt, can I still watch what was previously recorded to the DVR? 

Also,
I was told when I inquired about cancelling that if I do, I can never re-add service to the bolt again. Is that true as well?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

One point as to the Roamio OTA: it can be made cablecard-capable by the addition of a fairly easily modded, inexpensive cablecard adapter (there's a thread here on this), or the easy transfer of a cablecard adapter from another TiVo box to the Roamio OTA (I know that a Roamio box cablecard adapter can be moved over to the Roamio OTA; I don't know about the Bolt's).


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

PdX said:


> once my subscription ends on the bolt, can I still watch what was previously recorded to the DVR?


Yes.



PdX said:


> I was told when I inquired about cancelling that if I do, I can never re-add service to the bolt again. Is that true as well?


No.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

PdX said:


> ...
> Also,
> I was told when I inquired about cancelling that if I do, I can never re-add service to the bolt again. Is that true as well?


I agree with krkaufman, there should be no issue re-subbing at some point in the future. What you do loose is the continual care warranty, that only stays in affect if the unit has a continuous monthly or annual sub.


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## jebbbz (Sep 7, 2007)

atmuscarella said:


> Yes the Stream built into the Roamio +/Pro is very different. The Stream in the Roamio +/Pro is add on hardware and basically the same hardware as the stand alone stream. With the Roamio +/Pro or the stand alone Stream you can have up to 4 Streams & you can Stream content from any Premiere or Roamio DVR on the same network (that are on the same TiVo account). The Bolt's Stream functionality is built into the main processor. For the Bolt they are still working on getting everything working correctly, right now you can only have one stream (should be 2) and no out of network streaming. We don't know for sure if the current limitation to only work with the Bolt is temporary or not, but my guess is not.


I used the offer to upgrade my TiVo HD to a Bolt (just arrived). I have a Premiere 4 and a TiVo Stream. Should the Bolt's built-in Stream be able to stream to my tablets shows on the Premiere or will I need to keep the stand-alone Stream hooked up to access those?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

jebbbz said:


> I used the offer to upgrade my TiVo HD to a Bolt (just arrived). I have a Premiere 4 and a TiVo Stream. Should the Bolt's built-in Stream be able to stream to my tablets shows on the Premiere or will I need to keep the stand-alone Stream hooked up to access those?


Out of Home streaming for base model Roamio (info. there is not limited to the Roamio).


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## jebbbz (Sep 7, 2007)

Mikeguy said:


> Out of Home streaming for base model Roamio (info. there is not limited to the Roamio).


Thanks for the link. Too bad about the answer. Eventually the Premiere will be only backup so I'll mothball the Stream then.


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