# Can Bolt replace Roku



## JibsMan (Sep 12, 2016)

I have a couple Roku boxes and use Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus and Sling to watch our shows and movies. NO Cable. We had Dish and decided to try going without cable. Only problem is some shows still have commercials and there is no DVR abilities to play/record shows with commercials and playback to skip the commercials.

We're also considering a TV antenna to watch local programming, and a DVR would be handy for that.

We also watch home movies through Roku from a Netgear ReadyNAS v2.

Can the Bolt replace the Rokus?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

It can replace the Rokus if the apps you use on the Rokus are also on the Bolt.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

You may not be as pleased using a Bolt for streaming as you are with your current Roku. The Amazon app on Roku is better -- Amazon's Tivo app is pretty sluggish. And there's no Sling app at all for TiVo. The Netflix app on the Bolt is good IF you don't have problems with audio drop-outs; I don't know how widespread the problem is but it has been going on for several months and afflicts several of us on both the Bolt and the Roamio. You can read about it on these two threads:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=536154
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10747340

As for watching home movies, you could put those on a PC or NAS running Plex Media Server and then watch them using the Plex app on the Bolt. I'll let others chime in on the performance of Plex on the Bolt, it may be fine. It's pretty sluggish and flakey on the last-gen TiVo Roamio though.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

JibsMan said:


> I have a couple Roku boxes and use Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus and Sling to watch our shows and movies. NO Cable. We had Dish and decided to try going without cable. Only problem is some shows still have commercials and there is no DVR abilities to play/record shows with commercials and playback to skip the commercials.
> 
> We're also considering a TV antenna to watch local programming, and a DVR would be handy for that.
> 
> ...


I find my Bolt to be an excellent OTA DVR and a very good streamer.

For me Amazon, YouTube, & Vudu work very well on my Bolt and better than my older Roku. I do not use Netflix, Hulu, or Plex so no comments on those.

If you get good OTA reception of the main OTA HD Networks (ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, & PBS) I think you will find Hulu redundant.

In the end the reason to get a Bolt over a Roku or other streaming only device is because you get good OTA reception and want a good OTA DVR.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

You might want to hold off and see what the Mantis is....

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=543174

Looks to be a headless DVR that you'd use a device, like your Roku, to watch. So you might be able to add it to your existing setup for the OTA DVR part without effecting your usage flow in existing apps.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

You'll have to keep your Roku for Sling TV. Get a universal remote to simplify source switching.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Another option you may wish to consider is Tablo. Like the TiVo Mantis that Dan referenced above (probably coming out in 2017), Tablo is a headless DVR that serves up live and recorded OTA TV via apps on your various devices, including Roku. I'm pretty sure that it's not as good of a DVR as a TiVo but it does integrate better with other devices and many people find those other devices to be superior streamers than TiVo.

One other thing: before buying anything, wait at least a month and see if anything else pops up. We _may_ see an Android TV-powered box that offers a unified streaming+OTA DVR solution. There have also been rumors that Amazon could possibly roll out something like that in their next Fire TV box. There are several new devices slated to be unveiled over the next month, in time for the holiday shopping season. Will be interesting to see what emerges...


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## UroTivo (Sep 5, 2016)

Tablo looks cool! Has anyone used it?


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## elwaylite (Apr 23, 2006)

No. Bolt is too buggy with streaming services.


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## aspexil (Oct 16, 2015)

Like others have said the Bolt doesn't have the app coverage as Roku. We have our old Roku 2XS still running because we can get Sky TV news, sling TV, etc that just isn't on the Bolt.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

UroTivo said:


> Tablo looks cool! Has anyone used it?


I think the Channel Master DVR+ would be a better alternative than Tablo. Channel Master includes a Sling TV app and is subscription free, unlike Tablo ($50/year for the service)

But since the OP is apparently willing to subscribe to Sling TV, I'll throw out another alternative - PS Vue. It has by far the most cable TV content, cloud DVR (of sorts), live TV and runs on Roku or Fire TV, giving you access to all your other streaming apps.


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## fyodor (Sep 19, 2006)

Depends a lot on your tolerance for multiple devices. Some people *really* like having a single device that does everything and will accept a worse viewing experience/interface to not have to switch inputs. I'd rather just use two devices.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Not sure if the OP is aware of this, but TiVo offers an OTA-only DVR called the Roamio OTA that is cheaper in the long-run than the Bolt. The downside is that it's not quite as snappy launching apps or going through the menus but, for core DVR functionality, it's just as good as the Bolt. If you're OTA-only and looking to buy a TiVo, especially if you're going to use a separate box like a Roku for your streaming anyhow, it may be better to spend $400 for a 1TB Roamio OTA with zero fees to TiVo after that than it would be to spend $300 for a 1TB Bolt and then have to pay $150 for each year of service. After the first year, you'll have already spent $50 more to use the Bolt, then you'll have to spend $150 the next year, and so on. Plus, if you decide to sell your TiVo, the Roamio OTA will retain a lot of its value because it have lifetime service built-in, whereas the Bolt does not.

(Actually, you could buy a 1TB Bolt with lifetime "all-in" service too. It would cost $850 up front, with no more fees thereafter. But if you're spending that kind of money on TV, why is it you don't have cable?)


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