# Migrating from Comcast X1 DVR to TiVo Roamio



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

What is the right process for migrating from an X1 DVR to a TiVo Roamio without experiencing too much downtime?

I am going to try to give it a guess, and I'd love some feedback from those who have gone through the process properly...

1. Procure all TiVo hardware (Roamio + Mini)
2. Request and pick up CableCard from local Comcast office (keeping X1 hardware for the time being)?
3. Disconnect X1 Hardware
4. Connect TiVo Hardware
5. Provision CableCard via phone call to Comcast
6. Return X1 Hardware to local Comcast office

Is that about right? Can I keep the X1 hardware while I get my TiVo and CableCard provisioned?

Do I need to call and order my CableCard first, or do the local Comcast offices have CableCards ready for pick up on demand?


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

MikeekiM said:


> What is the right process for migrating from an X1 DVR to a TiVo Roamio without experiencing too much downtime?
> 
> I am going to try to give it a guess, and I'd love some feedback from those who have gone through the process properly...
> 
> ...


That's the method I used when migrating from an old Comcast DVR (never had X1). A few suggestions:

I kept the old Comcast hardware for one week. It only took a few days to know the TiVo was a keeper.

Your local Comcast office should have CableCards in stock. I would suggest asking for at least two CableCards. They don't test the CableCards they give out, a high percentage of them are defective. I went through four CableCards to get two that worked. Return the unused CableCard when you return the X1 crap.

The Roamio startup process will tell you when to insert the CableCard and when to call Comcast for activation. Do not call the regular Comcast tech support number, call the CableCard activation number: 877-405-2298

There's a chance the CableCard you receive will have out of date firmware. If all six tuners on the Roamio don't work you'll know you have out of date firmware. Post a note to ComcastTeds on the Xfinity TV support forum and he'll get you updated quickly.


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## Mustanger (Jun 10, 2015)

I recently switched from X1 to a Roamio Pro and at first they gave me the wrong card and I was having pairing problems. After finding a number for a Comcast dedicated TiVo department, 1.855.484.1453, they finally determine I had the wrong card. My local office had given me an 802, where as the Roamio Pro needs either an 800 or 801.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

DeltaOne said:


> That's the method I used when migrating from an old Comcast DVR (never had X1). A few suggestions:
> 
> I kept the old Comcast hardware for one week. It only took a few days to know the TiVo was a keeper.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tips!

How do I quickly figure out if all six tuners work (besides attempting to record 6 things at once)? Is there some status screen that shows how many tuners are recognized?

Thanks for the dedicated cablecard phone number!

Is the cablecard firmware user-upgradeable, or is this something that requires a Comcast resource? If it's user-upgradeable, there must be a previous post that allows anyone to do it (I hope). The last thing I want to do is post something to their forum and cross my fingers that someone is knowledgeable enough to answer the question correctly if there's a chance that a forum posting has the answer already documented...


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Mustanger said:


> I recently switched from X1 to a Roamio Pro and at first they gave me the wrong card and I was having pairing problems. After finding a number for a Comcast dedicated TiVo department, 1.855.484.1453, they finally determine I had the wrong card. My local office had given me an 802, where as the Roamio Pro needs either an 800 or 801.


Ouch... How frustrating...

So if I go to the Comcast local office and tell them that I need an 800 or an 801 cablecard, will that be easy for them to identify? Is the cablecard number obviously visible on the card itself?

Thanks all...I think with your help, I will hopefully avoid some of the pain and frustration you guys encountered...


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

MikeekiM said:


> How do I quickly figure out if all six tuners work (besides attempting to record 6 things at once)? Is there some status screen that shows how many tuners are recognized? Is the cablecard firmware user-upgradeable, or is this something that requires a Comcast resource?


You can use the Info button (I think that's the right one) on the remote and then scroll down to see what all six tuners are doing. You can select each tuner and cycle through them.

The only (best?) way to get the CableCard's firmware updated is by asking ComcastTeds on the Xfinity TV forum. Or possibly by asking on Comcast's Twitter feed? I'm not a Twitter user so I'm not sure about that.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

MikeekiM said:


> Thanks all...I think with your help, I will hopefully avoid some of the pain and frustration you guys encountered...


Here is but one example of the pain some new TiVo owners go through:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=529587


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Lets be clear, most installations are not problematic and you don't see those stories posted here. Some are, and coming to seek advice here is helpful to many.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

jrtroo said:


> Lets be clear, most installations are not problematic and you don't see those stories posted here. Some are, and coming to seek advice here is helpful to many.


Good to know...

Here's hoping that I am in the middle of the bell curve...


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

DeltaOne said:


> <snip> I would suggest asking for at least two CableCards. They don't test the CableCards they give out, a high percentage of them are defective. I went through four CableCards to get two that worked. Return the unused CableCard when you return the X1 crap. <snip>


Carefull with that advice. My local Comcast added an ADO fee the day I picked up a CableCARD. Pick up two, and they might add two. I returned one in March that they continued to charge me for, while removing the Customer Owned Equipment credit. The last time I called, they credited my account but I see no evidence that they made a permanent change so fully expect the charge to be there on my next bill.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Given the fact that the folks in the bell curve don't have any issues, I am going to request one and take my chances... I may be very clear that I want an 800 or an 801 card to ensure I don't have the same issues as Mustanger had with the 802 card...


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

lpwcomp said:


> Carefull with that advice. My local Comcast added an ADO fee the day I picked up a CableCARD. Pick up two, and they might add two. I returned one in March that they continued to charge me for, while removing the Customer Owned Equipment credit. The last time I called, they credited my account but I see no evidence that they made a permanent change so fully expect the charge to be there on my next bill.


You're right, one has to watch their bill.

In my case I only had the extra CableCards and Comcast STBs for one week. I returned them on a Saturday morning and asked the rep to double-check my account before I left. She was great -- she triple-checked everything and my bill was correct.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

If the goal is to minimize viewing downtime, I'd first look at whether both systems, X1 & TiVo, can be setup simultaneously, allowing you to keep the X1 equipment operational until the TiVo setup is both running and primed with content.

The main roadblock to this approach is whether you have the ability, connectivity and spare parts to hookup all the components at the same time, whether located at or near their final resting places, or staging some or all of the TiVo equipment in an out-of-the-way location.

You'll also need unused TV inputs to which the TiVo devices can be connected; otherwise, you may need to swap inputs when using the TiVo equipment. The Roamio Pro can be connected via any of HDMI, Component or Composite, while the Mini is HDMI-only, unless you've ordered a set of the "A/V Breakout Cables."

So, for the sake of argument, I'll assume you *can* have it all (connected) -- in which case, I'd break the effort down into the following blocks:A. Acquisition
B. TiVo Staging & Initialization
C. Roamio CableCARD Authorization
D. TiVo Setup & Evaluation
E. X1 Shutdown​
In more detail...


> *A. Acquisition*
> 
> *Procure TiVo hardware* (Roamio, Mini)
> 
> ...


p.s. On an only slightly related note, I felt compelled to share this post that I stumbled across over on Comcast's forums whilst gathering links and what-not...


> Posted by Damien2012, on 18Jan2012:
> Update - in addition to picking up a card, I also called them and asked them to send me one, just in case it I wasn't able to get one at my local office. Got home today and there was a package from Comcast. Inside...a letter: "Thanks for subscribing to Xfinity from Comcast. Enclosed is the HDMI cable you requested."


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## Leo_N (Nov 13, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> What is the right process for migrating from an X1 DVR to a TiVo Roamio without experiencing too much downtime?
> 
> I am going to try to give it a guess, and I'd love some feedback from those who have gone through the process properly...
> 
> ...


Make sure to get a tuning adapter with that cable card if your area uses them.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Leo_N said:


> Make sure to get a tuning adapter with that cable card if your area uses them.


Thanks!

Never heard of a tuning adapter... Anyone in the Bay Area know if it is applicable in our area?


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## philt56 (Aug 22, 2008)

MikeekiM said:


> Thanks for the tips!
> 
> How do I quickly figure out if all six tuners work (besides attempting to record 6 things at once)? Is there some status screen that shows how many tuners are recognized?
> 
> ...


You can can hit the live TV button to go to the next tuner, change the channel, and repeat until you have 6 different channels on all 6 tuners. You can do a right arrow and down to see the channels tuned on all 6.

You are kind of recording since each tuner has its own buffer, but you won't save any show as a recording.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Leo_N said:


> Make sure to get a tuning adapter with that cable card if your area uses them.





MikeekiM said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Never heard of a tuning adapter... Anyone in the Bay Area know if it is applicable in our area?


Comcast doesn't use SDV, so no tuning adapter needed.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

lpwcomp said:


> Comcast doesn't use SDV, so no tuning adapter needed.


They do in some parts of their system, specifically areas they bought out from another company that may have used them.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

HarperVision said:


> They do in some parts of their system, specifically areas they bought out from another company that may have used them.


Okay then. Sf is not one of those areas.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

I just picked up my cable card from Comcast ahead of my Roamio delivery next Tuesday.

They scanned the card's UPC symbols to identify the card and sent me on my way.

Here's where I get a little worried... I logged into my Comcast account, and the cable card shows up on my list of "equipment"...the serial number is spot on... but the MAC address shown on the website for the cable card is completely different than the MAC address on the cable card sticker...

Should I be concerned? I know she didn't type anything on her keyboard...it was all scanning... Should I go back to the store and challenge them on this anomaly? Or will everything work out fine, and I shouldn't worry?


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

MikeekiM said:


> Here's where I get a little worried... I logged into my Comcast account, and the cable card shows up on my list of "equipment"...the serial number is spot on... but the MAC address shown on the website for the cable card is completely different than the MAC address on the cable card sticker...


I wouldn't worry. During the Roamio startup process there's a part where it'll tell you to call the Comcast activation number. And there'll be several pieces of information on the screen that you'll need to read to the Comcast rep. My memory (from two years ago) is that one of those is the MAC address.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

DeltaOne said:


> I wouldn't worry. During the Roamio startup process there's a part where it'll tell you to call the Comcast activation number. And there'll be *several pieces of information on the screen* that you'll need to read to the Comcast rep. My memory (from two years ago) is that one of those is the MAC address.


Comcast CableCARD MMI Screen (example)

Comcast CableCARD Self-Install Worksheet

---
_(from section C, above)_


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

krkaufman said:


> Comcast CableCARD MMI Screen (example)
> 
> Comcast CableCARD Self-Install Worksheet
> 
> ...


So the CableCard either doesn't have a MAC address or Xfinity doesn't use it for activation? None of those numbers looked like a MAC address...

Thanks for posting the info!


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

DeltaOne said:


> I wouldn't worry. During the Roamio startup process there's a part where it'll tell you to call the Comcast activation number. And there'll be several pieces of information on the screen that you'll need to read to the Comcast rep. My memory (from two years ago) is that one of those is the MAC address.


Your memory is flawed. Host ID and Data with the possible addition of Card S/N and CableCARD ID.
Card MAC is nowhere to be seen on any of the CableCARD screens.

I doubt that the MAC matters, but who the heck knows. It won't do any good to call Comcast beforehand, you'll just have to try to get it paired when the time comes.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

HarperVision said:


> They do in some parts of their system, specifically areas they bought out from another company that may have used them.


Please provide a link to one of those, I have never seen anyone say that Comcast uses SDV and TAs anywhere.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Using my Comcast X1 DVR for my last weekend before my Roamio gets delivered...

I accidentally deleted something and went to the "recently deleted" folder and was able to recover the recording... Does TiVo Roamio allow you to do this?

As far as I know, DirecTV's Genie does not have this feature... I like it...


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> I accidentally deleted something and went to the "recently deleted" folder and was able to recover the recording... Does TiVo Roamio allow you to do this?


Yes. You'll find a "Recently Deleted Recordings" folder near the bottom of the 'My Shows' listing.

More here.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Can't do this, though...

_The new Xfinity Share app lets X1 users live stream video and send photos and recorded videos to each other in real time. _(link)​


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

slowbiscuit said:


> Please provide a link to one of those, I have never seen anyone say that Comcast uses SDV and TAs anywhere.


I think this is what I remember:

http://www.slashgear.com/first-sdv-tuning-adapter-is-out-to-comcast-subscribers-0718546/

I was living in a nearby PA area and used to do high end theaters and would help install TiVo's from NY thru VA areas. I'm not sure if they still use them or if it was a test. I've heard of other test markets back then I think too.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Comcast did briefly consider SDV but ultimately rejected it. I didn't realize they actually had a test market but I would be surprised if it were still in place. If they eventually do implement SDV, I suspect that they will leverage the back channel IP method that use use for VOD on TiVos rather than deploying TAs.

I love how the letter spins SDV as "an exciting new way of delivering video programming" rather than the demon spawn it truly is.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

HarperVision said:


> I think this is what I remember:
> 
> http://www.slashgear.com/first-sdv-tuning-adapter-is-out-to-comcast-subscribers-0718546/
> 
> I was living in a nearby PA area and used to do high end theaters and would help install TiVo's from NY thru VA areas. I'm not sure if they still use them or if it was a test. I've heard of other test markets back then I think too.


Interesting, but that was 7 years ago - I guess I should have said 'a current link to an area with SDV'. Doubt they have SDV anywhere now.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

slowbiscuit said:


> Interesting, but that was 7 years ago - I guess I should have said 'a current link to an area with SDV'. Doubt they have SDV anywhere now.


You're probably right. It's been awhile since I've done that stuff and I've since moved in 2009 and live in an exclusive TWC area for thousands of miles.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Got my recertified TiVo Roamio Pro today!

The receiver came in a plain brown box (not the glitzy, colorful marketing box). It was wrapped and well protected. The face of the receiver was protected by a cello wrap. However, after removing the cello wrap, the receiver did have some mild surface scratches...didn't look brand spanking new, but looked new-enough.

Cable card pairing went well. The only hiccup was the cable card verification process. The progress bar sat at 72% for a little while. The agent expected it to be recognized immediately and had me unplug and reboot the receiver. Once rebooted, the progress bar seemed to be stuck at 72% again. She went to find a level 2 agent that could help me, but while I was on hold, the 72% became 100% and all was fine.

So far so good... I'll be re-familiarizing myself with TiVo after being away from it for a number of years now... I love the familiar sounds of my new TiVo!


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Trying to program my Harmony 890 learning remotes (I have two) for my Roamio Pro and my TiVo Mini V2.

I was able to program my Harmony 890 to work with my Roamio Pro...but can't program my TiVo Mini V2.

My only guess is that the Roamio Pro supports both IR and RF, but the Mini V2 only supports RF.

Am I correct?


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## Mustanger (Jun 10, 2015)

I believe they both support both types. I changed only one of them to RF, I'm pretty sure it was my mini, so I could program my universal remote with doesn't support IR.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Just found how to change the TiVo remote between IR and RF...

Press and hold the following buttons for about 2 seconds until the LED flashes twice:


To switch to IR mode: TiVo + C
To switch [back] to RF mode: TiVo + D

Interesting...my TiVo Roamio Pro supports the "list" command (that goes straight to what used to be called the "Now Playing" list).

My TiVo Mini doesn't seem to support the "list" command, which means I need to hit the TiVo button twice to get to "My Shows".

There is no "List" button on the TiVo remote, so I can't have my Harmony "learn" the command. It's in the Harmony database though (at least for my Roamio Pro it is).


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

MikeekiM said:


> Interesting...my TiVo Roamio Pro supports the "list" command (that goes straight to what used to be called the "Now Playing" list).
> 
> My TiVo Mini doesn't seem to support the "list" command, which means I need to hit the TiVo button twice to get to "My Shows".
> 
> There is no "List" button on the TiVo remote, so I can't have my Harmony "learn" the command. It's in the Harmony database though (at least for my Roamio Pro it is).


I do use the list command on the Mini with my programmable remote. You could just copy the command from the remote you're using for your Roamio.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> I do use the list command on the Mini with my programmable remote. You could just copy the command from the remote you're using for your Roamio.


Isn't the other remote on a different channel/frequency to avoid conflict?

I was going to do just as you suggest, but stopped myself when I realized that the remotes are likely not exactly the same... Am I wrong?


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> Isn't the other remote on a different channel/frequency to avoid conflict?
> 
> I was going to do just as you suggest, but stopped myself when I realized that the remotes are likely not exactly the same... Am I wrong?


You're trying to teach the Harmony 890 IR commands, which will be the same between the Roamio and Mini*. You just need an IR remote that can teach the 'List' IR command to your 890 -- which you can test by using that IR remote, first, directly with the device that the 890 is being configured to control.

* p.s. The IR setup is identical, in this case, because the two TiVo devices are in separate rooms. If you were trying to use both devices in the same room, you'd need to look into setting each TiVo device's IR "remote address" to a unique number from 1-9, and then configuring your Harmony 890 accordingly. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about all that.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> Isn't the other remote on a different channel/frequency to avoid conflict?


The Harmony 890s communicate with their extenders wirelessly, via RF, on a unique paired channel/frequency, but they're all sending the same IR signals, inside that RF link, if they're controlling the same devices.

See the following excerpt from the Harmony 890 User Guide (pg 6):


> *Controlling a Device With the RF Wireless Extender:*
> 
> If you have set the RF Wireless Extender to control a device, the remote will send RF (radio frequency) signals (see A) to the RF Extender, which will then convert the signals to IR and send the signals to the device. Controlling devices using the RF Extender means you can control the devices even if they are behind closed doors (e.g. a cabinet) or in a different room (see B and C).
> 
> ...


Also, based on that second section I included, above, you should be able to use one Harmony 890 to teach IR commands to a second 890.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Ah...got it... Thanks!

That makes sense... I used to have three DVRs co-located in the same AV rack, and the remotes were set to different "channels" to avoid conflict... But you are correct, I don't need to worry about that since the mini is in a different room that my Roamio, and IR requires LOS.

Great news...


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Returned my Xfinity X1 equipment today... The guy who accepted my return told me that he:


Removed $9.95 DVR Fee
Removed $10.00 HD Technology Fee
Removed my $9.95 extra outlet (TV) fee

Since I have the X1 DVR for "free" for one year, the DVR and HD Tech fee won't have a financial impact on my bill for another 11 months, but I am glad that he claims he removed them from the account. I need to see an actual bill next month to feel comfortable that he actually did the dirty deed correctly.

I will immediately start saving $9.95/month for the additional outlet fee.

He told me that he heard of the $2.50/mo credit for customer owned equipment, but he couldn't figure out how to apply it to my account...

I'll probably call Comcast customer service to see if they can figure it out... My only fear is that they mistakingly notice that the HD tech fee was accidentally removed and put it back on my account. Based on what others have reported, the removal of the HD tech fee is a bit of a YMMV situation.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> Returned my Xfinity X1 equipment today...



Hope you got a receipt for each piece of equipment.
You'll want to speak w/ Comcast "Billing" re: the $2.50 credit, and may need to escalate to 'Comcast Cares.'
Definitely monitor your Comcast billing.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> Trying to program my Harmony 890 learning remotes (I have two) for my Roamio Pro and my TiVo Mini V2.


So, is your MoCA network up and running, and the Mini networking over it OK?


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> So, is your MoCA network up and running, and the Mini networking over it OK?


Yup... Funny... I hadn't realized (until after some of these threads) that Comcast's X1 DVR and their Xi3 are connected via MoCA. So I simply connected my mini to the same RG6 cable as the Xi3, and connected my Roamio to the same RG6 cable that was connected to the X1 DVR and I was done!

The only difference between the two set-ups was that I had to connect ethernet to my Roamio and tell Roamio to use it to create a MoCA network. The X1 didn't need an ethernet cable and took the internet right off the RG6 cable.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> The only difference between the two set-ups was that I had to connect ethernet to my Roamio and tell Roamio to use it to create a MoCA network. The X1 didn't need an ethernet cable and took the internet right off the RG6 cable.


The difference is that your Roamio Pro is bridging your MoCA devices to your local home network via that Ethernet cable; whereas your X1 DVR was acting as a separate modem/gateway for itself and its client boxes, creating a separate network apart from your home network.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

OK... Now that I have been able to play around with my new TiVo Roamio, I can report back a few observations having my TiVo experience back:

1. I thought I liked 30-second skip, but I am finding that 30-second scan is better. I like pressing the skip button several times and controlling how many commercials I anticipate (expressed in minutes and seconds, of course).

2. I enjoy the familiar sounds (but have set my effects sound volume to low...otherwise the sound becomes annoying)... Bah-doop!

3. I enjoy the entertaining and pleasing graphics of the TiVo UI.

4. One Pass is still a little foreign to me. I kind of miss my Season Pass, but I am sure I'll get used to the One Pass feature.

One thing I can't figure out how to do is recording exactly 5 episodes of the late night talk shows regardless of whether they are new or repeats. This whole "start with" a season feature confuses me. Therefore, I set up the season pass for "new only" (which, of course, is part of my problem). I am also confused with how I why I would choose "recordings and streaming"...just not comfy with the feature yet I guess. My hope is that if you choose to include buy/rent, that you don't actually get charge until you confirm the purchase and watch the show (I am sure I am right there, otherwise people would be screaming bloody murder)!

Our local Fox affiliate has a morning news program called "Mornings on 2" at 4am, 5am 6am and 7am. I tried to set a One Pass to record a single episode of all four because they aren't actually reruns, it's just one large 5-hour local news block. But the One Pass only recognizes the 7am-9am program. It's weird...I had no problems doing this with my DirecTV Genie (I actually didn't try to do it with my X1, since I only had it for about a week).

5. I like having my "skip to tick" back... I thought I didn't have a way of skipping my programs in large chunks with my X1, only to learn that the X1 DVR does have a "large chunk" skip function by pressing "page down". One less unique benefit from my TiVo. I thought my X1 sucked because I had to FF through entire shows if I needed to get towards the end of the program...and it's just not true.

6. I haven't set up any wishlists yet.

7. I haven't rated any programs with "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down" yet. (not used to that any more).

8. I find that I miss my X1's feature that allows it to automatically switch the the HD version of a channel if you bring up the SD version. I love hitting "2" for my local Fox affiliate, and having X1 automagically switch to "702".

9. I thought I would absolutely move to my new TiVo peanut remotes...but I hate the clutter of multiple remotes. I have a medium-complex system that includes the television, a receiver/soundbar, a multi-port HDMI switch, and the DVR (TiVO) box itself. The peanut remote won't allow me to make switching all these settings easy for the rest of my non-gadgety/non-technical family... My Harmony 890 does...

10. I am finding myself wondering if the difference between TiVo and X1 are really that significant. Don't get me wrong, I still love that I am back with TiVo...but the big gaps seem to have melted away for me... I guess the biggest feature is simply usability.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

One of the biggest differences between a TiVo and the X1 (or any provider DVR) is the ability to transfer recordings to/from a PC.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> 2. I enjoy the familiar sounds (but have set my effects sound volume to low...otherwise the sound becomes annoying)... Bah-doop!


In the absence of an "Extremely Low" setting or more granular control, I've set the bloops to "Off."



MikeekiM said:


> One thing I can't figure out how to do is recording exactly 5 episodes of the late night talk shows regardless of whether they are new or repeats.


Need to set OnePass as:
Include: Recordings only, or Recordngs & streaming videos
Start from: (earliest season you want recorded)
Rent or Buy: Don't Include
-----
Record: New & repeats
Keep at most: 5 recordings​


MikeekiM said:


> I am also confused with how I why I would choose "recordings and streaming"...just not comfy with the feature yet I guess.


Well, as an example, if you subscribed to HuluPlus, if you included streaming episodes in your OnePass for The Tonight Show, you'd see, at present, about 19 previous episodes available.



MikeekiM said:


> My hope is that if you choose to include buy/rent, that you don't actually get charge until you confirm the purchase and watch the show


Correct. You won't be charged until you select the pay option from within the associated streaming app. (That is, selecting a rental episode from the OnePass listing just takes you to the episode's details page within the streaming app, at which point you would select the "buy" button.)



MikeekiM said:


> Our local Fox affiliate has a morning news program called "Mornings on 2" at 4am, 5am 6am and 7am. I tried to set a One Pass to record a single episode of all four because they aren't actually reruns, it's just one large 5-hour local news block. But the One Pass only recognizes the 7am-9am program.


Set a manual recording for whichever hour is most convenient. See this walkthrough from TiVo:TiVo How-to: Record by time or channel​


MikeekiM said:


> I like having my "skip to tick" back... I thought my X1 sucked because I had to FF through entire shows if I needed to get towards the end of the program...


Note that you can also quickly jump to the end or start of a program on your TiVo by briefly holding down the Advance or Replay buttons, respectively.



MikeekiM said:


> 7. I haven't rated any programs with "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down" yet.


Not sure there's any value in Thumbing content, unless you're allowing the TiVo to record suggestions.



MikeekiM said:


> 8. I find that I miss my X1's feature that allows it to automatically switch the the HD version of a channel if you bring up the SD version.


Yeah, the best you can do on the TiVo is to remove the duplicated SD channels from the My Channels listing.



MikeekiM said:


> 10. I am finding myself wondering if the difference between TiVo and X1 are really that significant.


For me, the primary driver remains the additional outlet savings. The TiVo solution allowed me to setup access to our DVR on 9 TVs w/o doubling our monthly Comcast bill. The streaming app integration, including XOD, are additional benefits over the X1 system.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> Hope you got a receipt for each piece of equipment.
> You'll want to speak w/ Comcast "Billing" re: the $2.50 credit, and may need to escalate to 'Comcast Cares.'
> Definitely monitor your Comcast billing.


Update: I escalated to a supervisor...used the url www.xfinity.com/equipmentpolicy as my proof that the policy exists (so many CSRs aren't familiar with the policy, and mine wasn't as I expected)...

The supervisor told the CSR (who relayed to me) that the $2.50 is a service "macro" that is applied automatically, and that I should see it on my next bill.

I couldn't really push back on this until I have a bill in my hand to prove that it wasn't applied, so I will just wait at this point, and hope that I see it on my next bill.

The fact that so many of us on this board report inconsistency on this point tells me that it is likely NOT a standard macro...but we'll see...


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> In the absence of an "Extremely Low" setting or more granular control, I've set the bloops to "Off."


I find the bloops an amusing part of the TiVo experience...though, like you, I'd prefer to lower the volume a little bit more so that the sound is a little more subtle.



krkaufman said:


> Need to set OnePass as:
> Include: Recordings only, or Recordngs & streaming videos
> Start from: (earliest season you want recorded)
> Rent or Buy: Don't Include
> ...


Thanks...I'll give that a try... 



krkaufman said:


> Well, as an example, if you subscribed to HuluPlus, if you included streaming episodes in your OnePass for The Tonight Show, you'd see, at present, about 19 previous episodes available.


Yeah...I get it... I guess I am just not used to it... Seems to me if I want to see episodes outside of (what used to be called) my "Now Playing List", that I would do a search instead of see a show on my NPL that really isn't on my NPL... Just need to get used to it... It's a personal problem 
[/quote]



krkaufman said:


> Set a manual recording for whichever hour is most convenient. See this walkthrough from TiVo:TiVo How-to: Record by time or channel​


Yes...I know how to do that...I just wanted to avoid it... TiVo is supposed to be intuitive and easy, and I thought that I should be able to just point to the program, hit the record button, set my season pass, and be done with it... But it is not that simple... I am fairly technical and am very comfortable with complexity, but I appreciate simplicity... 



krkaufman said:


> Note that you can also quickly jump to the end or start of a program on your TiVo by briefly holding down the Advance or Replay buttons, respectively.


Thanks! I forgot about that one!



krkaufman said:


> Not sure there's any value in Thumbing content, unless you're allowing the TiVo to record suggestions.


What is the general consensus here on TCF? Before (when disc space wasn't so massive) the thought was "why not"... The suggestions will always be deleted if it needs the space for your recordings...why not have suggested television content on that unused space that might be interesting (versus empty space). But with this 3TB drive, I am not sure I want the wear and tear on my drive... I left it on by default...



krkaufman said:


> Yeah, the best you can do on the TiVo is to remove the duplicated SD channels from the My Channels listing.


Yes, I figured that this was the case...



krkaufman said:


> For me, the primary driver remains the additional outlet savings. The TiVo solution allowed me to setup access to our DVR on 9 TVs w/o doubling our monthly Comcast bill. The streaming app integration, including XOD, are additional benefits over the X1 system.


Wow...with that many "extra outlets", you save an immense amount of money! Good for you!


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

MikeekiM said:


> I find the bloops an amusing part of the TiVo experience...though, like you, I'd prefer to lower the volume a little bit more so that the sound is a little more subtle.


We have always enjoyed the TiVo's sounds. 



MikeekiM said:


> What is the general consensus here on TCF? Before (when disc space wasn't so massive) the thought was "why not"... The suggestions will always be deleted if it needs the space for your recordings...why not have suggested television content on that unused space that might be interesting (versus empty space). But with this 3TB drive, I am not sure I want the wear and tear on my drive... I left it on by default...


Having Suggestions on or off doesn't change the wear and tear on the drive since the TiVo is always buffering live TV. We leave them on and occasionally I look through them.

Scott


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> krkaufman said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure there's any value in Thumbing content, unless you're allowing the TiVo to record suggestions.
> ...


I can't speak for a general consensus, just myself... I keep it disabled because I've never tried it, assuming the odds of it recording content that I may be interested in and have the extra time to view are slim; to allow the system as much downtime as it can get; to keep the suggested recordings out of the "Recently Deleted Recordings" folder, assuming they'd land there, to allow as much of a recovery window as possible for our intentional recordings we may want to retrieve.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> assuming the odds of it recording content that I may be interested in and have the extra time to view are slim; to allow the system as much downtime as it can get; to keep the suggested recordings out of the "Recently Deleted Recordings" folder, assuming they'd land there, to allow as much of a recovery window as possible for our intentional recordings we may want to retrieve.


Over time TiVo with the Season Passes and recordings that you set up, it does get pretty good at recording Suggestions that you might like (intentionally adding Thumbs up to the shows you like helps). No such thing as downtime for a TiVo as I mentioned above. They do not go to the "Recently Deleted Recordings" folder when they are deleted.

The last is a good reason to leave them off.

Scott


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

HerronScott said:


> Over time TiVo with the Season Passes and recordings that you set up, it does get pretty good at recording Suggestions that you might like (intentionally adding Thumbs up to the shows you like helps). No such thing as downtime for a TiVo as I mentioned above. They do not go to the "Recently Deleted Recordings" folder when they are deleted.
> 
> The last is a good reason to leave them off.


They do or do NOT go into the "Recently Deleted" folder?

Also, re: downtime, I understand now re: buffering. I suppose I'd just want to make sure as many tuners as possible are always free, either for LiveTV or Xfinity On Demand access. Or would a Suggestion automatically stop & delete itself if a user on a Roamio or Mini tried to start a LiveTV or XOD session?


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> They do or do NOT go into the "Recently Deleted" folder?


They do not.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

krkaufman said:


> They do or do NOT go into the "Recently Deleted" folder?
> 
> Also, re: downtime, I understand now re: buffering. I suppose I'd just want to make sure as many tuners as possible are always free, either for LiveTV or Xfinity On Demand access. Or would a Suggestion automatically stop & delete itself if a user on a Roamio or Mini tried to start a LiveTV or XOD session?


So when they are automatically deleted they do not go to the Recently Deleted folder but if you manually delete one it does go there (I had never noticed that but then again I don't generally manually delete suggestion recordings.).

If you go to watch Live TV and change the channel the Suggestion will stop recording when the channel changes if all tuners are busy. I don't have a newer TiVo and Mini but I would hope the same thing would occur there it a Mini needed a tuner.

Scott


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> So when they are automatically deleted they do not go to the Recently Deleted folder but if you manually delete one it does go there (I had never noticed that but then again I don't generally manually delete suggestion recordings.).


There is a logical reason for this. The reason the suggestion recording is being deleted by the system from "My Shows" is because it needs the space for a new recording and it is the lowest priority item. Anything in "Recently Deleted" is lower priority than anything in "My Shows", therefore the situation extant is that your TiVo is full and "Recently Deleted" is empty.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> I do use the list command on the Mini with my programmable remote. You could just copy the command from the remote you're using for your Roamio.


Finally got around to trying this... Unfortunately, it didn't work on my mini... 

Oh well...


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

MikeekiM said:


> Finally got around to trying this... Unfortunately, it didn't work on my mini...
> 
> Oh well...


That's a bit odd. Did you first test whether the "list" command works on your Mini via the remote you are using with your Roamio? If it functions properly on the Roamio, the same command should work on the Mini as well from the same remote.

I have never used the TiVo remotes at any time other than to copy commands onto my programmable remotes. As I've said previously, my Mini has always recognized the "list" command (although I can't recall now exactly where I got the command from in the first place).


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## wd0d (Jun 12, 2006)

I cannot obtain an 800 or 801 cable card from my local Comcast service center. I was informed that all cable cards in SW Florida are 802 cable cards. Consequently, I get random V58 errors. Any suggestions?

wd0d


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