# Tivo Bolt with Harmony Elite Remote



## JDel427 (Jul 11, 2016)

Hey all. So I'm having an issue with the Harmony remote and was wondering if anyone was in the same boat or knew of a fix. On the actual Tivo remote when I hit live TV, no matter where I am, the live TV pic comes up. I programmed the Harmony remote for "live tv" and it works on occasion, but usually not. Also, when I try to use the back button, it usually doesn't take me back to the last screen. Once again, this is only some of the time. I have a clear line of site and I can see the Tivo lighting up whenever I press the button. Please help if you can!!! Thanks!!!


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Do you have the Hub, too?

-KP


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## JDel427 (Jul 11, 2016)

kpeters59 said:


> Do you have the Hub, too?
> 
> -KP


Yes I do. I had originally bought the 950 and then exchanged for the elite with the hub. I can confirm I was having the same issue with and without the hub.


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

That's very odd. I programmed the Harmony remote yesterday with a boat and it's never one time miss any commands. What device did you add? Harmony let you add TiVo's under a variety of names.

Every day I hate iPhone just a little bit more...

I programmed a Harmony remote yesterday with a Bolt and it's never one time missed any commands. What device did you add? Harmony let you add TiVo's under a variety of names.

-KP


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## sfhub (Jan 6, 2007)

JDel427 said:


> Hey all. So I'm having an issue with the Harmony remote and was wondering if anyone was in the same boat or knew of a fix. On the actual Tivo remote when I hit live TV, no matter where I am, the live TV pic comes up. I programmed the Harmony remote for "live tv" and it works on occasion, but usually not. Also, when I try to use the back button, it usually doesn't take me back to the last screen. Once again, this is only some of the time. I have a clear line of site and I can see the Tivo lighting up whenever I press the button. Please help if you can!!! Thanks!!!


I don't know if this is related to your issue, so just throwing it out there.

TiVo has had many remote control styles/layouts in the past. The software will sometimes change the interpretation of certain IR commands based on what physical remote the TiVo software "thinks" you are using. So the zoom button might function as an exit button or the back button might not function.

The way TiVo figures out which remote it "thinks" you are using is the IR code sent by the TiVo button. You might think this is the same for all TiVo remotes, but it isn't.

So sometimes what happens with universal remotes is they have a TiVo button IR code that corresponds to an older (or different) remote than the current TiVo remote. You then start off uring your new remote, press the TiVo button, it thinks you are using the new remote (which you are) and the buttons on the new remote work fine. Also the buttons on the old remote (or your universal IR remote) work fine.

Then you press the TiVo button on the old remote (or the universal IR remote), which happens to have an older/different IR code for the TiVo button, and the TiVo software now thinks you are using the older remote and changes the interpretation of some of your buttons.

Again, I don't know if this is what is happening here, just threw it out there for you to consider.

If this is your problem, the solution is to get the TiVo button IR code that works for you programmed into your universal IR remote.


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## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

If you have specific commands that are not working properly on the Harmony, try simply "learning" those commands from your original remote to the Harmony. I have done this many times, with many TiVo boxes with many different Harmony remotes.

craigr


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## JDel427 (Jul 11, 2016)

Thank you all for the replies. I’m not sure if the remote is forgetting what I’m programming or what is going on. If I use the “live tv” on the touch screen portion it always works. I programmed the remote to learn “live tv” because the default command wasn’t working when I assigned it to a button. It still didn’t work. On the harmony program it says “TiVo bolt +” as far as the remote so I’m not sure if there is a different one I should be using. It’s frustrating because I love the TiVo remote. Shrub, I’m going to try reprogramming my buttons again and reset the TiVo using only the harmony remote. If it doesn’t work I think I’m going to wipe it and start fresh and see what happens.


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

I'd try a different 'model' of TiVo in the Harmony Software. Tell the Harmony it's a Roamio and see if it operates any better.

Also, you can change the 'repeats' setting in the software (somewhere...).

-KP


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

There are 2 places to assign commands to buttons (customize) - in the device and in the associated activities. Sounds like you didn't assign the live tv command in the activity. It would be a good idea to start fresh with the Tivo device so you can wipe out those unneeded learns. Since onscreen live tv command always works, then we know the built-in command is correct. It simply isn't assigned correctly in the activity you're using it in.


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## JDel427 (Jul 11, 2016)

Some new info.. on the remote when I hit my watch tv activity and just go about using the remote, that’s when the buttons seem to have the problem. If I go to devices - Tivo, now the assigned commands work. Is there any way I can get this to work without having to go into devices each time?


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

I have a long term issue with the default button mapping of TiVo's with Harmony. Read that as all the way back to the original Harmony in ~2001.

I always go in to "Change the behavior of buttons" and set Menu as TiVo assign the Clear button and several other buttons that Harmony, after multiple requests to do so, has not ever corrected.

Have you gone through that procedure? On the 'Hub' devices, the method for correcting button mapping is different, but the results are the same.

-KP


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## JDel427 (Jul 11, 2016)

Thanks again for your replies everyone! Finally figured it out and I’m gonna chalk it up to being a noob with harmony lol. I needed to change the buttons under the watch tv activity and not the TiVo device itself. I had thought that changing just the device buttons would work everywhere. Thanks again!!!


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell you. Glad it's working now.

Since activities typically use a mix of several devices, there's no guarantee the button in question is even associated with the device you modified in that activity. That's why you have to customize buttons in both places.


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## JDel427 (Jul 11, 2016)

mdavej said:


> Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell you. Glad it's working now.
> 
> Since activities typically use a mix of several devices, there's no guarantee the button in question is even associated with the device you modified in that activity. That's why you have to customize buttons in both places.


Thank you for the info!!!


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