# How long does it take to activate?



## tv514 (Oct 4, 2017)

I did the lifetime transfer from the Premiere to Bolt. I want to have a seamless switch so none of my recordings are affected. How long does it take to set up the Bolt? What's the best way to transfer season passes?


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

The box is already activated when it ships, so when it does the initial setup call, it gets the information.

The easiest way to transfer season passes is use TiVo Online where you can browse your season passes and simply drag them to your new TiVo. Let them run in concert together for a few days to ensure it transfers over successfully and then migrate the recordings next.


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## tv514 (Oct 4, 2017)

Thanks, I did not know season passes and recordings could be transferred online at the tivo site!

I was going to use the cable card that is in the premiere in the Bolt. Will that work?


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

When you first start up your new Bolt, you'll start guided setup but when it connects to get the set up information, it will actually just download an update. After the update is installed, you'll restart guided setup.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

tv514 said:


> Thanks, I did not know season passes and recordings could be transferred online at the tivo site!
> 
> I was going to use the cable card that is in the premiere in the Bolt. Will that work?


Transfer One Passes at online.tivo.com (not tivo.com).
You can reuse the same cable card but it will have to be unpaired from the premiere and then pared with the Bolt. How easy or difficult that is depends on who your cable co is.


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## tv514 (Oct 4, 2017)

Thanks for the site!!

Is it easier to get a new cable card from company (Comcast) for the Bolt then return the old one that's currently in the Premiere? A friend set up the Premiere almost 6 years ago for me so I'm clueless how it works.


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## bikegeek (Dec 28, 2006)

I moved my cablecard from my Premiere to a Bolt+ yesterday. I was on the phone for less than 5 minutes with Comcast, they first unpaired the old one and then paired the new one. It was quick and painless.


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## worachj (Oct 14, 2006)

tv514 said:


> Thanks for the site!!
> 
> Is it easier to get a new cable card from company (Comcast) for the Bolt then return the old one that's currently in the Premiere? A friend set up the Premiere almost 6 years ago for me so I'm clueless how it works.


People are reporting more and more success using the online cable card activation & paring page.

XFINITY CableCARDTM activation & pairing


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

worachj said:


> People are reporting more and more success using the online cable card activation & paring page.
> 
> XFINITY CableCARDTM activation & pairing


Took about 4 minutes


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## tv514 (Oct 4, 2017)

Thanks for the link!!! I think I'll get a new card for the Bolt and use this page, then return the old card to Comcast after everything is working.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

worachj said:


> People are reporting more and more success using the online cable card activation & paring page.
> 
> XFINITY CableCARDTM activation & pairing


Can you say whether the positive comments are associated with new CableCARD installs or with moving a CableCARD between hosts?



tv514 said:


> Is it easier to get a new cable card from company (Comcast) for the Bolt then return the old one that's currently in the Premiere? A friend set up the Premiere almost 6 years ago for me so I'm clueless how it works.


If recording current programming is important to you, to avoid making the transition between boxes more critical than it needs to be, I'd recommend hitting your local office and getting a new CableCARD from Comcast... allowing you to ensure the BOLT is fully operational before disabling the ability to record on your Premiere (by removing its CableCARD and returning it to Comcast). You'll be billed for an additional outlet (minus the Customer-Owned Equipment fee) only for the period of time during which you have both CableCARDs.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tv514 said:


> Thanks for the link!!! I think I'll get a new card for the Bolt and use this page, then return the old card to Comcast after everything is working.


Heh, good call, imo.


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## worachj (Oct 14, 2006)

krkaufman said:


> Can you say whether the positive comments are associated with new CableCARD installs or with moving a CableCARD between hosts?


My _perception_ is that its for both, new and moving to a different box. It worked for me last April when I moved a card from my Roamio to a new Bolt.


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## 241705 (Mar 9, 2010)

Does Comcast pair the cards to the TiVO now? I thought I used to be able to move cablecards between TiVos when I had Comcast with no issues, but that was several years ago.


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## sfhub (Jan 6, 2007)

blackngold75 said:


> Does Comcast pair the cards to the TiVO now? I thought I used to be able to move cablecards between TiVos when I had Comcast with no issues, but that was several years ago.


Comcast has always paired cards. Moving cards would never work for Premium channels (those with with CCI bits set). For non-premiums it can work anywhere from never to a while.


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## tv514 (Oct 4, 2017)

We got a new card but it was a fuzzy picture. So then we transferred the card from the Premiere- seems to be better.


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## sfhub (Jan 6, 2007)

tv514 said:


> We got a new card but it was a fuzzy picture. So then we transferred the card from the Premiere- seems to be better.


Fuzzy? That is a strange type of picture issue with digital signals. Could it have been a picture setting on the TV?


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