# Latest update (20.3.8) is making me re-think Tivo...



## ntarvin (Jan 29, 2011)

I can't help thinking that Tivo is just getting worse instead of better...

Since this latest update (or, over the last few updates)...

1. "resume" does not work, except in rare circumstances.

2. What the heck happened to all the podcasts?? No extended podcasts any more from the (paid) Tivo Desktop app - and the fairly good list of podcasts that used to be available are now reduced down toa short list of "useless". Plus, I'd better really like the podcasts I'm subscribed to, 'cause there's no way to get rid of them. 

3. OTA tuners are worse than ever! (My HDHomerun works soooo much better than Tivo...)

4. "Suggestions" is downloading stuff hand-over-fist - especially stuff I've already marked "thumbs down", like every children's show ever produced. 

5. Opera Store???? This is about as helpful and useful as AOL.ON. (Oh, sorry - I just noticed the AOL.on logo in the lower right hand corner - no wonder!) It's also unreadable at 10 ft., hard to navigate and very, very slow. 

6. I don't remember exactly where, but somewhere in that mess is an ad-crazy video clip section. 1 minute ads before you can watch a 20-second video - and, it's every video, not just one time.

7. No longer sees my computers on the network, or Playon, or any of the other servers that I have. 

8. The ads Tivo scatters about (especially the "tailgate potty" ads) - are getting to be more than just a little intrusive. 

=====================
I have a Tivo Premiere (OTA only) and a Tivo 3 (lifetime). Seriously thinking about dumping the Premiere and replacing it with my Windows Media Center computer. 

I had such high hopes for Tivo (sigh)


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

1) Works fine for me

2) I never really used these but it's my understanding that they simply integrated them into search and you can manage the ones you already setup using the Download Manager.

3) I use a Premiere for OTA only and it doesn't seem to have gotten any worse since the upgrade. Never was all that great though. Just traded a standalone Stream I had for an HDHomerun so I could see if maybe it'll work better.

4) I don't use suggestions so I'll have to take you word on this one.

5) I don't have the Opera Store yet on my Premiere, but it works pretty good on the Roamio. Not a ton of great apps, but the ones that are there work fine.

6) Can't say I've run across that one.

7) Try rebooting, that usually fixes these types of problems.

8) I agree the ads suck!


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

ntarvin said:


> I can't help thinking that Tivo is just getting worse instead of better...
> 
> Since this latest update (or, over the last few updates)...
> 
> ...


Just in case you haven't already, restrict your router's DHCP address pool to a range of numbers only 2 or 3 larger than the number of things on your home network that leave the house, and give all the things that don't leave the house a fixed IP address.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

ntarvin said:


> I can't help thinking that Tivo is just getting worse instead of better...


Well that was a nice bit**- feel better?

Now onto reality, you are complaining about discontinued products the Premiere was released in 2010 and the hardware in it is from 2009 or earlier. While TiVo is still releasing software updates and enhancements for the Premiere the reality is, hard ware in the Premiere sucks compared to what is available today and all the software updates in the world are never going to make it a great or even really good product.

I also use a Premiere for OTA only and also have an HDHomerun attached via the same antenna splitter and do not find either to be very good. My Series 3 units are better and my Roamio is the best.

Regarding podcasts you can either go back to the SDUI when you want to see the list on your Premiere or see the full list at TiVo.com.

Other than that if you would actually like help I would post in the Premiere section.


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> Now onto reality, you are complaining about discontinued products the Premiere was released in 2010 and the hardware in it is from 2009 or earlier.


TiVo still sells the Premiere. And presumably they still require service fees. 

https://tivo.com/shop/detail/tivo-premiere-xl4
https://tivo.com/shop/detail/tivo-premiere4
https://tivo.com/shop/detail/tivo-premiere

But, yes, Roamio is a far superior platform.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

davezatz said:


> TiVo still sells the Premiere. And presumably they still require service fees.
> 
> https://tivo.com/shop/detail/tivo-premiere-xl4
> https://tivo.com/shop/detail/tivo-premiere4
> ...


Yes the fact that TiVo is dumping their inventory of Premieres directly (versus having them show up on ebay and/or some deal of the day web site like allot of new TiVo HD's did after the Premiere was released) doesn't sit very well with me.

I understand it is buyer be ware but honestly very few people are ever going to be truly happy with a Premiere and with all the positives of the Roamio platform I think TiVo is doing themselves a dis-service by still marketing Premieres directly. It's not that I didn't like my Premiere (having poorer OTA reception than my Series 3 units was/is hard to get past), I was happy enough with the HDUI (before I got my Roamio), and the SDUI (which I am using now) is very fast and easy to use, but most of the streaming features (excluding Pandora) are to slow to tolerate.

I am fairly sure TiVo would be abandoning the Premiere if it were not for their cable company customers so I guess we are somewhat lucky in that the software may still be improved, but like I said before it is still very old hardware and is never going to measure up to today's standards.


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## ntarvin (Jan 29, 2011)

So, I'm using obsolete and discontinued equipment? Geez, do you realize how smarmy and arrogant that makes you sound?? (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't mean it that way.)

Well, I have not heard a whole lot of anything that that convinces me that the Roamio is any better than any of the previous models - more expensive? You better believe it! Better? Not necessarily - and it very much seems geared more and more for cable use, and less for cord cutters.

Bit**?? Not really - Everyone has their own experiences how well Tivo works for them. I got Tivo initially to help me cut the cord a couple of years ago. It did that - and now it's no longer as good as it used to be - IN MY OPINION. Other tech and better pricing will have their shot. 

I get offers from Tivo to get a price cut on Roamio and that they'll transfer my service, but didn't the addition of an OTA tuner come as an after-thought, and only on the lowest price/quality version? Am i really supposed to think it's any better than the current OTA tuners on the Premiere??


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

ntarvin said:


> Well, I have not heard a whole lot of anything that that convinces me that the Roamio is any better than any of the previous models - more expensive? You better believe it! Better? Not necessarily - and it very much seems geared more and more for cable use, and less for cord cutters.


Well it is a LOT better, especially for cord cutters. First off it has 4 tuners and based on reports in the Roamio forum the OTA tuners are way better then the Premiere. It also has a way faster CPU which means the UI and all the OTT apps are faster. It also supports Minis so you can extend your TiVo viewing around the house with low cost ($85 + $5/mo) extender boxes. And if you want to install a bigger drive it's a simple as just dropping in a blank drive (up to 3tb) the software automatically formats it for you.

Now unlike previous models you can't mix cable and OTA, it's one or the other, but it sounds like you're OTA only so that shouldn't matter to you.

If they're offering you a deal to upgrade to a Roamio you should consider it. Although keep in mind that you can get the base Roamio at Amazon for $150, so you need to balance what you pay for the hardware against whatever you might save on the service fee.


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## ntarvin (Jan 29, 2011)

Thanks for the info, Dan - I'll do some more research. If the OTA tuners *are* that much improved, and if I can keep my OTA-only pricing, it may be worth looking into...


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

ntarvin said:


> So, I'm using obsolete and discontinued equipment? Geez, do you realize how smarmy and arrogant that makes you sound?? (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't mean it that way.)


Sorry but the Premiere hardware is obsolete and is discontinued. If you think my pointing that out makes me smarmy and arrogant that is your prerogative.



ntarvin said:


> Well, I have not heard a whole lot of anything that that convinces me that the Roamio is any better than any of the previous models - more expensive? You better believe it! Better? Not necessarily - and it very much seems geared more and more for cable use, and less for cord cutters.


The base Roamio is the best OTA DVR I have ever used. That doesn't mean it is perfect and it does have some issues and I certainly wouldn't say it could be a "one box" solution for cord cutters who want access to the max. amount of Internet streaming content. That may change over time but for now I would recommend people interested in allot of different streaming sources plan on needing another device to go with the Roamio, for the basic stuff the Roamio should be ok.



ntarvin said:


> Bit**?? Not really - Everyone has their own experiences how well Tivo works for them. I got Tivo initially to help me cut the cord a couple of years ago. It did that - and now it's no longer as good as it used to be - IN MY OPINION. Other tech and better pricing will have their shot.


 I guess everything is in the eyes of the beholder but I sure considered you post to be a basic bit** or rant session.



ntarvin said:


> I get offers from Tivo to get a price cut on Roamio and that they'll transfer my service, but didn't the addition of an OTA tuner come as an after-thought, and only on the lowest price/quality version? Am i really supposed to think it's any better than the current OTA tuners on the Premiere??


I think 100% of the posts I have seen from OTA users all say the OTA tuners in the Roamio are better than in the Premiere. The base Roamio is the lowest priced version and does leave out some important add on features and have 2 less tuners, but how the DVR functions and performs is about same, no idea about quality but I am guessing parts are parts and they didn't intentionally make the ones in the base Roamio of lower quality.


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## Olde Fortran (Apr 22, 2006)

ntarvin said:


> So, I'm using obsolete and discontinued equipment? Geez, do you realize how smarmy and arrogant that makes you sound?? (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't mean it that way.)


Sorry guy but, smarm, sarcasm, etc. are standard tools to be used on the unfaithful.


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## ntarvin (Jan 29, 2011)

Olde Fortran said:


> Sorry guy but, smarm, sarcasm, etc. are standard tools to be used on the unfaithful.


..."by the obsessively faithful, who have, or do, own every Tivo version that has ever been released."

LOL!

This is commonly known as "cognitive dissonance" - when you know for a fact that something isn't the way you believe it is, but you just can't bear to give up the old belief... (think Elvis is still alive, Congress, global warming, and the president's birth certificate)

I've been reading various forums and sites and the main consensus is NOT that the Roamio is the best thing since sliced bread, but that it has a lot of bugs and problems that go beyond just the OTA tuner issue. (Not to mention the pure junk they've added as a substitute for real web connectivity. Yuck!)

I'll use my series 3 (which does have a good OTA tuner), and my Roku, and lay the Premiere to rest. The pixelation, repeated "signal not available" crap, and networking problems are just not something i want to deal with - especially when there's a Tivo in the next room that doesn't have these problems. And, after having recently been forced to pay for replacing a Premiere that just stopped working, I'm not thrilled with having to shell out even more money again.

Thanks for everyone's opinions...


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## MikePA1 (Nov 16, 2013)

Olde Fortran said:


> Sorry guy but, smarm, sarcasm, etc. are standard tools to be used on the unfaithful.


Please explain how stating facts, i.e., the Premiere IS obsolete and IS discontinued, is 'smarmy and arrogant'?


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## ntarvin (Jan 29, 2011)

It may be obsolete and it may be discontinued (I haven't heard Tivo say it was discontinued, and obsolete is an opinion), but Tivo is still selling them at full price, and with no upgrade plan. 

The attitude was "less than complimentary" about anyone who didn't have the "latest and greatest" like he did... ie: that's what you get when you have obsolete and discontinued equipment. 

I don't really care - all I wanted was info on the problems I saw, and if anyone else had the same things happening to them.


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## SGR215 (Jan 20, 2004)

MikePA1 said:


> Please explain how stating facts, i.e., the Premiere IS obsolete and IS discontinued, is 'smarmy and arrogant'?


It likely has less to do with that, and more to do with these specific comments made by him/her:



atmuscarella said:


> Well that was a nice bit**- feel better?...Now onto reality
> 
> ...Other than that if you would actually like help I would post in the Premiere section.


This post is why I never really post on these forums. Regardless if you agree or disagree with the opinion of the OP, these sort of responses are what makes this site insufferable... at least from the perspective of an active participant. It seems that whenever a Tivo user says anything negative about the Tivo brand (even when done constructively), a fanboy steps in and immediately resorts to disrespectful sarcasm and name-calling. It would be one thing if this sort of behavior was uncommon, but I've seen repeated behavior like this for many years.

Please keep in mind negative comments are a good thing as long as it is done in a constructive manner because they can positively influence future software development. For example, the OP provided many valid reasons for why they hold their negative opinion of the current software revision (e.g. specific software bugs, intrusive advertising, and possible usability concerns).


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## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

ntarvin said:


> Well, I have not heard a whole lot of anything that that convinces me that the Roamio is any better than any of the previous models - more expensive? You better believe it! Better? Not necessarily...


One thing that makes it better: Using the Premiere interface is like driving a fully loaded 20 horsepower diesel dump truck. Using the Roamio interface is like driving a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle (not that I've ever actually driven either one .

It is clear from the improvement in the user interface speed that the Premiere was actually obsolete before it was released.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

SGR215 said:


> It likely has less to do with that, and more to do with these specific comments made by him/her:
> 
> This post is why I never really post on these forums. Regardless if you agree or disagree with the opinion of the OP, these sort of responses are what makes this site insufferable... at least from the perspective of an active participant. It seems that whenever a Tivo user says anything negative about the Tivo brand (even when done constructively), a fanboy steps in and immediately resorts to disrespectful sarcasm and name-calling. It would be one thing if this sort of behavior was uncommon, but I've seen repeated behavior like this for many years.
> 
> Please keep in mind negative comments are a good thing as long as it is done in a constructive manner because they can positively influence future software development. For example, the OP provided many valid reasons for why they hold their negative opinion of the current software revision (e.g. specific software bugs, intrusive advertising, and possible usability concerns).


Ya in retrospect the first line is fairly smarmy and more negative than I intended - I do tend to get that way when I perceive a post to be just a bit** session and that the poster is not actually looking for help or trying to solve their problems. In this case everything in my post after the first line was not intend to be anything but helpful, including the last line you quoted. The reality is if someone actually wants help with a problem the best place to post is in the forum dedicated to the DVR they have, not this one.

For the record what I find fairly insufferable is when people edit a post to alter the posts meaning or try to make some point not supported by my actually statements. In this case it has been insinuated several times that I am a TiVo fanboy and am somehow intolerant of negative opinions of TiVo. All while I have posted "hard ware in the Premiere sucks", that I didn't find the OTA tuners to be "very good", and "very few people are ever going to be truly happy with a Premiere". If those are statements of a fanboy I guess we have different views on what a "fanboy" is.

At this point in time I just find it foolish to get all worked up about the Premieres short comings and I find it really foolish to believe it is ever going to perform up to most people's expectations. Owners of them (including me) can either decided to be happy with (or at least accept) how it works or not. I could forgive everything but the poor OTA tuners so I decided that for me the best course of action was to buy something else.


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## MHunter1 (Oct 11, 2007)

tomhorsley said:


> Premiere is like driving a fully loaded 20 horsepower diesel dump truck. Roamio is like driving a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle.


My interpretation of this metaphor: Premiere provides the driver with long-haul reliability at a slow and steady pace, while Roamio is a high-maintenance beast designed to be driven fast and therefore prone to crashing even by expert drivers.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

atmuscarella said:


> ... honestly _*very few people are ever going to be truly happy with a Premiere*_ and with all the positives of the Roamio platform I think TiVo is doing themselves a dis-service by still marketing Premieres directly...


Matter of opinion. There are still lots of folks happy with the Premiere, and I'm one of them. It does exactly what I need it to do, and I'm not so ADHD that I need it to do it lots faster than it does. Sure, it may be a bit slow, but I really don't care as long as it does what I want it to do....and it does, and does it well.

Does that mean I'll never upgrade to a Roamio or the next gen TiVo...nope. I'm sure I will. But, for now, I'm happy.


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## ajwees41 (May 7, 2006)

ntarvin said:


> It may be obsolete and it may be discontinued (I haven't heard Tivo say it was discontinued, and obsolete is an opinion), but Tivo is still selling them at full price, and with no upgrade plan.
> 
> The attitude was "less than complimentary" about anyone who didn't have the "latest and greatest" like he did... ie: that's what you get when you have obsolete and discontinued equipment.
> 
> I don't really care - all I wanted was info on the problems I saw, and if anyone else had the same things happening to them.


so if the premiere is discontinued why is tivo still pursing software updates for it?


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## tatergator1 (Mar 27, 2008)

ajwees41 said:


> so if the premiere is discontinued why is tivo still pursing software updates for it?


Deals from the past few years with 2nd-tier Cable Companies like Mediacom, RCN, etc. were implemented with the Premiere boxes. The MSOs want continued support for these boxes. This has the benefit of also keeping software development alive for retail users as well.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Bierboy said:


> Matter of opinion. There are still lots of folks happy with the Premiere, and I'm one of them. It does exactly what I need it to do, and I'm not so ADHD that I need it to do it lots faster than it does. Sure, it may be a bit slow, but I really don't care as long as it does what I want it to do....and it does, and does it well.
> 
> Does that mean I'll never upgrade to a Roamio or the next gen TiVo...nope. I'm sure I will. But, for now, I'm happy.


Ya if I lived someplace where my Premiere's OTA tuners worked well I would have been fine with it. However after using my Roamio I can not really say I find the Premiere's HDUI all that acceptable anymore - actually like it better in the SDUI. I really do not need the Premiere or either of my Series 3 units anymore and they are unplugged most of the time now. I just haven't figured out what to do with all the recordings on them and I need to decide which 2 to sell (will keep one as a backup unit).


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Bierboy said:


> Matter of opinion. There are still lots of folks happy with the Premiere, and I'm one of them. It does exactly what I need it to do, and I'm not so ADHD that I need it to do it lots faster than it does. Sure, it may be a bit slow, but I really don't care as long as it does what I want it to do....and it does, and does it well.
> 
> Does that mean I'll never upgrade to a Roamio or the next gen TiVo...nope. I'm sure I will. But, for now, I'm happy.


+1, especially when you factor in the cost of getting a lifetimed Roamio.


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## ntarvin (Jan 29, 2011)

Enough people here had good things to say about the Roamio that I decided to buy one. I got a Roamio Basic yesterday.

After losing a half-dozen OTA channels (that I had previously), an Input button that didn't work at all, a "Suggestion" feature that didn't "suggest", constant "red circles" recording who-knows-what ('cuz they never showed up anywhere), and a bunch of miscellaneous channels popping up whenever they felt like it, the Roamio was returned tonight. 

Maybe I got a bad one, but I'm more than ever convinced that the Roamio is certainly over-hyped and under-performing.

So, for those who like it - I'm happy for you, and I'm glad you like your new toy. You do NOT need to reply telling me how wrong I am, how i should have done this or that, or that i should try it again.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

ntarvin said:


> Enough people here had good things to say about the Roamio that I decided to buy one. I got a Roamio Basic yesterday.
> 
> After losing a half-dozen OTA channels (that I had previously), an Input button that didn't work at all, a "Suggestion" feature that didn't "suggest", constant "red circles" recording who-knows-what ('cuz they never showed up anywhere), and a bunch of miscellaneous channels popping up whenever they felt like it, the Roamio was returned tonight.
> 
> ...


I have two Roamio + units that work great but I understand that something may go wrong for some people, it may be a bad Roamio, bad home setup, or operator error, it does not matter, that why TiVo has a 30 day return policy, and you made use of it. I think the vast majority of Roamio owners never had your problems, you got (or will get) your money back and go on with something else, we don't have any hard feelings about you.


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## carterblumeyer (Nov 9, 2003)

ntarvin said:


> I can't help thinking that Tivo is just getting worse instead of better...
> 
> Since this latest update (or, over the last few updates)...
> 
> ...


No2... I also noticed the podcasts and they did wrap them into the search feature... But by doing that I could not browse different podcasts I might want to watch. They also removed thr RSS manual enter for podcast you want. The feature like before is available on the SDUI screen... If you change the UI under display in settings to SD you have thr old menu.. You also can control ALL you podcasts and subscribe to new ones online at TiVo.com.. I did ask tivio about this and this was their answer.. If I wanted to see it back I was to fill out a survey on what I would like my TiVo to do.

No 3... No issues with ota..if something changed on the sensitivity of the OTA I guess I have a good enough UHF antanna, to cover the 47 miles, from antennas direct.

Opera... TiVo is moving to an HTML5 bases UI and menu instead of the old adobe flash based one... Much much better... More and easy to build HTML5 apps for the box.. This will help compete with the rocky, Apple TV and other stream boxes.. Now Amazon prime might be closer then we think!

Computer is seen by mine and vuze and playon works for me.. Check your settings and all else reboot!


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