# "Opt-Out" privacy status eliminates HD menus



## Zooks527 (Oct 19, 2010)

Good day, all.

Two weeks ago, after the recent software update, I decided to try the HD menus. I looked for the HD menu option on my Premiere and was not able to find it. After a session online with CS, I then spent a further hour or so with a phone rep. Neither was able to figure out why I didn't have HD menus, although we went through various hard and soft reboots, repeated guided setup, disconnected everything but the cable feed / network / HDTV cable, and so on. It got kicked up to another support level, they did a software push or two, and still nothing. Another call to CS said they were still looking into it.

Last weekend, I had the thought that there may be some inhibition in the menus due to our privacy status of "Opt-Out", so I called CS and had them change my status to "Opt-In". 15 minutes later, the HD menu option appeared.

Last night, I called and had the status changed back to "Opt-Out". 15 minutes later, the HD menus reset to SD.

Two comments:
1 ) It sure seems foolish that the privacy settings would effect this option.
2 ) It seems stupid that the CS reps don't know that it does.

FWIW,
George


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## socrplyr (Jul 19, 2006)

1) If true, it probably has to do with the discovery bar at the top, as a few of those items are ads and they are probably collecting information.
2) Agreed.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

socrplyr said:


> 1) If true, it probably has to do with the discovery bar at the top, as a few of those items are ads and they are probably collecting information.


No that is not true. The SD UI has ads. The reason is most likely because it stores your season passes and recordings online because the entire TiVo Search is server based and requires that info.


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

I didn't think "opt-out" was an option anymore. My status is "opt-default" and the HD menus work. If I go to use the Season pass manager, I get the "Update your privacy level" page.


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## Zooks527 (Oct 19, 2010)

cherry ghost said:


> I didn't think "opt-out" was an option anymore. My status is "opt-default" and the HD menus work. If I go to use the Season pass manager, I get the "Update your privacy level" page.


"Opt-out" is only available as a phone request through CS.


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## JTG2 (Dec 4, 2008)

Zook527,
Do you still have YouTube in the SDUI? I'm also opt-out, but I could get YouTube from the Showcases menu. With the last update, that was taken away.

I heard from Margret that she figures opt-outers will never get the HDUI. But it's also rumoured that the SDUI will eventually go away. At that point it seems like they would have to have the option to turn off the discovery bar for opt-outers.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

JTG2 said:


> I heard from Margret that she figures opt-outers will never get the HDUI. But it's also rumoured that the SDUI will eventually go away. At that point it seems like they would have to have the option to turn off the discovery bar for opt-outers.


If you opt-out, the HDUI will cease to function as Search and creating recordings/season passes relies on it. The discovery bar has little to do with the issue.


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## Zooks527 (Oct 19, 2010)

JTG2 said:


> Zook527,
> Do you still have YouTube in the SDUI? I'm also opt-out, but I could get YouTube from the Showcases menu. With the last update, that was taken away.


Exact same thing here - YouTube went away with the last upgrade. Now, if I want YT, I just switch the input to the feed from the computer and run it that way. Takes less time then trying to navigate the TiVo YT interface.



JTG2 said:


> I heard from Margret that she figures opt-outers will never get the HDUI. But it's also rumoured that the SDUI will eventually go away. At that point it seems like they would have to have the option to turn off the discovery bar for opt-outers.


Or, you know, adopt a more rational privacy policy for those sections that need to pass data up and down. Or do it local on the unit itself. There's no reason for them to have to pass the data up with ID information for much of those functions, they just prefer to.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

There is a rational privacy policy. If you decided to have ultimate privacy (opt-out), TiVo refuses to send ANY information to TiVo Inc. And because of that, features that require it, stop working. 

now, there's probably more to what TiVo's doing in the HDUI when doing the season passes and such because those features work in SDUI just fine. Perhaps there's some crowdsourced features? I know one aspect is the web listing of season passes and todo lists - which requires opting in as TiVo Inc needs that data from TiVo.

And those features may work for opt-default which is a limited amount of information.

Not many companies offer 3 different levels of privacy - from absolutely nothing, anonymous data, and everything.


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## Zooks527 (Oct 19, 2010)

Worf said:


> There is a rational privacy policy. If you decided to have ultimate privacy (opt-out), TiVo refuses to send ANY information to TiVo Inc. And because of that, features that require it, stop working.
> 
> now, there's probably more to what TiVo's doing in the HDUI when doing the season passes and such because those features work in SDUI just fine. Perhaps there's some crowdsourced features? I know one aspect is the web listing of season passes and todo lists - which requires opting in as TiVo Inc needs that data from TiVo.
> 
> ...


As you note, features that work perfectly fine in the SD menus (or under older versions of the SD menus) stop working under the HD menus based upon privacy preferences. If you feel that's rational, fine. A better word would perhaps be "coercive", but as I saw no benefit to the HD menus (and they seemed to run slower), it's not a problem from my perspective.


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## hillyard (Nov 1, 2011)

opt out here. no reason that they need personable info to share with "partners". But if you don't they dilute your service without a price drop. Why cant they do it with your sevice number or unit serial number?


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## randyb359 (Jan 3, 2009)

hillyard said:


> opt out here. no reason that they need personable info to share with "partners". But if you don't they dilute your service without a price drop. Why cant they do it with your sevice number or unit serial number?


Shouldn't you actually have to pay more since they receive money by selling your info.


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## hillyard (Nov 1, 2011)

21.00 a month for tv guide is plenty of money for them. payed 499 for the box and 21.99 for services. No need to sell my info


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## sirfracas (Apr 5, 2006)

Zooks527 said:


> Good day, all.
> 
> Two weeks ago, after the recent software update, I decided to try the HD menus. I looked for the HD menu option on my Premiere and was not able to find it. After a session online with CS, I then spent a further hour or so with a phone rep. Neither was able to figure out why I didn't have HD menus, although we went through various hard and soft reboots, repeated guided setup, disconnected everything but the cable feed / network / HDTV cable, and so on. It got kicked up to another support level, they did a software push or two, and still nothing. Another call to CS said they were still looking into it.
> 
> ...


Apologies for necroing this thread but this had been my experience as well; HD menus will not work if you are Opt-out.

After considerable research and a long email conversation with Tivo Customer Service they could not explain why I could not get HD menus on any of my 3 Tivo boxes. They insisted it had nothing to do with my privacy status.

If you are Opt-Out, HD menus will not work. Tivo needs to update this page:

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1617

to save people time and aggravation.


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## toy4x4 (Jun 23, 2008)

That's just plain stupid.


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## GoodHomer (Feb 28, 2014)

I was looking for opt-out info on TiVo and stumbled on this thread. Is this still the case (no HD menu when opting out)?

I just got a TV Roamio with "Privacy status: Opt-Default" and "Analytics Opt Out: call us at: 1-877-367-8486 (coming soon to tivo.com)." That seems to imply you can't opt out of "Privacy status," (no link provided) but you can opt out of "Analytics." I was wondering if that would affect service like ability to use the HD menu.

Thanks.


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## sirfracas (Apr 5, 2006)

Yes, Opt-Out still denies you access to HD menus.

Also, I have discovered that the iPad app will not work either if you are Opt-Out and again, most annoyingly, the Tivo CS reps do not know or acknowledge this and will waste your time trying to troubleshoot your local network when the issue with the app not working is Opt-Out.

I am also going to go out on a limb and guess that with Comcast On-Demand finally rolls out in Atlanta (Gwinnett) for me, it won't work under Opt-Out.


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## GoodHomer (Feb 28, 2014)

Thanks for the reply. So, at best, it's incompetence. At worst, some mid-level managers discussed it and decided they liked a subtle way to keep people opted in.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

They need to train CSRs better to push people back toward the normal settings. I've never even heard of opt-out before. What a stupid idea. Opt-out should be selling the box and using something else if you are a the crazy paranoid type.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

GoodHomer said:


> Thanks for the reply. So, at best, it's incompetence. At worst, some mid-level managers discussed it and decided they liked a subtle way to keep people opted in.


I say neither, I'd say it just shows how integrated the trackable data is that if you want out, they have to gut the system. It makes sense they want it as unpleasant as it is.


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## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

So after reading the above commends it seems that Tivo is punishing people for not letting them collect data on your usage by taking away the HD menus.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

SNJpage1 said:


> So after reading the above commends it seems that Tivo is punishing people for not letting them collect data on your usage by taking away the HD menus.


They are being more than accommodating to the paranoid nutjobs by even offing the option. Most companies would tell you to get rid of their product if you don't like the way they handle the back-end data.


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## Grakthis (Oct 4, 2006)

SNJpage1 said:


> So after reading the above commends it seems that Tivo is punishing people for not letting them collect data on your usage by taking away the HD menus.


I would actually assume the HD menus are too integrated with the data collection such that it would take a massive code overhaul to disentangle the two, and they are not willing to do that for the small % of people who opt-out.

Assuming malevolence here when a simple lack of demand is a compelte explanation is just... well, paranoid.


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## sirfracas (Apr 5, 2006)

So more data on how Opt-Out can handcuff your Tivo features, even though starting with the Premiere you are opted in on some of the data they collect automatically.

I just bought a Roamio Pro (big shout out to spherular and his discount codes from ebay - Google it for full details) and was curious on how it would act as I am still Opt-Out on my account. Well, the HD menus work on the Roamio even though a lot of the functionality still has SD menus.

Interestingly, the IOS app that would not work before works now. As a matter of fact it will now work with my Series 4 as well. I hadn't checked it in a while so that change might have happened over the last six months. Previously, the app would not connect to either of my Series 3 or one Series 4 box. It wasn't a networking issue either - I've an ex-Network Administrator. Tivo was stumped but didn't think Opt-Out has anything to do with it.

However, I tried the app again a couple of weeks ago and it worked with my Series 4. I could do everything except stream.

Curiously, since hooking the new Roamio into the network and the app finding a streaming device, the app will now let me stream and copy from the Series4 and the Roamio. Haven't tried it outside my local network but I assume it will work or at least transfer a program.

Also, it appears I still can't access Amazon Instant Video while still Opt-Out. I get redirected to the "Enable Video Downloads" page on the Tivo website and they only way to change that preference is to Opt-In. However, every other provider I tried, Netflix, Hulu, MLB-TV, You Tube all appeared to work.


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