While “early 2015” has come and gone, TiVo is making good on their promise to stream cable content encoded in MPEG-4 as the industry drives towards more efficient utilization of its finite bandwidth. Roamio Pro and Plus DVRs updated with software release 20.5.2, in conjunction with recently updated iOS and Android apps, gain these new capabilities… as early as today, if you get your boxes on the new Priority list (with old heading). And we imagine similar TiVo Stream support for Premiere, Roamio, and Roamio OTA is not far behind. Those who abstain from the Priority List should expect rolling updates to begin in August.
Beyond this addition and post-OnePass, we’ll once again have the ability to display a simple, “flat list” of our recordings to be sorted by date or title. And, speaking of OnePass, we’ll be treated to a new kitchen sink option of “Record Everything” – including duplicates.
20.5.2 also includes various bug fixes (and hopefully some nice surprises to line up with that “late July” Aereo news):
- Fixed an issue where audio would play, but no video was displayed
- Fixed an issue where auto-playing a large group of shows from a remote DVR would give a V125 error
- Fixed an issue where WishLists were displaying an incorrect auto-record status
- Fixed issues related to freezes when using the Amazon app
- Fixed an issue where bulk deleting of streaming video links from a mobile app could cause a reboot
- Fixed an issue where lengthy Closed Captions were disappearing more quickly than they should
Perhaps we’ll even land an ominous updated opening animation featuring TiVo’s new logo and branding?
I actully like that opening animation better. I want to watch content, not watch long introductions. I already know who Tivo is.
Dave, to make sure I understand, After the update, will Tivo RECORD in mpeg4 and stream in mpeg4? If it does record in mpeg4, can we use third party devices as extenders (Rokus, FireTV, Xbox 1 etc.)?
TiVo records in whatever format the cableco delivers the content in. At least that’s the way it’s been. While they had no problems transcoding MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 for Stream and Roamio streaming, native MPEG-4 couldn’t be streamed to mobiles for whatever reason. That’s what they’ve fixed. Some cable hannels have been unable to stream basically.
With up to 6-tuners, I don’t think they’d want to transcode all MPEG-2 on the fly to “record” as MPEG-4 given the overhead. I would assume transcodes will continue to happen on demand. Which still allows for Roku and Fire TV apps – probably a quality reduction in exchange for the convenience, but reasonable for many (versus the Airplay stuff, which should only be used in a pinch).
Late July is coming… part of their “Aereo” story better include these third party boxes. :)
“I actully like that opening animation better. I want to watch content, not watch long introductions. I already know who Tivo is.”
You do know you can just skip the intro by hitting the TiVo button on the remote, right?
And while you may think you already know who TiVo is, he’s got a rich interior life beyond what is commonly known. For example, did you know his favorite breakfast is huevos rancheros? Or that his hobby is needlepoint? We need a much, much longer intro to fill in some of these details.
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“Perhaps we’ll even land an updated opening animation featuring TiVo’s new logo and branding?”
Not enough explosions. Lots of explosions would make it better. Stuff should blow up real good.
True Detective, Season 3…
Thanks, just signed up for the update. It is not mentioned, but I hope I can finally delete the undeletable zombie recording that’s been there for months.
I am hoping someday TiVo will fixed the priority form and not split the TSN entry so a user can cut and paste their number.
Wes, it’s funny you mention that… as I added my numbers this morning, I had the same feeling and was going to pull the code needed to traverse those boxes or not need them at all and send to Margaret. Then said f it, I’m not on the payroll and they killed the affiliate program. So we’ll continue to suffer.
The much larger issue is years of tivo.com latency. It can be a painful experience. I did suggest letting the webmaster go once… ;)
https://twitter.com/davezatz/status/307664460544348160
Dave’s comment “With up to 6-tuners, I don’t think they’d want to transcode all MPEG-2 on the fly to “record” as MPEG-4 given the overhead.” Gives me an idea for a new feature suggestion.
There should be an option to enable Mpeg-4 transcoding when the box isn’t being used or only lightly being used. It could start on the oldest recordings to try and transcode them to save space prior to deleting them for space.
“Fixed issues related to freezes when using the Amazon app”
This will be appreciated by me. Ever since the Amazon app went to that horrible, ‘let me automatically play the next episode for you’ thing that Netflix does even uglier, I’ve had occasional freezes necessitating a reboot when exiting the app around show endings. (God, I wish for a setting on these service to ‘just run the damn end credits and stop, rather than trying so pathetically to be sticky’.)
That’s the only time I’ve ever had to reboot my Roamio, except, of course, for my twice daily manual reboots done solely to watch the TiVo Mascot movie…
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The really funny thing to me is that if I just do a simple Google Image search for “TiVo Mascot”, Dave’s two-shot is the second thing that pops up. (Now, while I have cookies off, and I suppose Google could be doing some other tracking, but I still assume that’s the result anyone would get.)
And all this brings up an interesting aspect to the Kevin Bacon game. Dave is one step from the TiVo Mascot, who is one step from Cary Grant, and things spiral out of control from there…
Netflix at least lets you turn off the horrible auto-play feature. They don’t, however, let you turn off shrinking of credits. I worked around that by creating a macro key on my remote that restores the credits to proper size with one press.
“Netflix at least lets you turn off the horrible auto-play feature.”
Huh. TiVo platform included? I’ll have to dive into settings, I guess. Thanks for the tip.
“They don’t, however, let you turn off shrinking of credits. I worked around that by creating a macro key on my remote that restores the credits to proper size with one press.”
Again, TiVo platform? But given that whole ‘macro’ thing, I assume my humble TiVo peanut won’t solve that particular horribleness anyway. (The total ugliness of Netflix is just insane here.)
Guess I’ll have to look to see if there is any Amazon setting while I’m at it. Didn’t even cross my mind that there would be any kind of accessible opt-outs to the horribleness.
Gack, what are these services thinking? (I know exactly what they’re thinking: stickiness. But seriously, don’t ignore your paying customers who just want a clean and sane content viewing experience…)
You got it half right, Chucky. It is I who is the TiVo mascot. No idea what that Disney costumed lady is doing in the frame.
Chucky, I’ve actually seen people request auto-play next episode features. It seems to be the type of person who likes having the background noise continually playing. I seem to recall an example given of wanting it while doing house work.
I’m no fan of such features and prefer the credits to stay normal size. Unfortunately it seems the video streaming providers have decided to make it opt-out instead of opt-in, perhaps because it may be mostly technically-inclined people that especially don’t like it.
The Amazon setting is on this page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/settings
The Netflix setting is on this page (currently anyway): https://www.netflix.com/HdToggle
“Chucky, I’ve actually seen people request auto-play next episode features. It seems to be the type of person who likes having the background noise continually playing.”
Yeah. I’m sure this is true. Personally, one of the things I loved about DVR’s in the first place is that they enabled me to eliminate ‘background TV’. When I want to watch a show, I watch it. And then the TV goes off. But I’m well aware my preferences here are not universal. (Background noise is why god invented radio.)
“The Amazon setting is on this page … The Netflix setting is on this page (currently anyway):”
Thanks, Kravimir. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Unfortunately it seems the video streaming providers have decided to make it opt-out instead of opt-in, perhaps because it may be mostly technically-inclined people that especially don’t like it.”
Oddly, I ain’t got no quarrel with that policy. If the services think their customers want it, and/or think the ‘stickiness’ benefits their own bottom line, fine. As long as they make damn sure to always provide an opt-out, I’m happy.
I’m not really benefiting from OnePass, in terms of online content, but I like the Netflix/Amazon autoplay. Well, I’d like it better if it were a little less auto – for the bathroom break, Twitter check, etc. But, generally speaking, yeah we appreciate and frequently use it.
“I’m not really benefiting from OnePass, in terms of online content”
Huh. That truly baffles me. As I’ve said a few times before, OnePass is what made OTT suddenly viable for us on the TiVo, and got us to essentially retire the Roku except for HBO Go and a once or twice a month snappy browsing of the OTT services for new additions. Baffles me enough to make me wonder: are you sure you’re doing it right? Is your TV tuned to the TiVo input? Are you trying to use the Echo remote to control your TiVo? Are you legally blind? Have you heard of kmttg? Do you have electricity in your home? Have you acquired a PCP or ketamine addiction?
“but I like the Netflix/Amazon autoplay”
You, sir, are History’s Greatest Monster.
I must be a bigger monster. I like the autoplay AND the shrinking of credits.
Dave, speaking of TiVo’s Aereo-related late-July announcement, have you heard any specifics? Did they set a date for it? Has there even been any further mention or confirmation lately that anything is for sure going to be announced this month? It would be great if TiVo added select live streaming channels to their program guide (free and/or subscription channels), the way that Channel Master has done with their DVR+.
I got nothing…
I just hope it fixes the bug where my P4XL reboots at the same time every day without warning or reason that I can find.
“The Amazon setting is on this page”
Ugh. It burns.
Actually turned auto-play back on because the supposed “opt-out” option is so incredibly lame, and so unlike the status quo ante bellum.
With it turned off, it’s nothing like what we had before. Playback controls are still disabled during end-credits, corner window still disrupts during the end-credits, and when the episode ends, instead of heading back to the ‘show’ screen like we had before, instead we just dead end on a still frame.
So, in reality, there is no opt-out from the hellish Brave New World. Bad Amazon. It’ll make me less likely to buy shows from them in the future that I could just DVR. I’ve done so in the past for select shows just to get the ‘proper director’s cut’, but with that gone, DVR and manual-comskip plus money in my pocket seems attractive. (I’ve genuinely paid $30 seasons multiple times for stuff I could’ve just DVR’d.)
And as someone noted upthread, the Netflix “opt-out” doesn’t really restore anything like the status quo ante bellum either. It’s really too bad for paying consumers like us. We may not be the majority, but we could still be accommodated with a proper opt-out with only minor UX efforts on the back-end…