TiVo Bolt Out-Of-Home Streaming Nearly Here

tivo-bolt-ooh-streaming

As with TiVo’s last software update, version 20.6.1 will primarily resolve additional open issues as the bulk of development and testing cycles are likely reserved for the upcoming OTA-only Bolt variant. So this isn’t exactly the most dramatic or blog-worthy topic and I didn’t really dig deep into what, specifically, this revision provides for Premiere, Roamio, and Mini owners. However, we’d previously been informed this particular update would finally enable TiVo Bolt out-of-home streaming, like Roamio Pro/Plus, to iPhone, iPad, and Android smartphones or tablets – a feature notably absent from Bolt at launch, given new under-the-hood transcoding hardware. And this incoming functionality is seemingly confirmed by new TiVo marketing materials (above), indicating owners can “watch shows anywhere on your mobile device.” Assuming, of course, the content isn’t flagged and locked down by your hostile and punitive cable company (i.e. TWC).

20.6.1 begins deployment within the next couple weeks and, if you’d like to be amongst the first in line, register your TiVo units via the just-launched Priority Update Request.

29 thoughts on “TiVo Bolt Out-Of-Home Streaming Nearly Here”

  1. While I can’t yet 100% confirm OOH Bolt streaming, sounds like SkipMode on MPEG4 content is a go.

  2. Yah!! I can finally access the site from work again. I hadn’t been able to access it for many months for some reason.

  3. “Yah!! I can finally access the site from work again. I hadn’t been able to access it for many months for some reason.”

    Finally rebooted your work computer, I guess.

  4. >> Assuming, of course, the content isn’t flagged and locked down by your hostile and punitive cable company (i.e. TWC).

    And COX.

  5. I’ve got no intel at this point and I really don’t have a good basis for an opinion, with so much at flux at TiVo (not to mention their standard slow development pace and missed targets). They did indicate a retail, non-DVR product could be in the works – if so, are those resources reassigned or can they manage both projects, if they still see a market opportunity for a higher-end TiVo.

  6. It might be nice if that “non-DVR” product could be a new generation external Stream. While my personal experience with the present Stream has had its irritations, the number of frustrated posts at TCF are very disturbing with many posting all sorts of problems that often result in such low reliability that the unit becomes practically useless, and lots of reports of the same problems across many users. I have a love hate relationship with my stream: I LOVE it when it works as it should; and HATE it when it does not.

    So, I have been dreaming of a new, proper Stream since the current version is pretty old and lacking in power in today’s tech sense. I would view a new Stream with optimism that TiVo has learned form the first generation and would certainly power the new one properly and ironed out the old kinks. That would probably be the last piece of TiVo hardware I would be willing to buy. The Bolt is not at all attractive to me in any sense (nor is its Bolt pricing), and I feel my Roamios are still fine, state of the art TiVo’s. But, I .am glad to see TiVo continue to press forward in the retail realm.

  7. @HarryKerryJr I know TiVo needs to make money but I think the Mini is a bad choice. Why not make a second TiVo app that is in the $20 range for FireTV/Android TV/Apple TV/Xbox/etc boxes that turn them into TiVo extenders. The current TiVo beta app for the FireTV let’s you just watch recorded content. Make the paid app fully functional, available on every platform like Netflix, and the Mini is not needed IMO.

  8. @Chucky
    The Zatz site was blocked for some reason at work. I use severel desktop machines from multiple locations at work. None of them could previously access the site. They typically get rebooted several times a week.

  9. Glad your employer (and their NAC) finally came to their senses. ;) I had a similar experience with Brad Linder’s Lilliputing for a few months a year or so back. Which was unfortunate because it’s actually been a resource for my day job.

  10. @NickDG17

    I completely agree with you. I’d be willing to pay as much as $50 for a dedicated TiVo app for the 4th gen AppleTV.

    Since my home setup is a glorified Apple eco environment, that would be beneficial for me, in that I would have my iTunes music/movies and TiVo programming in one box.

    It would benefit TiVo, in that they would save money from hardware manufacturing costs too. In order to make the experience better, they just simply update the app.

  11. TiVo’s business model would be a recurring fee – something like $5.99/mo, which was the TiVo Mini’s original monthly fee and what DirecTV charges for RVU clients. However, that Android app hasn’t been updated since released in ‘beta’ and is not very good. They’d really have to up their game before I’d fund something of that quality.

  12. “They typically get rebooted several times a week.”

    Hmmm… Did you check if any of the machines were connected to the internet?

    “Glad your employer (and their NAC) finally came to their senses.”

    But aren’t IoS posts like the one about Bluetooth toothbrushes ipso facto NSFW?

  13. Sounds like an updated Vudu app is in the pipeline and will deliver UHD content to the 4K Bolt. I can’t say the app update and this software release are necessarily related, but fyi…

  14. Wow, a feature that should have been on the device from DAY ONE is finally maybe almost here.

    Well done TiVo, that’s so impressive. Maybe I’ll almost start paying my subscription when you give your new box the features of the old box I replaced.

  15. Have had 20.6.1 on my Bolt for a week or two now. Still no OOH streaming. I’m guessing they need to update the iOS app and maybe flip a switch on the back end. Any insight into the status now? Or date estimates?

  16. I too am hoping out-of-home streaming comes soon to Bolt. Unfortunately, I’m willing to bet the marketing materials which state “watch shows anywhere on your mobile device” could easily refer to the ability/feature of being able to download content to your mobile device – while you’re on your home network – to then watch elsewhere when you’re away from home. The choice of “watch” vs. “stream” is a subtle yet significant difference.

  17. For real this time? The 20.6.1 support page has been updated:

    https://support.tivo.com/SupportPortalArticleViewPage?artURL=/articles/Essential_Summary/TiVo-Software-Version-Information

    In-Home Premium Downloading: You now can download recordings of copy-protected programs from your TiVo BOLT™ to mobile devices on your in-home network. This functionality already was available on the TiVo Roamio®.

    Out-Of-Home Streaming for TiVo BOLT Unified Entertainment Systems: Streaming allows users to stream live or recorded content from their TiVo unit to iOS or Android™ devices (Requires: TiVo App for iOS v3.7 or TiVo App for Android v3.2).

  18. Exactly! For real?

    After waiting 6 months since I bought my Bolt with the “coming soon” promises that were originally announced 8 months ago, they claim to have released it. But even with my Bolt on the 20.6.1 priority update list, I’m not getting the update after forcing a connection multiple times. I guess I may be waiting another week due to TiVo’s LOUSY software update deployment system.

    Seriously, TiVo! Upgrade your bandwidth or back-end servers to they can handle upgrading your customers in a reasonable amount of time! Reasonable to me is having the ability to get the update once it’s available, not being forced to wait days or weeks. If you had the necessary infrastructure and a better software testing team, you could eliminate your staggered roll outs meant to minimize impacts to the masses when your software just plain doesn’t work and your back end can’t handle the load!

    Thanks for the update, Dave Zatz! I’d love to be able to try it finally and leave a comment about how it works. If TiVo ever gets the update to me, I’ll come back and comment.

    Shame on you, TiVo!

  19. “For real this time?”

    Hey all y’all suckers who bought a Bolt instead of a Roamio. See? TiVo delivers! They deliver late, but they do deliver!

  20. Extremely late and many bugs during the wait.

    And for me, not yet delivered.

    Yea. I’m a sucker for buying a Bolt. In hindsight I don’t think I’d have bought TiVo at all if I knew what I know now.

  21. “Yea. I’m a sucker for buying a Bolt. In hindsight I don’t think I’d have bought TiVo at all if I knew what I know now.”

    They’re a great company for DVR’s. Least worst by far. And assuming the update is real, it’ll propagate to you soon enough.

    You’re a sucker for going Bolt over Roamio. But you’re smart for going TiVo over cableco box.

  22. “HDUI almost done?”

    Did they ever promise that? Press release? Marketing materials? Tech note? It’s a genuine question, not rhetorical.

    They have no requirement to deliver on your personal, bizarre, (and might I add, NSFW), fetishes. But they do seem to always deliver what they promise for existing hardware. It’s always late. But it always gets there.

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