Two serious blockers, that should have probably delayed Stream 4K release (and likely led to a number of device returns), have been resolved per TiVo.
First, the rampant HDMI CEC issues are supposedly resolved, along with TiVo providing a first cut and of an Android TV CEC settings screen. Second, the more sporadic screen blackout issue has also been resolved. As such, alongside Channels DVR support and ongoing $50 promotional pricing, this former TiVo customer has placed an order. And hope springs eternal for Stream 4k TiVo Mini-esque functionality, given a sufficiently vague note from TiVo PR.
Additionally, we have addressed the black screen issue:
Some customers were experiencing this when attempting to access the Android Home Screen. This has been resolved & you now will be able to quickly reach the AndroidTV Home Screen when you press the ”O” button. ?
— TiVo (@TiVo) June 5, 2020
Damnit, TiVo, I just can’t quit you!
More seriously, I agree wholeheartedly that these two issues should have been showstoppers. How did these get past any respectable QA team?
Does Channels DVR run on this, and if so, reliably?
I wouldn’t build your solution around it at this point. The developer has put out a beta Android TV update that works around some buggy stuff. But they really need TiVo to fix the player. They have no way to submit a bug report and I tried to back channel for them (not by name) and was met with crickets. Yet the number keys on the remote do work… which makes it an interesting thing to keep an eye on. For Channels, Apple TV is by far the best client. Obviously, the price of entry is much higher, and some (me) have a hard time with that touchpad remote.
I’ve done back to back tests of Channels on the TS4K and a Fire TV Stick 4K. Right now the Fire TV is still much better in my experience. With both devices connected via wifi I’m getting a much faster connection with less latency and jitter with the Fire TV. That makes it faster to start playing recordings as well as live TV, and I get occasional hiccups on the TS4K that I don’t see with the Fire TV. This might be resolved with an ethernet adapter, but the one I have only works with my Fire TV. I’ve been unable to get the TS4K to connect via ethernet.
Also the TS4K still forces Dolby Vision or HDR10 which is a dealbreaker for me when watching OTA recordings. Tivo has at least acknowledged this issue and says a fix is coming, so I’ll wait until then to make final judgement on the Stream. It could end up being better than my Fire stick, but it’s not there yet.
I think that’s really the bottom line on this device, @Jake. It’s not there yet. That nicely sums up how I feel about it at this point.
Too late for me i already sent mine back! I had those problems plus every time i would try to use tivo stream 4k it couldnt find my internet through my av receiver (marantz sr7010) or even when i hooked it up directly to my LG sk9000 4k tv.
TIVO take me back?
Here’s $50.00 ;)
After selling my TiVo Slide remote on ebay for $62 yesterday, it’s pretty much an even swap to get an economical, low-profile Android TV streamer for Channels (linked thread shows how to disable TiVo app and remap buttons) with numeric remote, should performance improve.
I already returned mine, because of the CEC issue and the horrible customer service through phone and email. I did like it though. I am still a roku fan, but I wanted an android backup, so I am trying the Mi Box. I liked the Tivo better, but it’s still good.
Where can I find the version number on my Stream? What is the latest number?
To get the main version of their Android TV build, you’d click the Gear > Device Preferences > About. But the TiVo Stream 4K app itself and several other software components (“system apps”) have individual numbers as well.