Despite months of platform YouTube TV playback issues, Google has worked a deal to provide select subscribers a free TiVo Stream 4K. While TiVo’s Android TV dongle runs $40 these days, it’s currently on sale for $30. So, although the dollar value isn’t significant, this is still a real nice perk for customers and on-point (vs the YouTube Premium Stadia dealio).
From Google’s outreach, the upcoming YouTube TV 4K tier and TiVo Stream will be fully compatible. Which reasonably makes you wonder if Roku, along with their AV1-less hardware, may not be… as negotiations continue. Another curious aspect of this promo is Sling TV’s current positioning as TiVo’s primary, premium OTT video aggregator – they’re actually featured on the box. Does this tie-up imply future YTTV integration into TiVo’s live guide? Survey says…
(Thanks The_SingingBush!)
The plot thickens as one of my buddies got the same email but offering up a free Chromecast with Google TV instead.
https://twitter.com/davezatz/status/1404841363355717635
Dammit Dave, I just returned my TiVo Stream 4k in favor of the ONN streamer because I figured TiVo would never integrate with YouTube TV!
For the life of me I don’t understand this. Even if TiVo was to go from Sling to YTTV, why would YTTV be interested? They have a competing product and they’re now aggregating the way TiVo does. My fault for Roku-ing my entire house thinking it was relatively future-proof.
Maybe TiVo gave Google a deal they could not refuse?
stini777, we don’t yet know that YTTV will be directly integrated into TiVo’s guide and recommendation stuff although anyone can obviously download the app from the Play Store and use as you would on any other streamer. Roku is still a pretty safe bet – I assume this new age retransmission dispute ultimately gets settled (and isn’t unique to Roku, we’ve seen some Amazon/Fire TV stuff too).
The good folks on reddit are saying that there is a bug on the Tivo Stream that freezes the YTTV picture on any signal above 480p. I find it pretty funny that YTTV is sending people a streamer that can’t be used to view it’s product.
New YTTV user here… the biggest issue I’m having with YTTV is the difficulty fast forwarding through commercials… it was such a great experience on my TiVo and now it sucks. Does anyone know if YTTV on the TiVo Stream might be better with this particular aspect? I’m currently using an ATV to watch YTTV.
In my brief experience with the Stream, the YTTV app was the same as it was on my Roku and Onn streamers. I feel your pain missing TiVo’s skip button. Here’s my suggestion, although I admit it’s a little convoluted. The typical commercial break is 4 minutes long. YTTV jumps in 15 second intervals. Approximately 16 taps on the forward button should get you out of a commercial break. Monotonous, yes, but I find it better than pressing and holding which gives little to no accuracy at all.
Thanks for the tip! I wasn’t aware of the 15 second skip. That will be helpful.
stini777, YTTV on TiVo Stream 4K has been stuttering since March. No fix yet for those impacted, other than reverting to SD. Hogues, I linked the relevant TiVo Community thread in the first sentence of the post. :)