TiVo vs Xfinity set top boxes

[Copernicus]

I enjoy channel surfing, so have not considered cutting the cord. I have not been much into streaming; just done it several times for a specially interesting show.

I have used TiVo Premier XL for nerly 15 years and love the user interface! (cable plan: Xfinity basic Plus HBO and Showtime.) ..........A few days ago, it stopped showing me HBO and Showtime channels. All other channels including HD major netwroks work fine as before.
Many agonizing phone calls later, they sent a tech who told me that the cable card is not working. (How come it works for other channels?) Either I should get a new cable card or try their set top box/DVR.

He set up Xfinity set top box as a trial. I used it for a few hours. I do not like the channel guide and the remote although it is voice activated. Maybe, I need to get used to the remote but I would still not like the channel guide and recording interface.

Since I usually prefer to run out old device's life/usefulness before buying a new device, I am thinking of getting a new cable card for my old tivo premier XL

> Does anyone have comments on a similar problem/solution?
> Since my TiVo Premier XL is 10 years old, is it worthwhile abandoning it to get a new model?
> Which model - for channel serfing and periodic streaming?
> Do new models offer the same fantastic user interface, search and 'pass' recording modes?
Thanks a lot!

[jpsfranks]

Tivo and cable cards are dead end technology and I would not replace the Tivo with another Tivo.

But if your current Premier XL is working and the problem is truly with the card why not get a replacement card? Unless things have changed with Comcast there shouldn't be any charge for the physical cable card and the first one per household doesn't incur a monthly fee separate from service, so it seems like you have nothing to lose replacing it if you are otherwise happy with it.

My parents have been using Tivos since the Series2 in the early 2000s and have gone through a Tivo HD, and Tivo Premier, and their current setup is a Tivo Roamio and multiple Tivo Minis around the house (all share the cable card in the Roamio). The interface is good and the fast-forward/rewind experience remains the best especially when watching recorded sports. The weak spots are it doesn't really support Xfinity On-demand programming and has poor/no support for other streaming services necessitating an additional set top box.

[vtjon]

We have Tivos (Roamio and Minis, 10 yrs old) with lifetime subscriptions with a cable card. We love our setup. We don't have any premium channels though. It is my understanding per both TiVo Community forums(Google it) and I believe my Xfinity bill that Xfinity is discontinuing cable cards starting in October. In fact, per some online discussion, you can't get a replacement cable card as they no longer have them.

This will effectively kill TiVo if it wasn't already dead. if this October plan comes to fruition and they effectively brick my TiVo, I'm going to switch to YouTube TV opposed to continuing to give Xfinity $200+ a month. I might have to switch back for next baseball season but we shall see.

ETA: here is some more discussion on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Tivo/s/MwbVFLstmE

If the want a new cable card, it seems you should request it soon.

[illumination]

I was dealing with this regarding an elderly parent and them not wanting to drop their TiVo, but having issues over the years. They finally just adopted the cable company's DVR and are happier without the headaches. It was a learning curve, the TiVo was clearly easier, but they adapted.

Those cablecards were always an issue, I believe they had to provide those by law, but they did everything possible to make the experience miserable. I remember you had to both get cable cards and an external tuner to get all the channels on your TiVo. And the the TiVo boxes themselves had issues, people had paid for a lifetime service and wanted to repair them, etc.

TiVo was sort of like Beta vs VHS. It should have "won", it was the better product, but lots of poor decisions on how they monetized it. Someone like Apple should have bought them and somehow incorporated it into their ecosystem. But it's largely dead and I would say just abandon it and use the cable company DVR if you dont have any interest in streaming.

[zincTwo]

... I believe my Xfinity bill that Xfinity is discontinuing cable cards starting in October. In fact, per some online discussion, you can't get a replacement cable card as they no longer have them. ...

I wanted to reduce my decrease my internet plan after a major recent rate hike... but to do that I needed to reprogram my cable card (or so they said)... and [in the sacramento area] was told that cable cards were no longer available, nor supported for reprogramming (this was July 2024).

So, I made no internet changes[yet], and have started my research for replacement systems - knowing my cable card is on borrowed time in its lifespan.

I've heard that TiVo Stream 4K has similar Guide UI for local channels, and integrates various streaming services well (including YouTubeTV). That is intriguing, but I also heard YouTube TV doesn't integrate its live channels into the TiVo Stream guide [shucks]. I'd love informed input on this.

[quantAndHold]

Cable cards aren’t really a thing anymore. We use our TiVo for over the air broadcast TV, which it still works great for, and stream everything else.

[Dottie57]

For tv, I use youtube tv. Works well. I occasionally subscribe to a streaming service.

Cable became very expensive.

[Copernicus]

Thank you all for useful comments. I went to the Xfinity store, where they ordered a new CableCARD to be shipped to me. That might work, and give me the option of keeping the Premier XL. They promised to waive the $15 charge after the shipment.

I am trying out the Xfinity box/DVR as well. I do not like the remote with stiff buttons, and the on-screen interface is something I would need a lot of time to get used to.

I do not understand why others simply do not match the ease of use and appealing design of the TiVo interface? It seems that would be quite easy to accomplish.

[cowbman]

I recommend Roku and streaming.

[Supergrover]

I thought TIVO invented the time warp/DVR technology and has been paid handsome sums from all the companies that use it. Sometimes it was a result of litigation, sometimes licensing. TiVo has made over 1 billion from that technology.

I don’t think TiVo is dead.

[9Iron]

I don’t have xfinity anymore, but when I did, I used the xfinity app on Roku and appletv.

[SpaghettiLegs]

I am also a long time TiVo user and love the interface as well. The current one is about 10-12 years old and will probably be the last one. We’ve never tried to link any services to the TiVo, just use it for the regular cable. I don’t even really use the recorded shows feature any more. We have an Apple TV for Max, Netflix, etc and that works well.

[Gryphon]

Support for cable cards has been gradually diminishing since the FCC stopped requiring cable companies to support it. IMO it would not be worth it to buy a new TiVo if your Premiere XL quits working. There’s no telling how long you’d be able to use the new TiVo with cable, and the ones they sell now cannot record OTA so without a cable card they’re a brick. Even with the sales they’ve been routinely running the last couple years a new TiVo with lifetime is too expensive to gamble on.

The new TiVos also have a very different UI from what you have now; personally I don’t think it was an improvement. I have a Roamio that I upgraded to the new software and it seemed like it took more work to accomplish basic tasks. They also added their own advertising; it’s possible to skip it but it’s just one more way that the new boxes have degraded the experience.

I ultimately cancelled cable this summer and no longer use the Roamio but still use a Premiere for OTA recording; when that eventually quits working I’ll set up my HDHomeRun to be a DVR. The UI isn’t as good as a TiVo but I just don’t watch as much TV anymore so it’ll be good enough.

[Copernicus]

It makes sense to watch what happens with TiVo before buying a new TiVo product. Let me see whether the new CableCARD actualy works for my Premier XL before making a decision.

If the user interface is the driving issue, does anyone know another platform that licensed TiVo tech to replicate that experience?

[papiper]

We have the newest TiVo Edge (2 of them). Wish someone else had a better system, but it's hard to give up the ease of recording and skipping commercials. We watch a lot of sports and some tv like NCIS. It's great to be able to have it autodownload everything. We travel and can stream and/or download recordings to our ipad's.... Makes plane travel more enjoyable.

[mrmass]

XL, god that's old. Get a Roamio with lifetime off of Ebay. If the hard drive dies, the Roamio will auto configure the replacement. Unlike the XL and Premeire.

I love my Tivo. Going to miss it when cablecard is no more.

I got here for parts or replacement units https://www.weaknees.com/

[Copernicus]

Unrelated to my immediate need -
I dont get why some other company can not poduce a substitute generic CableCARD. What's proprietary about old tech like that? If there is, licence it.
I would imagine a semi shop could crank out one in a few days? They make money from mundane little electornic connectors and such, so why not this?

[jpsfranks]

Unrelated to my immediate need -
I dont get why some other company can not poduce a substitute generic CableCARD. What's proprietary about old tech like that? If there is, licence it.
I would imagine a semi shop could crank out one in a few days? They make money from mundane little electornic connectors and such, so why not this?

The FCC required cable operators to support CableCards in the early 2000s so that consumers would have interoperable options for third-party set-top cable boxes (e.g. Tivo) instead of the cable companies being able to lock you into renting proprietary hardware. It never really took off though and there was never a big market. Instead now there is a thriving market for streaming, not CableCard based, set-top devices, so the FCC dropped the requirement a few years ago. Now the cable companies would like to deprecate CableCard support which they never really liked in the first place.

[Copernicus]

Thank you, jpsfranks, for the explanation. I am one of those few stragglers, slow adaptors of new tech!

[ncbill]

I enjoy channel surfing, so have not considered cutting the cord. I have not been much into streaming; just done it several times for a specially interesting show.

I have used TiVo Premier XL for nerly 15 years and love the user interface! (cable plan: Xfinity basic Plus HBO and Showtime.) ..........A few days ago, it stopped showing me HBO and Showtime channels. All other channels including HD major netwroks work fine as before.
Many agonizing phone calls later, they sent a tech who told me that the cable card is not working. (How come it works for other channels?) Either I should get a new cable card or try their set top box/DVR.

He set up Xfinity set top box as a trial. I used it for a few hours. I do not like the channel guide and the remote although it is voice activated. Maybe, I need to get used to the remote but I would still not like the channel guide and recording interface.

Since I usually prefer to run out old device's life/usefulness before buying a new device, I am thinking of getting a new cable card for my old tivo premier XL

> Does anyone have comments on a similar problem/solution?
> Since my TiVo Premier XL is 10 years old, is it worthwhile abandoning it to get a new model?
> Which model - for channel serfing and periodic streaming?
> Do new models offer the same fantastic user interface, search and 'pass' recording modes?
Thanks a lot!

post over at tivocommunity dot com

the cablecard (new or old) probably needs re-provisioning

[Copernicus]

Update: Problem solved!
I followed the instructions in this link. https://www.xfinity.com/support/article ... -cablecard
The saga continued when Xfinity sent repeated signals to activate the cablecard, and it would not work. No premium channels - HBO, Showtime!

I went to https://cablecardactivation.xsp.comcast ... ountlogin and found the answer: Both cableCARDS were listed in my account and the old one was still paired. I could not click the new card online to activate it! No one in Xfinity could unpair the old card and pair the new one. They were all very earnest in trying hard to help but the system would also give them the same error as I got online.

Finally, I got hold of a live person in an offshore call center who guided me to the "CableCARD team", and got someone who did the unpairing/pairing in 2 minutes!

So now I have the choice of keeping the TiVo! How long? If the new card and the TiVo Premier lasts for 10+ years like the last one, I may never need another system!

[Sandi_k]

Thanks for posting - I am unclear - if our existing cablecards are still working, do we need to get new ones?

If so, I am heading to our local XFinity store to see if I can get updated Cablecards sent to us. We're holding onto our Tivo for as long as possible!

[Copernicus]

Thanks for posting - I am unclear - if our existing cablecards are still working, do we need to get new ones?

I went to replace the card only because our old card stopped receiving premium channels. Otherwise, I would not fix something that is not broken.