3 weeks ago - last edited 3 weeks ago
Just had a letter about this and the threatened loss of Netflix in November. We have a V6 as the main box and a Tivo as a second box in another room, which gives us 2TB overall storage, accessible over the network from either location. As I understand it, the V6 would be upgraded rather than replaced and the second box would be replaced with a Mini 360 without independent storage, which would be a significant downgrade.
What are the pros and cons of doing nothing? Is this a viable medium term option? Frankly we can manage without whizzy features like voice activation and user profiles, and while it is convenient to access Netflix via the V6 box and remote, we can still get it via the Roku box we need for other streamers, or the TV's built in 'smart' facilities.
Am I missing something? Any thoughts?
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2 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago
I believe the loss of Netflix only applies to the TiVo box, not the V6, so it would still work fine on your main box.
The 360 box is missing a number of features compared to the V6\TiVo, as well as there being the loss of tuners and storage that you have mentioned.
Some of the missing features are as follows; Wishlists (where you can set the box to record programs on certain subjects or featuring certain people), undelete, series link+, series link manager, suggestions, setting of series links for programs not in the current TV guide, ethernet control, keyboard support via USB, switching between tuners with constant buffering, skip-back on fast-forward, quickplay, default recording options, cancelling individual recordings from a series link, multi-channel series links, radio channels allowing recording of radio, separation of recordings between boxes, watching recordings when internet is not available and probably a few others I've forgotten.
Also, extra boxes do not have their own hard disks or tuners (unless converted from a V6 box), so you lose storage space and recording ability and are also reliant on the main box being on to watch and set recordings and also on having a decent wi-fi signal (or ethernet cable) between the two boxes when watching recordings. If the boxes are used by independent family members i.e. older children living at home, then there is also the issue of recordings being pooled across all boxes, so everyone's recordings are mixed up, rather than being separated. This also means that if there is a show that both people watch and one person watches and deletes it, then it is gone for the other person as well, and can't be recovered due to the lack of undelete.
2 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago
I believe the loss of Netflix only applies to the TiVo box, not the V6, so it would still work fine on your main box.
The 360 box is missing a number of features compared to the V6\TiVo, as well as there being the loss of tuners and storage that you have mentioned.
Some of the missing features are as follows; Wishlists (where you can set the box to record programs on certain subjects or featuring certain people), undelete, series link+, series link manager, suggestions, setting of series links for programs not in the current TV guide, ethernet control, keyboard support via USB, switching between tuners with constant buffering, skip-back on fast-forward, quickplay, default recording options, cancelling individual recordings from a series link, multi-channel series links, radio channels allowing recording of radio, separation of recordings between boxes, watching recordings when internet is not available and probably a few others I've forgotten.
Also, extra boxes do not have their own hard disks or tuners (unless converted from a V6 box), so you lose storage space and recording ability and are also reliant on the main box being on to watch and set recordings and also on having a decent wi-fi signal (or ethernet cable) between the two boxes when watching recordings. If the boxes are used by independent family members i.e. older children living at home, then there is also the issue of recordings being pooled across all boxes, so everyone's recordings are mixed up, rather than being separated. This also means that if there is a show that both people watch and one person watches and deletes it, then it is gone for the other person as well, and can't be recovered due to the lack of undelete.
2 weeks ago
Netflix is being removed from the elderly TiVo's shortly, but the V6 is unaffected.
In a scenario where you have V6 & TiVo, then VM should be offering to swap the TiVo for another V6 rather than complicate the issue with the TV360 conversion.
If you requested a TV360 conversion from your current situation, then the V6 is software-converted to a TV360-master and the TiVo is hardware swapped for a TV360-mini - and you lose the storage on the secondary box. That's quite apart from the significant differences between the TiVo-firmware & the Horizon-firmware on TV360.
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2 weeks ago
@Gunslinger1 wrote:What are the pros and cons of doing nothing? Is this a viable medium term option? Frankly we can manage without whizzy features like voice activation and user profiles, and while it is convenient to access Netflix via the V6 box and remote, we can still get it via the Roku box we need for other streamers, or the TV's built in 'smart' facilities.
Am I missing something? Any thoughts?
I suggest asking for the tivo box to be upgraded to a V6 box. (You can always migrate to TV360 at a later date if yuo wish)
That way you retain the overall 2TB recording storage facilities. You also get the added bonus of keeping to a system you are familiar with, along with the overall speed improvements of the V6 compared to the tivo which is rather slow nowadays, along with being able to watch Amazon Prime on both boxes if you subscribe to it. You'll also be able watch 4K (UHD) content on both boxes where available.
Whichever option you decide upon, please be aware that you will lose your recordings and series links from the tivo box, so make a note of the series recordings so you can set them up again, and watch the tivo box recordings where possible.
2 weeks ago
Looks like 'do nothing' is the thing to do, at least for now. Thanks to those that responded.
2 weeks ago
If we can help with anything else, please let us know @Gunslinger1