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lparsons21
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Cable Television and Fiber Providers
Mediacom called me recently with a deal too good to refuse. A double-play (no phone) with their flagship Xstream Tivo stuff. Made my total bill for TV and 100/10 internet about $70 less than my Dish + internet bill.

Got the latest version of their Tivo, the Arris MG2/XG2 which is a 6 tuner, 4K capable Tivo. It was an excellent box that did what they allowed it to do quite well. But Mediacom has restricted it compared to a retail Tivo.
1. No ad skipping
2. No streaming to iOS/Android devices even though the mfg page shows it supports it.
3. No Amazon Prime video at all, and on the MG2 the Hulu app isn't on it yet.

So I turned that back in and dug out my Tivo Roamio Plus, got a cable card for it and am good to go. The retail Tivo won't work with Mediacom's VOD but these days that isn't a loss as way too much of Mediacom's VOD is SD and not nearly as extensive as either Dish's or DirecTV's.

The commercial version Tivo has quite a few streaming apps, including TubiTV and one of the biggest benefits of Tivo is the unified search over all the apps. Basically streaming and recorded shows are handled in the same, consistent manner. Really makes things nice.

From a cost standpoint it is nearly a wash between renting their units or paying Tivo for the service. It becomes cheaper in comparison when you have the retail version and the TIVO Mini clients as there is no charge for those outlets since as far as Mediacom is concerned, they don't actually exist.

While the Tivo units are excellent in their own right, overall the Dish Hopper 3 is still a superior box. Both have strengths and weaknesses.

Ad skipping on Tivo is better than Dish's though there is no automatic ad skipping. But most of the shows/channels that are supported will do the ad skipping very shortly after the recording is made, generally within a few minutes.

Dish's UI is better IMO, especially for recorded show management. Because Tivo handles streaming and recorded shows in a unified manner, it can be very busy.

Mediacom's HD video is slightly better than Dish's though not by enough to make it a determining factor. But Mediacom's SD is hands down better than either of the satellite service's SD.

The major downside to Tivo is that you have to buy the box and pay for service to them.
7 Replies · 6780 views
osu1991
Look at kmttg it allows for auto skip feature for TiVo.
twhiting9275
I had a similar problem a few years back. 3 registered TiVos, all way better than the garbage MC put out. MC has a vested interest in commercials, so you will never see their box with com skip. They also have a vested interest in keeping Netflix, Hulu, HBO now, etc, off of TiVo.
jayn_j
Had the same issue with TWC a few years ago. They provided a just released Samsung DVR that was packed with features. Commercial skip, favorite channel list, external HD support, etc. Over the next three months, they disabled pretty much everything so it worked just like their previous junk. Cut the cable and got a TIVO.
lparsons21
Look at kmttg it allows for auto skip feature for TiVo.

Took a look at it. Too geeky for me!
lparsons21
I had a similar problem a few years back. 3 registered TiVos, all way better than the garbage MC put out. MC has a vested interest in commercials, so you will never see their box with com skip. They also have a vested interest in keeping Netflix, Hulu, HBO now, etc, off of TiVo.

The MG1/XG1 has Hulu, Netflix and YouTube. The MG2/XG2 is missing the Hulu app for now. Of course all of them are missing Amazon Prime.

The Bolt is missing the Amazon Prime with 4K support though it does have some other apps with 4K support.
osu1991
Took a look at it. Too geeky for me!

That it is.

I mainly use Pytivo and the even easier Pytivo Desktop.

Just having skipmode is enough for me, not hard to just push the channel up button at the breaks. I'm hoping Tivo eventually puts out an Alexa skill, so I can just tell Alexa to skip if I'm at the desk or in the kitchen without a remote handy. There are times voice control is helpful

I'm thinking about setting up jradwans little project to control Tivo with Alexa, but it's more geeky than moyeki's kmttg

Installation Instructions · jradwan/alexa_tivo_control Wiki · GitHub

original setup


latest version
lparsons21
After fiddling with Alexa and the Hopper, I decided I don't care for it at all for that use. So the one to control a Tivo doesn't excite me either.

I've expanded the system, found a Tivo Bolt 4-tuner, 1Gb for a really good price. Swapped the Roamio Plus to the master bedroom tv and put the Bolt on my main TV. The Bolt supports 4K and actually upscales better than the TV, so I'm really pleased with that. Here are some issues that I found and mostly solved when I made the changes.

1. The Bolt was pixelating and having audio breakups a lot. Checked the usual suspects (i.e.; loose connections) and called Mediacom's tech support. They weren't a whole lot of help, but offered a truck roll on my dime if it turned out it was my equipment, or free if it was theirs. Since the Roamio and Mini were not showing that problem, I figured it would be something on the Bolt. Did a bit of searching on the web and found that a cablecard can sometimes be the issue. So I unplugged the Bolt, removed and re-inserted the cablecard and everything cleared up. Problem solved.

2. I use a Harmony Elite universal remote. The damned thing just wouldn't control the Bolt! So I took it through the 5 step 'learning' procedure which basically just figures out the code set being used. That did it, so things are working right with it. That said, the Tivo remote is a great remote and I tend to just use the Harmony to get things going and use the Tivo remote after that.

3. The Mini can select either the Bolt or Roamio, but oddly when selecting it is bassackwards! Select the Bolt and it sees the Roamio and vice-versa. No clue why that is.

4. One thing that is irritating is that there is no unified view of recordings/streams that show both the Bolt and Roamio, you have to select which one you want to see. On the one hand that keeps the clutter down, but OTOH, you have to dig around looking for a recording you know you have but don't remember which box. Not a huge deal but I would like the option to have a unified list.
Bobby
Supporting Founder Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
This is a thread that will keep you apprised of 4K events that will be showing on Dish channel 540. Keep looking here for information.

As of today, 9-27-17, there are no scheduled events posted for the next 2 weeks. That is subject to change on a daily basis.
761 Replies · 166949 views
Bobby
MLB, Brewers at Dodgers, Wednesday 10-14, 5PM PDT, Channel 148-02.
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Bobby
MLB, Brewers at Dodgers, Thursday 10-15, 6PM PDT, Channel 148-02.
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Bobby
CFB, Notre Dame at BYU, Saturday 10-27, 4:30PM PDT, Channel 148-03.
Bobby
NASCAR, Freeway Insurance 500, Sunday 10-18, 12PM PDT, Channel 148-04.
Bobby
CFB, Ohio State at Indiana, Saturday 10-17, 9AM PDT, Channel 148-01.
CFB, Arizona State at Texas Tech, Saturday 10-17, 12:30PM PDT, Channel 148-01.
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Former member 209992
Last reply · posted in SatelliteGuys Support Center
For some reason, the satelliteguys.us site is loading a lot slower than usual on both Chrome on my Asus laptop and Safari on my iPhone.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
524 Replies · 17841 views
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Foxbat
Yeah. It's probably something going on with the MacBook as my iPhone has been pretty snappy.
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Scott Greczkowski
I have been optimizing the site the past few days... and got us here now. :) We are rocking now!

Screenshot 2026-10-15 144737.webp
Foxbat
Yeah. It's probably something going on with the MacBook as my iPhone has been pretty snappy.
I rebooted my MacBook Air and it's zipping right along. Sorry, but it was taking over 20 seconds to load pages, with the pulsing blue bars so it was munching on something.
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Scott Greczkowski
Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat. :D
Foxbat
Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat. :D
WTF… …What the Foxbat!😱
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Internet Television (IPTV) Discussion Forum
Wasn't exactly sure where to post this. Just had a customer come in inquiring about internet. He has HughesNet and had heard good things about mine. He asked if we provided email addresses and it kinda caught me off guard. I said he should be able to keep whatever email he had been using....my sister in law is still using a BellSouth email addy and they haven't been around here for many years. He said he had gotten a letter from HughesNet stating that they had until Nov 16th to save, move, forward, whatever, their Hughesnet emails because they would lose them after that date.

I have never heard of a company simply mass-deleting email accounts (the customer still has his HughesNet service). From what I understand, in the past, the company who was ditching their email service simply sold the customer base to a company like Google.

Anyone else getting this letter. He said he would show it to me tomorrow when I go out there and set up his internet.
4 Replies · 65 views
Foxbat
Doing a Google of the HughesNet Email notice, it seems that HughesNet has been trying to eliminate hosting emails since 2019. And with HughesNet filing Chapter 11 back in August, it would be a smart move to switch to a more stable Email provider. Even AT&T farmed out their Email to Yahoo! years ago.

SpaceX's Starlink and the Cellular 5G Home Internet solutions have pretty much relegated HughesNet and its high latency, low bandwidth Internet service to History. If Earth had shorter days, maybe a Geostationary Internet Solution might have stood a fighting chance…
dishstaller
Well, I helped him set up a gmail acct....I actually wanted to see what the new process is for setting up a gmail acct since it had been years since I set mine up. Anyway, I showed him how to forward the emails he wanted to keep over.
navychop
If Earth had shorter days,

Wouldn't we then die of old age sooner?

🙄
  • Wow
Reactions: Bobby
Foxbat
Wouldn't we then die of old age sooner?

🙄
Still the same number of years, just more Sunsets…😉
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Can't help but wonder if a worker overlooked checking the harness. I rarely ride a roller coaster anymore but when I do I check the harness myself pretty aggressively.
Can't imagine what the son is going through.

22 Replies · 178 views
Jimbo
Back on the Goliath Roller Coaster ... I'm interested to find more details as well ...
Like where on the track did this happen (somewhere I read that it was on the climb up the top), which is impossible ...

They really need to take that ride and add at the very least, seatbelts ...

The Park is opening back up on Friday, the ride will Not be opening ... personally, I would keep it closed until different type of restraints can be designed and installed (over the winter).

I find it hard to believe that this ride is even allowed to be running with the restraints that exist at the moment, there are other rides that use the same type and they have been shut down across the country.

You got to believe that every ride has at least 2 types of restraint systems in place.

I wonder what and when we will hear from the Manufacturer ... and whatever governing bodies control these ...

Just think, this is a Major Amusement Park .... I would not have any problem getting on the Roller Coasters I have rode ...

Imagine what these County Fairs and others like them, I would not be caught Dead on one of them ... they get put up and tore down every other week, where is the safety for those rides ... No Thank You.
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Jimbo
navychop
I would not be caught Dead on one of them

Yet IF you were on one, you might be caught dead.
dishstaller
Had no idea there were that many redundancies built into those restraints.
Jimbo
Had no idea there were that many redundancies built into those restraints.
It makes sense, however, I would want more types of restraints, so if one doesn't work, the other does ... the restraints coming over the shoulder I would have expected ... with a Seat belt as last resort.

Fwiw, I inquired with what they use on Coasters at Cedar Point, various Coasters, different restraints according to what the car and track requires ...

NONE of the Coasters at CP use THAT particular system :)
I'm glad to see ...
dishstaller
with a Seat belt as last resort.
According to the article, when you see a seat belt on a ride like this, it is basically used as a way of making sure the rider isn't too large/fat to safely ride the ride.
H
Last reply · posted in FTA Receiver / Equipment Support
I just received 6 receiver 2 port mini Multiswitch and it work great, no external power need it, and you can connect 6 receiver instead of 4 on most Mini Multiswitches... If anyone is interested in where they can get one PM me....
IMG_1786.webp
2 Replies · 47 views
Titanium
Have you tested using external power? Over the years, have found unpowered polarity switching to be unreliable. Especially problematic when used with DiSEqC motors or switch stacking.
H
No I have not. I just got it the other day and it is connected to six receivers working just fine. What I do is non power mini multi-switches work best with LNBF's and with LNB's
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 8 views
TheRatPatrol
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.

I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
2129 Replies · 214622 views
TheRatPatrol
Wait, Tony is the director now? Apologies, I stopped watching a while ago.
  • Wow
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Jimbo
Wait, Tony is the director now? Apologies, I stopped watching a while ago.
Was Gibbs still there when you quit watching ?
If so, A Lot has happened ....

It's been pretty good all along , once you get use to Gibbs being gone.
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Jimbo

Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
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Howard Simmons
Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
Tony as the director.🙄
Jimbo
Tony as the director.🙄
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 9 views