TiVo – Stream 4K UHD Streaming Media Player with Google Assistance Voice Control Remote – Black

TLDR:
(that’s Too Long, Didn’t Read)
There are a TON of stick-style streaming devices available. This one is based on Google TV and has a voice-enabled remote, supports 4K resolutions and does a reasonable job of combining all of your free and subscribed services into a manageable way to find something to watch.
Pros:
* Fast.
* Attractive UI.
* Easy to use remote with built-in microphone.
* Based on Google TV.
Cons:
* Can be a tad cumbersome to set up and manage a large number of streaming services.
* Google TV does not yet support DirecTV Stream, which is itself based on Google TV.
Summary:
The main challenge with streaming services is that there are so many to choose from, and each service has its own app and way of “bookmarking” or revealing content to watch. If you have multiple services (subscription or free), it becomes cumbersome to check each service’s app to find something to watch.
This is where the TiVo Stream has an advantage. The hardware is good but nothing too special… There is a “stick” that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and a USB power adapter. The remote control is not too large and not too small, and has plenty of useful buttons and even a microphone for Google searches. Sure, the stick supports full 4k UHD streaming, but even that is relatively common.
The TiVo “special sauce” is a way to homologate or combine the available shows across all of your streaming services into one “guide” or list. I use DirecTV Stream as my “live” TV service provider and unfortunately this is not yet supported by TiVo Stream, but if you do have a supported service, the “guide” will even show what’s on “live” as well as what’s available on-demand. It has a common way of searching for and playing content across all of your services. The video and audio quality is great, and the system is easy to navigate once set up.
Like any other streaming stick that supports multiple services, it may be a bit overwhelming to get it all set up by signing in to your various services, but once set up, everything seems easy to use. The TiVo Stream is based on Google so you have the ability to speak to the remote and ask Google anything, including finding content to watch or controlling the playback of that content.
Overall, the stick itself is easy to install, the audio and video quality is great, and the remote is comfortable to hold and use. The TiVo system is easy to use once set up and works across numerous services. With the one absence of DirecTV Stream (or any other service that is itself based on Google TV), the TiVo system makes it easy to find and control just about anything you want to stream including live TV if you subscribe to a supported service.

TiVo made a name for itself many years ago with one of the first DVRs…and it changed the world.
Now its making much smaller waves with TIVO Stream 4K, a new and less ground-breaking entry in the crowded world of streaming devices. True to its name, it does stream in 4K and includes top-of-the line support for features like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR. Other premium features are built-in Chromecast, for those who want to cast from phones, laptops or tablets, and built-in Google Assistant voice support.
This streaming device is built around an Android TV interface, which will be familiar to some users, since it comes preloaded with some smart TVs, including Sony.
But the one feature that sets the TiVo Stream 4K apart from all other such devices is a unique TIVo guide, a seperate standalone, customizable page that allows you to more easily launch favorite channels, shows and movies from one location, regardless of which streaming service that provides them. A dedicated button on the remote will get you there in a hurry.
This can be a convenience for those who subscribe to multiple streaming services, like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+, Sling and others . But Sling users will have the tightest integration since much of that content shows up on the grid
I have pretty extensive experience using most of the competing streaming devices and find the TiVo stream 4K something of a mixed bag. It does a great job, for the most part, once you get it set up but that process is a long and cumbersome experience — a big turnoff to those who prefer more of a plug and play approach.
Here’s what you are in for: Unpack and connect the square black plastic dongle to power via a supplied USB charger (a bit confusing since the device has both mico USB and USB C connectors. Power only works on the micro USB port). Plug the dongle into an available HDMI port on the TV that supports 4K. Pair the remote using some odd key combination on the remote (This took several attempts for some reason) . TiVo 4K Stream finally launches but of course needs a hefty 700+ gigabyte update first. That takes about 5 minutes (or more depending on your internet speed) and several reboots. Then Android TV must launch and it needs several reboots (and several more on top of that if you turn on Dolby Vision and HDR, which are off by default for some odd reason. This is something you probably would not be aware of unless you don’t dig into the Android TV settings).
Then it asks a bunch fo question about which shows and movies you like so it can provide worthy recommendations. I skipped most of this since I watch or prefer almost none of the shows or movies TiVo lists in this process.
Then you can go through some tutorials on the Guide dealing with how to move your favorite channels to the top of the grid, which is bit better than the channel grid provided by Sling, my main streaming provider.
Whew! Are we done yet? Not even close.
You also have to set up a TiVo account of course and sign off on all the usual “you have no-privacy” provisions, standard fare on pretty much any app or device you buy these days.
And then you have activate all your streaming services on this device with either a name and password or the standard “go to this web page and type in this activation code,” which should be familiar to anyone has ever used any streaming device.
Now, at long last, you are ready to sit back and take in the show, or movie. I found this entire process took 30-45 minutes, more than a lot of consumers would tolerate..
Once up and running, TiVo Stream 4K displays works well. with smooth and snappy response times to all user inputs. But there were some surprising differences when compared with other streamers, at least on my Sony TV.
Picture quality, for example, was somewhat better, because TiVo Stream 4K applies Dolby Vision to all content. Colors had less punch than I had before but seemed more realistic with better contrast (after Dobly Vision and HDR were turned on) . You may get different results depending on your TV and its capabilities.
Another unexpected change was in sound quality. I have an HDMI ARC connected Polk Audio sound bar that only supports Dolby Digital Plus , not Atmos. I got a lot more bass and surround sound across the board with the TiVo Stream 4K than through other streaming devices. That could be good or bad, depending on content and provider. On some programs, bass-heavy music and sound effects overpowered narration or dialogue to the point where it was unwatchable. You could not hear what anyone was saying. Other content had a more normal balance and actually sounded better than before because of the improved bass and surround sound.
If you dig into the audio settings, you can manually select which codec you want to use — Dobly Atmos. Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital — or select auto. None of those worked for me so finally had to turn off all surround sound to get acceptable voice and dialogue on most programs. The default “Auto,” seemed to work OK on most Amazon Prime and Netflix content but not most cable channels or live TV via Sling. This is highly dependent on what soundbar or audio reciever you are using so your experience may be different. But if you do encounter this problem, there is a big downside to losing surround sound. Or manually switching back and forth, depending on what you are watching. a major pain.
The bluetooth remote that comes with TiVo Stream 4K is more capable than the bare bones remotes packed with most other streamers. The most noticable difference is a complete number keypad, which I never use but some may find useful. There are also dedicated Netflix and Google buttons, which allow voice commands when activated. It works as you would expect. And a dedicated TiVo button that goes to the guide. There is no backlight, sadly, but at least the black buttons have white markings on them so are easy to see in mosrt conditions.
Thankfully, the volume, mute, channel, power and input buttons on the TiVo remote work with your TV once the device is set up so you don’t have shuffle back and forth between remotes.
In the end, your decision on whether to buy the TiVo Stream 4K depends largely on your personal preferences regarding streaming navigaion and how advanced your TV is. Owners of TVs with Dolby Vision and HDR may see improvements but sound quality is something of a guessing game depending on the audio equipment you are using..
Owners of older streaming devices will likely find the TiVo 4K Stream responds more smoothly during navigation or when using DVR controls, because it runs on faster processors.
The only big downside is the lengthy setup process.

This little guy has it all. From setup it’s a simple hdmi and power cord. The remote comes with batteries.
I was having issues with my internet so setup took longer. At one point it would go grouch all the steps and then turn off and I would have to start over. Initially it should only take 5 mins to set up. After troubleshooting I just unplugged everything, tv included and started all over.
After that setup was easy. This little guy is a perfect streaming hub. It comes with recommendations and then you can sign in to apps or sign up for trials to use new apps. Everything is in one place. The remote is similar to our cable company remote to it was easy to use. Voice feature is convenient but you definitely need to enunciate.
Other than the size, a little too large for me, this device is perfect. Oh and the 4K feature is the best if your tv is capable. At some point we will stoping using cable and only use this TiVo.

The TiVo 4K is a great streaming device that provides the latest Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities. At $39.99, this is really not that expensive. If you are on a budget, I would definitely recommend it. The device includes a remote that you can control your TV and sound system. It also has a good length cable. I say good length because it is longer than the cable that came with my Amazon Firestick.
The device lets you personalize your video recommendations based on your preferences. You can download numerous applications and the latest apps such as Netflix, Disney+, AppleTV+, HBOMax and the list goes on. The live TV feature works with Sling TV, you will need an active Sling account for it to work. The software is very similar to Google TV. So if you are an Android user, you’ll feel comfortable with it.
Overall, it is on par along with the other streaming devices. The remote is voice control and it works with Google Assistant. It does require a TiVo account to activate the device. In the box you get the TiVo dongle, TiVo remote, 2AA batteries, USB cable & power brick, and setup guide.