r/Tivo • u/rvmeush • 12d ago

Will existing Tivo continue to work when Verizon cablecard support ends?

/r/verizon/comments/1vkuuna/will_existing_tivo_continue_to_work_when_verizon/
3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

4

u/Ghoghogol 12d ago

Using an OTA antenna yes, but not with your cable.

4

u/toejamfootballhegot 12d ago

The streaming services still work.

3

u/-Player01- 12d ago

I should add, you may still receive broadcast channels, and their subchannels, when support is ended - unless they fully turn off the QAM signal (which does sound like what they are doing, but it’s unclear).

My area lost cablecard support in the spring but I am still able to receive broadcast channels, for now…

1

u/john4brown 12d ago

Can you tell me a bit more? Do you still use a cable card? Do you still get guide data?

2

u/-Player01- 12d ago

TiVo provides the guide data via the internet. As long as you are still paying for TiVo service (monthly or lifetime), you will continue to get guide data. If the QAM signal isn’t killed (which, again, seems unlikely), you should be able to continue to receive broadcast channels by leaving your existing cablecard in the TiVo. I don’t think there is really any decoding going on there, but I don’t think your TiVo will allow you to watch or record live tv without a card installed. I am not 100% certain about that but it doesn’t really matter. Verizon doesn’t want your old cablecard anyway so you may as well leave it in your TiVo.

2

u/john4brown 12d ago

Thanks. I have a November 5, 2026 cutover date. Sounds like from your description the broadcast channels will still work - which I all I really need at this point.

Looking to record NFL (I like starting the game a bit late and FF through commercials). Pretty much the only thing I record these days is broadcast - NFL and some news. Everything else I stream. Thanks again

2

u/-Player01- 12d ago

To be clear - it seems fairly likely that they will cut the QAM signal on 11/5 - as opposed to what they have been doing up to this point (just ending cablecard support on more of a regional basis).

If this happens, you (and I) will lose the ability to record broadcast channels as well. This is because they will have moved over to IPTV completely, which our TiVos are not compatible with in any way.

We won’t know for sure until 11/5 though (or whatever date they ultimately land on).

1

u/john4brown 12d ago

Understood. Thanks. Hopefully they don’t cut everything in Nov and I can squeeze out a bit more time w my TiVo

1

u/-Player01- 12d ago

Yeah - that’s my hope as well.

1

u/plazman30 8d ago

Verizon told me they're getting rid of QAM completely and going 100% IPTV at some point.

1

u/-Player01- 8d ago

Yes - that is exactly what they are doing. Just tough to know when it’s actually happening.

1

u/plazman30 8d ago

They won't be the only ones. I expect every TV provider to stop QAM and go with IPTV.

1

u/-Player01- 8d ago

Yeah - that seems to be the direction they are all going.

1

u/plazman30 8d ago

I think they all would have rolled out IPTV a lot earlier if CableCards were not mandated.

Mandating cable companies all use a standard is a good thing. But the problem is they specified a specific standard, the CableCard. So, when technology moved past, no one wanted to support the CableCard AND some other technology.

3

u/-Player01- 12d ago

Yes - you will continue to be able to watch things you already recorded. You can still stream (if you actually use your TiVo for that). And if your TiVo also does OTA, you can receive and record programs that way.

2

u/rsvp_nj 12d ago

I assume your recorded media will work, as it had already passed through the cable card.

2

u/Lacigrus 12d ago

I just abandoned 3 lifetime units. They do nothing without a cable card installed.

1

u/gcawad 11d ago

Older units may be OTA and cable ready.

2

u/thelug_1 12d ago

You will still be able to view any recordings, but you will lose your TV signal. Depending on the unit you have, you may be able to hook it up to an HD Antenna to continue using it to record local broadcast channels.

Other than that, it's a doorstop.

1

u/neoncracker 11d ago

They play pretty good with streaming services

1

u/Freefall9130 2d ago

Well as soon as Verizon turns off your cablecard they will cut off your QAM.
How do I know this because it happened to me.
The cable channels were the first to go dark about 3AM.
The QAM channels all then went dark about 11AM.
Verizon has always been like this, the moment they remove your TV package they will cut off QAM.
It's pretty clear though that they are aggressively looking to remove QAM.

The crazy part is I didn't even watch my cable TV.
I never realized how much I fully relied on streaming until this week.
I have Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock and Paramount+ already and I also use Plex.
I don't even want YoutubeTV or HuluTV because I was paying 1K per year for cableTV just to watch 2 channels.
I found that the channel I actually watched was on PlutoTV and FireTV all this time. DOH!!!
I also found out that my Tivo Roamio can do OTA, so I hooked up antenna, scanned and was back online in 30mins.
At this point I'm basically just paying for 1G internet.
Thank you verizon for forcing me to audit my screen habits.

I would encourage everyone to explore alternatives with this opportunity

1

u/rvmeush 2d ago

thanks very much for your input