# Tivo and Netflix



## browndk26 (Jan 3, 2011)

We are considering getting a Tivo along with an OTA antenna. Is the Netflix app on the Tivo any good? How does it compare to the Apple TV Netflix app?


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

Are you most concerned with user interface and layout, audio/video/streaming quality, or some other specific features? Netflix works about the same on all the devices I've used it on, other than different menu structures. We used to have an older model (non-HD) Tivo and always found the interface to be pretty intuitive and user friendly (though I don't think our version had a netflix app).


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## browndk26 (Jan 3, 2011)

Mostly concerned with the video quality. On our son's Xbox, Netflix would rarely display in hd quality. On the Apple TV all the hd movies would display in hd.


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

browndk26 said:


> Mostly concerned with the video quality. On our son's Xbox, Netflix would rarely display in hd quality. On the Apple TV all the hd movies would display in hd.


Are there settings within your Netflix account for the default streaming speed/bandwidth for your linked devices? Maybe the xbox defaults to a lower setting? It has been a while since I used Netflix so I don't recall how much control you have over that. Either way, I would expect the newest line of HD Tivo boxes should have no trouble streaming HD quality audio and video on a capable internet connection.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

We switched from DirecTV to an OTA antenna /streaming TIVO earlier this year. Netflix picture quality is fine, but there seems to be some interface glitches. For instance, people on the TIVO Forum complain that it takes too long to load Netflix (although I haven’t personally seen this as a problem). Also, at the end of the program when the player should go back to the Netflix page, sometimes it takes a while before it does that. And the other night I was watching a show and the “transport” functions (pause, FF, RW) were not working.

Mostly small annoyances, but it bothers some people more than others.

Regards, 
Wayne


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## browndk26 (Jan 3, 2011)

As far as I know the xbox used the same settings as the main Netflix account. I cannot check since the xbox has been traded in towards a PS3.

If we get a TIVO it will connected to the router by ethernet cable. No streaming.


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## jimbodude (Jul 26, 2011)

I have Netflix on the PS3 and on the TiVo Premiere XL. It is MUCH faster and more responsive on the PS3. I think the TiVo is generally pretty slow compared to what I would expect - and the TiVo app is really really slow. Playback quality is fine, but it sometimes takes a bit to pause, and scrolling through to pick what to watch is painful. From what they are advertizing, I'm lead to believe that the new TiVo, Roamio, should have more processing power onboard, so maybe it will be fine.

Streaming doesn't refer to the connection - streaming means starting playback without having the whole file. You will be streaming the video whether you use WiFi or Ethernet.

I have had much better luck getting HD with a wired connection. Wireless is really pretty terrible - you will never get the full 54Mbps that 802.11g is specified for - you'll get more like 5Mbps of real throughput on a good day. Wire is much better - you should be seeing 80% of the rating, so 80Mbps, which will make the bottleneck the internet connection - as it should be. You also won't have any dips if, say, everyone in the neighborhood is using WiFi.

My father was having no-HD problems over WiFi. We put in a MoCA network (Ethernet over Coax) to avoid running new CAT5 - haven't had any issues since.

Bottom line - everything in my house that can be wired is wired, and it makes a huge difference.


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## browndk26 (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I will use the ps3 and apple tv for netflix. I was going to connect all the devices by Ethernet (apple TV, dvr, and ps3). If we do cut the cord I will have the antenna installer run Ethernet cables from the router to the two TV's.


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