Review on 📺 TiVo Stream 4K – Streamlining All Apps and Live TV on a Single Screen – 4K UHD, Dolby Vision HDR with Immersive Dolby Atmos Sound – Android TV-Powered Plug-In Smart TV by Pat Peoples

I've been a fan of Tivo products ever since they could be hacked and turned into a DVR beast. Then, like many of us, I moved away from my home DVR and into the convenience of streaming and cloud DVRs. That was back when Netflix was still shipping DVDs and only toyed with the idea of streaming. This new "gift" of streaming content from Netflix brought me to the Roku ecosystem (since it was the only way to watch Netflix on TV back then). And since then I've been using Roku as my main digital media player platform. Fast forward to this little guy, the Tivo Stream 4K. It's been a long time since they were a DVR company. For me it was not mandatory. It was more of a Geken's curiosity. He seemed to have incredible potential. Maybe even more, dare I say, than my prized Roku! It was just VERY attractive to be able to consolidate all your content into one central area. Not to mention that the price was very good (I think I bought this guy for less than $45 at the time of purchase). So I was excited to try this thing and REALLY wanted to love it (although I wasn't sure where it would fit in with its Roku opponents). Setup was pretty easy. The built-in short HDMI dongle connects to the TV (or to the monitor if the TV is not in use). Power is supplied via the supplied USB cable. According to Tivo's docs, you must use the included power adapter. Therefore, DO NOT plug it into a USB port on your TV or display. And JIC, are you wondering if you can use this device as a portable media player to connect to your laptop? The answer is NO (unless you have an HDMI port). on your laptop receiving an INPUT signal). However, most laptops only have one HDMI output (e.g. to output your laptop's screen to a TV or monitor). So keep that consideration in mind if that is your intent. Once connected, turn on the device with the remote control. There are no buttons on the Tivo itself - except for the RESET button - and follow the on-screen instructions to proceed and complete the setup. There are also no indicators on the key. I don't know why, but I haven't found anything like this yet. At this point, pair your remote and connect to your WiFi network. A NOTICE. You can use your Android phone (not sure about iOS) to transfer WiFi settings to Tivo or use the remote control for screen settings. Once done, you can log into androidtv.com/setup and complete the rest of the setup (including device activation, Tivo account setup, and downloading apps like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Now, etc.). Another great benefit of this device (at least for me) was the integration with Sling. It was very interesting to see how Sling would be pulled into this aggregated content. And this is where it went downhill. This device is incredibly buggy. Not to mention excruciatingly slow. On first launch during installation, I was able to set up the device and add apps. It was slow but just thought it was buffering, firmware update etc. And working over wifi didn't help. There is a micro USB port on the side of the device. This is to add additional storage. However, you can probably add a USB Ethernet adapter (and SHOULD if you have the option). But as soon as I turned off the device and took it to another location, it went really wrong. The WiFi antenna on this device is questionable at best. And connection quality drops or is nonexistent, resulting in random crashes, buffering, and stuttering. But the real problem is the slow, clunky interface navigation. God this is cruel. However, in my constant efforts to fix this thing, my squad got redeployed again. This time even closer to the WiFi hotspot. And then I finally called. After this last step, it refused to connect to wifi. I even went into the settings and tried a static IP address. Do not go. I tried to connect via a WiFi extender. Still does not work. Finally, I restarted the device (which actually ended the whole lengthy setup) and factory reset the device. Now it won't even connect to the wifi. And just one note. Once you set up this device, you need to log into all your accounts and install them one by one. Isn't there a better way, Tivo? And in the short time the device actually worked, I felt that the UI was unnecessarily cluttered. Especially when I was bombarded with all sorts of ads for shows I "must" watch (cleverly disguised as an offer to watch). This test lasted a few days. I've spent a lot of time on this thing. Much more than anyone had (or expected). Perhaps with time (and a firmware update or two) this device will get better. And maybe I just have a malfunction. Both options are possible. However, for most users (especially those who are not tech savvy and just want to get to its programming) this should be DIFFICULT for now if this is the current version of this device. I'll bring back that lemon and try Chromecast with Google TV. Maybe I should have done that right away :-[