Using the TiVo Stream with Your RCN2Go or TiVo App

If You Have a 6 Tuner TiVo

A stream is built in to your device already; no hook up is needed. You can skip right to Open your App area below

If your Stream is a Separate Piece of Equipment

1. Connect your mobile device (Apple/Android only) to the wireless network that is part of this configuration
   
   
   • Setting up your Stream and mobile device requirements can be found here
     
     
2. Make sure your  MoCA network is working and the RCN TiVo Stream has been hooked up properly to your wireless router using an Ethernet cable (view diagrams here)
   
   
3. Make sure the status light on the Stream is solid white, not blinking. This means the Stream has found the TiVo on your network.

Open your App

1. In the Set up streaming device? dialog box, choose Start Setup
   
   
2. On the Streaming Setup screen, check Set up in-home streaming and ensure the User Agreement checkbox is checked
   
   
   
   • Do not check Set up out-of-home streaming (not supported).
     
     
3. The Stream should automatically be detected*, and start running through a series of checks. Choose Done when complete.
   
   
   
   • *If not, Tap the settings icon (look like a cog), and then tap TiVo Stream Setup

Streaming Recorded Programming from your host DVR

This is done wirelessly - you need to have a decent signal to stream smoothly. 



1. From the My Shows section of the App, you can see everything recorded on your host DVR. Pick a show and tap Watch Now. This gives you the option of where you'd like to view it:
   
   
   
   • Watch on TV (plays the program on your TV)
     
     
   • Watch on (your mobile device name)
     
     
2. After a little bit of buffering, the video will start playing
   
   
3. Use your 8 second replay and 30 second skip features as well as pause rewind and fast forward! You can even delete the program from your 'My Shows' list when you are done!

Watching "Live" Programming

1. Go to your show listings by tapping the Guide icon at the bottom
   
   
2. Pick a show and tap Watch Now. This gives you the option of where you'd like to view it:
   
   
   
   • Watch on TV (plays the program on your TV)
     
     
   • Watch on (your mobile device name)
     
     
3. The stream sends a command to your host DVR to tune to that channel, start recording the show, and start playing all in one move! Once that's done, the show is on the My Shows list and all works exactly the same as above with recorded programs!
   
   
   
   • Please be aware, streaming a LIVE program uses a tuner on your host DVR. These will also be partial recordings if you start streaming the show after it has started. You can always stop and/or delete the show at any time.

Downloading Shows 'On the go'

1. Select a show from the My Shows section of the App.
   
   
2. Tap Download
   
   
3. Depending on storage space or download time, you can choose various quality levels
   
   
4. Once a download starts you can view its progress under the My Shows tab, which is now split into two sections, On DVR and On (your device). 
   
   
   
   • This is where you'll now find the downloaded programs to your device.
     
     
5. If  downloading multiple shows, you can pause whatever download you want to prioritize the list.
   
   
6. Once the show starts downloading, your can even start playing it! 
   
   
7. You can always remove the show from your device by tapping Delete
   
   

Do not leave your wireless network until the download is complete, or you will not get that show!

Using your App away from home

• You can always view watch downloaded programming that is stored in your device, whether you are connected or not!
  
  
• If you have already registered on tivo.com/rcn and you have a good internet connection you can use your mobile device to manage existing recordings and schedule new ones to your RCN TiVo(s) at home
  
  
• Tap Away Access and an Email window with pop up. Enter your tivo.com user name and password, then tap Sign In
  
  
  
  • Please note: If you are outside of your home network, you cannot Stream programming to your device

Troubleshooting

Conflicts

• If you are streaming LIVE TV, you are using a tuner. So, you could get a recording conflict like this one if all of your tuners are being used on your RCN TiVo
  
  
• If you attempt to download a program that is has 'copy once' technology, you will not be permitted to because the first copy already resides on your host DVR. 
  
  
  
  • Premium channels like (but not limited to) HBO, Showtime, and Starz use this technology
    
    
  • This encoding is setup by the broadcasters, not RCN.

 

LED never turns solid white or Problem playing recording after a successful setup

• The TiVo Stream is unable to acquire an IP address
  
  
• Check that you have securely connected the Ethernet cable to the TiVo Stream and the router or wall outlet
  
  
• Check that link LED (the light on the right side of the Ethernet connector) is solid

 

The link LED on the Ethernet Port will not light up

It takes up to 5 minutes for the Ethernet light to light up and the white light to turn solid. 


Wait this long before you continue troubleshooting. If you have, continue below:



• Unplug and plug the Ethernet cable back in.
  
  
• Try another Ethernet cable.
  
  
• Try hooking the stream up to a different port on the router

 

App unable to find the TiVo Stream or displays a "TiVo Stream Not Found" error message

1. Verify connections/setup
   
   
2. Make sure the Stream is connected to power
   
   
3. Confirm that you have all of your TiVo equipment and mobile device(s) connected to the same network
   
   
4. Power cycle the modem and router
   
   
5. Repeat the Stream Setup in the App
   
   
6. Restart the Host DVR
   
   
7. Power cycle the Stream
   
   
8. Not resolved, see below

 

Multiple TiVo Streams; none of them are setting up

1. Remove all the TiVo Stream devices from your network
   
   
2. You will need to complete the setup steps one at a time, on each box

 

The "Watch on [mobile device]" option is not available for some programs

1. The Host DVR must have recorded this program, or must be recording it currently
   
   
2. TiVo Stream does not support streaming content downloaded from the Internet. 
   
   
   • For example: Music Choice videos, video podcast, Netflix, or web content sent from TiVo Desktop

 

While streaming a program, the video stutters and pauses frequently

There is not enough network bandwidth between your Host DVR and your Stream, or between your Stream and your mobile device.




• Make sure: 
  
  
  
  1. Your Host DVR is connected to the network by Ethernet (directly to the router) or by MoCA
     
     
  2. Your Stream is connected to the router by Ethernet only
     
     
  3. Your mobile device has a strong connection to your wireless router and not an out-of-home network
     
     
  4. The Wi-Fi signal strength on your mobile device is strong

 

When trying to stream a recording, the video player hangs and keeps displaying "Buffering"

 

NOTE: This can also occur when using the Record and Watch feature.



1. Make sure the recording is not an empty recording. This can happen if the DVR is recording a channel that it does not receive or is not authorized (such as a premium channel or Pay Per View)
   
   
2. The Host DVR must have recorded this program, or must be recording it currently. The Stream does not support streaming content downloaded from the Internet (Music Choice videos, Netflix, etc.)

 

Error message: Network Problem: TiVo Stream to DVR

1. Power cycle the modem and router
   
   
   
2. Repeat the Stream Setup in the App
   
   
3. Restart the Host DVR
   
   
4. Power cycle the Stream
   
   
5. Not resolved, see below

 

Unable to stream programming Out Of Home (away from home network)

 
• Behind the scenes, the TiVo Stream takes its rules for Out of the Home streaming from the host DVR
  
  
  • You must be within the home network to stream content. You have the option to load content on the device for on-the-go viewing outside the home

 

The Download option is not available for some programs in My Shows tab

• TiVo Stream can only download programs recorded from Live TV
  
  
• TiVo Stream does not support streaming content downloaded from the Internet. 
  
  
  • For example Music Choice videos, video podcast, Netflix, etc
    
    
• Copy protected programming may prevent you from copying a program more than once (first copy is on your DVR)

 

Downloads fail when downloading 2 in progress recordings

Currently the TiVo Stream and TiVo App only support downloading a single in progress recording at a time.

 

Programs appear to take a long time to download

• When setting up a download, selecting the Standard video quality will reduce the file size and have a aster download
  
  
• Make sure the TiVo App is active and currently open when downloading. Downloading will only occur while the TiVo App is active 
  
  
  
  • Downloads pause and resume automatically when TiVo App is toggled to and away from
    
    
• If there is a lot of activity on your network, this can slow transfers down. Try stopping any downloads on other devices or shutting down devices that are not in use.
  
  
• If streaming on another mobile device, or Multi Room Streaming on another TiVo DVR, this slows down the download.
  
  
• The Host DVR must be connected to the network by Ethernet (directly to the router) or MoCA. The Stream must be connected to the router by Ethernet only.
  
  
• Make sure your mobile device has a strong connection to your wireless network

 

Downloaded programs do not synchronize to my computer with iTunes

• TiVo Stream does not support this feature.
  
  
• Programs transferred with TiVo Stream will not synchronize to your computer and the video files are not accessible outside of the TiVo App.

 

Downloaded programs have disappeared from my mobile device

This will happen when you uninstall the App, or perform a reset by using Settings | Reset applications

 

Closed Captions are missing characters during video streaming/playback

1. Try another program on the Stream. If this happens on more than one program , This device may not be understanding the closed captioning signals on this channel for some reason.
   
   
2. Does the program being watched support Closed Captioning? Go to the recording on the TiVo, press the INFO button and look for the Closed captioning setting. 
   
   
   
   • If there is no option, this program doe not have closed captioning options
     
     
3. Suggest the customer reboot their Mobile Device. When the device comes back online, ask the customer to start their streaming session again.
   
   
4. Restart the Host DVR
   
   
5. Power cycle the Stream
   
   
6. Try another device
   
   
7. Not resolved, see below

 

The audio volume on some streamed or downloaded content is too low to hear

This is a mobile device issue. Use headphones or amplified external speakers.

 

Error: "Unable to connect to TiVo Stream" while playing back downloaded content on device

• Put the mobile device into airplane mode or disable WiFi on your mobile device
  
  
• Choose Shows on [device] on the TiVo App

 

TiVo Stream locks up after playing back a program that contains an EAS alert

1. Restart the mobile device
   
   
2. Open the TiVo App and let it detect the Stream
   
   
3. Open your streaming session again and play the program
   
   
4. Power cycle the Stream
   
   
5. Not resolved, see below

 

Power-cycling the TiVo Stream

Follow these directions for a standalone TiVo Stream. If you have a 6 Tuner TiVo, simply restart it.



1. Unplug the power cable from the back of the unit 
   
   
2. Wait 30 seconds
   
   
3. Plug back in
   
   
4. It should only take 5 minutes or so for the Stream to get back online and find the Host DVR. A solid white light should show on the RCN TiVo Stream when it does this

 

Not Resolved?

• If your stream is a device that is separate from your host DVR, you can pick up a replacement one at one of our local offices
  
  
• If you have a 6 Tuner TiVo, please chat with us or call to set up an appointment.