Product Comparison: TiVo BOLT vs TiVo BOLT Plus
Advertiser Disclosure
X
This site is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and comparison features to its visitors. Please be advised that the operator of this site accepts advertising compensation from certain companies that appear on the site, and such compensation impacts the location and order in which the companies (and/or their products) are presented, and in some cases may also impact the scoring that is assigned to them. The scoring that appears on this site is determined by the site operator in its sole discretion, and should NOT be relied upon for accuracy purposes. In fact, Company/product listings on this page DO NOT imply endorsement by the site operator. Except as expressly set forth in our Terms of Use, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this page are disclaimed. The information which appears on this site is subject to change at any time. More info
General Specifications
Brand
TiVo
TiVo
Model
BOLT
BOLT Plus
Origin
Mexico
Mexico
About the Product
TiVo’s innovative Unified Entertainment System now includes the ultimate voice remote that dramatically improves the search experience across all your live TV, DVR and streaming TV series and movies. The 4K Ultra HD compatible TiVo BOLT VOX still boasts TiVo’s unique fan-favorite features including SkipMode®, OnePass™, OneSearch™ and more. And with three different models, there’s a BOLT VOX specifically crafted to meet your entertainment demands and budget.
TiVo’s innovative Unified Entertainment System now includes the ultimate voice remote that dramatically improves the search experience across all your live TV, DVR and streaming TV series and movies. The 4K Ultra HD compatible TiVo BOLT VOX still boasts TiVo’s unique fan-favorite features including SkipMode®, OnePass™, OneSearch™ and more. And with three different models, there’s a BOLT VOX specifically crafted to meet your entertainment demands and budget.
Key Specs
Maximum Video Resolution
2160 p
2160 p
Hard Drive Included
Yes
Yes
Storage Capacity
500 GB
3000 GB
Number Of Tuners
4
6
What customers say about "Key Specs"
TiVo BOLT 500 GB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- The Bolt recognizes my T.V. is UHD and drives it in full 3840x2160 60P resolution regardless of program content (upscales the HD to UHD).
- Dumped my cable company's DVR and down scaled to local stations only. What a dramatic improvement ! The Bolt recognizes my T.V. is UHD and drives it in full 3840x2160 60P resolution regardless of program content (upscales the HD to UHD).
- Love the speed, the commercial skip, the ability to add a hard drive to enlarge storage.
- The video resolution sometimes changes depending upon the apps I'm using. For example, my Amazon Video looks a lot rougher than other devices. Upscale to the set resolution, please!
- I've had the Tivo Bolt for almost a month, records, plays back good, shows national channels, ABC, NBC CBS etc. good Hi Definition but not as good 4K as my 4K flat panel TV, was disappointed with Tivo not having as good 4K Hi-Def picture.
TiVo BOLT Plus 3 TB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- 6Tuners, 4K UHD, faster software response, one button commercial skip, ability to stream from other TiVos without transferring.
- I was surprised at the noticeable improvement in the Bolt+ video quality compared to the HD XL models it replaced.
- Can't believe I waited so long to upgrade, but glad I waited for the Bolt + as 3 TB of storage is awesome, can't see a reason to get the regular Bolt over this one.
- This is the device you have been waiting for. A device that not only works via MoCA, but allows you to stream through Plex digital content that is stored on your computer and it works with my cable provider. Plus 3 TB of storage.
- Form factor. Tiny size requires 2 1/5" drive, which severely limits capacity. With a standard case and 3 1/5" drive, at present technology, at least 8 TB would be.
- I tried upgrading to BOLT+ because I wanted the 4K picture quality, matching my new 4K TV. Instead, I'm back to the old Roamio as the Host and a 1080p picture.All because the BOLT+ hardware is an utter failure, and couldn't even create the proper MoCa networking for my Mini to recognize the new Host
Size & Weight
Height
1.8 in.
1.8 in.
Width
11.4 in.
11.4 in.
Depth
7.3 in.
7.3 in.
Weight
1.9 lbs.
1.9 lbs.
Recording And Playback
Content Subscription Required
Yes
Yes
Service Fee
TiVo service subscription is required. Options include a monthly service plan at $14.99/mo. with a one-year commitment or an annual service plan at $149.99/year. All-in service options also available.
TiVo service subscription is required. Options include a monthly service plan at $14.99/mo. with a one-year commitment or an annual service plan at $149.99/year. All-in service options also available.
Recording Resolution
2160
2160
Commercial Skip Function
Yes
Yes
What customers say about "Recording And Playback"
TiVo BOLT 500 GB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- Great DVR overall, better than the Genie. Perfect forward and advance feature if set at 1080i while watching cable.
- I absolutely LOVE my TIVO. Return your Comcast DVR. X1 is just a bad imitation of this! The commercial skip is my favorite function. It just works.
- I do like alot of the features like commercial skip, watching my amazon movies and being able to record more than 2 shows with lots of storage space.
- There are many things that are great about the TIVO Bolt, record 4 shows at once, scheduled recordings, guide viewing and Skip is one of the best features ever.
- The skip feature is great, but not consistent - sometimes it is available and sometimes not, even on the same show.
TiVo BOLT Plus 3 TB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- Integration of major streaming services into searching and OnePass listings.
- I love that I'm able to skip through the commercials on the pre-recoded shows. It saves so much time, so I can watch more of my shows.
- The really money feature is the channel skip! This little gem is (on most channels) is available seconds after the recording has completed (in case you are an episode behind or want to watch tomorrow).
- Only the most common streaming services available. I hope they add more.
- I also watch shows on Netflix. There are times when it takes a long time for the bolt to connect to the internet. I sometimes switch over to the Apple TV since there isn't a lag when I access Netflix.practical. TiVo does not appear serious about supporting external drives.
Features
4K Compatible
Yes
Yes
Extras
The Tru Multi Room™ Experience, OneSearch - search broadcast TV and streaming content all at the same time, SkipMode - skip commercial breaks with a single button, QuickMode - watch shows 30% faster with pitch perfect audio, Watch shows on all your screens via iOS & Android apps and TiVo Online, Cast shows from your mobile device to TV, Works with TiVo Mini and TiVo Mini VOX, Expandable storage (eSATA)
Expandable storage (eSATA), OneSearch - search broadcast TV and streaming content all at the same time, SkipMode - skip commercial breaks with a single button, The Tru Multi Room™ Experience, QuickMode - watch shows 30% faster with pitch perfect audio, Watch shows on all your screens via iOS & Android apps and TiVo Online, Cast shows from your mobile device to TV, Works with TiVo Mini and TiVo Mini VOX
Remote Control
Voice remote control
Voice remote control
Cable(s) Included
HDMI
HDMI
What customers say about "Features"
TiVo BOLT 500 GB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- Happy with the Bolt features. What it REALLY needs is what Comcast beat Tivo to the punch with, Voice remote. The xfinity remote channel and search with voice would be a great feature to have.
- The integration between TV, Netflix, Amazon, etc... is great and works pretty well. It's definitely nice being able to go through different sources seamlessly with one box and one interface.
- The search engine is clear, user friendly and also excellent.
- The interface is on par with the very excellent DirecTv Genie...very user friendly.
- The Warranty is for one year, BUT only the first 30 days have free parts and labor. The remaining year you pay labor and parts. (NOT GOOD)
- The BOLT does NOT have a screen saver.....if you freeze it to take a call and then get involved, the picture with be glued on your TV until the TV or the BOLT shuts off due to non use. Could be hours. SERIOUSLY!!!!? Yes!
TiVo BOLT Plus 3 TB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- Great mobile application that allows Slingbox-like streaming and downloading for off-line viewing.
- It looks great, it has some cool features (commercial skip on many programs is amazing).
- I was also pleasantly surprised to find out I can now access Xfinity on demand via the Bolt - see ya cable box! Oh... and commercial skip is also completely awesome.
- Now they have a new VOX remote that allows you to use you voice to set and play recordings and even do searches by just talking to your remote. And the new VOX remote even works on the older Bolt's.
- Long setup of 1 to 2 hours to go through the guided setup (straightforward though).
Connectivity
Optical Digital Audio Outputs
1
1
Wi-Fi Built-in
Yes
Yes
Compatible Wireless Standard(s)
AC dual band, N, G, B, A
AC dual band, N, G, B, A
Number of HDMI Outputs
1
1
Ethernet Port
Yes
Yes
Number Of USB Port(s)
2
2
What customers say about "Connectivity"
TiVo BOLT 500 GB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- It connects easily to the TV, requiring 1 HDMI cord. Connecting the series 2 13 years ago was way more complicated.
- The iOS app allows me to delete content from the Bolt, love it.
- We have loved TiVo for a long time. This one gives us great connecting to streaming accounts and we love Skip!!!
- It was easy to connect it to ours tv and network.
- Got our unit 2 months ago. Our cable provider is Comcast. Connected via Ethernet. Loses connection and won't reboot. So I have to unplug the unit and plug it back in. I have to do this at least once a week and sometimes twice a week.
TiVo BOLT Plus 3 TB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
- Fantastic Machine, with absolutely no help in learning how it works. Connection and set up was a breeze.
- I bought the Bolt + for the living room and a TiVo Mini for the master bedroom along with a TiVo Bridge in order not to have to run ethernet cable from my modem/router in my office to the living room and bedroom. The Bridge works wonderfully by creating a MOCA network connection.
- Love the Moca networking that connects with TIVO mini and allows me to use the bolt as a whole house DVR.
- The audio signal on HDMI started dropping out. After checking the AV receiver and rebooting the Tivo, it finally stopped sending a signal an stopped responding.
Warranty / Certifications
Manufacturer Warranty
1 year(s)
1 year(s)
Certifications
CE
FCC, CE
Other Information
Price History
Popular Comparisons
DIRECTV HR44 Genie Server
vs
DIRECTV HR54 Genie Server
TiVo Roamio OTA (R84600) Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
vs
TiVo BOLT 500 GB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
TiVo BOLT 500 GB Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player
vs
TiVo Roamio Pro Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player