Michael Antonoff

Media Server ReviewsOther Source Component Reviews
TiVo Bolt Vox DVR and Streamer Review
Michael Antonoff  |  Mar 01, 2018

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $200-$500 plus service plan

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Voice-assisted search and channel changes
Skip button for vaulting commercials
QuickView feature
Minus
Voice control adds little to program navigation
New Experience interface is sometimes cluttered and confusing

THE VERDICT
Finding cable, streamed, and recorded content through the voice remote is much faster and more fun than using an onscreen keyboard. But the joined-at-the-hip New Experience interface may frustrate TiVo veterans until they get the hang of it.

With folks chatting up their smart speakers and smart TVs, TiVo owners may have felt like they were living in the silent era of cinema. Being behind the tech ball was especially galling for the TiVo community, which, not unlike the Apple fanbase, is willing to pay more for superior technology. In late 2017, TiVo, a name synonymous with the DVR, finally responded with a new remote and interface that recognize the value of voice recognition—especially when a viewer is searching for something to watch from among innumerable over-the-air, cable, streaming, and recorded-program options.

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Apptitude
Time Lords of YouTube
Michael Antonoff  |  Jan 24, 2018
Streaming video has gone from VHS- to DVD to 1080p- to 4K quality over the decade. Yet, left behind were some extremely useful navigational controls that we took for granted on our “ancient” VCRs or DVD players. They included slow motion, smooth fast-forward, and the ability to bookend any segment for looping to our heart’s content.
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Apptitude
4 Games, 1 Screen
Michael Antonoff  |  Dec 13, 2017
Do you holler, “Hell, yes!” whenever the TV announcer howls: “Are you ready for some football?!” Then ESPN’s updated Apple TV app with MultiCast is for you.
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Apptitude
Blame It on the Emoji
Michael Antonoff  |  Nov 29, 2017
If brown and dirty is your idea of a stocking stuffer, you won’t have far to go. Bed Bath & Beyond offers the Bluetooth Poop Emoji Speaker ($20, in brown), while Staples sells the Poop 4K Emoji Powerbank ($15, you already know the color) for charging your phone. And Macy’s has the EmojiNation Backpack for little girls and big girls ($35) decorated with a variety of emojis including a poop wearing a crown.
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Apptitude
AR Leapfrogs VR
Michael Antonoff  |  Sep 29, 2017
Ya got trouble, folks, right here in virtual reality. It begins with a lowercase “i,” and that rhymes with “my,” and that means iPhone!
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Apptitude
Sleeping with Apps
Michael Antonoff  |  Aug 25, 2017
With mobile screens dominating your waking hours, app makers have begun targeting the time you spend sleeping. Curious to see what it's all about, I decided to put an app-based smart pillow to the test.
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Apptitude
Will You Read or Watch TV in Your Self-Driving Car?
Michael Antonoff  |  Jul 21, 2017
In three years there will be some 10 million cars on the road with self-driving features. What will people do in a car that drives itself?
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Apptitude
All Access Bingeing on CBS
Michael Antonoff  |  Jun 23, 2017
With TV listings divided between what’s on and what’s streaming, CBS has been salivating at the prospect of collecting subscriber fees from cord cutters and mobile users much like its sibling, the premium service Showtime, has been doing.
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Apptitude
5 Favorites for the Golden Age of Podcasting
Michael Antonoff  |  May 12, 2017
Radio has been around for so long that to call it “new media” would be oxymoronic. Yet today’s smorgasbord of podcasts, a.k.a. radio on demand, now reaches a burgeoning audience of mobile users...
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Apptitude
The Ins and Outs of Downloading from Netflix
Michael Antonoff  |  Apr 26, 2017
Netflix added the ability to download content for offline viewing a few months ago. Here’s how it works.
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