6 TiVio Stream 4K features I use to get the most out of my content

With so much content available, it’s never been more important to be organized and efficient when it comes to choosing what you watch. I recently enlisted the TiVo Stream 4K to help me consolidate and optimize my entertainment journey, curious about the ways in which Android TV could make my life easier. Despite some initial reservations, notably thinking it was superfluous, I quickly realized there are some useful features that leveled up my content.

If you have a TiVo Stream 4K, or are shopping around for the right video streaming device, here’s some new tips and tricks I’ve been using to get the most out of what TiVo offers.

1 Just Watch app

Everything you need to stay organized

My favorite entertainment app, Just Watch makes your content journey so much easier, and having it on your TV via the TiVo stick makes life easier than simply using the mobile app.

The Just Watch App more or less has every possible film and TV show in its database along with where you can watch it, and it adjusts based on your region (it typically has a lot of information on the content as well). You can tell the app what services you have available, and then proceed to curate lists of things you want to watch while also logging what you have already seen. You can track your progress through shows and also create different lists in order to make your content curiosities more organized. It will also update you daily on what content has arrived on any of your services.

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Having the app on my phone is essential, but the app now on my TV is so much more enjoyable and practical. It’s easier to navigate and tends to be faster, but more important, once I find the show I want to watch, I can click on the title, and it takes me right to the service. Now, TiVo does that too, but because the Just Watch app has long consolidated and tracked my content, with a lot more specificity than TiVo can offer, I go there first and foremost. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

2 Enlisting the virtual assistant

Voice search is helpful

TiVo

The manual search function on TiVo is fine; it’s the typical search bar you find on a lot of apps and platforms where you need to type in a title letter by letter. The TiVo is fast, but not as fast as talking is.

I’m not a huge fan of chatting with a robot, but the built-in Google Assistant helps you find what you’re looking for just a bit quicker and easier than your manual search. It can be weird getting into the habit of using it, but it’s worth trying. The goal is to make finding what you want to watch efficient and easy, and a virtual assistant will help that process.

There is a Google voice icon on the button (designated by three colorful dots) that makes the whole process simple and straightforward. Just press the button and the TV will start listening to your commands.

3 Finding uses for built-in Chromecast

From the phone to the TV

If you spend a lot of time on your phone reading and browsing and scrolling, like me, Chromecast will come in handy. There is never anything in particular I know I need a Chromecast for, but it always finds itself useful when I come across any video I want to watch on a proper screen with quality audio. Having Chromecast built-in isn’t anything spectacular or novel, but its continued presence is still helpful.

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Aside from casting videos, there are still cable apps requiring casting and plenty of websites that will be more enjoyable when sent to your TV. While TiVo has a lot of apps at its disposal, there may be some app in which Chromecast is your only or best option at getting content to the screen.

4 TiVo button guides the way

Return to home

The TiVo remote isn’t anything particularly special. It only comes with one jump-to button (for Netflix), and doesn’t allow for any other buttons to be programmed. It doesn’t offer much that you can’t find on most other smart TV or streaming stick remotes, but there is one button I keep going back to: the TiVo button.

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The button, featuring the cute little TiVo robot-type thing, is center on the remote, and for good reason. That’s because there is a lot to the TiVo service and Android TV system, and you can get pretty down in the depths of it. From the main screen, there are a bunch of tabs to filter content, as well as tabs to check out the Google Play Store and keep track of your apps. All of that means that much like searching the web on a browser, you can get pretty far from your home and hitting back just isn’t going to cut it. When you’re jumping from app to app, and some are asking you to confirm exiting, finding your way back to the title screen is tedious without that handy button.

5 Track your channels

But not your shows

For those enjoying live TV, selecting your favorite channels will save you so much time and energy. As is the theme with TiVo Stream 4K, there is a lot of live content, but favoriting your preferred channels will make them appear at the top of the scroll and make them easier to get to.

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While I do recommend tracking your favorite channels, I’m less inclined to suggest what movies and shows you want to watch. It’s not only because the Just Watch App is so good, and it is, but if you’re someone with a lot of content in the queue, the TiVo favorites section will easily get overwhelmed. You can filter by TV, film, sports, as well as toggle to see what’s available on your services, but it still isn’t likely to help you when you can’t really decide what to watch. It’ll quickly become just like any other favorites list on any other streaming services where you find a random collection of shows and films you might be curious about. Even with all the titles available in one space, you’re still likely to be scrolling, trying to figure out what you’re in the mood for before resigning yourself to reruns of The Office.

6 Avoid free content

Resist the temptation

Free content is where efficiency goes to die. TiVo offers you a lot of free stuff (it’s not really free since they are populated with ads), and all of that choice can be overwhelming. While there is definitely use for the free channels, I think it’s important to stay away from browsing in this section because it’s easy to get lost.

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When you first get your TiVo, I recommend taking note of all that’s available in terms of free channels; chances are, only a handful will be of interest to you off the bat. These are the ones you can maybe return to at a later time. In terms of free services, movies, and TV shows, proceed with caution.

If you pay for streaming services, stick to finding what you want to watch on those because, after all, you’re paying for them. The only time you really should be heading to these areas of your TiVo is if you’re looking for something specific and this is the only place you can find it.

The TiVo Stream 4K brings a lot of content right to your fingertips, populating a single platform with a lot of options. And if you don’t take time to stay organized and make your TiVo work for you, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the choice.