# Tivo Mini...watch two channels at the same time



## longball07 (May 28, 2009)

Looking at getting a Roamio and a Tivo Mini. Right now I have a Tivo HD (series 3) with Two Tuners. I find myself watching a couple sporting events on different channels at the same time. I have one tuner on ESPN, pause...hit Live TV (which changes the tuner) go to FOX Sports for example and watch that game till commerical...hit Live TV and go back to the other tuner (ESPN) and watch that game (rewinding if I need too) and as long as I am within each channels 30 minute buffer this works beutifully (all my directv friends are envious).

My question is...can Tivo Mini do this? Can it switch between a couple tuners on the Tivo Roamio? This could be a deal breaker!

Thanks


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

You can't switch between live TV on 2 different tuners keeping the buffer of each - the Mini only borrows 1 tuner. However, for your situation you simply record both events on the Roamio (which you can do from the Mini) and then you can switch between the recordings fairly easily from the Mini.
It's better to record both anyway because you can avoid "spoilers" by pausing at the point where you switch to the other recording so you can return to exactly where you left off each time instead of having to back up and preview what you are about to watch.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

moyekj said:


> You can't switch between live TV on 2 different tuners keeping the buffer of each


That's not entirely accurate. You actually can switch back and forth between 2 channels on the Mini and have the buffer remain intact. If both channels you want to watch are already sitting on tuners on the main Roamio, then you can switch back and forth between those 2 tuners on the mini with the buffer intact. However, if the 2 channels you want to watch don't happen to already be sitting on tuners, then you would have to go to the Roamio's location and move the channels you want to watch onto the tuners. There is no way (that I know of) to do it remotely from the Mini. Also, the Mini won't be able to hold your pause position on the channels once you switch away from them, so you'll have to hit rewind if you want to go back on the buffer.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Actually, I just did a little experimenting, and there is a way to set the second channel onto a tuner from the Mini. You just set a recording for the second channel, then cancel the recording. That will move a Roamio tuner to that channel. Then you can switch back and forth between the 2 channels you want to watch with the buffer intact.


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

OK, but he was thinking specifically of using Live TV button to quickly switch between tuners which doesn't work for the Mini. I haven't specifically tried alternating between entering channel numbers to tune to see if the buffers are intact but then again I have no use for live TV so never tried it.
I still think setting up recordings on the host TiVo to switch between is the most reliable method of guaranteeing you don't lose buffers along with other benefits it provides.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

moyekj said:


> OK, but he was thinking specifically of using Live TV button to quickly switch between tuners which doesn't work for the Mini.


On the Mini remote, you just use the "Last" button to quickly toggle back and forth between 2 channels. And as long as both channels are sitting on tuners like I describe above, the buffer will remain intact on both channels. The only difference between doing this on the Mini and doing it on the Roamio is that the Mini won't hold your pause position when you switch to the other channel the way the Roamio will. So you would have to rewind the buffer each time you change the channel back if you want to see what you missed.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

tarheelblue32 said:


> On the Mini remote, you just use the "Last" button to quickly toggle back and forth between 2 channels. And as long as both channels are sitting on tuners like I describe above, the buffer will remain intact on both channels. The only difference between doing this on the Mini and doing it on the Roamio is that the Mini won't hold your pause position when you switch to the other channel the way the Roamio will. So you would have to rewind the buffer each time you change the channel back if you want to see what you missed.


Well, I just experimented with my Premiere XL4 and my Mini and it does not have a buffer on the Mini even if the tuners are active on the Premiere. Maybe the Premiere is different than the Roamio?

Oops, nevermind. It seems to sort of work. It didn't seem to work getting the entire buffer that was on the Premiere on one tuner, but did on the other. I'll have to experiment more.


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## fish62858 (Jun 12, 2014)

so, on a Roamio only, if i want to watch a game on one channel, then check out a game on another channel, then go back to game one, the trick is to pause game one, then go to game two and watch, then pause game two and go to game one, ff to where i want to pick up, and repeat? the key here being to pause each game to keep current with each game?


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## JPA2825 (May 15, 2000)

fish62858 said:


> so, on a Roamio only, if i want to watch a game on one channel, then check out a game on another channel, then go back to game one, the trick is to pause game one, then go to game two and watch, then pause game two and go to game one, ff to where i want to pick up, and repeat? the key here being to pause each game to keep current with each game?


Unless you are REALLY strapped for space with shows you REALLY need on your Roamio (and can't get elsewhere via app or On Demand), best thing is just to Record whatever you may want to watch / switch between and then delete the recordings when you are done.

Goes against our "upbringing" for those raised on 14 and 20 hr. SD TiVos where space was SOOOOOOO valuable, but definitely is the way to go. We have OnePass recordings (keep 2) for all sorts of things we rarely watch (each morning SportsCenter, Morning Joe, Kimmel, Fallon, Colbert, GMA, Ellen, Rachel Ray, etc.).


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