# What are the two USB ports on the back of Roamio Basic?



## JimPa (Oct 25, 2006)

I'm trying to find out what the two usb ports on the back of my Roamio Basic are intended.

I have some calibration patterns on a thumb drive that I'd like to run through the roamio and see if that input on my TV might use a little tweaking.

Thanks


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Primary use is to connect a Tuning Adapter if you're on a cable network that uses SDV (switched digital video) to access some channels. It can also be used to connect the dongle for the older (pre-Roamio) RF slide remote. 

They do not work for playing files off of thumb drives; sorry.


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## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

Would they still work with one of the old TiVo wireless adapters?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

waynomo said:


> Would they still work with one of the old TiVo wireless adapters?


This is the Tivo N adapter which is an ethernet bridge and connects by the ethernet port and not a USB port.

Roamios has built-in wireless adapters so its unnecessary.

Some uses for the USB ports are: Tuning adapters, charging portable devices (phones, etc) @500 watts.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

waynomo said:


> Would they still work with one of the old TiVo wireless adapters?


That wireless N adapter works on a Mini if you don't have coax or Ethernet. Not real strong, but it does support 5GHz.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

ThAbtO said:


> Some uses for the USB ports are: Tuning adapters, charging portable devices (phones, etc) @500 watts.


500 watts  that's 1/3rd of a hairdryer!

USB ports are usually 500 mAmps @ 5V (making 2.5 Watts).


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Jonathan_S said:


> 500 watts  that's 1/3rd of a hairdryer!
> 
> USB ports are usually 500 mAmps @ 5V (making 2.5 Watts).


That depends on the line voltage. Volts * Amps = Watts

I have USB adapters that outputs 2.1-2.4 [email protected]


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Yes, the USB port can be used for the old TiVo Wireless-G adapter.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Chris Gerhard said:


> Yes, the USB port can be used for the old TiVo Wireless-G adapter.


Really? No series 5 TiVo supports a USB adapter. The wireless N AN0100 isn't USB. It is an Ethernet 802.11n to wireless adapter. Learn something new every day. However I wouldn't want to put a "G" adapter on a Premiere. There are better alternatives.


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## socrplyr (Jul 19, 2006)

You can also hook up a keyboard.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Who needs a keyboard if you have KMTTG.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

JoeKustra said:


> Really? No series 5 TiVo supports a USB adapter. The wireless N AN0100 isn't USB. It is an Ethernet 802.11n to wireless adapter. Learn something new every day. However I wouldn't want to put a "G" adapter on a Premiere. There are better alternatives.


The question was if it would work with the basic TiVo Roamio and yes it works, I have connected the TiVo Wireless-G USB adapter and the speeds are adequate for everything I use TiVo for. I transfer recordings among TiVos and stream Amazon Prime Instant Video. I don't have any other Roamio model but I can't imagine the situation is any different with those.

I don't currently subscribe to Netflix but the 5800kbps 1080p should work fine on my network with that adapter based on my experience but I never tested it before dropping Netflix and subscribing to Amazon Prime a couple of months ago.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

JoeKustra said:


> Really? No series 5 TiVo supports a USB adapter. The wireless N AN0100 isn't USB. It is an Ethernet 802.11n to wireless adapter. Learn something new every day. However I wouldn't want to put a "G" adapter on a Premiere. There are better alternatives.


The question was if it would work with the basic TiVo Roamio and yes it works, I have connected the TiVo Wireless-G USB adapter and the speeds are adequate for everything I use TiVo for. I transfer recordings among TiVos and stream Amazon Prime Instant Video. I don't have any other Roamio model but I can't imagine the situation is any different with those.

I don't currently subscribe to Netflix but the 5800kbps 1080p should work fine on my network with that adapter based on my experience but I never tested it before dropping Netflix and subscribing to Amazon Prime a couple of months ago.

I am sure not suggesting anybody buy the old adapter to use with a Roamio, only that it will work for guide data and basic operations, depending on the network used with.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

ThAbtO said:


> That depends on the line voltage. Volts * Amps = Watts
> 
> I have USB adapters that outputs 2.1-2.4 [email protected]


Dedicated chargers will definitely output more, but I though most computer and appliance USB ports followed the data standard which stuck to 500 mAmps. (which is why an iPad will charge in a reasonable time from a hi-power charger, but take ages if just charging off a PC)

So I assumed that the TiVo Roamio also just did .5 amps. But in any case 2.4 amps @ 5v is still 12 watts; not 500


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Jonathan_S said:


> So I assumed that the TiVo Roamio also just did .5 amps. But in any case 2.4 amps @ 5v is still 12 amps; not 500


You're typing too fast. 12 watts.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

The main reason is Tuning Adapters. The BT dongle that came with the old Slide remote will also work.


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