# Suggestions for MINI v2



## DEC2955 (May 3, 2009)

*(1) Add addressable "RF" control *
[so that the "RF" Like "IR" can be assigned to a remote + device combo]

*(2) Add direct connect "IR" *
[so that if a person has an IR system the "MINI" could be hidden or even mounted to the back of a TV with a IR receiver mounted else where.]


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

DEC2955 said:


> *(2) Add direct connect "IR" *
> [so that if a person has an IR system the "MINI" could be hidden or even mounted to the back of a TV with a IR receiver mounted else where.]


https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/ir-adapter


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## DEC2955 (May 3, 2009)

ThAbtO said:


> https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/ir-adapter


Thanks for the link.. but that was not what I was looking for.. I was looking for an "like" connection where the lead from my "IR DISTRIBUTION" block could connect and not just a remote IR sensor.


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## DAF54 (Mar 13, 2014)

DEC2955 said:


> *(2) Add direct connect "IR" *
> [so that if a person has an IR system the "MINI" could be hidden or even mounted to the back of a TV with a IR receiver mounted else where.]


I have less than one week's experience with Tivo, but I can confirm this is currently possible. My kitchen TV is wall mounted, no exposed wires, cords, etc. I "nested" the Mini box inside the rails of the wall mount and secured with zip ties. The box is completely out of sight and hidden from view by the TV. There is no "line of sight" between the box and the remote. Standard remote that came with the Mini works perfectly.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

DAF54 said:


> I have less than one week's experience with Tivo, but I can confirm this is currently possible. My kitchen TV is wall mounted, no exposed wires, cords, etc. I "nested" the Mini box inside the rails of the wall mount and secured with zip ties. The box is completely out of sight and hidden from view by the TV. There is no "line of sight" between the box and the remote. Standard remote that came with the Mini works perfectly.


Same here, in both the kitchen and bedroom. Mini is hidden and its remote works fine.


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## DEC2955 (May 3, 2009)

DAF54 said:


> I have less than one week's experience with Tivo, but I can confirm this is currently possible. My kitchen TV is wall mounted, no exposed wires, cords, etc. I "nested" the Mini box inside the rails of the wall mount and secured with zip ties. The box is completely out of sight and hidden from view by the TV. There is no "line of sight" between the box and the remote. Standard remote that came with the Mini works perfectly.


How do I turn on the "RF" on the MINI? as I tried turning it on like I did for my other TIVO's and the "TIVO"+"D" did not work.. the system info window still shows the device as set up for 'IR'??

avid


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

I believe the Mini is IR only.


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

DEC2955 said:


> How do I turn on the "RF" on the MINI? as I tried turning it on like I did for my other TIVO's and the "TIVO"+"D" did not work.. the system info window still shows the device as set up for 'IR'??
> 
> avid


The Mini's remote is IR. They're getting reflection off the wall behind the TV (or whatever) to reach the sensor.


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## DigitalDawn (Apr 26, 2009)

Yes, same here.


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## Headford (Aug 28, 2013)

If you purchase the Slide Pro Remote and specify that you are purchasing it for use with a Mini, the remote comes with a USB dongle cable that plugs into the Mini's back USB port.

With the dongle and Slide Pro Remote, the Mini can operate in both IR and FR modes.

Remember to select that you are buying the Slide Pro Remote for a Mini (otherwise the dongle cable won't be included).


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

My wish list would be...

1) Built in RF and remote finder
2) MoCa bridging with gigabit Ethernet
3) Optical audio output
4) 1080p scaling


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## jwbelcher (Nov 13, 2007)

Dan203 said:


> My wish list would be...
> 
> 1) Built in RF and remote finder
> 2) MoCa bridging with gigabit Ethernet
> ...


I really like these. Wish they'd give us MoCA bridging with today's hardware with a software update... However, what's the odds you think we'll see a v2 in the next 2-3 years? Given its relatively newness and the de-emphasis on new hardware. Myself, I had planned to wait for v2, but after the hardware team reduction, I figured it might be awhile and picked up a few more with the advisory panel promo.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I remember reading a blog post from some hardware designed right after the Mini came out and he claimed that he designed the entire thing himself, so I'm not sure a reduction in staff on the design team is really an indication that there wont be a v2.

Personally I expect them to come out with a v2 if for no other reason then to reduce costs and make the style, and remote, more inline with the Roamio.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

So has a version 2 Mini been hinted at? I guess the original Mini has been out over a year now. If they come out with a new version I guess I will need to sell my version one Minis. I didn't even realize it had been so long since I purchased my Minis. Time flies.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Built-in MoCA 2.0 would be nice to have in both the next generation Mini and the "Series 6" DVR.

While I would like to see many of these suggestions implemented, I really don't expect TiVo to come out with a "series 2" Mini for at least another 2 or 3 years, if ever.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I bet that if we see a v2 Mini it'll be virtually identical to the original just with slightly different styling to match the Roamio and maybe RF for the remote. I'm betting we're 2+ years away from a major hardware revision.


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## TiVoJimmy (Jan 3, 2005)

jwbelcher said:


> ...I figured it might be awhile and picked up a few more with the advisory panel promo.


How did you "pickup a few" Minis with advisory panel promo? I tried at the time and they would only sell me one at the discounted price.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I bought two using that promo. They were only $25/ea + lifetime. Although I also bought a Roamio, so maybe that's what made the difference?


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## TiVoJimmy (Jan 3, 2005)

Dan203 said:


> I bought two using that promo. They were only $25/ea + lifetime. Although I also bought a Roamio, so maybe that's what made the difference?


I tried the same thing. The rep would not sell me a second mini for $25.

The only difference is I bought the Roamio Pro and transferred my $6.95/mo service from an S2.


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## jwbelcher (Nov 13, 2007)

TiVoJimmy said:


> How did you "pickup a few" Minis with advisory panel promo? I tried at the time and they would only sell me one at the discounted price.


I got 5 at one time, no DVR purchase. I just updated the cart by changing the quantity after adding the first one. Guess online didn't have the restriction.


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## DEC2955 (May 3, 2009)

ThAbtO said:


> https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/ir-adapter


Do you know if this "IR" is ''Plasma Safe''??.. 
In other words would not mistake bright image on a plasma TV as a IR signal?

The reason I ask is.. I found that I had a USB powered IR system that came with a Windows media remote that I purchased for a system for a system project... but the power supply failed which caused a cascade failure for other parts of the system! ..and it works with the MINI but it is not plasma safe and every other commercial or explosion on TV the sensor flashes as if an IR command was received.


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## DEC2955 (May 3, 2009)

jwbelcher said:


> I got 5 at one time, no DVR purchase. I just updated the cart by changing the quantity after adding the first one. Guess online didn't have the restriction.


Man could I use a second Mini.. but don't really have the $$ to make my wife happy!


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## CloudAtlas (Oct 29, 2013)

Dan203 said:


> I remember reading a blog post from some hardware designed right after the Mini came out and he claimed that he designed the entire thing himself, so I'm not sure a reduction in staff on the design team is really an indication that there wont be a v2.


Since TiVo uses off the shelf parts (Broadcom SoC, Zenverge transcoder, standard PC memory, HD, motherboard) and works with DVR manufacturer PACE to build them I don't see much need for hardware designers.

It's one thing if you're doing proprietary custom designs but that doesn't seem to be TiVo. TiVo is all about it's software.



Dan203 said:


> Personally I expect them to come out with a v2 if for no other reason then to reduce costs and make the style, and remote, more inline with the Roamio.


True. When unboxing a Mini I was surprised to see the same remote as the Premiere and not the Roamio. I really like the new Roamio's remote with its smaller size and rubber coated buttons. Makes the bigger remotes seem awkward and antiquated.


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## DAF54 (Mar 13, 2014)

CloudAtlas said:


> True. When unboxing a Mini I was surprised to see the same remote as the Premiere and not the Roamio. I really like the new Roamio's remote with its smaller size and rubber coated buttons. Makes the bigger remotes seem awkward and antiquated.


Funny, my Roamio and Minis have the exact same remote.

Edit: I'm a moron. They aren't the same after all. Same shape, same buttons, same layout, but Roamio remote is about an inch smaller in length. Never mind.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I think the remote would be the entire reason to do a refresh of the Mini. Then they would include RF and an RF remote to match what the other TiVos they currently sell have.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

DAF54 said:


> Funny, my Roamio and Minis have the exact same remote.
> 
> Edit: I'm a moron. They aren't the same after all. Same shape, same buttons, same layout, but Roamio remote is about an inch smaller in length. Never mind.


Is the guide button in the same place?


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## DAF54 (Mar 13, 2014)

tarheelblue32 said:


> Is the guide button in the same place?


Nope, hadn't caught that either. On Roamio it's at 6:00 position under top "wheel." On Mini, it's at 3:30 position.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

DAF54 said:


> Nope, hadn't caught that either. On Roamio it's at 6:00 position under top "wheel." On Mini, it's at 3:30 position.


The guide button is also larger.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

There is also a "Back" button on the Roamio remote that is useful for some of the applications. The Roamio remote also has the remote finder feature where it plays a little tune if you touch the remote icon on the front of the Roamio.

There is a USB dongle that comes with the Slide Pro that allows you to use the Slide Pro or the original Roamio remote with a Mini. It even has a little button on it for the remote finder feature. But currently it is only available with the Slide Pro.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> There is a USB dongle that comes with the Slide Pro that allows you to use the Slide Pro or the original Roamio remote with a Mini. It even has a little button on it for the remote finder feature. But currently it is only available with the Slide Pro.


I wonder why they won't sell the dongle either separately or with the standard Roamio remote for people who want to use it with the Mini.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Don't know, they should.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> I bet that if we see a v2 Mini it'll be virtually identical to the original just with slightly different styling to match the Roamio and maybe RF for the remote. I'm betting we're 2+ years away from a major hardware revision.


Yeah. The current one is UGLY. Oh well, it works. On their current development cycles, we're about 3 years away... In the mean time, I'll be enjoying mine. 

Is the Mini remote the same as the basic Premiere remote? I have an XL4, so I have the Glo remote. I can't track of the bazillion different versions of the peanut...


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Yeah the Mini remote is the same as the standard Premiere remote.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Bigg said:


> The current one is UGLY.


What is so ugly about the mini? I mean, it's nothing spectacular, but it looks okay to me.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> What is so ugly about the mini? I mean, it's nothing spectacular, but it looks okay to me.


Yes. It looks alot better than some of the other streaming devices I have.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> Yeah the Mini remote is the same as the standard Premiere remote.


That makes sense...



tarheelblue32 said:


> What is so ugly about the mini? I mean, it's nothing spectacular, but it looks okay to me.


It just... is. The shape of it. Couldn't they make a squarish box? Ok, it's not THAT bad, but it's still kind of ugly.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Bigg said:


> It just... is. The shape of it. Couldn't they make a squarish box? Ok, it's not THAT bad, but it's still kind of ugly.


You would rather it be perfectly square? That sounds boring to me. I think the angled sides give it more style. If you want to see what an ugly set-top box looks like, you should have seen my old TWC cable box. Now those things are UGLY.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

How long before they can cram it into a dongle that just hangs off the back of your TV like a ChromeCast?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> How long before they can cram it into a dongle that just hangs off the back of your TV like a ChromeCast?


Probably never.


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## swerver (May 18, 2012)

Maybe not "like a chromecast" but you can certainly hang it off the back of the tv.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I just meant something small enough to plug directly into the HDMI port and that draws power from USB. (or from HDMI) If it used an RF remote and just had one coax port for MoCa that would be enough for most people. I know TiVo is pretty much stuck with Broadcom chipsets, so it's probably all down to how small they can make their chips. Unless they converted to using DLNA CVP-2 for streaming instead. Then they could do the UI in HTML5 and the dingoe wouldn't need much orocessing power at all.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> I just meant something small enough to plug directly into the HDMI port and that draws power from USB. (or from HDMI) If it used an RF remote and just had one coax port for MoCa that would be enough for most people. I know TiVo is pretty much stuck with Broadcom chipsets, so it's probably all down to how small they can make their chips. Unless they converted to using DLNA CVP-2 for streaming instead. Then they could do the UI in HTML5 and the dingoe wouldn't need much orocessing power at all.


They would probably also need to include an ethernet port for people who use ethernet rather than MoCA. I suppose they could make 2 different versions, 1 for MoCA and 1 for ethernet. But honestly I'd rather just have a box that would do either in case my network situation ever changes, but there probably wouldn't be enough room on a dongle to support both. I also like having the option of using component over HDMI on the mini, which would surely go away on any sort of dongle device.

Really, all they need to do is make a Mini that uses RF, then the people who don't like seeing cables and a box can just mount the Mini behind the TV out of sight.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Even with RF remote it would still need power, so there would be a power cord hanging from the back of your TV. The beauty of something like the Chromecast is that it's USB powered so it can get power from the USB ports right on the back of your TV. I also assume that something small like that would be significantly cheaper to make so maybe they could sell it for $40-$50 instead of $100.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> Even with RF remote it would still need power, so there would be a power cord hanging from the back of your TV. The beauty of something like the Chromecast is that it's USB powered so it can get power from the USB ports right on the back of your TV.


It doesn't have to be a dongle to be powered by a USB port. They could make a Mini that receives its power through a USB port if they wanted to.



Dan203 said:


> I also assume that something small like that would be significantly cheaper to make so maybe they could sell it for $40-$50 instead of $100.


You can call up TiVo right now and they will sell you a Mini for $50 if you buy lifetime service on it.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

But if the MSRP is only $40-50 then maybe they'll give them away free with lifetime service.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> But if the MSRP is only $40-50 then maybe they'll give them away free with lifetime service.


I doubt it would ever be free. Maybe they'd do it for $25.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

There was a time when they gave away Premiere units "free" with a service commitment.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> There was a time when they gave away Premiere units "free" with a service commitment.


I'm surprised they aren't doing that now to clear out their inventory of Premieres.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

tarheelblue32 said:


> You would rather it be perfectly square? That sounds boring to me. I think the angled sides give it more style. If you want to see what an ugly set-top box looks like, you should have seen my old TWC cable box. Now those things are UGLY.


Yes. It's one of the uglier devices that I have.



Dan203 said:


> How long before they can cram it into a dongle that just hangs off the back of your TV like a ChromeCast?


I'd like my wired connectivity, thank you very much!


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

tarheelblue32 said:


> I'm surprised they aren't doing that now to clear out their inventory of Premieres.


This was back when they were first released. They eliminated lifetime and went to a model where you got a "free" Premiere unit when you committed to 2 years at $20/mo. They were trying to go for the cellphone model. But it didn't work so they brought back lifetime, lowered monthly to $15/mo and started charging $130 for the unit.


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## JosephB (Nov 19, 2010)

I don't see them cramming an entire Mini into an HDMI dongle. It's essentially a Premiere without a hard drive or tuners. Shrinking such a system down that small would be very expensive. There's just not a whole lot of a market for something like that. Best you could expect is some kind of Roku-like client that runs an app that serves as a Stream client.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

That's why I mentioned DLNA CVP-2. It's a new version of the DLNA spec that includes CableLabs approved encryption and an HTML5 based remote UI. If they implemented that in the TiVo software then any DLNA CVP-2 capable device could essentially be a Mini.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Or they could just make a less-ugly Mini. Or maybe an RVU server that can link to a Roamio over Ethernet and pipe out a bunch of RVU streams... Or a Roku App to go with TiVo Stream... Or just a less-ugly Mini...


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