# How does Mini grab and release tuners?



## JoeTaxpayer (Dec 23, 2008)

I got the Mini, and after reading a thread here about authorizing, got it working pretty quickly. 

If I never watch live TV on it, does it still grab a tuner from the 4 tuner TiVo it's paired with? If so, how does it release the tuner?

Specifically, I'm wondering if it will interfere with the once or twice a week all 4 tuners are recording? If I try to watch a recorded show at that time, will there be an issue?


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## BRiT wtfdotcom (Dec 17, 2015)

It will not interfere. 
Minis have lower priority than recordings. If your main Tivo is recording 4 channels on a 4 tuner device the mini will not be able to tune to a Live TV channel. The Mini can watch any recorded shows.
If you're not watching live TV, its not using a tuner.
Minis have a 4 hour timeout to release tuners.
You can force the mini to release a tuner by going to the menu with the Tivo button.


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## JoeTaxpayer (Dec 23, 2008)

Much thanks. So it's really a non-issue for me. Really liking the Mini, and not paying for the extra card.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Also. I have found that it will tune to a channel that is being recorded even if all are being used.


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## JoeTaxpayer (Dec 23, 2008)

Thanks, Tony. That helps, too. Also realized the Mini is streaming Amazon Prime, which I never noticed was available on other TiVo. Interesting.


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## FitzAusTex (May 7, 2014)

TonyD79 said:


> Also. I have found that it will tune to a channel that is being recorded even if all are being used.


Thanks for this info. When it tunes to a channel that is being recorded, does it have independent pause/rewind/etc capabilities from what someone may be doing on the main tivo? I assume so, but you never know until you ask.


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## CCourtney (Mar 28, 2006)

FitzAusTex said:


> Thanks for this info. When it tunes to a channel that is being recorded, does it have independent pause/rewind/etc capabilities from what someone may be doing on the main tivo? I assume so, but you never know until you ask.


I believe it would have to use an independent tuner from the main TiVo to do so.

This is based on the fact that when I had 5 of 6 tuners recording (using Roamio Plus in this case) and you're watching one of them delayed on the Roamio. Then it prevents the Mini from locking a tuner. (i.e. a delayed watching of a live show locks a separate tuner.)

I thought that was weird, but that's my observation.


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## gks314 (Jun 16, 2005)

I have a Bolt+ (6 tuners) and 3 Minis. My question is, if I don't put the Minis in Standby, but just leave them as they are, (maybe someone was watching live TV, maybe it was being used to watch a recorded show, or maybe the kids were watching Netflix) are each of the 3 Minis "using" one of the 6 Bolt+ tuners?


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

gks314 said:


> My question is, if I don't put the Minis in Standby, but just leave them as they are, (maybe someone was watching live TV, maybe it was being used to watch a recorded show, or maybe the kids were watching Netflix) are each of the 3 Minis "using" one of the 6 Bolt+ tuners?


It depends on what the Mini was doing. The tuner should be held only while viewing live TV, and for up to 4 hours beyond the last user activity if the Mini isn't returned to TiVo Central; if the Mini enters TiVo Central then the tuner is released, IIRC. Viewing recorded content or Internet streaming app content does not require a tuner -- aside from select cable TV provider on-demand apps, such as Comcast's Xfinity On Demand for TiVo app, which *does* require allocation of a tuner, though only one active video session per host DVR is allowed.


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## gks314 (Jun 16, 2005)

krkaufman said:


> It depends on what the Mini was doing. The tuner should be held only while viewing live TV, and for up to 4 hours beyond the last user activity if the Mini isn't returned to TiVo Central; if the Mini enters TiVo Central then the tuner is released, IIRC. Viewing recorded content or Internet streaming app content does not require a tuner -- aside from select cable TV provider on-demand apps, such as Comcast's Xfinity On Demand for TiVo app, which *does* require allocation of a tuner, though only one active video session per host DVR is allowed.


Thank you as always!


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Note that TiVo may have thrown a wrench in my answer with their latest update. There are now at least 2 threads with users reporting that their DVR isn't properly freeing tuners that *should* have been released from Minis.

See: Mini is always Capturing Tuner


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## John Umina (Feb 6, 2017)

Wouldn't it make sense to switch the mini to Tivo central when the TV power button was pressed?


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## Sam Ray (Jul 30, 2012)

BRiT wtfdotcom said:


> If you're not watching live TV, its not using a tuner.


Actually, I can put live TV on hold then watch something recorded then return to live TV and watch from the buffer. The Mini has a buffer just like main Tivos (probably it uses the buffer in the main Tivo). So once a Mini gets a receiver, it keeps it until it is released but leaving live TV does not release it.


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## Sam Ray (Jul 30, 2012)

I tried using mult-quote but I don't know how to use it.



FitzAusTex said:


> Thanks for this info. When it tunes to a channel that is being recorded, does it have independent pause/rewind/etc capabilities from what someone may be doing on the main tivo? I assume so, but you never know until you ask.


You can't change the receiver being used by the Mini from the Mini. Once the Mini has a receiver, it is stuck with it and no one else can use it until released.


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## Sam Ray (Jul 30, 2012)

krkaufman said:


> if the Mini enters TiVo Central then the tuner is released


Actually no. The buffer continues to buffer while you are in TiVo Central.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Sam Ray said:


> Actually no. The buffer continues to buffer while you are in TiVo Central.


Actually, yes. You're confusing the releasing of the tuner by the Mini with the tuner, itself, buffering.

I just tested it w/ 2 Minis. Mini A was watching Live TV, and so I made sure all 3 other tuners were occupied with recordings (the host being a 4-tuner Roamio). Mini B was then unable to tune Live TV. I put Mini A onto TiVo Central and then Mini B was immediately able to tune Live TV, and... I made sure to select the same channel I'd been watching on Mini A, and lo and behold, the full 30-minute buffer was available.


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## Sam Ray (Jul 30, 2012)

krkaufman said:


> Actually, yes. You're confusing the releasing of the tuner by the Mini with the tuner, itself, buffering.


Yes I was confused.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Sam Ray said:


> I tried using mult-quote but I don't know how to use it.


 You hit "+ quote" on a post. Then hit "< reply" on the final post. That's how it used to work. I can't make it work either.


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## Steve (Apr 24, 2003)

Sam Ray said:


> I tried using mult-quote but I don't know how to use it.





JoeKustra said:


> You hit "+ quote" on a post. Then hit "< reply" on the final post. That's how it used to work. I can't make it work either.


Looks like you "+Quote" all the quotes you want to include, then click the "insert quotes" button, at the bottom left of the new reply window.


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## Sam Ray (Jul 30, 2012)

Steve said:


> Looks like you "+Quote" all the quotes you want to include, then click the "insert quotes" button, at the bottom left of the new reply window.


Thank you.

Apparently that is how it is supposed to work (now) but they seem to not have it working perfectly. Since that is off-topic for "How does Mini grab and release tuners?" I will avoid details.


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