# Mini on "main" TV, Roamio on satellite TV



## jackief (Nov 15, 2013)

I have been a TiVo owner for about a week now, and thoroughly enjoying it. Have one mini now and will eventually get a second one.

Because of wiring, ie ethernet is easier to get to an upstairs TV, I have initially put the Roamio at that location and a mini at our main TV in the family room. Plan to either run ethernet to the family room or use an ethernet/moca bridge.

What I want to know is what types of things am I missing by not using the Roamio directly as the main box? Being a new user, I don't really know what I might be missing, so am looking for reasons to accelerate the reconfig, or if there is no rush. I know the UI is different on the two boxes, as is the remote. I don't seem to be able to flip between the different tuners on the mini. But I'm not sure if I am running up against actual limitations, or my novice user skills.

Thanks for any input


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## KevinG (Sep 3, 2003)

No tuner flipping, and no harddrive (which means no pyTivo to the mini directly, and no Amazon VOD [since it doesn't stream, it transfers, AFAIK] )


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

KevinG said:


> No tuner flipping, and no harddrive (which means no pyTivo to the mini directly, and no Amazon VOD [since it doesn't stream, it transfers, AFAIK] )


For the most part you can use the Mini just like you can use the Roamio. Watch live TV, channel surf, watch recorded content, use trick play, etc...

Even some of the other things like Amazon VOD and accessing local media shares have work arounds.

For most people, they will see very little difference between using the Mini and directly using the host Roamio.


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## jackief (Nov 15, 2013)

thanks. I don't think we will be using pyTivo. The tuner flipping is one I have already stumbled on. Not sure if we will do Amazon VOD, we do use Comcast VOD and I believe I have successfully done that from the mini.

what is trick play?

Just want to be aware of what other features I may have been missing, doesn't sound like anything show stopper so far.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Trick Play is a term used to describe the ability to FF/RW, pause, and instant replay live TV.


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## Loach (Jan 11, 2013)

No live TV window in Tivo Central or any of the menu screens. This is because the Mini releases the tuner when you go back to Tivo Central. If you're watching live sports and want to check out My Shows or Manage Recordings, you lose the game for a bit. Of course you could always hit record before going to Tivo Central and then catch up when you get back, but if it's a game you're just "monitoring" more than "watching" you're probably not going to bother with that.


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## sangs (Jan 1, 2003)

Loach said:


> No live TV window in Tivo Central or any of the menu screens. This is because the Mini releases the tuner when you go back to Tivo Central. If you're watching live sports and want to check out My Shows or Manage Recordings, you lose the game for a bit. Of course you could always hit record before going to Tivo Central and then catch up when you get back, but if it's a game you're just "monitoring" more than "watching" you're probably not going to bother with that.


Yes, the Live TV Window disappears, but the buffer does not. I've done this a few times and when I come back to Live TV from surfing My Shows (or even from watching a recording in My Shows), the buffer still has the last live channel I was watching on the Mini. (Obviously that would change if the Roamio grabbed all six tuners.)


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## Loach (Jan 11, 2013)

sangs said:


> Yes, the Live TV Window disappears, but the buffer does not. I've done this a few times and when I come back to Live TV from surfing My Shows (or even from watching a recording in My Shows), the buffer still has the last live channel I was watching on the Mini. (Obviously that would change if the Roamio grabbed all six tuners.)


Did not notice that - thanks.


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## jackief (Nov 15, 2013)

ah, rewinding live tv is something I didn't realize I don't have on the mini. I don't think we have gotten to the point of using all the tuners yet, so maybe I can work around that.

Thanks for all the input guys, we'll do the swap at some point, but it doesn't seem like it is a big rush.


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## sangs (Jan 1, 2003)

jackief said:


> ah, rewinding live tv is something I didn't realize I don't have on the mini. I don't think we have gotten to the point of using all the tuners yet, so maybe I can work around that.
> 
> Thanks for all the input guys, we'll do the swap at some point, but it doesn't seem like it is a big rush.


You most certainly can rewind live TV on the Mini.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Loach said:


> No live TV window in Tivo Central or any of the menu screens. This is because the Mini releases the tuner when you go back to Tivo Central. If you're watching live sports and want to check out My Shows or Manage Recordings, you lose the game for a bit. Of course you could always hit record before going to Tivo Central and then catch up when you get back, but if it's a game you're just "monitoring" more than "watching" you're probably not going to bother with that.


I've gotten Live TV video when I'm in the guide on a mini most of the time. Sometimes it just gives me the tivo "bong, bong, bong" sounds like it's trying to show it though, but doesn't or can't.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

If you are using MOCA for the network connection on the mini, you can do the same with the Roamio and swap their positions. The incoming internet feed does not have to connect to the Roamio, it can get that via Moca. I have 2 older Premieres doing that now. (Lifetime premieres can be had for about the same price (or a little more) as a mini with lifetime and have more capability. Besides, I already owned them.


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## Loach (Jan 11, 2013)

HarperVision said:


> I've gotten Live TV video when I'm in the guide on a mini most of the time. Sometimes it just gives me the tivo "bong, bong, bong" sounds like it's trying to show it though, but doesn't or can't.


Yes it is there in the guide screen. It is not there in the Tivo Central menus.


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## leiff (Aug 24, 2005)

another difference is Romeo is capable of 1080p 60 fps resolution. Mini is not. I use 1080P fixed on my Romeo. My Romeo mirrors 2 TVs. one is a 1366x768 plasma and the other is a 1080p projector


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

leiff said:


> another difference is Romeo is capable of 1080p 60 fps resolution. Mini is not. I use 1080P fixed on my Romeo. My Romeo mirrors 2 TVs. one is a 1366x768 plasma and the other is a 1080p projector


But the broadcast/cable tv it receives is max 1080i so it really comes down to what does the de-interlacing to 1080p the best, the TiVo or the display. Actual pixel resolution is the same.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

Many non broadcast sources are available at 1080p. It avoids resolution shifting and all the trouble that comes with it if the TiVo is set for a fixed 1080p. The Tivo Roamio's conversion from 1080i to 1080p is pretty good, every bit as good as what was built into my projector or flat panel.


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## jackief (Nov 15, 2013)

jcthorne said:


> If you are using MOCA for the network connection on the mini, you can do the same with the Roamio and swap their positions.


This is interesting. So I can have the ethernet go into the mini and then the mini and the roamio on the moca via coax? Does anyone else have this setup? (ie, not with premieres)


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

No, you need a moca adaptor to put the internet connection on the moca network. Then connect both the Roamio and the mini to the moca network. They will both work regardless of position. The Ethernet connection to the internet does not need to physically go to either of them if its not convenient. The Roamio plus and pro can work as an Ethernet to MOCA bridge but does not have to do so.


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## jackief (Nov 15, 2013)

jcthorne said:


> No, you need a moca adaptor to put the internet connection on the moca network. Then connect both the Roamio and the mini to the moca network. They will both work regardless of position. The Ethernet connection to the internet does not need to physically go to either of them if its not convenient. The Roamio plus and pro can work as an Ethernet to MOCA bridge but does not have to do so.


Thanks for the clarification, I was pretty sure I misunderstood what you originally said.

Yeah, so if it doesn't seem that it will work out (and measuring walls today looking for a good path to run the coax makes this probable) to run coax to where we eventually want to put the roamio, we will put in a moca adapter.


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