# Considering mini but have some queries



## headless chicken (Oct 8, 2004)

I'm considering getting a mini now that there's no more service fee, but I don't know if it would be worth it.

Currently I have 2 Panasonic plasma TVs -- one downstairs for main viewing connected to a Roamio Pro and another one upstairs in a spare room that is connected to a SD set-top box (because FIOS charges a whopping $8/mo just for the HD box).

The mini would eliminate the need for the set-top box upstairs and give me HD picture on my other plasma, but I'm concerned about dedicating one tuner to the mini. Does that mean I can no longer switch back and forth between six programs on the main Roamio unit? I rarely if ever record six programs at once but I do like the ability to set my tuners to six different stations (local networks, HBO, Showtime) and go back and forth between the buffered recordings.

Also, what is the best connection for the mini? My cable modem and wireless router are all on the first floor, so I would not be able to provide a wired ethernet connection for the mini. Does it require a lot of bandwith? Currently I have a 50/50 connection but am considering downgrading.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly welcome. Thanks.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

A Mini would be a good solution for you. The Mini only uses one of the Roamio's tuners when it is using it for live TV. If the Mini is not in use, the Roamio would have all 6 tuners available. You would probably want to use MoCA for the Mini. MoCA is built right into the Mini and the Pro, and the FiOS router usually has MoCA built in too, so setting up the Mini should be as simple as connecting the Mini to the coax in the upstairs room.


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

tarheelblue32 said:


> A Mini would be a good solution for you. The Mini only uses one of the Roamio's tuners when it is using it for live TV. If the Mini is not in use, the Roamio would have all 6 tuners available. You would probably want to use MoCA for the Mini. MoCA is built right into the Mini and the Pro, and the FiOS router usually has MoCA built in too, so setting up the Mini should be as simple as connecting the Mini to the coax in the upstairs room.


+1


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

There are a few compromises with the Mini, but unless you really want another TiVo DVR, the Mini is the most economical solution to watching TiVo recordings at another TV, and I do highly recommend it. Here are a few of what I think are disadvantages to the Mini:

1.Always reserves one tuner for the DVR to which you have paired with the Mini. This means if the DVR is using all but ONE of the tuners, the Mini will report all tuners in use and you can't watch live TV. One work around is to record a live show via the guide and then watch it as it is recording, but this does irk me sometimes, but it is much cheaper than another TiVo DVR.

2. The Mini can in no way stream from two-tuner Premiers nor any of the older models of TiVo's. If you have legacy TiVo with content on it, you can't stream or transfer that programming. By comparison, any Hi-Def generation of TiVo DVR can always at least Transfer the recording to another DVR, provided it is not flagged to block that.

3.Depending upon your network and how it is set-up, you may not be able to use the other provider on-line or via the internet like you can with the DVR. TiVo has a chart indicating what connections can access on-line content and which may not. Please go to the TiVo website Mini Q&A for details. Since I use my LAN that is all completely wired with Ethernet cable, I can get ALL on-line services on my Mini.

4. Only 4 or 6 tuner Premiers and all Romio models can Host the Mini.

Those are about the only disadvantages I can remember. However, I really do consider those MINOR disadvantages when you consider the much lower cost of the Mini compared another TiVo DVR, and it does its core function very well: streaming from your compatible with Mini DVR's to watch at another TV.

And BTW, your Mini can access OTHER compatible to Mini DVR's by simply selecting "DEVICES" just as you would at the DVR, and the Mini can stream from those compatible DVR's without your having to change the pairing. It functions just like you were at the DVR itself, but ONLY with compatible to Mini DVR's. All other DVR's on your network will have a big circle with a line through it meaning those DVR's are inaccessible to the Mini.

One work around to that limitation is for you to transfer the recording from your NON-Mini compliant DVR to your Mini compliant DVR, and then you can use the Mini to stream and watch that recording.

So, the Mini is, overall, a really great option if you don't want or need what an additional DVR provides, and at a much more sensible price. Good luck.

Edit: I fixed the one wrong word used in #2. It now reads that one cannot "stream" from older TiVo's rather than "access." Of course, a Mini can STREAM from a 2 tuner Premiere, as I have been doing since day one. My poor choice of words. Apologies.

#4 Corrected to state "HOST" with Mini's


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

Series3Sub said:


> 2. The Mini can in no way access two-tuner Premiers nor any of the older models of TiVo's. If you have legacy TiVo with content on it, you can't stream or transfer that programming. By comparison, any Hi-Def generation of TiVo DVR can always at least Transfer the recording to another DVR, provided it is not flagged to block that.
> 
> 3.Depending upon your network and how it is set-up, you may not be able to use the other provider on-line or via the internet like you can with the DVR. TiVo has a chart indicating what connections can access on-line content and which may not. Please go to the TiVo website Mini Q&A for details. Since I use my LAN that is all completely wired with Ethernet cable, I can get ALL on-line services on my Mini.
> 
> 4. Only 4 tuner Premiers and all Romio models will work with the Mini.


2. The Mini can stream from 2-tuner Premieres fine as long as it's wired. It just can't be the host DVR. It's Series 3 boxes and under that can't be accessed. But the OP only has a Roamio Pro so it's a non-issue for them.

3. I don't quite understand what you mean here. The Mini has access to all of the same apps except Amazon downloads, if that's what you're referring to.

4. See #2.


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## headless chicken (Oct 8, 2004)

Thanks for the detailed responses guys.



tarheelblue32 said:


> A Mini would be a good solution for you. The Mini only uses one of the Roamio's tuners when it is using it for live TV. If the Mini is not in use, the Roamio would have all 6 tuners available. You would probably want to use MoCA for the Mini. MoCA is built right into the Mini and the Pro, and the FiOS router usually has MoCA built in too, so setting up the Mini should be as simple as connecting the Mini to the coax in the upstairs room.


That's pretty awesome if there's no additional expenditure for a MoCA adapter, as they seem rather pricey and FiOS is my service provider.

Is it true that the mini remote cannot be programmed to control the TV power and volume though? That would be one major disadvantage I suppose.



Series3Sub said:


> There are a few compromises with the Mini, but unless you really want another TiVo DVR, the Mini is the most economical solution to watching TiVo recordings at another TV, and I do highly recommend it. Here are a few of what I think are disadvantages to the Mini:
> 
> 1.Always reserves one tuner for the DVR to which you have paired with the Mini. This means if the DVR is using all but ONE of the tuners, the Mini will report all tuners in use and you can't watch live TV. One work around is to record a live show via the guide and then watch it as it is recording, but this does irk me sometimes, but it is much cheaper than another TiVo DVR.
> 
> 2. The Mini can in no way access two-tuner Premiers nor any of the older models of TiVo's. If you have legacy TiVo with content on it, you can't stream or transfer that programming. By comparison, any Hi-Def generation of TiVo DVR can always at least Transfer the recording to another DVR, provided it is not flagged to block that.


1. Here's what I'm not clear about: if the Mini is not currently in use, are all six tuners still available on the Roamio? tarheelblue says that this is the case, but your response seems to indicate otherwise.

2. The only other Tivo I still currently own is an upgraded 1TB Series3 with Lifetime which has been boxed away and unused because it would would cost an additional $10/mo just to run the unit based on FiOS' hefty cable card charges. I've been holding on to it because it's an absolute beauty compared to the other models and I loved the OLED front panel display with clock. Perhaps its time to put that box on the market once I switch to the Roamio/mini combo, though.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

headless chicken said:


> Is it true that the mini remote cannot be programmed to control the TV power and volume though? That would be one major disadvantage I suppose.


Not true. Where did you hear that? The Mini comes with the same remote the Premieres did. It has the programmable TV power, volume, and input buttons. It is also possible to use a Roamio remote with the Mini if you get the USB dongle for it.


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## tatergator1 (Mar 27, 2008)

headless chicken said:


> 1. Here's what I'm not clear about: if the Mini is not currently in use, are all six tuners still available on the Roamio? tarheelblue says that this is the case, but your response seems to indicate otherwise.


If the Mini is not in use, all 6 tuners are available on the Roamio. When you are done watching Live TV on the Mini, always press the "Tivo" button before turning off the TV. Once the Mini is in Tivo Central, the tuner is released. Otherwise, the Mini will hold the tuner for 4 hours, at which time it would then release the tuner back to the Roamio for use.

The conflicting information likely stems from an outdated understanding of how the Mini's work. When the Mini was first released, you had to reserve a tuner of 4-tuner Premieres at all times, turning a 4-tuner into a 3-tuner or less if you had two or more Mini's in your home. This requirement was removed about a year ago.


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## headless chicken (Oct 8, 2004)

tarheelblue32 said:


> Not true. Where did you hear that? The Mini comes with the same remote the Premieres did. It has the programmable TV power, volume, and input buttons. It is also possible to use a Roamio remote with the Mini if you get the USB dongle for it.


I must have read that either on another thread here or at slickdeals.net. Glad to hear that isn't the case.



tatergator1 said:


> If the Mini is not in use, all 6 tuners are available on the Roamio. When you are done watching Live TV on the Mini, always press the "Tivo" button before turning off the TV. Once the Mini is in Tivo Central, the tuner is released. Otherwise, the Mini will hold the tuner for 4 hours, at which time it would then release the tuner back to the Roamio for use.


Thank you. I wouldn't have known to do that.

I bought the Mini this morning at BB for a great price after price matching to Radioshack and utilizing some rewards points I had racked up.


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

headless chicken said:


> 2. The only other Tivo I still currently own is an upgraded 1TB Series3 with Lifetime which has been boxed away and unused because it would would cost an additional $10/mo just to run the unit based on FiOS' hefty cable card charges. I've been holding on to it because it's an absolute beauty compared to the other models and I loved the OLED front panel display with clock. Perhaps its time to put that box on the market once I switch to the Roamio/mini combo, though.


I would suggest putting it onto the market, before more providers start moving to H.264/MPEG-4 and/or moving channels above 860MHz. Right now, you can still get a premium price for the S3 OLED, even a premium price on one without lifetime. If the used S3 market gets saturated, due to the inevitable transitions, you might get half, or less, than you can get for it, right now.

My advice, cash in on the current market. It will hurt less than selling, plus getting far less. This is an educated-opinion, made in good faith.


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

I forgot to add a few more disadvantages with the Mini:

1. Can not cycle through the tuners like you can at the DVR, which leads to #2

2. While the video is buffers while watching a live show on your Mini tuned to a channel, once you leave that and go to TiVo Central (I forget the new name for the S4, S5) and other wise leave your live content such as watching a recording, the Mini will NOT buffer that channel's video like being at the DVR. When you return to Watch Live TV, all the buffered video is lost and you start fresh. In fact, when you do return to Live viewing, the TiVo searches for (or tunes) a tuner to stream Live TV because the Mini "releases" the tuner when you leave watching Live TV. Think of each return to Live TV as what is a "channel change" at the DVR, as an analogy

Again, these are just some of the differences of using a Mini vs. the DVR in that other room. I list them so people aren't disappointed with some of the limitations of the Mini compared to the DVR, certainly if one needs or really wants a feature the Mini can't perform, then they may better off getting another DVR. Despite some of the disadvantages, I highly recommend the Mini as it will serve the core needs of your secondary or tertiary, etc. TV room watching and all at a really great saving compared to another DVR.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Series3Sub said:


> 2. While the video is buffers while watching a live show on your Mini tuned to a channel, once you leave that and go to TiVo Central (I forget the new name for the S4, S5) and other wise leave your live content such as watching a recording, the Mini will NOT buffer that channel's video like being at the DVR. When you return to Watch Live TV, all the buffered video is lost and you start fresh. In fact, when you do return to Live viewing, the TiVo searches for (or tunes) a tuner to stream Live TV because the Mini "releases" the tuner when you leave watching Live TV. Think of each return to Live TV as what is a "channel change" at the DVR, as an analogy


That's not completely accurate. When I go into TiVo Central on my Mini and then back to live TV, the Mini pulls the same tuner back from the Roamio sitting on the same channel I had previously left with the buffer intact.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> That's not completely accurate. When I go into TiVo Central on my Mini and then back to live TV, the Mini pulls the same tuner back from the Roamio sitting on the same channel I had previously left with the buffer intact.


That is what USUALLY happens, but it is not guaranteed. Particularly if you have a very busy DVR, and you are in the menus for awhile, the DVR could reclaim the tuner for other uses and so the Mini ends up with a different tuner and no buffer.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Diana Collins said:


> That is what USUALLY happens, but it is not guaranteed. Particularly if you have a very busy DVR, and you are in the menus for awhile, the DVR could reclaim the tuner for other uses and so the Mini ends up with a different tuner and no buffer.


Yes, that's true. The longer you wait the more likely it is that the Roamio will decide to use that tuner for something, either a recording or giving it to another Mini. However, I was responding to a comment that made it sound like if you go into TiVo central for a few minutes and then go back to live TV that you lose your buffer, which isn't usually the case.


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## kokishin (Sep 9, 2014)

I have the Roamio Pro and a Mini. Couple of minor differences I've noticed:

With the Pro, you can go to Tivo Central and it will show a window in the top right corner of the screen with the live TV or the recording that is being played back. The Mini cannot do that.

With the Pro, you can go to Channel Settings->My Video Providers and uncheck the video providers you don't want displayed. I have XOD, YouTube, and Web Video Hotlist checked and the rest unchecked. Then when you look at My Shows, only the checked video providers are displayed. Unfortunately the Mini will continue to show all video providers regardless of the checklist.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

Minis are no-brainers compared to a 2nd dvr. You have 30 days to return them if you aren't satisfied so what are you waiting for?


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## JPA2825 (May 15, 2000)

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yes, that's true. The longer you wait the more likely it is that the Roamio will decide to use that tuner for something, either a recording or giving it to another Mini. However, I was responding to a comment that made it sound like if you go into TiVo central for a few minutes and then go back to live TV that you lose your buffer, which isn't usually the case.


I am beginning to understand this better. Setup is a new Roamio Plus and 3 TiVo Minis (was considering a 4th Mini in the bathroom, but think I will skip that based on some of these experiences.)

Great suggestion to get into the habit of hitting TiVo Central whenever you are "walking away" from your TiVo Mini and not intending to come right back. Gives you access to the tuner at the Roamio.

I still don't fully understand the Mini & buffers. If I am not recording anything on the Roamio Plus and have 6 different buffers running on it, if I know the 6 channels the Roamio Plus is buffering, I can tune to those channels on the Mini and, often, the buffers remain intact. Sometimes, it seems like that doesn't happen.

Also, why does the Roamio allow itself to be tuned to the same channel on >1 tuner? For example, I start a recording on a Mini and later tune to that same channel on the Roamio Plus. I seem to recall that the Roamio Plus goes to live TV on that channel rather than accessing the tuner already on that channel with the recording. Ends up with Roamio Plus using 2 tuners for a single channel simultaneously.

Main takeaway I have from my use so far is to TiVo more programs rather than rely on them being in the buffer.


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## ccoulson (May 24, 2003)

Just swapped out a Premiere XL (dual-tuner) for a Roamio Plus. Also added two Minis to replace a Comcast DVR (yuk!) and a Comcast HD receiver. Setup was a little rocky but that was because - for some reason - I ended up have THREE amplifiers that had been added over the last 18 years. These will block your ability to set up MoCa. I went cold turkey and just removed them all - no signal loss and MoCa works fins throughout the house. It also takes ~5 hours for the Minis to properly activate on the Tivo backend, so no "instant gratification."

I figure this set up allows me to drop the extra Comcast HD cable drop ($4.95/mo) plus the Comcast HD DVR ($14.95/mo). Plus, I get the better experience of Tivo throughout the house and a common set of content.


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