# TiVo Roamio OTA $200 Thanksgiving Whiteout sale



## junesen (Jun 17, 2008)

Seems like a great price for lifetime. Was going to get a mini sometime in the future, but got this instead.


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## javajawa (Mar 7, 2006)

junesen said:


> Seems like a great price for lifetime. Was going to get a mini sometime in the future, but got this instead.


Yep I saw this and jumped on it as well. This will replace my aging TiVo HD nicely.


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

Where does it say it comes with Lifetime Service? It says free 30 day trial only.


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## ajbeaman (Jul 24, 2004)

keenanSR said:


> Where does it say it comes with Lifetime Service? It says free 30 day trial only.


Put it in your cart and it lists the Tivo for $199.99 and the All in Service Plan for free.


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## wish_bgr (Jul 19, 2014)

keenanSR said:


> Where does it say it comes with Lifetime Service? It says free 30 day trial only.


Over on the general help forum, discussion about the sale with a screenshot of the all-in/lifetime is posted:

The next TiVo sale


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## mikegerard (Mar 16, 2015)

I'm thinking about getting this to replace my Roamio OTA. Payback time is less than 2 years. Only thing is I have a lot of stuff on my existing Roamio. Anyone have experience moving their stuff to an external HD and then to a new Roamio?


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

ajbeaman said:


> Put it in your cart and it lists the Tivo for $199.99 and the All in Service Plan for free.


Thanks, too bad OTA is not an option where I'm at.

I picked up an OTA Roamio awhile ago when Woot was offing them at $25.


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## lmacmil (Oct 26, 2015)

Does the sale go through Sunday or is it a "while supplies last" sale? I'd like to jump on this too but am away and won't be back for a week. Don't want a package sitting on the porch for several days. If I could wait until Sunday to order I'd be ok.

Oops. Just noticed the "supplies are limited" statement.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

keenanSR said:


> Thanks, too bad OTA is not an option where I'm at.


See this post.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

mikegerard said:


> I'm thinking about getting this to replace my Roamio OTA. Payback time is less than 2 years. Only thing is I have a lot of stuff on my existing Roamio. Anyone have experience moving their stuff to an external HD and then to a new Roamio?


You can not move anything directly to an external HD. Just keep your existing TiVo subbed for another month and you can move the shows directly to the new TiVo.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Tempting!!! I have the Roamio Pro, but have been thinking about cutting the cord at some point... $200 isn't too bad for insurance...


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

krkaufman said:


> See this post.


It's tempting. I see on eBay there are several 846500 units well under $100 that could be used for just the cable card bracket. But I already have two.


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## Socal Tom (Sep 25, 2012)

mikegerard said:


> I'm thinking about getting this to replace my Roamio OTA. Payback time is less than 2 years. Only thing is I have a lot of stuff on my existing Roamio. Anyone have experience moving their stuff to an external HD and then to a new Roamio?


You can use pyTivo, or just transfer directly to the new one with tivo on line
Tom

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JBinSD (Oct 4, 2015)

Really surprised Tivo isn't advertising the fact the OTA is Lifetimed, I read the ad twice and it says nothing about it. They'd sell out pretty quickly if everyone knew. I still haven't done the cablecard conversion, but the lifetime alone is worth $200 to me, just wish I could find a basic to steal the bracket. . .


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## wgc (Oct 16, 2009)

Cool, but does anyone know whether you can stream from a Premier? It's been a few years since I had multiple TiVos but I seem to remember they could stream to each other without extra hardware,.

I currently have a Premier and have been wanting a Mini for my bedroom but it is not supported. Given all the online apps for the last couple of years, every time I thought about upgrading I ended up thinking of cutting the cord. This sale makes the Roamio OTA close to the cost of a mini so if it can stream from my Premier without requiring an upgrade, this could be it


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## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

My Roamio OTA (and Roamio Basic) can stream from my Premier XL. All three can also transfer unprotected programs between each other. My Minis can only hook into the OTA or Basic as it's host box but once in the My Shows list of either of those two boxes the Mini can also stream shows from the Premier XL (listed under 'Devices'). Of course everything must be connected together in the same home network.


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## PCurry57 (Feb 27, 2012)

I ordered mine Tuesday, got it Wednesday. Ordered a WD3TB AV drive on Amazon that arrives tomorrow Friday. Contemplating selling one of my Premieres after I transfer recordings over to the Roamio (post surgery to install the new drive) recordings that came from prior cable card use will have to Save them with DVD recorder, slow but it saves content that can't transfer.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

wgc said:


> This sale makes the *Roamio OTA* close to the cost of a mini so* if it can stream from my Premier without requiring an upgrade*, this could be it


As series5orpremier said, it can -- from/to any Premiere, though a hardwire Ethernet or MoCA connection is required, officially.


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## wgc (Oct 16, 2009)

series5orpremier said:


> My Roamio OTA (and Roamio Basic) can stream from my Premier XL. All three can also transfer unprotected programs between each other.


Cool, thanks. My order is in


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## just4tivo (Dec 9, 2015)

As the owner of two Roamio OTAs I'm wondering what is afflicting Roamio OTAs in the field to generate sufficient inventory of refurbs for TiVo to be running this sale?


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## RonH (Apr 19, 2002)

Those 'tiny' fans generating way too much noise - getting replaced under warranty.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

just4tivo said:


> As the owner of two Roamio OTAs I'm wondering what is afflicting Roamio OTAs in the field to generate sufficient inventory of refurbs for TiVo to be running this sale?


I could guess:
no place for the cable card
rabbit ears don't work in the basement
can't get SyFy channel
get a tvfool report like this: TV Fool

But only TiVo can give you the correct answer.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Unless someone at TiVo tells us, I can only speculate but the high monthly fees for the original Roamio OTA sold at a loss with no option for lifetime, probably resulted in many returns after 30 days. Other reasons for returns are probable as well but I wouldn't be concerned since 90 days is plenty of time to check out a refurb purchase.


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## bearbig (Jan 25, 2007)

My HD Tivo dies last week and got a new Roamio from Week Knees, can't wait till it gets here. Watching TV without a TIVO is nuts.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

bearbig said:


> My HD Tivo dies last week and got a new Roamio from Week Knees, can't wait till it gets here. Watching TV without a TIVO is nuts.


Was that HD lifetimed and what kind of dead?


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## JudySue (Jan 20, 2016)

MikeekiM said:


> Tempting!!! I have the Roamio Pro, but have been thinking about cutting the cord at some point... $200 isn't too bad for insurance...


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## JudySue (Jan 20, 2016)

MikeekiM said:


> Tempting!!! I have the Roamio Pro, but have been thinking about cutting the cord at some point... $200 isn't too bad for insurance...


So just this week my less than year old Roamio OTA with Lifetime died probably cuz I dropped it and was trying to figure out what to do to not lose my lifetime subscription and fear sending it on for repair would be costly and time wasted waiting for repair and return to me. And I really cannot afford to buy another lifetime subscription and a new unit now that aim retiredlyiving on a monthly social security ck. Would this black Friday whiteout make more $ sense than paying for parts and labor to have my broken Unit with Lifetime already on it repaired and then also have to be without it til I get it back? I really can't afford it til mid Dec but may miss out on a solution if I don't buy it tonite. BTW the wording of included service plan sounds more like a warranty plan than the lifetime subscription so the ad is kinda confusing unless u dig further or come somewhere like here to this forum for the info on this sale including free lifetime subscription. Advice anyone on most cost effective way to get back from my tivo programs... Having edit problem on my smartphone. So pls disregard the following, tried 4 times to delete it and it deleted most of the text in my post. And had to retype, so afraid to Delete it again feidayvqhiroutbsakebqt Tivi.comssecurity xocial sesocilb a and living of l qndbkivufigueI .it's i


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

What do I need to hook the Roamio OTA to my 2 TiVo Minis? Do I need a MoCA adapter? Do I need to buy TiVo branded, or will any basic MoCA adapter do? I just need one at the main receiver? Or do I need multiple?


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

OK...just pulled the trigger on this deal... I don't know if I will keep it, but I didn't want to lose the $199.99 lifetime deal, and since they are offering free shipping both ways (including the return), I figured I would at the very least, give myself another 30 days to consider it...

Can anyone suggest a good OTA indoor antenna? I hear the flat square ones that hang on the wall or window work well... What I really need to do is hoist an antenna up on the roof 20 feet or so from the roof peak... I tried a 10 foot pole from the chimney, and that didn't get all channels clear enough...


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## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

unitron said:


> Was that HD lifetimed and what kind of dead?


You're quick!

I do sometimes fear we're a little like vultures, or lawyers attending funerals like Paul Newman in The Verdict.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

For the non-OTA crowd, TiVo's offering the Roamio Pro w/ All-In service for $500 total -- possibly on Cyber Monday only.

See: TiVo Cyber Monday Sale 2016 Huge Savings Only For One Day.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> What do I need to hook the Roamio OTA to my 2 TiVo Minis? Do I need a MoCA adapter? Do I need to buy TiVo branded, or will any basic MoCA adapter do? I just need one at the main receiver? Or do I need multiple?


It just needs a wired network connection, either Ethernet or MoCA. If the Roamio OTA can't be connected via Ethernet, then, lacking any MoCA functionality, the Roamio OTA would need the assistance of a MoCA adapter to connect to your MoCA network.

As for your MoCA network, it can be created by a MoCA-capable TiVo DVR, a standalone MoCA adapter or a MoCA-capable cable gateway -- whichever one of the three you might have that can connect to both your coax lines and Ethernet LAN. I prefer using a standalone MoCA adapter, where budget allows, to avoid outages during DVR reboots. See this post for more on MoCA.

Oh, as for which MoCA adapter to choose, only the BOLTs use MoCA 2.0; all other current MoCA-capable TiVo devices are MoCA 1.1. Also, the 4-tuner Roamios are limited to Fast Ethernet, so a MoCA 2.0 adapter with a Gigabit network port could be technically overkill as an adapter for the Roamio OTA -- though MoCA 1.1 adapter retail pricing may make the upgrade worthwhile. See here for some available MoCA adapter options.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Does the OTA 500GB work with the Mini? I read an older review on the 500 on CNET, and it indicated it did not.


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## osu1991 (Mar 6, 2015)

Bierboy said:


> Does the OTA 500GB work with the Mini? I read an older review on the 500 on CNET, and it indicated it did not.


yes it works with mini


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

osu1991 said:


> yes it works with mini


Great...thanks!


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

Ordered my second one this morning, going to cut one cord for sure...


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## lmacmil (Oct 26, 2015)

dfergie said:


> Ordered my second one this morning, going to cut one cord for sure...


I just ordered one too. I cut the cord in January and haven't really missed cable much. I can get all the networks pretty well (ABC is is a low power station) and have Netflix and Amazon Prime. Will likely sell my Roamio Basic and that will make the payback about 9 months.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Pulled the trigger here, too, in anticipation of moving out of state. We'll be cutting the cord as well and relying on OTA and Netflix...


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

I have Hulu & Amazon as well as Dish & Directv, probably leave dish & cut down programming on DIRECTV 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rcandsc (Feb 5, 2014)

krkaufman said:


> For the non-OTA crowd, TiVo's offering the Roamio Pro w/ All-In service for $500 total -- possibly on Cyber Monday only.
> 
> See: TiVo Cyber Monday Sale 2016 Huge Savings Only For One Day.


Just ordered mine!


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## dcaudle68 (Jul 15, 2014)

Does anybody know if you already have a OTA roamio that is past the 12 month requirement and you are paying $14.99 month to month if they would be willing to sell you the all in for $199.99 since you could just cancel the service and buy a refurb?


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## dcaudle68 (Jul 15, 2014)

dcaudle68 said:


> Does anybody know if you already have a OTA roamio that is past the 12 month requirement and you are paying $14.99 month to month if they would be willing to sell you the all in for $199.99 since you could just cancel the service and buy a refurb?


Answered my on question which is sadly no. I have to cancel my service and order an identical box to be shipped to me. Seems a silly waste but oh well. Guess they are hoping I will keep it activated.


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## eric102 (Oct 31, 2012)

Now you have some spare parts


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Deal is still on, as of this morning.

And as a reminder, and as easy as it is to purchase on-line, I might encourage potential buyers instead to call TiVo to purchase the DVR and see what TiVo might be willing to do to sweeten and seal the deal right then and there--I talked my way, as a long-term and multi-TiVo loyalist (which I pointed out), into a free Roamio slide pro remote, after the agent's check with a supervisor. (And if it doesn't work the first time, you always can call back and see if you have better luck with a different agent/supervisor.) Saved me an extra $50 in this already great deal, and left me with a big deal-busting smile.


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## thefisch (Jul 25, 2015)

ah the free slide pro remote. great remote and then you keep the regular remote as a backup.


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## wtkflhn (May 12, 2006)

Mikeguy said:


> Deal is still on, as of this morning.
> 
> And as a reminder, and as easy as it is to purchase on-line, I might encourage potential buyers instead to call TiVo to purchase the DVR and see what TiVo might be willing to do to sweeten and seal the deal right then and there--I talked my way, as a long-term and multi-TiVo loyalist (which I pointed out), into a free Roamio slide pro remote, after the agent's check with a supervisor. (And if it doesn't work the first time, you always can call back and see if you have better luck with a different agent/supervisor.) Saved me an extra $50 in this already great deal, and left me with a big deal-busting smile.


Can you pair both remotes to one TIVO?


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## mickinct (Sep 14, 2015)

yes


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## wtkflhn (May 12, 2006)

I broke down and ordered that Roamio OTA. For $199 and with all in, I couldn't pass it up.


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

Installing update on mine now, Hers should be in tomorrow...


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## mickinct (Sep 14, 2015)

I ordered another one OTA and got the slide remote n/c rep said the OTA will be avail til DEC 15.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

mickinct said:


> I ordered another one OTA and got the slide remote n/c rep said the OTA will be avail til DEC 15.


Thanks for the date info. (although one never knows--I was kicking myself for waiting this long, thinking the deal and stock already could be gone). And I so like your reference, "I ordered _another_ one . . . ."


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## gizmoz (Jul 17, 2006)

I received my first ever Tivo today in the form of this Roamio. Very disappointed as I am unable to complete the setup process. The initial configuration part keeps failing. Will have to call support tomorrow.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

gizmoz said:


> I received my first ever Tivo today in the form of this Roamio. Very disappointed as I am unable to complete the setup process. The initial configuration part keeps failing. Will have to call support tomorrow.


Failing how? What error are you seeing?


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## dfergie (Aug 27, 2006)

Also my first TiVo, it took 3 rounds of updating before it finally moved on to scan...working fine with new 3TB drive... (I had Replays)


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## cgmcav (Nov 30, 2016)

I just jumped on this deal, which seemed pretty good. I have a question about it if anyone can help me. 

I'm upgrading from my (ancient?) Series 3. Thing still works like a charm, but i assume that HD has gotta go sometime. So my old unit is only 160GB and I use the WD expander. I assume I can use the expander with this, but I see lots of chatter about replacing the HD with something bigger. How necessary is this since I've been getting by just fine with what I have for so long. I really don't watch a ton of TV so am I fine? Or has the compression changed over the years that it's going to fill up faster now? Appreciate any insights. Thank you.


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## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

cgmcav said:


> I just jumped on this deal, which seemed pretty good. I have a question about it if anyone can help me.
> 
> I'm upgrading from my (ancient?) Series 3. Thing still works like a charm, but i assume that HD has gotta go sometime. So my old unit is only 160GB and I use the WD expander. I assume I can use the expander with this, but I see lots of chatter about replacing the HD with something bigger. How necessary is this since I've been getting by just fine with what I have for so long. I really don't watch a ton of TV so am I fine? Or has the compression changed over the years that it's going to fill up faster now? Appreciate any insights. Thank you.


EDIT: I just noticed you use a 1TB expander. Definitely drop in a 3TB internal drive to begin with and ditch the expander. The expander is failure prone and can easily cause you to lose all your recordings.

With 500GB you'll still have 3 times more space than what you're used to internally. However, the more space we have the more we become hoarders and get used to needing so it's even more appealing to easily drop in a 3TB drive to begin with and not worry about how to get more space without losing your recordings once your 500GB drive fills up.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

series5orpremier said:


> I just noticed you use a 1TB expander. Definitely drop in a 3TB internal drive to begin with and ditch the expander. The expander is failure prone and can easily cause you to lose all your recordings.





cgmcav said:


> I'm upgrading from my (ancient?) Series 3. Thing still works like a charm, *but i assume that HD has gotta go sometime*. So my old unit is only 160GB and I use the WD expander.


As with men, all drives must die. So your concern for the old 160GB also applies to the expander, though a hiccup with the expander power or connection could corrupt the expander contents or pairing, short of the drive actually dying. Of course, new drives die unexpected deaths, as well, so there aren't any guarantees -- but series5orpremier's advice is solid; you won't regret switching to an internal 3TB drive. SOOO much space and so much easier to maintain. (8TB is the current single drive maximum, I believe, and only requires a minor drive tweak connected to a PC, as compared to the tweak-free drop-in process for 3TB or smaller drives.)


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## cgmcav (Nov 30, 2016)

Appreciate the replies. My budget at the moment looks like I'll have to make do with a 2TB. I'm assuming there is no downside to that? I'll look to other threads on how that's done. Thanks again.


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## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

No downside to 2TB other than if it gets full and you realize you could use more. The Western Digital Red 3TB NAS drives were down to $98 at Amazon over Black Friday weekend but the last I saw they were back up to $109. I know the 2TB green AV drives can be had for much less, in the 60s.


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## gizmoz (Jul 17, 2006)

krkaufman said:


> Failing how? What error are you seeing?


During initial setup I kept getting a message 'failed while configuring'. I tried wired and wireless but no luck (Cable internet). I then moved to a DSL wireless connection (yes, I have both) and after a few fails it went through to next step 'Getting Info' and completed the updates. I finally got the Tivo working. I really like what I have seen just since last night..


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

series5orpremier said:


> No downside to 2TB other than if it gets full and you realize you could use more. The Western Digital Red 3TB NAS drives were down to $98 at Amazon over Black Friday weekend but the last I saw they were back up to $109. I know the 2TB green AV drives can be had for much less, in the 60s.


When I looked yesterday, there was only about a $15 difference on Amazon.com with its wonderful [sarcasm] dynamic pricing, between the WD Red 2 and 3 TB drives. Definitely for watching (and putting on a camelcamelcamel.com watch).

cgmcav, do note that it is very easy to install a new drive in the Roamio. Essentially, unplug the Roamio, remove a Torx screw and remove the Roamio's cover, remove 2 Torx screws and remove the hard drive, replace the drive, and reverse--for a 3TB drive and less, the Roamio automatically will do its formatting, etc. magic itself once it is turned back on (for larger drives, the drives need to be prep'd by you pre-install, which I have read itself is a fairly simple process).

And not to be difficult, but I might differ as to the need for a larger drive--at least, it's something to think on. Having a Series 2 TiVo (which still is functioning as well as new, 11 years later, and with the original drive), I added a TiVo Roamio with 500GB drive a little under 2 years ago. I intended to replace the drive with a 1 or 2 TB drive, but decided to wait until after the 90-day labor warranty period expired. And then I didn't get to it, and decided to wait until the 1-year parts period expired. And then I never got around to it. I suspect that my use is much like yours, with a handful of archived shows/movies and then daily use. The most I've ever had on the drive is 92% full or so, and then I culled out all the recorded movies that I never really was going to find time or interest to watch. I'm typically at 55-70% percent full, still with loads on the drive that I really never will watch--but hey, the space is there.

And so, my bottom line--you just might want to wait and see, before replacing the drive, and start out with the Roamio as is, with or without the Expander (with esp. if you don't care overly so about a possible loss of shows on the Roamio and Expander if the Expander ever fails). The only downside is the loss of your recorded shows on the Roamio's original drive (and Expander) if you replace later (although, of course, you always can archive to a PC drive)--but if that's not a real issue for you, something to think on. Having said that, with replacement drives at south of $100 . . . .


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## bam1220 (Feb 17, 2016)

I have tried twice today to buy one of these. The site just keeps saying "processing your purchase" but never finishes. Might have to waste an hour and call Tivo.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

series5orpremier said:


> EDIT: I just noticed you use a 1TB expander. Definitely drop in a 3TB internal drive to begin with and ditch the expander. The expander is failure prone and can easily cause you to lose all your recordings.
> 
> With 500GB you'll still have 3 times more space than what you're used to internally. However, the more space we have the more we become hoarders and get used to needing so it's even more appealing to easily drop in a 3TB drive to begin with and not worry about how to get more space without losing your recordings once your 500GB drive fills up.


Yeah, I'm putting a 3TB in mine. My 2TB Premiere XL4 has been filled up before during the Olympics, even though it usually sits at 1-5% now. With a 3TB, I believe I can record every NBC network recording during PyeongChang and not have to delete anything until after they're over...


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## cgmcav (Nov 30, 2016)

[QUOTE="...And not to be difficult, but I might differ as to the need for a larger drive--at least, it's something to think on. Having a Series 2 TiVo (which still is functioning as well as new, 11 years later, and with the original drive), I added a TiVo Roamio with 500GB drive a little under 2 years ago. I intended to replace the drive with a 1 or 2 TB drive, but decided to wait until after the 90-day labor warranty period expired. And then I didn't get to it, and decided to wait until the 1-year parts period expired. And then I never got around to it. I suspect that my use is much like yours, with a handful of archived shows/movies and then daily use. The most I've ever had on the drive is 92% full or so, and then I culled out all the recorded movies that I never really was going to find time or interest to watch. I'm typically at 55-70% percent full, still with loads on the drive that I really never will watch--but hey, the space is there.

And so, my bottom line--you just might want to wait and see, before replacing the drive, and start out with the Roamio as is, with or without the Expander (with esp. if you don't care overly so about a possible loss of shows on the Roamio and Expander if the Expander ever fails). The only downside is the loss of your recorded shows on the Roamio's original drive (and Expander) if you replace later (although, of course, you always can archive to a PC drive)--but if that's not a real issue for you, something to think on. Having said that, with replacement drives at south of $100 . . . . [/QUOTE]

I think I may go this route. Waiting for the warranties to expire certainly makes sense to me. i'm really not a heavy watcher. I tend to stick to my dork "Arrowverse" shows and Simpsons and Bob's Burgers (I SWEAR I'm an adult!), but after that I just watch old classic TV shows that are in SD (Bob Newhart, old Johnny Carons, etc..) and I don't think those take much room. And I very rarely record three hour sporting events. It's sounding as if you can actually monitor hard drive usage on this thing? Always frustrated me that I never knew how full my drives were on my current unit. Having a meter would really tell the tale.

On a side note, thanks for all the nice replies. These forums seem largely civil, which is nice to see, and is really appreciated. Have a great day.


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## dcaudle68 (Jul 15, 2014)

dcaudle68 said:


> Does anybody know if you already have a OTA roamio that is past the 12 month requirement and you are paying $14.99 month to month if they would be willing to sell you the all in for $199.99 since you could just cancel the service and buy a refurb?


Finally got the right person on the phone and they agreed to give me the $199.99 lifetime on my current TIVO so I did not have to order another one and replace. Might have been smarter to order and have a spare part one but decided just to lifetime the one I already have.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

dcaudle68 said:


> Finally got the right person on the phone and they agreed to give me the $199.99 lifetime on my current TIVO so I did not have to order another one and replace. Might have been smarter to order and have a spare part one but decided just to lifetime the one I already have.


Good show! Like you, I was wondered if it would be better to order another unit, but you just saved yourself the hassle of lost shows on the "old" unit.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

cgmcav said:


> I think I may go this route. Waiting for the warranties to expire certainly makes sense to me. i'm really not a heavy watcher. I tend to stick to my dork "Arrowverse" shows and Simpsons and Bob's Burgers (I SWEAR I'm an adult!), but after that I just watch old classic TV shows that are in SD (Bob Newhart, old Johnny Carons, etc..) and I don't think those take much room. And I very rarely record three hour sporting events. It's sounding as if you can actually monitor hard drive usage on this thing? Always frustrated me that I never knew how full my drives were on my current unit. Having a meter would really tell the tale.
> 
> On a side note, thanks for all the nice replies. These forums seem largely civil, which is nice to see, and is really appreciated. Have a great day.


Happy to help. And yep, the Roamio has a fullness meter showing percentage full--much easier than approximating based on the number of shows in the deleted folder.

Based on what you've said here, I think that you're going to be surprised by the amount of space you have, and think that it could well meet your current needs. And if you decide you need more space, you always can drop in a larger drive later (saving any shows you might want to keep using TiVo Desktop or otherwise).


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## cgmcav (Nov 30, 2016)

[QUOTE="...Based on what you've said here, I think that you're going to be surprised by the amount of space you have, and think that it could well meet your current needs. And if you decide you need more space, you always can drop in a larger drive later (saving any shows you might want to keep using TiVo Desktop or otherwise).[/QUOTE]

Yep, so far I'm doing just fine with the pre-existing hard drive with no expansion. We seem to be holding in the 25% range (love that meter!). Also helping is I took my old Series 3 and hooked it up in my basement to a Mohu Leaf. That allowed me to split some of my season passes and keep some of the weight off my new unit. But so far the Roamio has been great!


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

cgmcav said:


> Yep, so far I'm doing just fine with the pre-existing hard drive with no expansion. We seem to be holding in the 25% range (love that meter!). Also helping is I took my old Series 3 and hooked it up in my basement to a Mohu Leaf. That allowed me to split some of my season passes and keep some of the weight off my new unit. But so far the Roamio has been great!


Having said that, my 500GB Roamio just jumped up to 82% full (from 55% or 60%) in just a week or so. I think that a whole lot of repeats on extinct shows I had Season Passed suddenly appeared on some new stations or stations changing their lineup. Of course, now one needs the time to watch them. Or, dare I say it, there's the delete button, lol.


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## kukit (Jan 16, 2017)

Hello,

Super newbie here. This $199 Tivo deal is the one I got. I bought it knowing virtually nothing about the Tivo ecosphere other than I'd used a Tivo once at a vacation rental and thought it was amazing. I then read an article on a tech site that said, "you'd be crazy not to snap this deal up." So I did.

A few questions: (walk on by if these are too basic and you wish I'd find this out on my own. I've been searching this forum -- trust me!)

1. I've been a cord-cutter for a few years now. What does "all-in" or "Lifetime" mean to me in light of that? I won't go back to cable contact, though I do have to get my internet-only service through Cox. I didn't realize I bought something like that, actually.

2. Can someone explain what the cablecard/slot thing y'all are talking about is? What does this hack (?) achieve that is desirable?

Many thanks!
Kit


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

kukit said:


> 1. I've been a cord-cutter for a few years now. What does "all-in" or "Lifetime" mean to me in light of that?


Nothing, specifically, relative to cord-cutting.

All TiVo devices require a service plan, either a subscription plan paid on a monthly or annual basis, or the "All-In" (formerly called "Lifetime") one-time fee plan -- though the "All-In" plan is also now included in the purchase price of the TiVo Mini and, where indicated, the Roamio OTA (and occasionally with other devices as part of special sales).



kukit said:


> I won't go back to cable contact, though I do have to get my internet-only service through Cox. I didn't realize I bought something like that, actually.


Something like what? Not sure what you mean with these comments. The Roamio OTA requires an Internet connection for downloading channel guide data, software updates, etc, and for Internet app streaming; and a coax connection to an OTA antenna to tune & record OTA TV content.



kukit said:


> 2. Can someone explain what the cablecard/slot thing y'all are talking about is? What does this hack (?) achieve that is desirable?


If you're not looking to ever go back to cable TV, you can ignore any talk about CableCARD. The bracket modding talk is only relevant to Roamio OTA owners trying to "upgrade" their devices so that they can be used to record off digital cable.


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## poncho167 (Feb 6, 2017)

krkaufman said:


> As with men, all drives must die. So your concern for the old 160GB also applies to the expander, though a hiccup with the expander power or connection could corrupt the expander contents or pairing, short of the drive actually dying. Of course, new drives die unexpected deaths, as well, so there aren't any guarantees -- but series5orpremier's advice is solid; you won't regret switching to an internal 3TB drive. SOOO much space and so much easier to maintain. (8TB is the current single drive maximum, I believe, and only requires a minor drive tweak connected to a PC, as compared to the tweak-free drop-in process for 3TB or smaller drives.)


I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I received and installed my 1 T Roamio last Friday. It took about 1-hour for it to program but all seems good even though I haven't had much time to use it. Weaknees sells the Roamio with hard drive upgrade up to 16 T for $1,350.


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