# How well does Tivo Roamio OTA work with Tivo Mini?



## whypave (Nov 11, 2014)

I recently cut the cord from Cable and I am no longer using my Tivo Premier XL4 since I got a Roamio OTA. It's too bad my OTA doesn't offer a lifetime sub like I have on the XL4 but the fact I don't have to pay $65+ a month in cable offsets that 

So my question is how do people like using a Tivo Mini running off an OTA. is the performance good if they are both on wired ethernet? I like the fact you don't have an additional subscription with the Mini.

Any problems people have run into?

I found this thread on setup problems but not much on how people like it once it's setup or how the performance is moving content between the two devices.


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## TivoDoctor (Mar 8, 2003)

I am a new Tivo Roamio basic and Tivo Mini user. Once you get through the setup and the devices see each other, the experience is seamless. It runs just like another Tivo Roamio or Premiere. I have no complaints. It seems to run much faster than the DirecTV Genie and its client does.


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## whypave (Nov 11, 2014)

Thanks for the input. Amazon says the Mini has an Amazon instant video app but Tivo.com says the mini doesn't or at least doesn't mention it does anywhere.

is there an amazon instant video app on your Mini? Or if you download an Amazon movie to the Roamio can you transfer it to the Mini?


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## tryx911 (Jul 31, 2014)

Yes the mini has the Amazon app. Same one as the Roamio. Also I have the OTA/Cablecard Roamio with lifetime sub. It's like $100 more then the OTA only but in the long run is cheaper and I can use cable or OTA. Just a thought if it's not to late for you to trade up.


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## confinoj (Apr 2, 2003)

Also just got a roamio basic with lifetime and mini using OTA. Works perfect. Just like having a second Tivo.


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## whypave (Nov 11, 2014)

I did consider buying the Roamio basic with lifetime but I don't want to be tempted back to cable 

The XL4 with lifetime seems to sell pretty well on here so I plan to post mine for sale shortly.


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## whypave (Nov 11, 2014)

Oh and thanks for the info that the Mini has the Amazon app. Interesting Tivo's website doesn't mention it.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

The Mini is pretty great. We have one connected to every TV in the house. They work WAY better then our old distribution system which required a matrix switch and HDMI repeaters, both of which would constantly give us trouble.


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## FitzAusTex (May 7, 2014)

I've been considering getting a mini for my bedroom, but someone confirm whether you can cycle through the tuners like you can on the roamio? I often pause and swap (using the Enter button) btwn two games/shows and would definitely want to be able to do this like the roamio can. Thanks.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

FitzAusTex said:


> I've been considering getting a mini for my bedroom, but someone confirm whether you can cycle through the tuners like you can on the roamio? I often pause and swap (using the Enter button) btwn two games/shows and would definitely want to be able to do this like the roamio can. Thanks.


Think about it. The Mini uses one tuner of the Roamio. Therefore there is nothing to cycle through. The Live TV button, when watching live TV, is not a functioning button. If you hit right arrow while on live TV there is no option to view other tuners. Sorry.


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## RS4 (Sep 2, 2001)

I just got the basic. But with my mini connected to the xl4, I could watch a recorded show. If I wanted to watch a live show, I had to dedicate of one the 4 tuners to the mini. Since I don't watch live tv, that was not an issue for me.


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## SSpencer62 (Sep 2, 2016)

I am expecting my Roamio to arrive today. Initially I had planned to put it downstairs in the living room and then get a Mini for the bedroom next month. Now I'm rethinking. As I believe the Antenna (indoor antenna) would function better if it were up higher in the house, and the antenna needs to be connected to the Roamio unit, I'm thinking of putting the Roamio in the bedroom and the Mini in the living room. We mostly use the living room TV. Are there any drawbacks to having the main unit in the bedroom?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

SSpencer62 said:


> I am expecting my Roamio to arrive today. Initially I had planned to put it downstairs in the living room and then get a Mini for the bedroom next month. Now I'm rethinking. As I believe the Antenna (indoor antenna) would function better if it were up higher in the house, and the antenna needs to be connected to the Roamio unit, I'm thinking of putting the Roamio in the bedroom and the Mini in the living room. We mostly use the living room TV. Are there any drawbacks to having the main unit in the bedroom?


Not once your host box is configured. Some options are not possible with a Mini, and then you will have to climb the stairs. Channel changing is slower. It's a doable thing, just with limitations.

You might be happier with high quality RG-6 and an amplifier at the antenna.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

SSpencer62 said:


> I am expecting my Roamio to arrive today. Initially I had planned to put it downstairs in the living room and then get a Mini for the bedroom next month. Now I'm rethinking. As I believe the Antenna (indoor antenna) would function better if it were up higher in the house, and the antenna needs to be connected to the Roamio unit, I'm thinking of putting the Roamio in the bedroom and the Mini in the living room. We mostly use the living room TV. Are there any drawbacks to having the main unit in the bedroom?


Not really. Just as Joe said, only for the initial configuration.

Assuming it is a Roamio OTA, it does not not have MoCA built in (cannot create MoCA and cannot join Moca network either). So Roamio OTA can only connect to the internet using Ethernet. Mini can join MoCa network, as it has built in Moca adapter (although cannot create MoCA). So this is something to keep in mind with placement of the two.


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## mlcarson (Dec 31, 2007)

Your biggest issue will probably be with the Rovi guide data. It's especially bad for OTA in rural areas.


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## type the text (Aug 15, 2016)

Our roamio ota is in a closet near the bedroom. 
Most of our use is on the minis and we are very happy.
We access Netflix and recorded content easily.
The moca bridge need only have Ethernet to your modem and be connected to the coax, it does not need to be near or connect to the roamio.
The roamio also needs to be connected to modem by Ethernet. 
I have the antenna in our attic, and connected directly to the roamio.
Our roamio and bridge are 30 feet appart.
We receive 20 channels, use 6 of them.
The picture quality and sound are far superior to cable or satellite.
Reported a guide issue Thursday they fixed it by Friday.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

SSpencer62 said:


> I'm thinking of putting the Roamio in the bedroom and the Mini in the living room. We mostly use the living room TV. Are there any drawbacks to having the main unit in the bedroom?


On the User Interface front...

As previously commented, nearly all initial setup options are only available through the host DVR's UI; among the more annoying of these restrictions is the customization of your received channels list (a.k.a. 'My Channels') and, especially, selecting and removing 'Favorite' channels.

Additionally, live TV channel surfing is *much* more convenient via the host DVR UI, where you can easily jump between all available tuners while maintaining buffered content on each.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

SSpencer62 said:


> I'm thinking of putting the Roamio in the bedroom and the Mini in the living room. We mostly use the living room TV. Are there any drawbacks to having the main unit in the bedroom?


On the networking front...

The main physical issue with switching the Roamio and Mini locations would seem to be ensuring that each device has a wired networking connection. Without knowing more about what coax and Ethernet runs are available to/in each room, how your Internet connection is supplied, and how all your coax lines interconnect, it would be cumbersome to speculate on the varied possibilities.

The basics... A TiVo Mini can connect via Ethernet or MoCA. A Roamio OTA can only connect via Ethernet, and so would need a direct Ethernet connection or a dedicated MoCA adapter to supply it with an Ethernet connection. If a MoCA network is required, one MoCA adapter would be required to establish the MoCA network, with one more needed if the Roamio OTA cannot be directly connected via Ethernet.

Post back with additional details, a rough network/coax diagram, or questions.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

SSpencer62 said:


> As I believe the Antenna (indoor antenna) would function better if it were up higher in the house, and the antenna needs to be connected to the Roamio unit, I'm thinking of putting the Roamio in the bedroom and the Mini in the living room. We mostly use the living room TV. Are there any drawbacks to having the main unit in the bedroom?


If the coax lines are available, with no conflicting signals in the way, it's possible that you could put the antenna on the 2nd floor and your Roamio OTA in the Living Room. Win-win.

The attached diagram is one example of how this was done by another TCFer recently, with success (and diplexers). One key is that their cable modem was fed via a dedicated line from their provider, leaving their coax lines available for OTA & MoCA.

YMMV.


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

Dan203 said:


> The Mini is pretty great. We have one connected to every TV in the house. They work WAY better then our old distribution system which required a matrix switch and HDMI repeaters, both of which would constantly give us trouble.


Of course the matrix switch can distribute content from other devices as well, but I totally agree the mini is a fantastic and can be a far less expensive and simpler way to spread TV around the house.

Alas, I still run my matrix switch because we have two TVs that we sometimes want to watch the same thing on, and sometimes different things - and that includes the TiVo and all my various streaming devices.

If TiVo added the ability to mirror (in sync) what another TiVo was displaying, added support for 1080p (and 4K for those who need it) output (other than 1080p24 passthrough), added more streaming services, made them run faster, and synced them all to once account ... the Mini would be perfect.

It's pretty close, though, and it's a great product. If they introduce a new Mini (with 4K) I wonder what it will cost and whether they'll continue to offer lifetime, though.


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## snerd (Jun 6, 2008)

SSpencer62 said:


> I am expecting my Roamio to arrive today. Initially I had planned to put it downstairs in the living room and then get a Mini for the bedroom next month. Now I'm rethinking. As I believe the Antenna (indoor antenna) would function better if it were up higher in the house, and the antenna needs to be connected to the Roamio unit, I'm thinking of putting the Roamio in the bedroom and the Mini in the living room. We mostly use the living room TV. Are there any drawbacks to having the main unit in the bedroom?


One advantage of viewing live TV from the Roamio is that you can quickly switch between multiple tuners and the 30 minute buffers will remain intact. When channel surfing with a Mini, it tends to reset the buffer every time you change channels. If you often watch live TV and switch between paused programs to avoid commercials, then you'll probably want to keep the Roamio in the living room.

If you tend to record everything and just watch recorded content, accessing the shows from the Mini is pretty much just like accessing them directly from the Roamio.


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## JTHOJNICKI (Nov 30, 2015)

I've got the Roamio Pro, Roamio OTA and Bolt with a number or Minis throughout the house to give each television access to all the TiVos. They work great! The only thing you can't do is reboot a TiVo from a mini.


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