# Can I use a 25 foot HDMI cable with my Roamio OTA 1TB DVR?



## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

I have a few questions.

I will be getting a Roamio OTA 1 TB DVR in a few days. I have gone on line to read the Start Here green poster. It says to connect a HDMI cable from the Roamio unit to the TV.

Here are a few questions:

Note: My TV is a Samsung UN32J525DAFXZA. I am using a DSL modem and it is a technicolor C1100T-802.11n Wi-Fi Router.

1. Is it possible to send a signal to the TV using Roamios Wi-Fi and the TVs Wi-Fi?
I believe the answer to this question is no.

2. Could I use a 25 foot HDMI cable to send a signal from the Roamio unit to a TV in another room?
If the answer is yes, please tell me what type of HDMI cable I need to get. 

Note: I just bought a GE 3 foot HDMI HDMI-TO-HDMI cable. The cable supports 5.1 and 7.1 channel surround sound and high speed 10.2 Gbps. I am assuming this 3 foot cable is O.K. to use with the Roamio unit and the TV. The cable is also certified for 1080P FULL and 4K x 2K ULTRA.

3. Or do I need to use a TiVo Mini?

I would like to replace the 3 foot cable with a 25 foot cable when I want to use a TV in another room.

Please provide the following information on the 25 foot HDMI cable:

1. Where to buy the cable. 
I am assuming Amazon would be a good place to start. How about monoprice.com?

2. What would be a good price for a cable? 
I am thinking less than $20.00 (Amazon price!).

3. What specs. should I be looking for on the cable?

4. What would be a good brand to get? And yes I know that if I go through Amazon the brands are iffy at best.

Any help that you can give me will be greatly appreciated?

Thank you.


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

For a 25 foot run, I would use a Redmere active hdmi cable.
Look here: http://www.google.com/search?client...rceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

Is the remote going to work in the other room? Not sure how far an rf signal can penetrate. Seems like an ugly setup if you have the wire snaking around. A mini would allow two people to watch the TVs with different programs.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

1. No.

2. Yes, but your asking question #1 leads me to think you might be confused about how things are going to fit together. People normally put their Roamio and TV in the same location, there isn't usually any point in putting them in different rooms. Why do you want to do this and what do you expect it to do for you?

3. It sounds to me as if you really need a Mini in the other room, but you really haven't explained what's motivating your questions enough to be sure.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

ej42137 said:


> 1. No.
> 
> 2. Yes, but your asking question #1 leads me to think you might be confused about how things are going to fit together. People normally put their Roamio and TV in the same location, there isn't usually any point in putting them in different rooms. Why do you want to do this and what do you expect it to do for you?
> 
> 3. It sounds to me as if you really need a Mini in the other room, but you really haven't explained what's motivating your questions enough to be sure.


My interpretation is that he has two TVs, the Roamio is with his main tv. With only one Hdmi output he would have to change the HDMI cable when he went to the other room or use component to his main tv or use an HDMI switch. And, he would have to hope the remote would work. Most people of course would just put a mini in the other room at a modest cost.


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## chicagobrownblue (May 29, 2008)

I get my cables from http://www.monoprice.com/ based on recommendations from TCF. I'm very satisfied with them. Their cables are so inexpensive you do feel like you are not getting high quality, but you are getting high quality.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

I have a fat passive HDMI cable that is about 55-60' long. It runs from a Dish box (soon to be RIP) to the TV in the bedroom. I plugged it into my new OTA Roamio to see if it worked and it was fine. I am thinking about trying one of those $40 HDMI splitters. The bedroom is actually right behind the Roamio on the other side of the wall but the TV is on the far side and the cable needed to be that long to get up in the attic and back down. The RF remote does seem to work through the block wall OK. 
I am still working out my eventual topology and I may end up with a mini or two but I am taking baby steps right now.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

Thank you for your replies. I will be addressing your questions shortly.

One quick note: I will be moving the TV from my kitchen/office to my bedroom. For this scenario I have only one TV.

Thank you.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Unless your cable is complete crap, you shouldn't have a problem with a 25' HDMI run. I would just buy the Amazon house brand or one from Monoprice; I've never had problems with these two choices. Your difficulty might be with the RF remote, depending upon what your walls are made of and whether there are any other obstructions. The only way to determine whether that will work will be to actually try it. There are ways to get an IR signal to another room for the remote, but a Mini would be just as effective and about the same cost.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

It looks like monoprice.com may have better prices than Amazon.

Information on the TiVo Mini: (via TiVos Mini FAQ)

Can DVR be wireless and still connect to Mini?

No, you must use a wired connection (Ethernet or MoCA) to connect your DVR to a TiVo Mini. Wireless networking is not supported.
---------
It looks like my HDMI scenario and the TiVo Mini have something in commonboth use cable(s).

The Mini cost $150 at TiVo and less at Amazon. The 25ft HDMI cable is cheaper.

Since I do not have the TiVo in front of me, the interface between the Roamio unit, the TV, and the remote is an unknown. When I want to move the TV into the bedroom I will move the Roamio unit so there is more of a line-of-sight connection between the TV and the unit. I will need a longer (10 feet?) Ethernet cable so as to maintain a connection between the DSL modem and the Roamio unit. A 25 foot HDMI will be connected to the Roamio unit and the bedroom TV. Some experimentation with the RF remote I feel will be necessary. Or I can just use the existing setup with a 25 foot HDMI cable and play with the RF remote.

So why did I buy the Roamio unit? The short answer is Windows 10 (W10).

I have at the moment Windows 7 (W7) and Windows Media Center (WMC). Since I see no future for W7 and WMC I will be getting W10 before the end of July. The kicker here is that W10 does not support WMC and thus the need for the Roamio unit.

If I get W10 now I will save around $200. I can apply the $200 to the $400 Roamio unit and save $200creative accounting!

So it looks like I will be playing with the RF remote, the 25 foot HDMI, and maybe a 10 foot Ethernet cable. I have two carts so moving things around will not be a problem.

Wish me luck!!!!!!

Thank you.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

Has anyone hacked a better antenna on the Roamio remote receiver in the unit? 
My Dish box has an external jack for the antenna and I extended that to a 1' square ground plane that extended the range quite a bit.


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## MannyE (Dec 7, 2001)

I have a 50 foot HDMI cable running from the Roamio to my projector which goes through a two output hdmi switcher....no issues. And this is an old cable I bought when HDMI first came out. 

By the way, I get everything at Triangle Cable. I don't see the need to pay ridiculous prices for "specialty cable"


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

ej42137
gfretwell
MannyE

Thank you for your replies.

I have a question.

It looks like I could be getting my Roamio unit today (July 19, 2016). When I get the unit I will be experimenting with the RF remote. With this in mind I have the following question:

Do the Roamio unit and the RF remote have to be facing each other for the two to work together?

I would like to use the RF remote from my living room to activate the Roamio unit that is located in the kitchen/office. In the opposite direction I would like to use the remote from the bedroom to activate the Roamio unit. I would like to NOT move the Roamio unit when I experiment with the remote. Rotating the Roamio unit with all its cords and cables attached to it is problematical. I realize that rotating the unit may give me the best connection between the unit and the remote, but I do not want to do this unless it is necessary. In the end I may have to move the unit to a line-of-sight connection to get my 25 foot HDMI cable plan to work.

Note: The remote will have to shoot through walls and whatnot to activate the unitno line-of-sight here.

Any help that you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

The Roamio and Mini v2 RF remotes do not require line-of-sight, so rotation of the TiVo box isn't a factor. As you indicate, distance and obstructions will be your primary concern.

Just did a basic test, and each of my remotes had no problem controlling their respective device from 30' away, with 2-3 walls intervening.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

krkaufman, thank you for your reply.

I was hoping that there would be no need to rotate the unit. Thank you.

The distance would be less than 15 feet as the crow flies (RF remote) from my Roamio unit to the TV in the bedroom. The HDMI cable would be 25 feet more or less. There is a furnace in the way. I may be able to aim the remote so the furnace will not be a problem.

Stay tune.

Thank you.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

As soon as I track down the right A/V adapter dongle I am going to attach my Roamio to my agile modulator and send the signal to the whole house distribution that my Dish is/was connected to. It shows up as Ch 69 on any set plugged into that cable. The 2 Dish boxes were 73, 75, 77 and 79 with my Replay on Ch 3.
Now it will just be the Roamio.
I am a little disappointed that you can't split the A/V signal from the HDMI since there are multiple tuners in there.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

A quick note.

I have performed an experiment with the RF remote. When I was in my bedroom I aimed the remote at the TiVo unit located in the kitchen. I pressed the ^ on the channel button. When I looked at the TV in the kitchen the channel had changedsuccess! I performed the same experiment except this time I was in my living roomagain success!

Because of the success in my experiments I will be purchasing a 25 foot HDMI cable.

Can someone (assuming the 25 foot HDMI cable will work) tell me why I would need a TiVo Mini? In other words, what can the Mini do for me that the 25 foot HDMI cannot do for me? Please remember that you also need a cable with the TiVo Mini.

Note: The distances involved were less than 20 feet.


Thank you.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

joseph1949 said:


> A quick note.
> 
> I have performed an experiment with the RF remote. When I was in my bedroom I aimed the remote at the TiVo unit located in the kitchen. I pressed the ^ on the channel button. When I looked at the TV in the kitchen the channel had changedsuccess! I performed the same experiment except this time I was in my living roomagain success!
> 
> ...


With a Mini two people can watch different programs at the same time.

Using a Mini would minimize the physical movement of your Roamio and reduce the wear and tear and risk of an accident.

A Mini needs an Ethernet (or MOCA) cable, which is cheaper than a 25' HDMI cable and easier to route. (Of course you still would need a 3' HDMI cable from the Mini to your TV, unless you were going to borrow the Roamio's cable.)

If you've just got the one TV and are going to cart it back and forth anyway, I don't see any big advantage to a Mini over the 25' HDMI cable.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

How much is the mini cost and does it run on your existing network or is it a point to point thing? I have cables everywhere anyway so it is just plugging it in if it runs on my network.
I have an HDMI splitter in the mail as we speak but I could just watch one show at a time. Unless the kids are here, that would be plenty.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

gfretwell said:


> How much is the mini cost and does it run on your existing network or is it a point to point thing? I have cables everywhere anyway so it is just plugging it in if it runs on my network.
> I have an HDMI splitter in the mail as we speak but I could just watch one show at a time. Unless the kids are here, that would be plenty.


$129.00

It connects to your Roamio via Ethernet or MOCA in your existing network.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

ej42137 said:


> $129.00
> 
> It connects to your Roamio via Ethernet or MOCA in your existing network.


OK thanks. Is there a monthly fee too or is it part of "all in"?

I am not sure I will need it but it is good to know that there is a solution if I do.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

gfretwell said:


> OK thanks. Is there a monthly fee too or is it part of "all in"?


All-in/Lifetime. Just the initial purchase cost.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

A quick note

I have purchased the following:

BlueRigger High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet (25 ft). CL3 Rated.
Supports 3D and Audio Return (Latest HDMI version). $13.99 Amazon

When I receive the cable I will post my experience with the cable. I expect no problems.

One of the reasons I purchased my TiVo unit is because I intended to get Windows 10 (W10). Windows 10 does not support Windows Media Center (WMC). My TiVo is a substitute for WMC. Well, as it turns out I cannot download W10. My computer does not support W10. My Dell computer is 6 years old. Microsoft support (paid) told me that Dell does (will) not offer drivers for my computer. I went to Dell support and it said the sameno drivers for my computer. The kicker here is that I get a boat load of messages from Microsoft telling me my computer is all set to download W10NOT!!!!!!!! 

Because I do not trust Microsoft I contacted Microsoft support before trying to download W10. Microsoft is evil!!!!!!

It looks like I will be using Windows 7, WMC (bad EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and all), and TiVo for the foreseeable future. I can live with this!

P.S. Is there a good description on what the TiVo Mini can do? TiVo seems not to offer a good description.

Thank you.


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## chicagobrownblue (May 29, 2008)

joseph1949 said:


> A quick note
> 
> I have purchased the following:
> 
> ...


Thanks.



joseph1949 said:


> My Dell computer is 6 years old. Microsoft support (paid) told me that *Dell does (will) not offer drivers for my computer. I went to Dell support and it said the sameno drivers for my computer*. The kicker here is that I get a boat load of messages from Microsoft telling me my computer is all set to download W10NOT!!!!!!!!


Sounds like Dell is the evil one. What kind of computer? I have a Dell Stduio XPS i7 which I am probably not going to upgrade. It did not occur to me that I might not be able to upgrade it. I'm fine with Win7 Pro on the machine anyway.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

chicagobrownblue said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Sounds like Dell is the evil one. What kind of computer? I have a Dell Stduio XPS i7 which I am probably not going to upgrade. It did not occur to me that I might not be able to upgrade it. I'm fine with Win7 Pro on the machine anyway.


I have a Dell Inspiron i5 that is a couple of years old. Upgraded from Pro7 to 10 yesterday. Went fine.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

joseph1949 said:


> A quick note
> 
> I have purchased the following:
> 
> ...


Even my 8/9 year old low end PCs/laptops had no problem upgrading to windows 10. I've upgraded a dozen systems now and never had any problems. I had expected some issues with the old, slow systems. But even they upgraded without a problem.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

chicagobrownblue and UCLABB, thank you for your replies.

The follow is the procedure I used to determine if my computer could download Widows 10 (W10):

1. Find your Service Tag number. It will look like this: Service Tag: AA9BBC2
You will find the number somewhere on your PC. It could be on the top, side, bottom, back, etc. My number on my Dell computer was found on top.

2. Go to www.dell.com/Support 
Where you see the following message enter your Service Tag number:
Enter a Service Tag or other product ID________ Submit

3. Read what Dell has to say about your PC.

The above procedure should work for any brand of computerI think!

*chicagobrownblue and UCLABB, please perform the above procedure on your computers and tell us what you found out.

*Here are the specs on my Dell computer:

Dell Studio Desktop
XPS 8100
Core i7-860 2.80GHz
1GB NVIDIA GT 220 Graphics
1.5TB 7200RPM SATA II Hard Drive
8MB Cache
8GB DDR3 SCRAM AT 1066MHz (4 X 2GB)
24 monitor
Bought from Costco on 8/2010 for $1200.00. Item # 516073 
At the time this was a top spec computer (excluding gamers and video freaks).

I intend to use this computer until the wheels far off (using Windows 7).

Both Dell and Microsoft are evil. They want you to buy a PC as often as possiblewhether you really need a new one or not!!!!!!!!!

Thank you.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

aaronwt, just read your post. And thank you for your post.

Hmmmm!? After reading your post I think I will call Dell and talk to a real live person about my situation.

Standby!!!!!!


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

Well, I talked to Dell and the long and the short is: ?????????

The Dell person told me that Dell does not yet have drivers for my PC. The Dell person told me to contact Dell support in one or two months to see if Dell has drivers for my PC.

Well, thats great. The free Windows 10 will end July 29, 2016.

*Arronwt, please use the service tag procedure on your computers and tell us what you found out.
*

Thank you.


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## chicagobrownblue (May 29, 2008)

System: Studio XPS 435 MT

Result: "Product not tested for Windows 10 upgrade"

Win7 works fine for me. Microsoft is not providing new C/C++ and SQLServer Express versions for WIN7, which is the only downside for me staying on Win7. My new HP notebook is Win10 so I can always develop there.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

joseph1949 said:


> Well, I talked to Dell and the long and the short is: ?????????
> 
> The Dell person told me that Dell does not yet have drivers for my PC. The Dell person told me to contact Dell support in one or two months to see if Dell has drivers for my PC.
> 
> ...


So you really haven't actually tried to start the 10 download? I'd be pretty surprised if it didn't work. If there were problems there would be all kinds of complaints on the web. It's not like Dells are some obscure brand. Before starting the download it does check your computer for compatibility but I'm not sure how thorough or extensive it is. In any event, after upgrading, Microsoft says you have 30 days to go back to 7.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

gfretwell said:


> ....... I am a little disappointed that you can't split the A/V signal from the HDMI since there are multiple tuners in there.


Say whaaaaaaa......??? HDMI is essentially just a digitized version or your component video and multi channel audio outputs (to keep it simple). It only sends and displays whatever you happen to be tuned to or the menus, etc. It certainly doesn't have all the AV from all the tuners and what they're showing or buffering, so there's absolutely no way to do what you're asking them to do.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

I would like to thank everyone for their replies.

Here is the entire quote from Dell:

Product not tested for Windows 10 upgrade

Dell is not Testing or developing Windows 10 drivers for this product. If you choose to upgrade, some features, applications, and connected devices may not work as expected.
.
Kinda says it all, doesnt it?!

Question: UCLABB, did you use the service tag procedure on your Dell unit(s)? If so, please tell us what you saw.

Before I go on, I would like to quote two old saws:

I smell a rat.
Better the devil you know than the devil that you dont know.

The pop-up box from Microsoft says my PC is compatibility with Windows 10 (W10). Microsoft says nothing about drivers.hmmmmm! Microsoft support, Dell support, and Costco support, all say that my PC will choke on W10. I think I smell a rat.

Yes, it is true if you upgrade to W10 you can go back to W7 before thirty days are up. So you go back to W7 and your PC is not rightwho you gonna call? If you trust Microsoft you are very naïve.

I will be sticking with my W7, Windows Media Center (bad EPG et al), and my new TiVo Roamio OTA. I may have to pay for W10, but I rather do that then suffer the aggravation of a buggy W10 or a non-working W7 (can we say f-u-l-l r-e-c-o-v-e-r-y). Better the devil you know than the devil that you dont know.

Thank you.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

HarperVision said:


> Say whaaaaaaa......??? HDMI is essentially just a digitized version or your component video and multi channel audio outputs (to keep it simple). It only sends and displays whatever you happen to be tuned to or the menus, etc. It certainly doesn't have all the AV from all the tuners and what they're showing or buffering, so there's absolutely no way to do what you're asking them to do.


My Dish box seems to manage it. They have 2 tuners and 2 outputs. You can have both in on both for PiP or 2 separate outputs.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

Dell says that mine is tested and compatible with W10. I think you're smart to stick with 7. I've yet to read of any significant advantages of 10 over 7 at least for me. And, I've had, as well as a lot of others, trouble with computer waking up from sleep on its own and shutting down on its own. Probably more issues will be popping up as well.



joseph1949 said:


> I would like to thank everyone for their replies.
> 
> Here is the entire quote from Dell:
> 
> ...


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

gfretwell said:


> My Dish box seems to manage it. They have 2 tuners and 2 outputs. You can have both in on both for PiP or 2 separate outputs.


PiP is just the two signals being internally superimposed, and like you said, "They have 2 tuners and 2 outputs." It's not the two tuners on one HDMI. PiP appears as a single video signal on the HDMI cable, not two separate tuners. If you took the HDMI with PiP on it, it's not like you can separate the tuner images apart again.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

UCLABB said:


> I've yet to read of any significant advantages of 10 over 7 at least for me....


Being able to use Win10 built in Virus protection is Huge. My Inspiron Dell 1545 laptop with a $60 ssd in now usable. It had been torture under win7 and avast.


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## chicagobrownblue (May 29, 2008)

I think you'll be able to get the drivers you need. I previewed Win10 Pro before Win10 launched. The Microsoft compatability tool warned me that my wired network connection was not supported but my wireless was. My HP LaserJet/Fax/Scan did not have drivers. 

Once Win10 launched the drivers for the wired network connection auto installed. And, at some point, the drivers for my HP auto-installed. 

I think you'll get the drivers you need. If not, you can roll back.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

HarperVision said:


> PiP is just the two signals being internally superimposed, and like you said, "They have 2 tuners and 2 outputs." It's not the two tuners on one HDMI. PiP appears as a single video signal on the HDMI cable, not two separate tuners. If you took the HDMI with PiP on it, it's not like you can separate the tuner images apart again.


I was talking about the HDMI and the A/V.. You can't split them


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

The following is the best information on the TiVo Mini that I could find without spending a boat load of time on the internet.

http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-mini-dvr-companion.php

Overview

 Connects to any 4-tuner or 6-tuner TiVo DVR (including BOLT, Roamio, Premiere 4, XL4/Elite) through your home network
 Watch live TV or recorded shows from your main TiVo DVR
 Access your 4- or 6-tuner TiVo DVR to schedule recordings, WishList® searches and Season Pass® recordings
 Provides access to movies and music from Hulu Plus, Pandora,® Spotify, YouTube and other broadband content providers
 Streams music and photos from any home network and the web
 Now includes an RF remote!
 Slide Keyboard Remote optional

As you can see the Mini and my Roamio are basically the same. The only reason I can see getting a Mini is if your TiVo RF remote control cannot reach your TiVo unit. My remote can reach my TiVo unit (bedroom to the kitchen) so I do not need a Mini. I only need a HDMI (25 feet) cable. Since my Roamio has four tuners you could set-up four Mini in four rooms and four people could watch four different shows at the same time. This would be a reason to get a Mini(s). Note: I am not sure if the HDMI switch/four tuners/four Mini/four rooms/four people scenario would work.

The main problem for me to upgrade to Windows 10 is that I believe I have more to lose than to gain.

What I can gain:

1. Windows 10 has a number of attributes that I probably need.
2. Windows 10 is free (until July 29, 2016). 
3. ?

What I will lose:

1. I will lose Windows Media Center (WMC). Windows 10 does not support WMC.
2. If I upgrade to Windows 10 it may be so buggy that I will take days to get W10 to work.
3. My Windows 7 (W7) is working just finenow. If I go with W10 and its buggy I can go back to W7. So, what do I do if the go-back W7 is not working? I am looking at a dead-in-the-water computer. Gee! I now can buy a new Dell computer with W10not!!!!!

My Tivo Roamio OTA unit will let me experiment with WMC to see if I can get the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) to operate correctly.

Note: When Microsoft switched from zap2it to Rovi it was telling everyone that Microsoft no longer cares about WMC. When Rovi took over as the EPG provider my TV guide no longer worked except for PBS Channel 7 (C7). I was getting over nine watchable/recordable channels. With TiVo I have the nine+ channels back. Months ago I stopped experimentally with the EPG in fear of not wanting to lose the one channel (C7) that I actually watched/recorded. Since I have the Tivo unit I can now try to get the nine+ channels back (on the WMC) without the fear of losing C7 (i.e. watch/record C7 by using TiVo).

I need to google Rovi/WMC see if there has been any progress in solving the EPG problem.

Thank you.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

Super quick note

After doing a google I was looking at something called EPG123. It purports to be a replacement for Rovis EPG for WMC. It looks like it has been out since the first(?) of the year. I am no early adapter so will wait and see!!! 

Standby


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

joseph1949 said:


> The following is the &#147;best&#148; information on the TiVo Mini that I could find without spending a boat load of time on the internet. http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-mini-dvr-companion.php Overview &#149; Connects to any 4-tuner or 6-tuner TiVo DVR (including BOLT, Roamio, Premiere 4, XL4/Elite) through your home network &#149; Watch live TV or recorded shows from your main TiVo DVR &#149; Access your 4- or 6-tuner TiVo DVR to schedule recordings, WishList® searches and Season Pass® recordings &#149; Provides access to movies and music from Hulu Plus, Pandora,® Spotify,&#153; YouTube&#153; and other broadband content providers &#149; Streams music and photos from any home network and the web &#149; Now includes an RF remote! &#149; Slide Keyboard Remote optional As you can see the Mini and my Roamio are basically the same. The only reason I can see getting a Mini is if your TiVo RF remote control cannot reach your TiVo unit. My remote can reach my TiVo unit (bedroom to the kitchen) so I do not need a Mini. I only need a HDMI (25 feet) cable. Since my Roamio has four tuners you could set-up four Mini in four rooms and four people could watch four different shows at the same time. This would be a reason to get a Mini(s). Note: I am not sure if the HDMI switch/four tuners/four Mini/four rooms/four people scenario would work. The main problem for me to upgrade to Windows 10 is that I believe I have more to lose than to gain. What I can gain: 1. Windows 10 has a number of attributes that I probably need. 2. Windows 10 is free (until July 29, 2016). 3. ? What I will lose: 1. I will lose Windows Media Center (WMC). Windows 10 does not support WMC. 2. If I upgrade to Windows 10 it may be so buggy that I will take days to get W10 to work. 3. My Windows 7 (W7) is working just fine&#151;now. If I go with W10 and its buggy I can go back to W7. So, what do I do if the go-back W7 is not working? I am looking at a dead-in-the-water computer. Gee! I now can buy a new Dell computer with W10&#151;not!!!!! My Tivo Roamio OTA unit will let me experiment with WMC to see if I can get the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) to operate correctly. Note: When Microsoft switched from zap2it to Rovi it was telling everyone that Microsoft no longer cares about WMC. When Rovi took over as the EPG provider my TV guide no longer worked except for PBS&#146; Channel 7 (C7). I was getting over nine watchable/recordable channels. With TiVo I have the nine+ channels back. Months ago I stopped experimentally with the EPG in fear of not wanting to lose the one channel (C7) that I actually watched/recorded. Since I have the Tivo unit I can now try to get the nine+ channels back (on the WMC) without the fear of losing C7 (i.e. watch/record C7 by using TiVo). I need to google Rovi/WMC see if there has been any progress in solving the EPG problem. Thank you.


Yes, but if you just use the Roamio and a long HDMI cable, you have to watch the same thing on both TVs, living room and kitchen. If you get a mini for the kitchen, then you can watch separate things on each TV. Not sure if that matters for you though?


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

joseph1949 said:


> The following is the best information on the
> The main problem for me to upgrade to Windows 10 is that I believe I have more to lose than to gain.
> 
> What I can gain:
> ...


The safest way to test 10 is to put another drive in your system (or a USB backup drive) and image your current C: to it. Take it out and save it. Then go ahead and do the W/10 conversion. If you hate it you can always go back.
If you can boot from the USB, you could run both by pointing the boot sequence at the other drive. I ran XP and W/98 for a couple years that way until I got all of my W/98 applications migrated over. I still have a W/98 system in my network. I have a W/7 machine here but I seldom use it. Most of my machines (5) are still XP.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

A quick note

Thank you for your replies.

I got the 25 feet HDMI cable on Friday (7-29-2016). I hooked it up to my TV (moved the 32 TV from the kitchen to the bedroom) and to the Roamio OTA. I aimed the RF remote located in the bedroom to the Roamio unit located in the kitchen and it workedas expected. This tells me I do not need a TiVo Mini. One can try a HDMI switch and see if you can have four people watch four different programs in four rooms all at the same time. Can you do this with four Mini/Ethernet cables?

Note: I may want to use a HDMI switch to help with the disconnecting/connecting of the HDMI cable. Also, I think I will be getting a TV power adapter to use in the bedroom. Disconnecting/connecting the TV power adapter from the TV is a pain.

Gfretwell, thank you for your reply. I believe XP is a bit dated. All that moving stuff around is where monsters be.

*Question: What do you do about viruses if you are using XP?

*Thank you.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

joseph1949 said:


> ........One can try a HDMI switch and see if you can have four people watch four different programs in four rooms all at the same time.


No, as stated earlier, HDMI only carries one video channel at a time. It doesn't have all four of the Roamio's tuner's video signals embedded on it. You can however have four different people in four different rooms watch the SAME program though.



joseph1949 said:


> ......Can you do this with four Mini/Ethernet cables?........


No, you can't do it with four minis if you have a Roamio OTA because it only has four tuners and it reserves one for itself. You can however have three minis hooked to your Roamio OTA and all accessing a different tuner each. In this case you could have four total rooms watching different things, one Roamio OTA room and 3 mini rooms. If you need more than 3 minis using a tuner, you have to upgrade to the Roamio plus or Pro, which each have six tuners, but then they don't support OTA antenna.


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## joseph1949 (Jul 16, 2016)

HarperVision, thank you for your reply. I knew that my HDMI scenario with four people/four different shows/etc. would not work. I just wanted a knowledgeable person to confirm it. What I wasnt sure of was the four Mini/four different shows scenario. It looks like the only reason to get two or more Mini is to watch different programs at the same time. The kicker here is you still have to run cables for the HDMI scenario or for the Mini scenario.

Note: TiVo is very cavalier when it talks about Network this and Network that. TiVo does not want you to use Wi-Fi. It is cables all day every day. If you built a house from the ground up a decent Network would cost $10,000+. This is one thing that I have against TiVo. TiVo should be more upfront about their anti-Wi-Fi thinking. I should be clear here and say that I am no fan of Wi-Fibetter to use cables.

*Question: If you use a HDMI switch, would the signal be degraded if you have two or more cables coming out of the switch. Could you see a difference on the TVs?
*
Thank you.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

joseph1949 said:


> HarperVision, thank you for your reply. I knew that my HDMI scenario with four people/four different shows/etc. would not work. I just wanted a knowledgeable person to confirm it. What I wasnt sure of was the four Mini/four different shows scenario. It looks like the only reason to get two or more Mini is to watch different programs at the same time. The kicker here is you still have to run cables for the HDMI scenario or for the Mini scenario.
> 
> Note: TiVo is very cavalier when it talks about Network this and Network that. TiVo does not want you to use Wi-Fi. It is cables all day every day. If you built a house from the ground up a decent Network would cost $10,000+. This is one thing that I have against TiVo. TiVo should be more upfront about their anti-Wi-Fi thinking. I should be clear here and say that I am no fan of Wi-Fibetter to use cables.
> 
> ...


You're welcome! 

You shouldn't see a difference on the TVs from the splitter, unless there's a bad cable or too long of a cable involved. Then you may see sparklies, mpeg blocking/noise or signal loss.

In some instances, HDMI splitters actually help because they may include repeater/equalization abilities that can refresh and amplify a signal that gets weak from a long a cable run. HDMI splitters aren't like cable tv splitters, where they lose some of their RF power because HDMI is basically just digital ones and zeros that get duplicated in the HDMI splitter.


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

gfretwell said:


> I have a fat passive HDMI cable that is about 55-60' long. It runs from a Dish box (soon to be RIP) to the TV in the bedroom. I plugged it into my new OTA Roamio to see if it worked and it was fine. I am thinking about trying one of those $40 HDMI splitters. The bedroom is actually right behind the Roamio on the other side of the wall but the TV is on the far side and the cable needed to be that long to get up in the attic and back down. The RF remote does seem to work through the block wall OK.
> I am still working out my eventual topology and I may end up with a mini or two but I am taking baby steps right now.


I think the HDCP on HDMI through an external splitter (as opposed to one built into a good AVR or DVDO product) will downgrade the audio on at least ONE of the HDMI outputs to 2 channel stereo. That's a consideration if one wants surround coming out of both HDMI outs.


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## gfretwell (Jul 9, 2016)

I am not sure you get 5.1 OTA in the first place but I am running a splitter on the HDMI and so far so good. One is a 5' going to the living room TV and the long one goes to the bedroom on the other side of the wall, up through the attic.


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## aristoBrat (Dec 30, 2002)

joseph1949 said:


> It looks like the only reason to get two or more Mini is to watch different programs at the same time. The kicker here is you still have to run cables for the HDMI scenario or for the Mini scenario.


I know this doesn't help in your situation, but for houses that have "cable jacks" that run to all of the rooms that have TVs, TiVo made the Mini (and most Roamios) so they're able to communicate over that wire, instead of having to use Wi-Fi or run Ethernet network cables.



> If you built a house from the ground up a decent Network would cost $10,000+.


I guess that is a "your mileage may vary" kind of thing.

I just had a house built, and the builder included a cable jack in every bedroom (and family room) for free. That's what I'm using to network my Roamio and five Minis on. So no cost to get the wiring that a TiVo can use for networking.

I was able to get 13 Ethernet network jacks for $850. Builder included three with the house, and the other 10 were $85/each.


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