# Mini live TV stream viewing on other units?



## tbielowicz (Apr 16, 2009)

Just installed three Mini's this weekend! So far all is good. But I do have some questions for you guys.

1) Lets say game is on and you want all TVs to view it at the same time. Is this possible? At the same point in the stream? Or does it have. Be recorded from the main TiVo and then all other Mini's stream?

2) if someone is watching a show on a Mini via live TV, is there any way a person on another Elite or Mini jump onto that stream? For example, upstairs yells down, check out this show... And then I can pop on and view it? Or again, does there need to be a recording? 

I know the Mini actually records the live TV, but it does not show up on the main Tivo unit as a recording. At least from what I could find. IMO, that should be available to all TiVo units. 

Thanks.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

This weekend I watched a couple of shows and while it was playing from one Mini I started playing it from another Mini or Elite. And it started around where the first mini was playing it. Although I never checked to see how close in sync they were. I only noticed it was around the same spot in the recording.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

tbielowicz said:


> Just installed three Mini's this weekend! So far all is good. But I do have some questions for you guys.
> 
> 1) Lets say game is on and you want all TVs to view it at the same time. Is this possible? At the same point in the stream? Or does it have. Be recorded from the main TiVo and then all other Mini's stream?
> 
> 2) if someone is watching a show on a Mini via live TV, is there any way a person on another Elite or Mini jump onto that stream? For example, upstairs yells down, check out this show... And then I can pop on and view it? Or again, does there need to be a recording?


Being one of the few people with multiple Minis, I would think you are in the best position to test all of that, although if I had to guess, I would say that there would be no way for another TiVo to access the live stream. The "main" TiVo or another mini - maybe. If they can, more than likely the "main" mini is in control of the stream. Even here, it is doubtful. You are asking the TiVo to send the same stream to multiple destinations.



tbielowicz said:


> I know the Mini actually records the live TV, but it does not show up on the main Tivo unit as a recording. At least from what I could find. IMO, that should be available to all TiVo units.


I don't believe the Mini records anything. It simply uses the live buffer of the source TiVo.


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

From a purely technical standpoint there should be no problem with doing what is requested. The feed that needs to be viewed in every room can be sent by multi-cast, so that all TiVos that want to "latch" that stream can do so.

Whether TiVo have implemented that, and whether or not there are lots of legal reasons they can or can't do it are other questions entirely.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Even if they have/added multi-streaming for "live" TV, the initiating Mini would control the stream.


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## sbiller (May 10, 2002)

Here's another scenario... The three available Host DVR tuners are all recording shows. The Mini is watching live TV of a 4th show. Could you hit record on the Mini and actually start recording 4 shows simultaneously on the Host DVR effectively "not losing" the 4th tuner for recording? I would think the Mini "live stream" that's being recorded would be available via My Shows to the Host DVR.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

i haven't tried that. I do know that even though you might have 30 minutes in the buffer for the tuner the Mini is using. If you hit record it will use another tuner and start recording from the point you hit record. You don't get the part in the buffer on the recording like you would from the host unit.


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## sbiller (May 10, 2002)

aaronwt said:


> i haven't tried that. I do know that even though you might have 30 minutes in the buffer for the tuner the Mini is using. If you hit record it will use another tuner and start recording from the point you hit record. You don't get the part in the buffer on the recording like you would from the host unit.


Ahhh... sounds like it won't work. Thanks.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I'm going to try it out in a few minutes. Right now my Elites are still disconnected from the network.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I had three recordings taking place on my host ELite. My Mini was tuned to a channel and when I tried to record it a message came up that said it would need to cancel one of the other three recordings for me to record the new one.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

aaronwt said:


> I had three recordings taking place on my host ELite. My Mini was tuned to a channel and when I tried to record it a message came up that said it would need to cancel one of the other three recordings for me to record the new one.


There's something else you might check, assuming you have someone else in the household. When you push the record button on the Mini and there is only one uncommitted tuner on the TiVo, if someone is viewing live TV on the TiVo, are they given the option to refuse the request?


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## sbiller (May 10, 2002)

aaronwt said:


> I had three recordings taking place on my host ELite. My Mini was tuned to a channel and when I tried to record it a message came up that said it would need to cancel one of the other three recordings for me to record the new one.


Thanks for confirming. That clears up another mystery for me.


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## tbielowicz (Apr 16, 2009)

Thanks to all that replied. 

BTW - I know that the Mini doesn't record, I meant the "live TV" stream that was being used off the 4th Tuner. In essence, that tuner is recording.

I was finally able to do some testing on my units. The missing feature is being able to share the "live TV" tuner stream. Every other Tivo unit on the network should be able to link into that stream (not hijack it). 

If Tivo could take care of unused Tuner Allocation and enable the tuner that is being used for live TV to stream to all other Tivo devices, then IMO, we would have a great device.

Of course, Netflix and a 6 tuner Tivo model would make it perfect!


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