# Roamio Plus And What???



## wecnews (Oct 19, 2009)

I have my roamio plus -- and purchased 2 mini's to replace 2 of my tivo HD's

I have two more tivo hd's in my house that we never really use. (in a guest room and the garage)

We use very little of the roamio's capacity. Only 3 person household and 1 is a toddler who watches little TV

Our hard drive is always less than 5% full.

One of my tivo HD's died. (the one in the guest room) It has lifetime so tivo wants to give me a 2-tuner premiere for it for free or I could pay half price and get a tivo mini.

I would rather the mini because then i have 1 tivo (roamio) doing all the recording and the mini lets me access that same list without transferring, it's just instant access.

a 2-tuner premiere doesn't do that right???

it just seems silly to pay for the mini when I could get the two tuner premiere for free.

but i have to admit i love having the mini's and just 1 main tivo. 

i ideally would have all mini's and 1 main tivo, so that i can access the same recording list no matter where i am in the house.

what would you do?

2 tuner premiere or multi room instant viewing mini


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Are they transferring your lifetime service over to the new one from your dead HD? If so then definitely the Premiere.


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## wecnews (Oct 19, 2009)

HarperVision said:


> Are they transferring your lifetime service over to the new one from your dead HD? If so then definitely the Premiere.


Yes it will transfer. Can you tell me why it's so clear cut to you?

I find the mini more advanced since it shares recording list from roamio


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## bostlaw (May 16, 2005)

wecnews said:


> Yes it will transfer. Can you tell me why it's so clear cut to you?
> 
> I find the mini more advanced since it shares recording list from roamio


Although you'll have a monthly charge for the Premiere cable card roughly equivalent to the monthly service charge for the Mini, you'll have two additional tuners (perhaps not so important), some additional recording capacity (perhaps not so important), plus a functioning TV should the Roamio go down for some reason (a bit more important)... I also like the Mini and will soon have three in use with my Roamio Pro....I'm giving my lifetime HD to a relative...and I'm keeping my two tuner Premiere as a spare in case something happens to the Roamio... In your case, I'd take the Premiere to have a backup around.... But it's all a matter of personal choice....


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

wecnews said:


> Yes it will transfer. Can you tell me why it's so clear cut to you?
> 
> I find the mini more advanced since it shares recording list from roamio


Yeah, what Bostlaw said, and due to the value of the Premiere over the mini. It would be $450+ to get a premiere with lifetime and the resale value is about $300. The mini is only $250 new with lifetime. I do like the mini and have 2 myself, but if someone gave me that choice I'd probably do as I recommended.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Premiere, skip the cablecard, but add an antenna, why not?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

because it's old? I think I will be selling my Lifetime Premiere I got $99 lifetime on. I was going to keep it around for a spare for my GFs S3 boxes, but if I can get $300 for the Premiere I might as well sell it to someone who wants a two tuner DVR that can do OTA and cable at the same time.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

If I were starting from scratch, using a Mini in rooms that aren't used much is the perfect solution. The reason is, you don't have to pay for a cablecard monthly fee and you don't have to deal with having multiple cablecard/tuning adapter setups. Having a single DVR makes it easy to manage recordings and the Mini would not take up a tuner unless it is being used actively. If you are putting a Premiere in a room that isn't used much, then it is just a glorified cable box. Are you really going to go through the trouble of setting up and managing recordings on a TiVo you rarely use?

Everyone's experience and needs are different though.


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

wecnews said:


> Yes it will transfer. Can you tell me why it's so clear cut to you?
> 
> I find the mini more advanced since it shares recording list from roamio


It is not as clear cut to me either. Yes, the refurbished premiere + lifetime might go for $250-$300 on eBay or Craigslist where-as a new Mini + Lifetime is only about $225-$250.

But, as you point out with the Mini you get these benefits;

Faster CPU and better apps experience than the Premiere
Integrated recording and live TV from main TiVo
Much lower power consumption
No cable card rental (and this is a BIG one. After 3 years this could add another $150-$300 to your total cost of ownership).

I personally would get the Mini + Lifetime without skipping a beat. Much more useful for me than a 2nd TiVo that I will never watch recordings on, and that I will have to use in a clunkier fashion to transfer/stream recordings from the Roamio that IS doing all of the recording.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

jmpage2 said:


> I personally would get the Mini + Lifetime without skipping a beat. Much more useful for me than a 2nd TiVo that I will never watch recordings on, and that I will have to use in a clunkier fashion to transfer/stream recordings from the Roamio that IS doing all of the recording.


I think the only reason to get another TiVo Roamio/Premiere instead of a Mini is if you use that particular TV a lot or you want separate recordings. If you have a small household and 6 tuners is more than you will ever need, then Minis in extra rooms make more sense.


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## ltxi (Feb 14, 2010)

The S4 works interactively very well with the Roamios. Take the deal.


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## bostlaw (May 16, 2005)

rainwater said:


> I think the only reason to get another TiVo Roamio/Premiere instead of a Mini is if you use that particular TV a lot or you want separate recordings. If you have a small household and 6 tuners is more than you will ever need, then Minis in extra rooms make more sense.


Until the Roamio goes down and you're left with no TV....


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

bostlaw said:


> Until the Roamio goes down and you're left with no TV....


Most people can survive without TV for a few days... I know I can. Not to mention that there's nothing to stop you from going to your local Best Buy and getting a new one, or having Amazon overnight you one, or........

The mini makes far more sense financially if you already have a Roamio. Arguing someone needs a "backup" is like arguing that a backup smart phone is needed in case yours fails or breaks... how many people have backup smart phones ready to go? Most people rely on their phones more than their TiVo.


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## wecnews (Oct 19, 2009)

Happy to know others see why I wanted the mini.

Bottom line it's what I need, and I don't see the benefit of the premiere, other than having a second actual tivo.

But I think when it dies, I'll survive going 2-3 with no tivo, or just get one overnighted.

Only thing that seems dumb for me is paying for the mini with I can get the premiere for free.

I may just get the premiere, sell it, and then get the mini if it goes on sale.

because with prices the way they are now. it's not worth the trouble.

sigh..


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## bostlaw (May 16, 2005)

jmpage2 said:


> Most people can survive without TV for a few days... I know I can. Not to mention that there's nothing to stop you from going to your local Best Buy and getting a new one, or having Amazon overnight you one, or........
> 
> The mini makes far more sense financially if you already have a Roamio. Arguing someone needs a "backup" is like arguing that a backup smart phone is needed in case yours fails or breaks... how many people have backup smart phones ready to go? Most people rely on their phones more than their TiVo.


I'm not sure how the Mini "makes far more sense financially" in such circumstances. The premise was that the Premiere was free...I wouldn't suggest going out to buy a Premiere over a Mini...At a price of $0, it's got advantages. Hell, with the money you save, you could buy a backup cell phone...


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

wecnews said:


> I would rather the mini because then i have 1 tivo (roamio) doing all the recording and the mini lets me access that same list without transferring, it's just instant access.
> 
> a 2-tuner premiere doesn't do that right???


Wrong, it does. I don't want to get too into the comparison, since I haven't actually used the Mini, but the 2-tuner Premiere supports the same kind of streaming.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

wmcbrine said:


> Wrong, it does. I don't want to get too into the comparison, since I haven't actually used the Mini, but the 2-tuner Premiere supports the same kind of streaming.


True but you don't get the integrated My Shows and Season Pass management with the Premiere from the main Roamio. So it is not really a "client". And Netflix and the other apps run terrible on the Premiere. This is why I would rather use a Mini unless you need the extra tuners on the Plus/Pro.


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## NJguy (Sep 11, 2013)

So there are 3 of you in the house (1 a toddler though). You have a Roamio and 2 minis. Why would you want/need another box? Couldn't you put a mini in the guest room when guests come over? I'm just thinking maybe you could get your lifetime transferred to one (or maybe even both of the mini's you currently have). I guess if that doesn't work I'm of the mindset "free is for me." so I'd go with the premiere since it's in the guest room and probably won't be used as much as others, unless you have guest 3 weeks or more out of the month.


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

bostlaw said:


> I'm not sure how the Mini "makes far more sense financially" in such circumstances. The premise was that the Premiere was free...I wouldn't suggest going out to buy a Premiere over a Mini...At a price of $0, it's got advantages. Hell, with the money you save, you could buy a backup cell phone...


The premiere requires a cable card rental, the mini does not, that's why if things are equal the mini makes more sense financially. From a functionality standpoint the mini is much faster and and the app experience is much better.


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## gigaguy (Aug 30, 2013)

Sounds you want a Mini, and have little use of a Premiere box. Your current setup is the Roamio + Minis. Main benefit pf the Premiere is to have a free? lifetimed Premiere box, but you don't mention you want or need that..
You do mention costs, so I'd suggest, like others, get the lifetimed Premiere and sell it and buy a Mini.


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## bostlaw (May 16, 2005)

jmpage2 said:


> The premiere requires a cable card rental, the mini does not, that's why if things are equal the mini makes more sense financially. From a functionality standpoint the mini is much faster and and the app experience is much better.


The cost of the cable card is roughly the equivalent of the monthly Mini service... thus, I don't see the financial advantage to the Mini... The Mini is faster than the Premiere...(except for channel changing while watching "live" TV)... The app experience is better on the newer machines...Streaming between the Roamio and the Premiere isn't any slower than between the Roamio and the Mini...at least not on my machines... In any event, I hate contrarians...and I seem to be taking that role...So, I leave my thoughts as just that...thoughts to consider... Happy TiVoing...


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

I assumed we are comparing lifetime on both.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

A premiere does not require a cable card to work. And it picks up OTA for free.


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

jrtroo said:


> A premiere does not require a cable card to work. And it picks up OTA for free.


Do you really think that an OTA premiere with its sluggish UI trumps a Mini for use in another room of the home? I don't and I doubt I'm the only one.

In any event, the OP should get the premiere w/lifetime, sell it and buy a mini w/lifetime with the proceeds.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

jmpage2 said:


> Do you really think that an OTA with its sluggish UI trumps a Mini for use in another room of the home? I don't and I doubt I'm the only one.
> 
> In any event, the OP should get the premiere w/lifetime, sell it and buy a mini w/lifetime with the proceeds.


I agree. The premiere offer from them is the better value, but no one says you can't take that value and turn it into something that suits your needs better while retaining the value gained.


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## sleepdragon (May 22, 2010)

Get the premiere with lifetime free free then sell it...


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Its for a guest room, right? I'm thinking most guests would not know it is slow and would appreciate a bunch of shows ready for them to watch without having to be concerned about the rest of the house. In addition, it appeared the OP was looking for a cheap and effortless box to use. All of these other options are great, no doubt, I'm just making sure the OP understands that the premiere could be truly without cost and would not need ANY additional fees (like a cablecard) or effort (buying/selling boxes to recover the value).


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

jmpage2 said:


> Do you really think that an OTA premiere with its sluggish UI trumps a Mini for use in another room of the home? I don't and I doubt I'm the only one.
> 
> In any event, the OP should get the premiere w/lifetime, sell it and buy a mini w/lifetime with the proceeds.


If you want OTA for a backup it does. Then it can be used to record OTA, as well as stream content from the Roamio.

If you have no need for OTA, then the Mini makes more sense.


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