# Allow Mini tuner buffer to be recorded



## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

Running a Roamio Pro with 2nd generation Minis.

Currently, if I'm watching a show and I'm at the 10 minute point in the buffer (so 20 minutes behind live), if I hit the record button the Mini is switched to another tuner on the same channel and begins recording from that point forward with no buffer. 

Not only does it not record what's in the buffer, but the buffer contents are lost.

I don't see a good reason to switch away to another tuner and lose the Mini buffer contents. The Roamio itself doesn't behave this way - under identical circumstances, hitting the record button will record the full buffer contents and allow you to keep watching from the current position. 

The mini would behave the same way if not for the tuner change when the record button is pushed. I suggest a relatively simple coding change would allow the Mini to behave the same way as the Roamio to which it is tethered.


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## Sportsnut (Apr 11, 2014)

dougdingle said:


> Running a Roamio Pro with 2nd generation Minis.
> 
> Currently, if I'm watching a show and I'm at the 10 minute point in the buffer (so 20 minutes behind live), if I hit the record button the Mini is switched to another tuner on the same channel and begins recording from that point forward with no buffer.
> 
> ...


I like this idea also. I found this out the hard way when I decided to record something I was watching on the mini and lost the part that I already watched. I discovered the workaround is to release the tuner on the mini and then go to the Roamio and go to that tuner and record it from there since the buffer is still there. It shouldn't be that difficult.


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

Since this inevitably happens to me after I've already gone upstairs to bed, and I'm watching something but know I'm going to fall asleep soon, so want to record it, the workaround won't work for me. 

I think this would be an easy 'fix' if someone at TiVo wanted to do it. Just don't change tuners when the Mini user hits the record button. I can't think of a reason it's coded the way it currently is.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

It should definitely have been done that way, much in the same way that a Mini should be able to surf all the available tuners on the host DVR. Alas, we're stuck with a solution a step better than the original dedicating a tuner per Mini.

I'd think the suggested approach could be implemented without a complete rework. The Mini would just have to surrender its tuner and its buffer to the host DVR, and then rerequest a live tuner or get bumped to My Shows if none are available.


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## m.s (Mar 8, 2007)

This isn't hard. A Mini should behave exactly like a TiVo base unit, unless there are no available tuners to support the request (in which case, the user should be given a warning and choice about whether to continue).


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

It's easy, remembering is the hard part.

Release the tuner by going to TiVo Central
Launch the Guide

Go to the channel you were watching
Hit Record
Buffer is now saved and recorded.


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## Sportsnut (Apr 11, 2014)

CoxInPHX said:


> It's easy, remembering is the hard part.
> 
> Release the tuner by going to TiVo Central
> Launch the Guide
> ...


Thanks for this tip. I tried it today and it worked for me on Hydra. Way better than my method of releasing the tuner and going to the main unit to record which for me is in the basement. Also, it went back to the beginning of the show which was 48 minutes in. I know with my Roamio it would record back to the beginning of a show but it would only go back about 35 minutes max if it was already more than that in.


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