# Tivo Mini plays content in the middle of the night



## qlafferty (Mar 10, 2003)

I have a Tivo Mini connected to my home computer and the audio is feeding into the 'line in' input on my PC. I have a multiple monitor setup and occasionally I switch the input on one my screens to the Tivo Mini so that I can watch TV at my desk. I just got this set up a couple of days ago and during the day it works very well for me. 

The problem is that in the middle of the night I will suddenly start hearing audio coming from my computer speakers because the Tivo Mini starts playing content unsolicited. If I forget and leave my computer volume turned up high it is very startling and unwelcome. 

For instance at 4AM this morning I was awoken by my Tivo Mini. I had not used the Mini at all yesterday and hadn't really thought about it. I worked at my computer in my home office and apparently I left my PC at full volume when I finished for the day. Typically not a problem since my computer doesn't generate any audio when I am not at my desk. Anyway, at 4AM my speakers started blaring audio because the Tivo Mini started playing a show of some kind. Weird. Does anyone understand this behavior? Do you think the Mini is rebooting or something?

I really want to stop it from doing this because I don't always remember to mute the volume on my PC at night and this issue is upsetting me and my wife as we have been woken up by the Tivo Mini the last two nights.


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## tatergator1 (Mar 27, 2008)

On most mornings, I find that when checking the host Roamio, it says that my Mini currently has a tuner allocated to it. I many instances, the Mini hasn't been used in a few days, and no tuner is allocated to it when I go to bed the previous night. Coupled with your observations, it does seem there is some sort of bug in the software that causes the Mini to randomly grab a tuner in the middle of the night. Perhaps it's a side-effect of some sort of syncing with the host, or the daily connection to the Tivo servers.

I've always just ignored it since it doesn't really affect me negatively. However, I would also be annoyed if my setup was like yours.


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## eboydog (Mar 24, 2006)

qlafferty said:


> I have a Tivo Mini connected to my home computer and the audio is feeding into the 'line in' input on my PC. I have a multiple monitor setup and occasionally I switch the input on one my screens to the Tivo Mini so that I can watch TV at my desk. I just got this set up a couple of days ago and during the day it works very well for me.
> 
> The problem is that in the middle of the night I will suddenly start hearing audio coming from my computer speakers because the Tivo Mini starts playing content unsolicited. If I forget and leave my computer volume turned up high it is very startling and unwelcome.
> 
> ...


Does your pc say updates have been applied when you go to shut the audio off? It would be easy to miss if you are half asleep at three in the morning.

If your pc is updating with windows updates, that might be the cause. The audio is always active and the pc rebooting could be causing the hdmi to go active when the monitor resets. I know one of my minis on a tv I have won't release the hdmi port unless I tell the mini to release the tuner. I have seen that mini of mine hang on to a tuner and stay active several hours longer than it should, almost as if its monitoring the hdmi port thinking the tv is on. But something has to be triggerering the mini to grab a tuner since I think its a 3 hour timeout before the mini releases the tuner.

To test this, set your Microsoft updates to notify you but not update unless you say to do so and when there.are updates, manually apply the updates and when you reboot see what happens?

Weird things happens when ms windows does automatic updates, just a shot in the dark?


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

I noticed ever since the Roamio launch (which came with the dynamic tuning allocation), that the Mini intermittently hangs onto tuners (or takes them) even if it's left on a menu. Hasn't been a pressing issue since the Roamio is programmed to take the tuner if its needed, but it's a strange thing that does exist.

Pressing the Tivo button again always seemed to fix it, but who wants to babysit it.


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## southerndoc (Apr 5, 2003)

I emailed Margret about it today. 4 of my tuners were taken up. Luckily no missed recordings. We haven't watched live TV on a Mini in over a week, so I'm not sure why it's hanging onto tuners. (I have 6 Minis, so it can potentially cause a problem with multiple recordings not having enough tuners available.)

Hopefully they will fix this in the summer update.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

I've seen this behavior too (with 3 Minis) but have ignored it as eboydog posted because my Plus will always just grab what it needs. It will become more aggravating in the fall if not fixed because I watch college football and flip between live tuners. I'll want at least 4 tuners free then.


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## New Tron (Nov 2, 2013)

My problem is with the emergency broadcast system. Every time it comes on, even if it's just a test, it grabs three tuners from my Romeo for 4 hours, unless I go around to all the TVs and hit the tiVo button.


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## DigitalDawn (Apr 26, 2009)

I'm having a similar problem. I had to reboot three Mini's (connected to my Roamio Pro) when they locked up due to the EBS. 

Interestingly, the two Mini's connected to my XL4 were fine.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

New Tron said:


> My problem is with the emergency broadcast system.


This is the problem. When TiVo added dynamic tuner allocation they enabled EAS for Minis. Which means that if you get an EAS, even a test, then the Mini will grab a tuner so it can play it. Then when it's done it will continue playing live TV for the next 4 hours until it times out.

They should add a feature that will only dump you to live TV for an EAS if the Mini is actively being used. (i.e. your watching a show or live TV)


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Dan203 said:


> This is the problem. When TiVo added dynamic tuner allocation they enabled EAS for Minis. Which means that if you get an EAS, even a test, then the Mini will grab a tuner so it can play it. Then when it's done it will continue playing live TV for the next 4 hours until it times out.
> 
> They should add a feature that will only dump you to live TV for an EAS if the Mini is actively being used. (i.e. your watching a show or live TV)


Ok then this would explain why sometimes I have found my Minis on a tuner. I've had no issue with it though. If my Roamio Pro needs to use a tuner for recording it still grabs it so I don't see any detrimental effect from it.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> Ok then this would explain why sometimes I have found my Minis on a tuner. I've had no issue with it though. If my Roamio Pro needs to use a tuner for recording it still grabs it so I don't see any detrimental effect from it.


Unless the Mini is in your bedroom with the TV on.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

lessd said:


> Unless the Mini is in your bedroom with the TV on.


If you have the TV on then you see the message pop up asking you about the recording doesn't it? Just like on the Roamio unit.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> If you have the TV on then you see the message pop up asking you about the recording doesn't it? Just like on the Roamio unit.


Never tried that, but the EAS will make a sound itself.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Are you using the end of show, or 4 hour live timeout, as a sleep timer? If so then yeah this would be annoying. If you can you should set the TVs sleep timer that way if the Mini comes back alive the TV will be off and you'll never even notice.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Any chance this middle of the night stuff is related to one of the tuners being used to get the TeleWorld Paid Program thing?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

unitron said:


> Any chance this middle of the night stuff is related to one of the tuners being used to get the TeleWorld Paid Program thing?


The Minis have no storage and no scheduler so I seriously doubt they are picking up the TeleWorld broadcast. I'm 99% sure this is due to EAS tests. They do them here several times a week.


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