# Mini always on = tuner always in use?



## AdamNJ (Aug 22, 2013)

I have a Roamio Pro and no Mini yet. I know the Mini has DTA now to release the tuner when not in use.

So if on the Mini, I turn on my TV and tell it to tune to live tv and a particular channel, then I shut my TV off, but do NOT put the Mini in Standby (since I don't believe there is an off?), what happens?

1) Will the Roamio tuner continue to be on live tv and tuned to the channel I previously set (so when I power the TV back on live TV will be playing)?

2) Will it somehow realize I am no longer watching TV and it releases the tuner (bringing me back to the start / Tivo Central page)?

3) Other?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

If you don't push any buttons on the Mini remote for a certain period of time it times out and releases the tuner. I think the timer is set to 45 minutes, but I can't remember for sure.


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## AdamNJ (Aug 22, 2013)

Dan203 said:


> If you don't push any buttons on the Mini remote for a certain period of time it times out and releases the tuner. I think the timer is set to 45 minutes, but I can't remember for sure.


Do you know if that is a setting (length of time) that can be adjusted?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

No it's a static value.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

Dan203 said:


> No it's a static value.


The static value is about 90 Min.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

lessd said:


> The static value is about 90 Min.


That seems much longer than it should be. I could see the timeout value being a few minutes, but 90? Anyone know why it is so long?


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

DeltaOne said:


> That seems much longer than it should be. I could see the timeout value being a few minutes, but 90? Anyone know why it is so long?


 You have to press a remote button at least once in the timeout period to indicate you are still using the Mini. If the timeout period was too short like 5-10 minutes you don't want to be forced to have to press a remote button that often or be prompted if you are still watching all the time. Some people already complain 90 minutes is too short... Ideally it should be configurable but TiVo doesn't seem interested in making it so.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

moyekj said:


> You have to press a remote button at least once in the timeout period to indicate you are still using the Mini. If the timeout period was too short like 5-10 minutes you don't want to be forced to have to press a remote button that often or be prompted if you are still watching all the time. Some people already complain 90 minutes is too short... Ideally it should be configurable but TiVo doesn't seem interested in making it so.


It seems that pressing Power Off (to turn the display off) should tell the Mini to release the tuner immediately.


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

DeltaOne said:


> It seems that pressing Power Off (to turn the display off) should tell the Mini to release the tuner immediately.


But there isn't a Power Off button, there's only a Power toggle, and TiVo has always assumed that it doesn't know whether the TV is on or off by use of that toggle button. I think that's a wise choice of their's, given the number of times my AV receiver and TV get "out-of-sync" because one of them didn't receive the Power signal. Getting "out-of-sync" with tuner release would be very annoying!

Just pressing the TiVo button will release the tuner. Yes, it's an extra thing to remember, but it will only rarely be important.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

CrispyCritter said:


> Just pressing the TiVo button will release the tuner. Yes, it's an extra thing to remember, but it will only rarely be important.


I see, return the Mini to Tivo Central and it releases the tuner on the Roamio. Just tested it and you're right. Thanks for the tip!

That'll help on the rare occasion we've finished dinner (and watching TV in the kitchen) and need all six tuners in the living room. It won't happen often, but it has happened.


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

DeltaOne said:


> I see, return the Mini to Tivo Central and it releases the tuner on the Roamio. Just tested it and you're right. Thanks for the tip!


Yes, the tuner is allocated for the Mini if and only if the Mini is sending a live-tv signal to the TV (though the TV might be off, as you've found). So any action that takes you away from live-tv on the Mini will free up the tuner.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

CrispyCritter said:


> But there isn't a Power Off button, there's only a Power toggle, and TiVo has always assumed that it doesn't know whether the TV is on or off by use of that toggle button. I think that's a wise choice of their's, given the number of times my AV receiver and TV get "out-of-sync" because one of them didn't receive the Power signal. Getting "out-of-sync" with tuner release would be very annoying!


Using the HDMI protocol, the Mini could easily tell when the tv is powered off. This would not work for every tv/receiver because some stay on all the time but it wouldn't affect anything if it still used the idle timer as a backup. I think it would be a better user experience for most people if the Mini did this.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

Doesn't the Roamio take back the tuner if it needs it anyway? I thought recordings always have priority over streaming live TV to the Mini. If this is the case, then why have it time out at all?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

gweempose said:


> Doesn't the Roamio take back the tuner if it needs it anyway? I thought recordings always have priority over streaming live TV to the Mini. If this is the case, then why have it time out at all?


It'll put up a prompt on the Mini. If no one responds to the prompt then it releases the tuner automatically. Just like it does if you're watching live TV on the TiVo itself and it needs the tuner.


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

Looks like the tuner timeout is being extended to 4 hours with tonight's update, per Margret.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=510259


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