# Mini tuner issue-- changing channel using the Guide



## favian (Sep 2, 2016)

Hello all, new member here. 

I have a strange issue that I would greatly appreciate help with. I am a relatively new customer with RCN, and have one dvr(Pace MG1) and one mini(Pace Mi3). They are direct connected via ethernet to my router's gigabit lan ports using cat6. I have static IP addresses set for both, and everything works perfectly except for one odd problem:

When watching live tv on the mini if I pull up the guide and press select to change to another channel, the mini _always_ looks for another tuner to do so.

What I mean by that is, instead of simply keeping the existing tuner it has locked and changing to the new frequency-- I get the "Going to Live TV, Finding a tuner..." pop-up. It then grabs another one, changes the frequency, buffers the stream and displays the new channel. This results in a delay of about 5-6 seconds every time I change the channel using the guide. To make matters even more bizarre, this behavior occurs *only* when using the guide. If I change the channel using other methods such as: 1) chan up/down buttons 2) keypad or 3) the last button on the remote (without pulling up the guide), it does not happen. It simply changes the frequency, re-buffers and displays as I would expect it to. This takes about 2-3 seconds depending on the channel.

As a result, this acts as a serious deterrent from using the guide since I know the delay is going to be twice as long. This can't be intended functionality, and never happens when watching tv on the set hooked up to the dvr itself. It seems as if the mini is intentionally releasing the tuner it has locked back to the dvr, and asking for a new one. Why would it do this? Has anyone ever seen this before? What could be causing it?

Network tests and diagnostics on both units report no problems. I don't have many devices on my network, and don't see how this could be a traffic/bandwidth problem. I've gone back and forth with RCN tech support about this for about a month now, even having swapped out the mini. The problem still remains. Please advise.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Best guess: the Mini thinks its host is in Standby. When my host is in standby I see the message like you do. A Mini can change tuners when changing channels if the target channel is on a tuner already.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

JoeKustra said:


> Best guess: the Mini thinks its host is in Standby. When my host is in standby I see the message like you do. A Mini can change tuners when changing channels if the target channel is on a tuner already.


Good guess, at least based on my brief testing, just now.

With the host DVR in Standby mode, the Mini will briefly display the "Going to Live TV. (Finding a tuner.)" message when a program is selected via the Channel Guide, and tunes the channel in about 7 seconds. Once on Live TV, changing channels via a simple press of the Channel Up/Down remote buttons tunes in about 4 seconds, without the "finding a tuner" message being displayed.

With the host DVR fully awake, the Mini tunes Live TV in about 4 seconds in all cases, and without the "finding a tuner" message ever being displayed.

The side benefit of the OP's observation, that the Mini relinquishes its tuner when selecting a new channel via the guide, is that using the Channel Guide the Mini can hop onto currently buffering channels rather than resetting to '0' with each change.


----------



## favian (Sep 2, 2016)

Tested and confirmed; having the host DVR in standby mode is undoubtedly the cause of this behavior. This is 100% reproducible here.

Thank you both very much! :up:

As a matter of habit, I always put either unit in standby mode when I am done using them. I do this to minimize power consumption(and heat generation particularly with the DVR), thinking it was common practice. Should I not be doing so? If Tivo does not expect users to do this, then what purpose does standby mode serve?

Going further, this seems like a software bug. Knowing now what the cause is and that it isn't an isolated event, I have tried to figure out a reason why this would be by design. I have yet to come up with one.

It is my belief that during active use the Mini should perform consistently regardless of the host DVR's power state. This issue is the only use case in which I am aware of where functionality on the Mini is impacted. Instances that I can think of where the Mini would _intentionally_ relinquish the tuner it currently has locked are:


inactivity timeout
it has entered standby
another tuner currently tuned to the desired channel is available
Since this happens when the user is navigating the guide and pressing select to change the channel, the first two don't apply. The third, which you have both pointed out, makes sense. What I don't understand is why it happens transparently to the user provided the host DVR is awake, but acts differently when it is not. Why does standby mode negatively affect this? All tuners remain active on the DVR in either power state, and their status/availability from the Mini's standpoint should be the same either way.

Thank you again for your help, it is very much appreciated. Please let me know what your thoughts are about this potentially being a bug, or if there is something I am missing that would help clarify it.

In addition, I am curious to know if everyone else who has a Mini can reproduce this behavior when their host DVR is in standby. If you are willing to test to see if this is the case, please reply with your results.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

I have four Mini boxes, one v1 and three v2. All act the same. Standby stops the tuners from buffering and stops output from the HDMI port (at least). Some like Standby because they have a AVR or Soundbar that also drops to standby with no input. My subwoofer does that. There is a small power saving, and some report the drive powers down. I sometimes think my drive powers down, but it doesn't seem to happen if a Mini is attached (but in Standby). This is just an observation since I have two Roamio hosts, and one has no Mini attached right now and there seems to be a delay when I first access the other My Shows via the network. I have tested with a Kill-A-Watt and it might be 2 or 3 watts.


----------



## favian (Sep 2, 2016)

JoeKustra said:


> Some like Standby because they have a AVR or Soundbar that also drops to standby with no input. My subwoofer does that.


Another good reason(in addition to why I do) that would be an incentive for users to put their units in standby when not using them, and create the environment where this bug occurs. Still haven't discovered a reason why this behavior would be intended.

Thanks for your feedback.


----------



## favian (Sep 2, 2016)

Looking for anyone who is willing to test this. It's simple to do!

1. Put your mini's host dvr in standby mode.
2. Start watching live TV on the mini.
3. Pull up the guide on the mini, and change to a new channel.

Do you get the, "Going to Live TV, Finding a Tuner..." message?

Reply by quoting this post, and just type yes or no. Thanks!


----------



## KimHedrick (Oct 12, 2014)

favian said:


> Looking for anyone who is willing to test this. It's simple to do!
> 
> 1. Put your mini's host dvr in standby mode.
> 2. Start watching live TV on the mini.
> ...


Yes, I get that message for a couple of seconds and then it tunes to the selected channel.


----------

