# How can I use the Roamio without a mobile device?



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

I'd like to use a Roamio to stream Comcast from a Comcast DVR to another TV that does not have the Comcast equipment on it. 

I want a receiver that has a remote, that I can change the channel with, I do not want to have to connect it to an app on my phone and hand off, or anything like that.

What are my options?


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

gte said:


> I'd like to use a Roamio to stream Comcast from a Comcast DVR to another TV that does not have the Comcast equipment on it. I want a receiver that has a remote, that I can change the channel with, I do not want to have to connect it to an app on my phone and hand off, or anything like that. What are my options?


If you have a Roamio, why aren't you using that instead of the Comcast DVR??? If you use the Roamio as your DVR for comcast signals, then you can just add a TiVo mini to that other room and it will use a tuner from the Roamio for live tv and can access all it's recordings as well.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

The Roamio replaces the Comcast DVR. If you want to watch your recordings or live TV in another room then you need to get a TiVo Mini. It's a standalone box with it's own remote and a full TiVo UI, but instead of having it's own recordings and tuners it simply streams from the host Roamio box.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Like the above posters said, buy a Roamio and a Mini and return the Comcast DVR to your local Comcast store. The Roamio and Mini both come with their own remote. By doing this, you'll be able to avoid the Comcast fee for the DVR and for any extra Comcast cable box or outlet fee for the second TV.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Plus doesn't the TiVo have access to Comcast VOD? So with Comcast you wouldn't lose anything by getting rid of their boxes


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Just to be 100% sure I'm not misunderstanding, is the following correct?

And with the following, do I need a Comcast network card in the Tivo? Will I be able to watch anything and everything the same way I would if I was sitting right in front of the Comcast box or the Tivo box with the Comcast card in it?


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Do I have to have a subscription with the Roamio? The whole point of this is because I do not want more monthly fees. That is a deal breaker if I cannot get around that. I want to purchase my hardware one time and be done with it.


----------



## Expidia (Jul 10, 2015)

gte said:


> Do I have to have a subscription with the Roamio? The whole point of this is because I do not want more monthly fees. That is a deal breaker if I cannot get around that. I want to purchase my hardware one time and be done with it.


Yes, just buy a lifetime "one-time" subscription!


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

What does the subscription do?

Why can't I use it without the subscription?


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

gte said:


> What does the subscription do?
> 
> Why can't I use it without the subscription?


The "subscription" is really just a way to subsidize the purchase price of the hardware. Without a subscription, a TiVo won't really work for most purposes. It's basically the razor blade model. Gillette will give you a razor, but it isn't very useful unless you purchase the blades.

All Minis come with a lifetime subscription included in the price. Amazon is selling the "old" Mini right now for $120 and the "new" Mini for $137. The only real difference between the 2 is the style of the remote that comes with the Mini.

For the Roamio DVRs, there is a separate fee, either monthly, annualy, or a 1-time lifetime fee. There is currently a very good sale on Roamios on TiVo's website. You can get a refurb Roamio with lifetime service for $299.98.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Thank you.

So $450 and I have the setup in my picture for eternity if I want it?

It needs the digital cable card subscription from Comcast also, correct?












tarheelblue32 said:


> The "subscription" is really just a way to subsidize the purchase price of the hardware. Without a subscription, a TiVo won't really work for most purposes.
> 
> All Minis come with a lifetime subscription included in the price. Amazon is selling the "old" Mini right now for $120 and the "new" Mini for $137. The only real difference between the 2 is the style of the remote that comes with the Mini.
> 
> For the Roamio DVRs, there is a separate fee, either monthly, annualy, or a 1-time lifetime fee. There is currently a very good sale on Roamios on TiVo's website. You can get a refurb Roamio with lifetime service for $299.98.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

gte said:


> Just to be 100% sure I'm not misunderstanding, is the following correct?
> 
> And with the following, do I need a Comcast network card in the Tivo? Will I be able to watch anything and everything the same way I would if I was sitting right in front of the Comcast box or the Tivo box with the Comcast card in it?


Just so you know, the TiVo people do not support a Mini that communicates with the host Roamio via WiFi. They want you to use wired Ethernet or MoCA.

Not saying it won't work, just that it's not supported. If one of those boxes in your diagram is a good router, the Mini has a good extender, and the environment is good it will work.


----------



## aristoBrat (Dec 30, 2002)

gte said:


> Just to be 100% sure I'm not misunderstanding, is the following correct?
> 
> And with the following, do I need a Comcast network card in the Tivo? Will I be able to watch anything and everything the same way I would if I was sitting right in front of the Comcast box or the Tivo box with the Comcast card in it?


Just to be clear, will the Roamio and the Mini be on the same network? (i.e. in the same house, but in different rooms) That's no problem.

I'm reading your picture as your Roamio being on one network, your Mini being on another network, and you're using the Internet to connect them together. That's not doable "out of the box".


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

gte said:


> So $450 and I have the setup in my picture for eternity if I want it?


Well, probably not for "eternity" as that is a very long time, but for as long as the hardware continues to function, yes.



gte said:


> It needs the digital cable card subscription from Comcast also, correct?


Yes, you will need to get a CableCard from Comcast for it to work.



aristoBrat said:


> Just to be clear, will the Roamio and the Mini be on the same network? (i.e. in the same house, but in different rooms) That's no problem.
> 
> I'm reading your picture as your Roamio being on one network, your Mini being on another network, and you're using the Internet to connect them together. That's not doable "out of the box".


Good point. I didn't catch that on the diagram the first time I looked at it. As you point out, the Mini has to be on the same local network (essentially the same house) as the Roamio DVR. If OP is trying to stream TV across the internet to a TV on another local network, he would need a SlingBox.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

That diagram is showing a Roamio Plus/Pro model which has MoCa built in. For the Basic model you have in your cart you're going to need a pair of MoCa adapters so you can set it all up right. 

You connect one near your router and plug it in via Ethernet to the router, and then one near the TiVo and connect it to the Ethernet port on the TiVo. The Minis have MoCa built in so once you get the other two working they should be able to talk to the Roamio automatically.


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Dan203 said:


> That diagram is showing a Roamio Plus/Pro model which has MoCa built in. For the Basic model you have in your cart you're going to need a pair of MoCa adapters so you can set it all up right. You connect one near your router and plug it in via Ethernet to the router, and then one near the TiVo and connect it to the Ethernet port on the TiVo. The Minis have MoCa built in so once you get the other two working they should be able to talk to the Roamio automatically.


Unless he has Ethernet near each TiVo location, then he could just use that instead of moca.


----------



## snerd (Jun 6, 2008)

Dan203 said:


> That diagram is showing a Roamio Plus/Pro model which has MoCa built in. For the Basic model you have in your cart you're going to need a pair of MoCa adapters so you can set it all up right.
> 
> You connect one near your router and plug it in via Ethernet to the router, and then one near the TiVo and connect it to the Ethernet port on the TiVo. The Minis have MoCa built in so once you get the other two working they should be able to talk to the Roamio automatically.


It might only require one MoCA adapters, if the room with the Roamio has ethernet access. Then the Mini only needs a coax connection.

Also, to answer another question, a cable card will be needed for the Roamio.

A MoCA POE filter would also be a good idea.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

This is exactly why I think the next TiVo will include MoCa and Streaming on all units. It's too confusing with all the pieces. Would be especially easy if they allowed MoCa to Wifi bridging.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> This is exactly why I think the *next TiVo will include MoCa and Streaming on all units*. It's too confusing with all the pieces. Would be especially easy if they allowed MoCa to Wifi bridging.


And Gigabit. Plus MoCA 2.0! xx


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

krkaufman said:


> And Gigabit. Plus MoCA 2.0! xx


If they have MoCA/ethernet bridging, then they will have gigabit ethernet by default. MoCA 2.0 isn't really needed and would add unnecessary expense.



Dan203 said:


> Would be especially easy if they allowed MoCa to Wifi bridging.


MoCA/WiFi bridging would be a great feature, but I don't know how technically difficult or expensive that would be for them to add.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> If they have MoCA/ethernet bridging, then they will have gigabit ethernet by default........
> .............


Why is that?
Even though WiFi is capable of going much faster than the 94Mb/s throughput speeds I get on the Roamio Basic, the only reason it goes that slow over wireless is because it's routed through it's 100BT connection. I initially was hoping that was not the case and I would be able to get up to 150Mb/s transfer speeds over Wireless N like I can with some of my other devices.

Most MoCA Ethernet Bridges out there only have a 100BT link, not 1000BT. Although I did purchase the Actiontec that had GigE ports. But that is not the norm.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tarheelblue32 said:


> MoCA 2.0 isn't really needed and would add unnecessary expense.


Opinions differ.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

aaronwt said:


> Why is that?
> Even though WiFi is capable of going much faster than the 94Mb/s throughput speeds I get on the Roamio Basic, the only reason it goes that slow over wireless is because it's routed through it's 100BT connection. I initially was hoping that was not the case and I would be able to get up to 150Mb/s transfer speeds over Wireless N like I can with some of my other devices.
> 
> Most MoCA Ethernet Bridges out there only have a 100BT link, not 1000BT. Although I did purchase the Actiontec that had GigE ports. But that is not the norm.


Most might not, but the one that TiVo uses in the Plus/Pro does. TiVo is going to try to standardize the hardware as much as possible in these new Bolt boxes, and I can't see them taking a step backwards on the bridging hardware.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

tarheelblue32 said:


> TiVo is going to try to standardize the hardware as much as possible in these new Bolt boxes...


It is known.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

krkaufman said:


> It is known.


Yes, yes...I neglected to throw in the obligatory "IMHO" tag. I just assumed everyone on this board was smart enough to know that any statements about the Bolt are just speculatory without me pointing it out to them.


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> It is known.





tarheelblue32 said:


> Yes, yes...I neglected to throw in the obligatory "IMHO" tag. I just assumed everyone on this board was smart enough to know that any statements about the Bolt are just speculatory without me pointing it out to them.


I knew.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

A reader w/ a sub-2K post count may not have the same level of knowledge.


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> A reader w/ a sub-2K post count may not have the same level of knowledge.


Why not? The Bolt hasn't ever been announced or released yet nor any factual information released by any party in the know. If you're ignorant enough to take some joe shmo's Internet forum post as fact, then you deserve to be confused and misinformed and walk the streets as a brain dead zombie!


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

...


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Still looking for gte's response to aristoBrat's query re: the intended setup...



aristoBrat said:


> Just to be clear, will the Roamio and the Mini be on the same network? (i.e. in the same house, but in different rooms) That's no problem.
> 
> I'm reading your picture as your Roamio being on one network, your Mini being on another network, and you're using the Internet to connect them together. That's not doable "out of the box".


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> ...


Was this a response to me? You DO know that the "you" that I typed wasn't YOU specifically? It was a general you meaning someone that happened to fit that bill.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Hi, you read correctly, it is indeed on a different network.

Is it still doable? It seems the Slingbox is not for me because I do not want to stream, handoff or do anything with a phone or computer, I want to only stream from one location to another (over separate networks) with dedicated hardware and channel change using a normal remote control with the dedicated hardware receiver.



aristoBrat said:


> Just to be clear, will the Roamio and the Mini be on the same network? (i.e. in the same house, but in different rooms) That's no problem.
> 
> I'm reading your picture as your Roamio being on one network, your Mini being on another network, and you're using the Internet to connect them together. That's not doable "out of the box".


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

You could use a VPN to make that work, but it's complicated so if you're not in the IT field it's probably not something you'll want to tackle. Also you'd need really high up stream bandwidth. A recorded show streaming to a Mini can require 15Mbps or more. Not many places offer up stream bandwidth that high. (if you have fiber or really good cable then maybe)

The TiVo Stream, which recodes the video and makes it small enough to send out over the internet can currently only stream to mobile devices. I was personally able to get the Android app to install on a FireTV stick and sort of get it to work, but the UI is not really TV friendly so you have to use a mouse to navigate it simulating finger taps.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

gte said:


> Hi, you read correctly, it is indeed on a different network.
> 
> Is it still doable? It seems the Slingbox is not for me because I do not want to stream, handoff or do anything with a phone or computer, I want to only stream from one location to another (over separate networks) with dedicated hardware and channel change using a normal remote control with the dedicated hardware receiver.


Realistically, a Slingbox is really the only solution that would work well for what you are trying to do. In addition to a Slingbox, you would also need to buy something called a SlingCatcher. I don't think that Sling even makes the SlingCatcher anymore, but you can still find them available for purchase online at places like ebay and Amazon marketplace. I think the SlingCatcher comes with a traditional style remote.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

No need for a Sling Catcher. They have a Sling Player apps for Roku, Apple TV, FireTV, and Chromecast now. Any of those will be cheaper, and likely work better, then a Sling Catcher.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Thank you for the replies. Everything I have read says the Slingbox/Roku combo requires a phone or tablet to hand off the connection and to function as a remote, is this correct? I do not want anything that requires a phone/tablet/pc/laptop.



Dan203 said:


> No need for a Sling Catcher. They have a Sling Player apps for Roku, Apple TV, FireTV, and Chromecast now. Any of those will be cheaper, and likely work better, then a Sling Catcher.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

You're right it does sound like it works that way. It sounds like the FireTV version of the app is the only one that works without a hand off from a mobile device.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

gte said:


> Thank you for the replies. Everything I have read says the Slingbox/Roku combo requires a phone or tablet to hand off the connection and to function as a remote, is this correct? I do not want anything that requires a phone/tablet/pc/laptop.


Which is why I suggested the SlingCatcher.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

tarheelblue32 said:


> Which is why I suggested the SlingCatcher.


I didn't realize it worked that way. Wasn't the Sling Catcher intended to work on the local network though? Not remotely?

Looks like the FireTV app works like he wants so a FireTV Stick might be cheaper then a Sling Catcher anyway.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> I didn't realize it worked that way. Wasn't the Sling Catcher intended to work on the local network though? Not remotely?
> 
> Looks like the FireTV app works like he wants so a FireTV Stick might be cheaper then a Sling Catcher anyway.


And a supported product. SlingCatcher appears to have been discontinued.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> I didn't realize it worked that way. Wasn't the Sling Catcher intended to work on the local network though? Not remotely?


My understanding is that it is not limited to a local network.



Dan203 said:


> Looks like the FireTV app works like he wants so a FireTV Stick might be cheaper then a Sling Catcher anyway.


If that is the case, then that could be a good option for him also.



krkaufman said:


> And a supported product. SlingCatcher appears to have been discontinued.


Yes, I think Sling discontinued it because they didn't want to get sued by cable companies. But if you buy one off ebay it should still work.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Thanks y'all. 

I'll look into the slingcatcher and firetv stick tomorrow and then figure out which one is best for me and buy it.


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

The Slingcatcher only works with the older models before the 350 and M1 or 2. The best of the older ones that does HD is the Slingbox Pro HD. The slingcatcher can work local and remotely, and actually does so quite well. It does have a dedicated remote. 

The other option that doesn't require a mobile handoff is the WDTV and GoogleTV sling apps and you use their respective remotes to control it, the same as a slingcatcher. These devices are the ones most people complain about the most with remote lag though. The catcher is the absolute best with this, with the mobile handoff apps next, then WDTV and GTV.

You can also use a PC with the Slingplayer Desktop app and en use a wireless keyboard or map the hot keys to a remote like the ones for WMC. 

What about tivo online through a VPN? That would be a solution to slower upload speeds because it sends the video stream through the TiVo stream device to be encoded into a smaller stream first. 

Or for full blown full bandwidth streaming, the easiest almost plug and play solution is to use two asus routers with OpenVPN built in and setup one as the server ( where the host Roamio is) and one as the client (where the mini is) and then as Dan said, make sure you have something like fios with at least 20 Mbps upload speeds at the host site. Someone just reported this to be working for him within the last couple weeks. I have mine setup this way but my server site only has max 12Mbps upload.....for now, but it allows me to connect the two and do TiVo to TiVo transfers, just not streaming.......yet!


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

So this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sling-Media...er-/111751603986?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

and this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sling-Media...riginal-Box-/221853597523?hash=item33a7813f53

and I'm good to go as in plug and play?

The diagram would look like this?












HarperVision said:


> The Slingcatcher only works with the older models before the 350 and M1 or 2. The best of the older ones that does HD is the Slingbox Pro HD. The slingcatcher can work local and remotely, and actually does so quite well. It does have a dedicated remote.
> 
> The other option that doesn't require a mobile handoff is the WDTV and GoogleTV sling apps and you use their respective remotes to control it, the same as a slingcatcher. These devices are the ones most people complain about the most with remote lag though. The catcher is the absolute best with this, with the mobile handoff apps next, then WDTV and GTV.
> 
> ...


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

gte said:


> So this
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sling-Media...er-/111751603986?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368
> 
> ...


Yep that should do exactly what you are asking for, assuming that you have good enough internet upload speed for the SlingBox and good enough download speed for the SlingCatcher.


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

gte said:


> So this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sling-Media-Slingbox-PRO-HD-Digital-Media-Streamer-/111751603986?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368 and this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sling-Media-Sling-Catcher-Digital-HD-Media-Streamer-with-Original-Box-/221853597523?hash=item33a7813f53 and I'm good to go as in plug and play? The diagram would look like this?


As Tarheel said yes that's exactly what I'm talking about. That's a great price on the ProHD! $200 for both is a great deal.

I think the max stream for Slingbox is in the 8Mbps range so if you have at least that in the up (ProHD) and down (Slingcatcher) speeds you should be golden! Just remember, it will take over the box that the slingbox is connected to so no one else can use it without effecting you and there will be remote lag, just not as much as the other solutions.

Another thing is that better remote lag is a trade off for the other newer SBs like the 350,500,M1/2. The SB ProHD only does up to 1080i input and streams max 1920x540p (effectively same as 1080i frame rate). The newer ones do 1080p and have better stream algorithms which you do notice as better picture quality.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Thanks, I just ordered both of them, I hope I am happy, I may come back if I have questions but I'm really hoping they are pretty turnkey.



HarperVision said:


> As Tarheel said yes that's exactly what I'm talking about. That's a great price on the ProHD! $200 for both is a great deal.
> 
> I think the max stream for Slingbox is in the 8Mbps range so if you have at least that in the up (ProHD) and down (Slingcatcher) speeds you should be golden! Just remember, it will take over the box that the slingbox is connected to so no one else can use it without effecting you and there will be remote lag, just not as much as the other solutions.
> 
> Another thing is that better remote lag is a trade off for the other newer SBs like the 350,500,M1/2. The SB ProHD only does up to 1080i input and streams max 1920x540p (effectively same as 1080i frame rate). The newer ones do 1080p and have better stream algorithms which you do notice as better picture quality.


----------



## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

gte said:


> Thank you for the replies. Everything I have read says the Slingbox/Roku combo requires a phone or tablet to hand off the connection and to function as a remote, is this correct? I do not want anything that requires a phone/tablet/pc/laptop.


Yes roku works that way but an amazon fire works with slingbox and its own remote.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

I guess if what I have does not work, I'll try the Amazon Fire product with my Slingbox Pro Hd?

Do I need the Firestick or FireTV box?

Looks like the stick is really cheap at $35 or so? I may buy that for another TV if I can use that with the Slingbox Pro Hd?

What is a jailbroken Firestick?



jcthorne said:


> Yes roku works that way but an amazon fire works with slingbox and its own remote.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yep that should do exactly what you are asking for, assuming that you have good enough internet upload speed for the SlingBox and good enough download speed for the SlingCatcher.





HarperVision said:


> As Tarheel said yes that's exactly what I'm talking about. That's a great price on the ProHD! $200 for both is a great deal.
> 
> I think the max stream for Slingbox is in the 8Mbps range so if you have at least that in the up (ProHD) and down (Slingcatcher) speeds you should be golden! Just remember, it will take over the box that the slingbox is connected to so no one else can use it without effecting you and there will be remote lag, just not as much as the other solutions.
> 
> Another thing is that better remote lag is a trade off for the other newer SBs like the 350,500,M1/2. The SB ProHD only does up to 1080i input and streams max 1920x540p (effectively same as 1080i frame rate). The newer ones do 1080p and have better stream algorithms which you do notice as better picture quality.


Thank you both very much, this is currently working nicely



jcthorne said:


> Yes roku works that way but an amazon fire works with slingbox and its own remote.


Will the amazon fire tv take the place of the sling catcher? It looks like the remote has significantly less functionality?


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

gte said:


> Thank you both very much, this is currently working nicely.
> 
> Will the amazon fire tv take the place of the sling catcher? It looks like the remote has significantly less functionality?


That's great to hear gte!

Yes, the FireTV can take the place of the Slingcatcher, but you would need a newer Slingbox (350, 500, M1, M2) for it to work with it, whereas the Slingcatcher needs the older models (Classic, Solo, Pro, ProHD, etc.) to work with that device.

Think of the FireTV app as a melding of the Slingcatcher and a WDTV Sling app because you can use it's remote to control it and it streams direct to it when you open the app, unlike the Roku app that requires you to open on a smart phone or tablet and then cast it over to the Roku and the control is on the phone/tablet still. The WDTV version is the closest GUI to the one on the FireTV. On both, yes the device's remote has limited functionality and there's on screen controls for a lot of the more obscure "button presses". WDTV has the worst remote lag too.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

gte said:


> Thank you both very much, this is currently working nicely.


I'm glad it's working well for you.


----------



## gte (Aug 28, 2015)

Thanks everyone, I'll probably buy a second sling catcher and connect it to the same slingbox pro hd!


----------

