# Let Mini pick form Tuners in use



## Peter G (Jan 3, 2012)

I was watching Show "A" on the mini in LR, which I also had set up to record on the TiVo Roamio in the Den. Show "B" was still being recorded with a 5 minute overlap. Wife went to BR and wanted to watch Show "A", got message that no tuner was available for live TV.

So even though I have 4 tuners, 2 Minis could not both watch live. TiVo was recording on 2, reserving 3rd for itself (No one watching the TV attached to it!) and 4th was being used by the Mini in the LR. Both minis wanted the same channel as already tuned in.

A useful feature would be to let the Mini select from any of the 4 tuners already "in use". If a tuner already is tuned to that channel, why not re-use it instead of a second tuner duplicating it?

Also why does the TiVo need to reserve a channel? Should be some way of overriding this from the mini - request the reserved tuner and if no veto from the TiVo, let it go to a Mini?

I realize that I could achieve the desired result by going to the recording of Show "A", but all my wife knows is she couldn't watch live TV.

Peter G


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

The behavior I've seen is that the host reserves a channel for itself. Even if you aren't watching live tv on it.


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## spamymaps (Jan 7, 2016)

I had a similar issue here. There is more discussion on tuner allocation in this thread

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=536614


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Peter G said:


> I was watching Show "A" on the mini in LR, which I also had set up to record on the TiVo Roamio in the Den. Show "B" was still being recorded with a 5 minute overlap. Wife went to BR and wanted to watch Show "A", got message that no tuner was available for live TV.
> 
> So even though I have 4 tuners, 2 Minis could not both watch live. TiVo was recording on 2, reserving 3rd for itself (No one watching the TV attached to it!) and 4th was being used by the Mini in the LR. Both minis wanted the same channel as already tuned in.
> 
> ...


Try this. Tuner zero is the host. Tuner 1 is ABC, tuner 2 is CBS and tuner 3 is NBC. When the Mini goes to live TV, it will get either ABC, CBS or NBC and its buffer. Using the guide, select one of the other two networks. It will use that tuner and its buffer. Select the other network and it will use that tuner and its buffer. A Mini will move tuners if that tuner is free and already on a channel the Mini wants. The Mini, like the TiVo, is lazy.


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## JBDragon (Jan 4, 2004)

People watch LIVE TV? I didn't buy my Tivo to do that. EVER!!! I'll start it recording and go onto something else, just so I can then come back 30 minutes or so later so that I can skip the commercials. You can't skip commercials watching stuff LIVE. 

It's been a NON issue for me.


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## SomeRandomIdiot (Jan 7, 2016)

JBDragon said:


> People watch LIVE TV? I didn't buy my Tivo to do that. EVER!!! I'll start it recording and go onto something else, just so I can then come back 30 minutes or so later so that I can skip the commercials. You can't skip commercials watching stuff LIVE.
> 
> It's been a NON issue for me.


As Nielsen and TiVo's own research shows, most people watch TV Live.

The lower income and light users are more likely to use the DVR.

That in and of itself shows the problem TiVo has on the retail level.


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## JBDragon (Jan 4, 2004)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> As Nielsen and TiVo's own research shows, most people watch TV Live.
> 
> The lower income and light users are more likely to use the DVR.
> 
> That in and of itself shows the problem TiVo has on the retail level.


That makes ZERO sense! Lower Income people don't generally have DVR's!!! It's people with money with DVR. A TIVO in general is not cheap. Renting a DVR Box from the cable company is not exactly cheap either. You really think RICH people have time to sit around and watch the TV and the programs they want at the time they air, that's just silly. Waste more time watching commercials?

Nielsen is way out of touch. People are watching far more Netflix and so forth which isn't LIVE at all. I think about the only people who still watch LIVE TV is people like my grandma who is 90 these days. The generation of LIVE TV viewers are dying off. There's a whole lot Nielsen really doesn't keep track of.

TIVO's retail sales is not what you are saying. It's because TV in general is dying. Cutting the cord and just going with HULU for example. Some like myself threw up a Antenna, which is where TIVO OTA Boxes can make some sense still these days. Like Music, everything is moving to streaming and you don't need a DVR to stream content. A Cheap ROKU or Apple TV Box will do and they don't have a monthly FEE to use unlike TIVO and it's now ridiculous $599 Lifetime fee charge they now have that would just about scare anyone away, especially low income people!!!


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