# Help, my TiVo Mini is sick



## phughes200

My TiVo Mini is acting up. The image on the screen is stuck on the TiVo logo. The logo stays on for a few seconds then the screen goes blank and then the TiVo logo returns and the cycle repeats.

I have tried unplugging the mini and restarting the main Roamio TiVo with no luck.

Any ideas or is it time to replace. I think the unit is about two years old.


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## krkaufman

Doesn't sound great. Do you have multiple Minis or just the one? If you have others, you can swap Minis between locations to determine whether the power adapter, cabling or TV could be a problem.

And I have no clue if it would help, but you could try changing the resolution used by the Mini, per the troubleshooting docs:

Change the video output resolution on TiVo Mini:

Press the Resolution button located on the bottom of TiVo Mini. Each time you press the button, the output resolution will change.
Continue pressing the Resolution button until the TV displays a picture. Wait a few moments between each press for the new resolution to synchronize with the TV.


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## phughes200

Thanks for the suggestion but it didn't help. It was worth the try.


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## krkaufman

You have just the one Mini?


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## phughes200

krkaufman said:


> You have just the one Mini?


Just the one so no switching out units.

Searching the posts here seem to indicate the unit is permanently stuck in a bootup loop. Some have had luck getting TiVo to replace it for a fee since it is out of warrantty. I have not called them let. The web site says they are ouyt of stock on both new and refubished units.


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## krkaufman

Ah, I see you've already scanned the Auction forum... Selling Two TiVo Mini version 2 #TCDA93000


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## phughes200

krkaufman said:


> Ah, I see you've already scanned the Auction forum... Selling Two TiVo Mini version 2 #TCDA93000


Yeah. But I might have spoken too hasty. Both the new and refurbished are oos. I need to check EBay. That way I have some buyers protection.


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## phughes200

I called customer service. After 3/4 hour of trouble shooting, they agree the mini is dead. Then much to my surprise they offer to replace it for $40 (normailly $80) even though it is well out of warrantty. Truthfully, I am stun that they offerred. They claim they are sending a new unit but I got to believe it is a refub but I am not complaning.


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## BBHughes

I had almost the exact same problem with one of my minis that was out of warranty. I actually had just bought a mini box to replace it since I wanted a faster unit. But, I really could use one more mini so I called about mine and at first they said 80 for the replacement and I didn’t need another one that bad, so I said no thanks and they offered me the 40 dollar replacement so I said I’ll take it. I probably wouldn’t have called if I hadn’t read your post, so thanks!


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## junknspam3

Mine is doing the same thing. It's a 93000 series...looks like I need to make a call.


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## junknspam3

Just called them and got a replacement Mini for $39.99...she sounded as though she was familiar with this problem with the stuck startup screen.


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## sjmaye

Add me to the list. I turned on the TV to find a black screen with just the Tivo logo on it. Rebooted the unit. Powered down for a while. Nothing worked. So are we saying it is dead?


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## slowbiscuit

My biggest beef with the Mini is that there is no reset button to restore to factory, I think it would fix a lot of these bootlooped boxes. Glad to hear that Tivo is willing to swap them out cheaply though.


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## Nickipedia

One of my customers is having this problem too. TiVo Guy shows up, then after about 10 seconds the network lights go out and it's useless. She bought it at the Meltdown sale, so I guess she got the meltdown version...


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## buildersboy66

Factory RESET is so needed on ALL THE MINI"S!!!!!


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## DrewTivo

phughes200 said:


> My TiVo Mini is acting up. The image on the screen is stuck on the TiVo logo. The logo stays on for a few seconds then the screen goes blank and then the TiVo logo returns and the cycle repeats.
> 
> I have tried unplugging the mini and restarting the main Roamio TiVo with no luck.
> 
> Any ideas or is it time to replace. I think the unit is about two years old.


Exactly the problem I'm having right now with one of my minis . . . thanks to you and other posters for saving me some time on what to do (I did swap with another working mini and same result). Will be calling TiVo . . .


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## DrewTivo

junknspam3 said:


> Just called them and got a replacement Mini for $39.99...she sounded as though she was familiar with this problem with the stuck startup screen.


And pretty much the result I got . . . not a long fuss over troubleshooting (I explained I'd powered off, disconnected all cables, reconnected, and then tried again with a different set of cables on different TV). Agent was satisfied, told me it was $79.99 but could swap out for $39.99 without even a peep from me. Said this was an occasional problem (although claim it was a hard drive issue was a bit odd - do minis have an SSD or something?).


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## videobruce

buildersboy66 said:


> Factory RESET is so needed on ALL THE MINI"S!!!!!


What is that button on the bottom of these for if it isn't a reset button?


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## krkaufman

videobruce said:


> What is that button on the bottom of these for if it isn't a reset button?


Video resolution reset (or maybe it cycles current resolution ... and you keep pressing it until something appears on screen).

Handy if you've moved a Mini between monitors and the previously set resolution isn't compatible with the new TV.


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## Fernwood

There is an option to reset to factory settings in the trouble shooting menu.


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## DrewTivo

Fernwood said:


> There is an option to reset to factory settings in the trouble shooting menu.


True, but if the mini won't boot for some reason, you can't access that menu.


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## strangedesign

I am on the phone with support right now. 3 of my 4 Mini's are stuck in the same loop. Same as everyone else, the troubleshooting went quickly to "they are faulty let's replace them". They tried the $79 I said no, then it dropped to $29. I said no you get a supervisor on the phone. There is obviously a design flaw in the Mini's out there and no one should have to pay to replace them. Considering how they treat calls for this it's pretty clear they have a systemic problem and the support agents know it. It's probably in their KB's since the support script seems so consistent based on what I have read from other people's reports.

I am a long time Tivo customer and love the service but to charge anyone for faulty HW/design or whatever is obnoxious. And agreed, who doesn't put a reset button on HW?!?

EDIT: Finally gave up and will call back tomorrow. Time from hello to offer to charge me for replacements: 10 min. Time on hold to wait for a supervisor (and still not get one): 50 mins.


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## sfhub

strangedesign said:


> There is obviously a design flaw in the Mini's out there and no one should have to pay to replace them. Considering how they treat calls for this it's pretty clear they have a systemic problem and the support agents know it.


What is the design flaw? Not having a reset button? It isn't clear this is a software problem. Could just as easily be the flash drive going bad or some other component where a reset button would do no good.

I wouldn't call a 2 page thread over the span of 6 months a systemic problem. I don't doubt this is happening to some people but if it were a systemic problem there would be tons of posts, not a few here and there scattered around.

Anyway, good luck with your dealings with support. Sometimes you get lucky and you can convince someone to give a free replacement.


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## DrewTivo

sfhub said:


> What is the design flaw? Not having a reset button? It isn't clear this is a software problem. Could just as easily be the flash drive going bad or some other component where a reset button would do no good.


Well, we don't know exactly what the problem is, or whether a hard reset would solve it. However, it's a bit harder to swallow "hardware failure" when these are basically devices with no moving parts that shouldn't fail absent mistreatment (liquid, powersurge) in short order.


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## sfhub

DrewTivo said:


> However, it's a bit harder to swallow "hardware failure" when these are basically *devices with no moving parts that shouldn't fail absent mistreatment* (liquid, powersurge) in short order.


I don't think you understand all the ways devices fail.


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## slowbiscuit

But his point is valid - there should be a hardware reset and isn't because Tivo cheaped out again (which is kinda head-scratching considering the initial $250 w/lifetime asking price).

Freaking sub-$100 consumer routers have had hardware resets since, like, the beginning.


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## kpeters59

Do the KickStart Codes work on a Mini?

I think the early ones are considered Series 4. Not sure about the Vox units.

TiVo Kickstart Codes and Information

-KP


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## sfhub

slowbiscuit said:


> But his point is valid - there should be a hardware reset and isn't because Tivo cheaped out again (which is kinda head-scratching considering the initial $250 w/lifetime asking price).
> 
> Freaking sub-$100 consumer routers have had hardware resets since, like, the beginning.


Do your regular TiVos have reset buttons? They cost much more.

Minis and regular TiVos share much of the same code. From a birds-eye view, the main difference is the Mini is working off of a 4gb eMMC (8gb eMMC on Vox) while the regular TiVo has access to a hard drive. How often have you grumbled about needing a reset button on your regular TiVo?

I'm all for reset buttons *if* they would fix the problem, especially if it was a common problem.

As an aside, I'm typing this on a throw-away 32gb eMMC PC running windows10. There is no reset button nor any moving parts. I know the most likely component to fail would be the eMMC because it has limited write cycles. First thing I did was offload most write operations to a USB thumb drive (since I can easily replace that) leaving the main eMMC to be mostly read-only for the OS.

If there is any design flaw in the Mini, IMO, it wouldn't be not having a reset button, but to depend on eMMC for daily writes related to nightly connections if the write cycles of the eMMC aren't spec'd properly. I don't know if that is a problem because I don't know the specs they used nor how much data they write. It would just be the area I would look at first.

I have a slingbox pro, which was known to have faulty voltage regulators, which also doesn't have any moving parts, but does have a reset button. The one time it started acting up, the reset button did nothing, other than putting me in a set up mode I couldn't complete. Replacing the voltage regulator fixed everything.

Reset buttons are good for fixing things like borked NVRAM settings or lost passwords. If you think that is a common problem for TiVo Minis or is the cause of this problem, then it makes sense to argue for a reset button.

Otherwise it is just a red herring keeping one from diagnosing the real problem.


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## brimorga

strangedesign said:


> I am on the phone with support right now. 3 of my 4 Mini's are stuck in the same loop. Same as everyone else, the troubleshooting went quickly to "they are faulty let's replace them". They tried the $79 I said no, then it dropped to $29. I said no you get a supervisor on the phone. There is obviously a design flaw in the Mini's out there and no one should have to pay to replace them. Considering how they treat calls for this it's pretty clear they have a systemic problem and the support agents know it. It's probably in their KB's since the support script seems so consistent based on what I have read from other people's reports.
> 
> I am a long time Tivo customer and love the service but to charge anyone for faulty HW/design or whatever is obnoxious. And agreed, who doesn't put a reset button on HW?!?
> 
> EDIT: Finally gave up and will call back tomorrow. Time from hello to offer to charge me for replacements: 10 min. Time on hold to wait for a supervisor (and still not get one): 50 mins.


My mini was stuck on the startup screen, tivo logo comes up and never moves off that. It's a rarely used mini that is 3 years old. I called and they mentioned the $79 fee and then mentioned the reduced fee, but before I even asked he offered to go to his supervisor and get me a free replacement, which is what happened. I think that Tivo realizes there is a problem, I didn't do anything to get offered a free replacement. The rep kinda acted like he was doing me a favor to not accept any blame, but it seemed pretty clear to me they have been instructed to help people out. I got a free shipping label, sent mine back and the replacement is now on the way.


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## sfhub

brimorga said:


> My mini was stuck on the startup screen, tivo logo comes up and never moves off that.


Curious, was it V1 or V2 Mini?


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## brimorga

sfhub said:


> Curious, was it V1 or V2 Mini?


It had the RF remote, I think that is the V2. Got my replacement back on Sat, all is good. Thanks Tivo!


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## videobruce

The 1st model is a "A92",
the 2nd model is a "A93" 

Those are the 1st three digits of the TSN.


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## brimorga

videobruce said:


> The 1st model is a "A92",
> the 2nd model is a "A93"
> 
> Those are the 1st three digits of the TSN.


it's an A93


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## NickTheGreat

Sorry to bump, but I got this on our bedroom Tivo Mini last night. Was watching and it suddenly went to the black screen with TiVo across it. 

Unplugged and went to bed. Was still like this today. 

Is it dead? I do have another Mini that I can try to swap power supplies if that would help.


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## videobruce

Easiest and cheapest troubleshooting method. 
The fact you do see something, says it's not completely "dead". Is that the boot screen or the standby screen??


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## NickTheGreat

I'll try the power supply I guess. It seems like it's been getting power, since I do have a screen.

Here's what it looks liek though. Just the black screen with the TiVo logo. No text or anything else. Nothing will get it to come out of it either.


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## JoeKustra

NickTheGreat said:


> I'll try the power supply I guess. It seems like it's been getting power, since I do have a screen.
> Here's what it looks liek though. Just the black screen with the TiVo logo. No text or anything else. Nothing will get it to come out of it either.


I have never seen that screen. What are the first three characters of your Mini's TSN? I'm sure it's not A95.


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## krkaufman

That's the initial boot-up screen, at least it is on my Mini v2 (A93). It displays for about 30 seconds on my v2, then the display changes to the blue/white "Almost there... Just a few minutes more." message.


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## JoeKustra

krkaufman said:


> That's the initial boot-up screen, at least it is on my Mini v2 (A93). It displays for about 30 seconds on my v2, then the display changes to the blue/white "Almost there... Just a few minutes more." message.


All these years and I never noticed the spotlight.


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## krkaufman

JoeKustra said:


> All these years and I never noticed the spotlight.


The boot screen is a bit different between hardware, I believe. (Maybe with similarities between a given Series?)


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## videobruce

I don't remember seeing that either and I have both versions. 

Ok, it's on the A93 after applying power. Funny it's the full color cartoon character, but during the 'almost there' is that ugly gray silhouette. I don't know who is worse TiVo or Rovi.  Both clueless and inconsistent.


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## videobruce

Then I would say the Mini is possible toasted. No HDD to change out. 
How about a loss in communication with (whichever) model DVR you have? Can you connect that in another room?
Are you using wired or wireless?


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## JoeKustra

More trivia: the little guy with colors is gone with A95, replaced with a few seconds of black screen. Almost like a moment of silence.


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## NickTheGreat

JoeKustra said:


> I have never seen that screen. What are the first three characters of your Mini's TSN? I'm sure it's not A95.


Yeah I have two of the A93's. I tried the other power supply to no use. So I swapped the Mini so I have TV upstairs. This one is actually hooked up via a powerline adapter. Which works okay, most of the times. It'd be glitchy lately, and I thought it was due to the powerline. But maybe the Mini was dying.

I find it discouraging that it's dead after only 3 years. And now the Mini's cost double what I paid then. I don't need or want 4K or the need to talk to my Tivo. I wish they still made the same Mini's I had


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## NickTheGreat

videobruce said:


> Then I would say the Mini is possible toasted. No HDD to change out.
> How about a loss in communication with (whichever) model DVR you have? Can you connect that in another room?
> Are you using wired or wireless?


It is hooked up via powerline in the furthest corner of my house. I'm going to try it hardwired elsewhere, just as a test.


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## Pokemon_Dad

Thanks for the above posts. One of the 93000 Minis here just got stuck on the logo screen too. Also the indicator light on the front doesn't light up. Swapping with another Mini (PSU, Ethernet, & HDMI) confirms it's toast. This one had been in service almost exactly 3 years. I'll let you know if I get it replaced.


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## NickTheGreat

Please do. I'm sad mine is dead, and not wild about the crazy price increases since I bought mine.


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## Pokemon_Dad

NickTheGreat said:


> Please do. I'm sad mine is dead, and not wild about the crazy price increases since I bought mine.


Well that went well. I called TiVo, selected "Technical Support" and "Other", and was quickly connected to a fellow calling himself "John". After I described what the screen was showing and what I'd done so far, he replied that I'd clearly done all necessary troubleshooting, and that he would arrange a replacement for me.

After putting me on hold for only a minute or so, he returned to say they could replace the unit. He said that although the price is normally $79, because I've been "a longtime loyal customer" they would sell it to me for $39. The shipping is free but the sale is not tax-free so the final total is $42.51. I confirmed that this will be the same model v2/93000 Mini, as I want to stay with the old UI and don't want a Mini Vox yet at any price, then agreed to proceed.

They are sending a return label to me. After receiving my unit they will send the replacement. I've received emailed instructions that say to keep the power adapter and any other accessories as I may need them for the new unit. It would be nice if the box includes another adapter though. I'll let you know.


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## krkaufman

Pokemon_Dad said:


> I confirmed that this will be the same model v2/93000 Mini, as I want to stay with the old UI and don't want a Mini Vox yet at any price,


You can run the old UI on a Mini VOX. In fact, the Mini VOX would insist on upgrading or downgrading to match the OS version of its configured host DVR.

That said, I'm not sure if the Mini VOX includes RF remote communication that would allow use of your current v2 remote in RF mode; and it's possible that you require some of the A/V output options removed from the VOX version of the Mini.


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## Pokemon_Dad

krkaufman said:


> You can run the old UI on a Mini VOX. In fact, the Mini VOX would insist on upgrading or downgrading to match the OS version of its configured host DVR.
> 
> That said, I'm not sure if the Mini VOX includes RF remote communication that would allow use of your current v2 remote in RF mode; and it's possible that you require some of the A/V output options removed from the VOX version of the Mini.


Thanks, good to know. Interesting about the remote. Also, given my experience with Bolt hardware quality issues here, I'd rather stick with Roamio-era equipment for as long as possible. But that's another topic.


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## JoeKustra

krkaufman said:


> You can run the old UI on a Mini VOX. In fact, the Mini VOX would insist on upgrading or downgrading to match the OS version of its configured host DVR.
> That said, I'm not sure if the Mini VOX includes RF remote communication that would allow use of your current v2 remote in RF mode; and it's possible that you require some of the A/V output options removed from the VOX version of the Mini.


My observations with a Mini VOX on TE3 and a normal RF remote: Mini VOX, TE3, and RF Remote fails


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## Pokemon_Dad

I received my replacement Mini today, 10 days after dropping it off at FedEx. (It returns via FedEx Ground, so the free white overnight boxes are not available for this. If you don't have a spare box lying around, their brown ground boxes are about $2.) A few days ago I received e-mails saying they'd received my return and then that they'd shipped the replacement. 

The new unit was already listed in my account in place of the one it replaced, with a new temporary name generated from the model/serial number, and the model name is now "TiVo-renewed Mini w/o accy", though it's listed as having my old Mini's activation date. 

It indeed came without any accessories. I plugged it into the old power adapter and am using the old remote. It did not require activation — though it seemed like it might, as it led me through setup more than once, and then again after downgrading from Hydra to the old UI — but it's now operating A-OK.


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## NickTheGreat

So I finally talked to Tivo Tech Support last night. The guy walked me through the troubleshooting and determined it was dead. He quickly offered to get me a replacement for the $79 amount, plus tax. I must not be the "longtime loyal customer" that Pokeman_Dad is. 

But I opted for the option where they send me a new one and I send my old one back to them. I have to pay a $100 deposit, and once the old one gets back to them they'll credit it back to me. 

It's sad that I am out $79 because this stupid thing died on me 3 years down the road, but it's better than the $200 Mini Vox. I guess


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## NickTheGreat

Got my replacement Mini yesterday and hooked it up. Install failed the first time, worked the second, took another 45 minutes to downgrade and such.

But now working as expected. I also kept my original remote and power supply.

Need to drop the old one in the mail now.


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## Mikeguy

JoeKustra said:


> More trivia: the little guy with colors is gone with A95, replaced with a few seconds of black screen. Almost like a moment of silence.


A moment of silence, or prayer?


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## Pokemon_Dad

NickTheGreat said:


> He quickly offered to get me a replacement for the $79 amount, plus tax. I must not be the "longtime loyal customer" that Pokeman_Dad is.


I've been a customer since January 2008. I wonder if there is a clear policy, or if this is based on random mood swings.


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## Sparky1234

Pokemon_Dad said:


> I've been a customer since January 2008. I wonder if there is a clear policy, or if this is based on random mood swings.


Random mood swings..... Have called TiVo lately?


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## Pokemon_Dad

Sparky1234 said:


> Random mood swings..... Have called TiVo lately?


 Yes I have. See post #48 above.


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## Sparky1234

Pokemon_Dad said:


> Yes I have. See post #48 above.


You made my point!


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## dbtom

So I just found this thread. I had two Tivo minis both fail-- the latest one yesterday. These things are terribly unreliable. I have a Tivo mini Vox-- it's a huge upgrade speed wise even if you don't have 4K. I don't know if I'll even bother to see if I can get the discounted mini. I may wait until I see what performance is like on the FireTV Tivo app. That's what I've been using most of the time anyway.


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## Pokemon_Dad

dbtom said:


> So I just found this thread. I had two Tivo minis both fail-- the latest one yesterday. These things are terribly unreliable. I have a Tivo mini Vox-- it's a huge upgrade speed wise even if you don't have 4K. I don't know if I'll even bother to see if I can get the discounted mini. I may wait until I see what performance is like on the FireTV Tivo app. That's what I've been using most of the time anyway.


Any idea what killed them? My v2 minis have been rock solid since I got them in 2015, except for the one that died while I was plugging and unplugging it in a careless way. Its replacement has worked fine since last October.


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## NickTheGreat

Pokemon_Dad said:


> Any idea what killed them? My v2 minis have been rock solid since I got them in 2015, except for the one that died while I was plugging and unplugging it in a careless way. Its replacement has worked fine since last October.


One was fine one night, and next morning wouldn't turn on.

At least it died peacefully in its sleep. I take comfort in that.


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## UnitMaster

Oh there's definitely problems with the minis. The last 2 OS upgrades exceeded the capacity of the A93. The problems mostly occur if you use the apps. YOUTUBE AND Prime being the worst offenders.


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## Pokemon_Dad

UnitMaster said:


> Oh there's definitely problems with the minis. The last 2 OS upgrades exceeded the capacity of the A93. The problems mostly occur if you use the apps. YOUTUBE AND Prime being the worst offenders.


I recently tried to use the Amazon app on an A93 Mini, and found it so sluggish as to be unusable. (I was only trying that because the Amazon app in the TV has a problem. I wound up getting a firestick.)


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## krkaufman

Pokemon_Dad said:


> I recently tried to use the Amazon app on an A93 Mini, and found it so sluggish as to be unusable. (I was only trying that because the Amazon app in the TV has a problem. I wound up getting a firestick.)


Amazon seems incentivized to not update their apps for other platforms.


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## Pokemon_Dad

krkaufman said:


> Amazon seems incentivized to not update their apps for other platforms.


Probably not, though it seems they had help fudging this one up. TiVo software updates seem more responsible for problems with this app and others: Mini crashes while using Prime Video?

Similarly, in my Sony Bravia TV it's not only the Prime app that has been failing. Also Hulu and others, because the Sony developers decided to use the Opera embedded browser. Try Googling for "Error: Internet Browser Will be Closed Due to Internal Error".

A $50 Firestick 4K sure integrates well with the TV though. Problem solved. I wanted to rely on a Mini for the apps instead, but I'm not about to upgrade at three or four times the price.


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## choekstr

I've been a Tivo customer since 2001 with a up to 3 series 1's at the time, then a 2, 3, premier, roamio, now vox and 3 mini's. Not sure if my following experience is predicated on a 19 year history with Tivo...

I had my first tivo, a mini, fail after 5 years of use. It starts up, forgets everything, has me run through guided setup, then works for a random period of time. Sometimes I couldn't get through guided setup, sometimes I could see my now playing list of shows, but it just silently goes black and resets. Changing out power cord did nothing, choosing a different host tivo made no difference. I feel it's a software update and software issue that is the problem and recently got into a beta and registered that box to see if I could get an update that might fix it. Never gets the chance to update.

So I called Tivo and after a tiny bit of troubleshooting they agreed that it needed to be replaced and they would send me a replacement for $79. I countered with "wait, I have to pay YOU for the device to be replaced?". He came back with $39 (defined as a $40 credit) with no need to ship mine back. I still challenged him and he checked with his manager and the best they could offer was $29 (again he reiterated it was a $50 credit) and I took him up on it. not bad really to get the newer vox mini for $30.

Hope this helps others with negotiations since it is variable what you will pay for replacements.


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## skibum80906

choekstr said:


> I've been a Tivo customer since 2001 with a up to 3 series 1's at the time, then a 2, 3, premier, roamio, now vox and 3 mini's. Not sure if my following experience is predicated on a 19 year history with Tivo...
> 
> I had my first tivo, a mini, fail after 5 years of use. It starts up, forgets everything, has me run through guided setup, then works for a random period of time. Sometimes I couldn't get through guided setup, sometimes I could see my now playing list of shows, but it just silently goes black and resets. Changing out power cord did nothing, choosing a different host tivo made no difference. I feel it's a software update and software issue that is the problem and recently got into a beta and registered that box to see if I could get an update that might fix it. Never gets the chance to update.
> 
> So I called Tivo and after a tiny bit of troubleshooting they agreed that it needed to be replaced and they would send me a replacement for $79. I countered with "wait, I have to pay YOU for the device to be replaced?". He came back with $39 (defined as a $40 credit) with no need to ship mine back. I still challenged him and he checked with his manager and the best they could offer was $29 (again he reiterated it was a $50 credit) and I took him up on it. not bad really to get the newer vox mini for $30.
> 
> Hope this helps others with negotiations since it is variable what you will pay for replacements.


THANK YOU so much...I just had my first MINI die, and while waiting for online chat agent from TIVO, I found you post. He started with the $79 quote, then I copied/pasted your post, and he came back with $39...Asked him to talk to manager, and gave me the same deal as you. You just saved me $50.


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## amyf

skibum80906 said:


> THANK YOU so much...I just had my first MINI die, and while waiting for online chat agent from TIVO, I found you post. He started with the $79 quote, then I copied/pasted your post, and he came back with $39...Asked him to talk to manager, and gave me the same deal as you. You just saved me $50.


I just had an almost 5 year old Mini die. They offered me the same $79 replacement fee. When I asked if they could do better, I was placed on a brief hold and then offered the $39 replacement fee. When I asked about doing it for $29, I was again placed on hold and they came back and said that since I was a long time customer, they gave me a one time free replacement with no need to return the old one. Thanks to those choekstr and skibum80906 and good luck to anyone needing to replace one in the future.


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## lstone19

I just went through this with one of my A93 Minis. I could only get them down to $39 (I did ask about $29). The replacement is supposed to be a refurbished VOX Mini. 

I don't know how long it normally takes to ship replacements (particularly with the COVID-19 stuff going on) but since then (last Friday), nothing although the email I immediately received said 1 to 2 business days. No open support ticket nor an order showing (don't know if I should see either of those) and the credit card charge, which was authorized immediately, is still pending.

And strangely, even though the representative I talked to and the email that was sent said I didn't need to return the old one, a few seconds later I received an email from FedEx with a label for returning it.


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## Thebreen

well its happening to one of my A93 minis - occasionally it will get thru boot up but not connect to the Roamio plus, then I can try to get software update but seems to error out and start rebooting , then the green screen "serious problem.... 3 hours to fix....." after a minute it tries to boot, sometimes getting thru but sometimes not, but not sticking. one of the rare times it booted I was able to see network connect data and saw last successful connect Aug 29 2019, I was able to get a successful connect and it changed the date to 4/4/2020 (I thought) but just now it got to boot and I am attempting another connection - several times I have attempted but it usually starts a reboot during the "loading info" step. will try to call Tivo support tomorrow I guess - darn I was typing this and I didn't see how far it got loading info before (you guessed it) it rebooted! @#$%^


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## Thebreen

fyi - I have 2 A92 minis - no problems, and 2 A93 minis, one is fine the other iv'e been troubleshooting this for a while today - first I was connected via Moca, so I moved to the router temporarily hoping I could get software to update, connect and stablilize via ethernet connection - at first I thought it was working but now, not) 

well it got thru a reboot again (that was faster), connected to roamio, checked network connection and it showed "failed connection" with todays date - tried to force connection and as I was typing this …..it rebooted....green screen....reboot...…..not connected to roamio….reboot....green screen....reboot.....not connected to roamio, TiVo service connection failed 4/4/20..reboot...green screen....reboot....

sequence seems consistent - it cant load the software/config/updates quickly enough to avoid reboot - so if customer support offers me a replacement will I get a vox or a A93 mini? I need the RF remote for this location but I could swap the other one if I have to (although I would prefer rf remote there as well it could be a ir one.


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## SpaceManII

Thebreen said:


> fyi - I have 2 A92 minis - no problems, and 2 A93 minis, one is fine the other iv'e been troubleshooting this for a while today - first I was connected via Moca, so I moved to the router temporarily hoping I could get software to update, connect and stablilize via ethernet connection - at first I thought it was working but now, not)
> 
> well it got thru a reboot again (that was faster), connected to roamio, checked network connection and it showed "failed connection" with todays date - tried to force connection and as I was typing this &#8230;..it rebooted....green screen....reboot...&#8230;..not connected to roamio&#8230;.reboot....green screen....reboot.....not connected to roamio, TiVo service connection failed 4/4/20..reboot...green screen....reboot....
> 
> sequence seems consistent - it cant load the software/config/updates quickly enough to avoid reboot - so if customer support offers me a replacement will I get a vox or a A93 mini? I need the RF remote for this location but I could swap the other one if I have to (although I would prefer rf remote there as well it could be a ir one.


I just called to get an A93 replaced and received a VOX Mini for $39.


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## pfiagra

SpaceManII said:


> I just called to get an A93 replaced and received a VOX Mini for $39.


what was wrong with your A93 that made you call TiVo looking for a replacement?


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## SpaceManII

The constant rebooting issue. Might have got zapped somehow during last lightning storm, but power adapter tested AOK.


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## kclfoxtrot

Same thing just happened to my A93. Frozen screen and no way to get out of it. Initially offered $79 replacement....requested a better deal....$39 counter. No return. Relatively painless. Now I have to worry about my other 3 minis.


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## krkaufman

kclfoxtrot said:


> Same thing just happened to my A93. Frozen screen and no way to get out of it. Initially offered $79 replacement....requested a better deal....$39 counter. No return.


Have you already received the A95 Mini VOXes?


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## Cactus Jim

I called support today regarding my 93000 mini stuck in the startup loop. They said since it was over 5 years old, the best they could do was $25 off a mini Vox. $174. Not even offered a $79 deal. I mentioned the $39 offer several had received. They didn’t budge. I said thanks but no thanks.


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## pfiagra

Yes, it seems as if TiVo has decided not to do those deals any longer for broken A92 or A93 minis.


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## mdbundy

I have a Roamio and three Minis, one of which was in my basement unplugged for several months. I went to use that one, and was prompted to complete guided setup, which I did. It then went into the green screen reboot loop, sometimes finishing but rarely working long enough to even start a show. I left it alone overnight, and came back to a red screen with an error message, “Error loading slices.” 

I called TiVo and they said I was SOL. Didn’t even try to sell me a Vox Mini, let alone offer a discount. I’ve been a customer since 2005. 

Oh well. I’ll use what I have as long as they work and then move on to a more modern setup.


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## Pokemon_Dad

mdbundy said:


> I have a Roamio and three Minis, one of which was in my basement unplugged for several months. I went to use that one, and was prompted to complete guided setup, which I did. It then went into the green screen reboot loop, sometimes finishing but rarely working long enough to even start a show. I left it alone overnight, and came back to a red screen with an error message, "Error loading slices."
> 
> I called TiVo and they said I was SOL. Didn't even try to sell me a Vox Mini, let alone offer a discount. I've been a customer since 2005.
> 
> Oh well. I'll use what I have as long as they work and then move on to a more modern setup.


Time to play "CSR Roulette", lol. Call TiVo again and maybe you'll be offered a replacement deal.


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## bcrider

Same issue, ended up being sold a TiVo Mini LUX at a $25 discount... still $185 with taxes, but they no longer carry the older TiVo Mini versions...


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## Albert

mdbundy said:


> I have a Roamio and three Minis, one of which was in my basement unplugged for several months. I went to use that one, and was prompted to complete guided setup, which I did. It then went into the green screen reboot loop, sometimes finishing but rarely working long enough to even start a show. I left it alone overnight, and came back to a red screen with an error message, "Error loading slices."
> 
> I called TiVo and they said I was SOL. Didn't even try to sell me a Vox Mini, let alone offer a discount. I've been a customer since 2005.
> 
> Oh well. I'll use what I have as long as they work and then move on to a more modern setup.


Same just happened to me with an A93 that I hadn't used in awhile. I was wanting to swap it out with an A92 so I could use an RF remote and saw the green screen that I had never seen before.

Never had a mini die on me before.

I'm giving it the time it wants and hope it starts working again.

Any advice? Or is it likely this thing is toast?

Also, it seems like a software problem to me... caused by it not being used in a long time or something... and maybe not getting a needed update?


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## Bighouse

Went to hookup my mini to a new LG tv in the bedroom…and hit with the same reboot with TiVo guy…endless cycle of TiVo gift and black screen.

I’ll call customer support and see what they might be able to offer this long-time customer too.


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## brobin

Don't expect much.


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## Bighouse

brobin said:


> Don't expect much.


Yea. I figured as much. They offered me a $25 discount on the LUX. Still trying to figure out if I want it, or if I need to jump off the TiVo bandwagon due to their horrible customer support.


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## timmie88

I'm an original Tivo owner, since 1997, been through a dozen Tivos, every generation, and still actually have my original Phillips Tivo in a box somewhere in my house. One of my two Tivo Minis just died this way, and I tried calling customer service, all they are willing to offer is $25 off the Lux to make it $175. I was considering upgrading one of my two Roamio Pros to an Edge, but at this point with a mini down, I'm just going to give up on Tivo and go with an Amazon Fire TV (that I already own sitting around unused) for that TV with broken Mini and live with the Roamios and other mini until they die. Sad to see this day come around.

The other thing that bugged me about my customer service call was the customer service person suggested I go on eBay and buy a Tivo mini there instead. Seems like a strange thing to tell a long time customer.


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## slowbiscuit

Strange yes, but good call given how overpriced the Mini is from Tivo.


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## cjgadd3

Buying a used mini on ebay is real crapshoot. Could last a day or years. No guarantee. I wouldn't do it.


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## slowbiscuit

I would, in a heartbeat. Most of them will be fine and you don't pay Tivo's inflated price. It's easy to get your money back via ebay for a bad Mini, and if it dies afterwards that's just the luck of the draw.


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## Pokemon_Dad

@timmie88 for less than the price of that Lux you can buy multiple 93000 Minis on eBay, and if even one works then you've come out ahead, lol. And seriously, in all likelihood you can buy just one and it will work longer than you want to keep it, plus as @slowbiscuit notes if it arrives broken then eBay does offer protections.

I bought a used 93000 Mini on eBay in early 2018, and it's still going strong. The seller promised a TiVo case number in the eBay description, and provided that when I received the unit. I called TiVo customer service, selected Activation, and the rep had no problem transferring it to me. By the end of the call it was already listed in my TiVo account web page.

Later that year I also purchased a refurbished 93000 Mini from TiVo, after I zapped one of my other Minis by plugging/unplugging it too rapidly and roughly, and that refurb is still running smoothly as well. All together I'm running three of the same model, all originally sold new in 2015.


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