# Is there a performance difference between the (CC & OTA) Roamio & the Plus & Pro?



## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

I want to get a TiVo setup for my home and was originally considering 1 or 2 Plus or Pro Roamio boxes and 5 or 6 Mini V2 boxes, for a total of 7 boxes. I am considering cutting the cord in the future, so I am now thinking of getting 2 CC and OTA base Roamio boxes and 5 Mini V2 boxes. Is there any performance degradation or any lag associated with getting the base Roamio over the higher end models?

I know that the higher end Plus and Pro models include TiVo Stream capability and MoCA capability built right in. I currently have 2 Slingboxes and am considering getting a 3rd, so I don't really need TiVo Stream capability. I have Verizon FiOS and 4 Verizon MoCA routers in my network, so I don't need built in MoCA capability.

I only wish that the base Roamio had more storage , so I am planning on upgrading it to 1TB or 3TB. Will this void the warranty? If so, then I will need to get the external drive.

I had a change of heart on the Roamio model that I want because I can basically watch everything on NetFlix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO, and official show websites. I noticed that all of my shows are on these services and I don't watch sports. I currently have the Verizon FiOS NY area Ultimate HD TV, 150/35 (really 152/72) Internet, and Phone bundle for $164.99. I pay an additional $91.99 for the Quantum TV Premium 7 room setup. I also pay about $30.00 in taxes and fees. I already have NetFlix and Amazon Prime accounts. I would only need to get a Hulu account.

Thanks a lot for reading.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Warranty: Opening the Roamio box and replacing the hard drive (almost at the level of plug-and-play) invalidates the warranty. Having said that and based on threads and posts here, TiVo apparently typically has gone forward and honored the warranty regardless, apart from some cases in which the customer him/herself has mentioned the hard drive replacement.

Personally, the benefits of having a bigger drive and having it internal seem to be worth it. And keep in mind, from what I've read here, that TiVo typically doesn't repair under the warranty, but instead replaces the box, and so its "investigation" as to the box is limited at best. Also, remember that the warranty itself is limited time-wise, only a year.


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## b-ball-fanatic (Aug 5, 2003)

TazExprez said:


> I want to get a TiVo setup for my home and was originally considering 1 or 2 Plus or Pro Roamio boxes and 5 or 6 Mini V2 boxes, for a total of 7 boxes. I am considering cutting the cord in the future, so I am now thinking of getting 2 CC and OTA base Roamio boxes and 5 Mini V2 boxes. Is there any performance degradation or any lag associated with getting the base Roamio over the higher end models?
> 
> I know that the higher end Plus and Pro models include TiVo Stream capability and MoCA capability built right in. I currently have 2 Slingboxes and am considering getting a 3rd, so I don't really need TiVo Stream capability. I have Verizon FiOS and 4 Verizon MoCA routers in my network, so I don't need built in MoCA capability.


You need a TiVo stream (Roamio or Stream) somewhere in the mix to be able to stream between TiVos. Minis require that capability,



> I only wish that the base Roamio had more storage , so I am planning on upgrading it to 1TB or 3TB. Will this void the warranty? If so, then I will need to get the external drive.


Yes, it voids the warranty. You might also want to take a look at the HDD upgrade thread for discussion about base upgrades. The Plus and Pro run on 110V AC power, while the base model runs on 12VDC. Apparently, some owners have upgraded the power supply when upgrading to a larger HDD. I haven't had cause to deal with myself, so I'm not suggesting that it's _necessary_....I don't know that. I just know there's been a lot of discussion about it in that thread.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

And even with the Roamio standard upgrade, upgrading the power supply--_if_ that is needed (a big if)--simply means buying an alternate power brick for the Roamio, a suggested one being easily available on eBay at low cost. And so something to be aware about, but not a major concern.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Simply btw:

As mentioned above, there is a very long hard drive upgrade thread here, which may be of information. The bottom line is: the hard drive replacement is almost at the level of plug-and-play--buy the new hard drive (often recommended: Western Digital WD30EURX), remove 1 or 2 screws on the back of the Roamio case and slide/slip off the Roamio lid, remove a few screws and remove the hard drive assembly, remove a few screws to remove the old hard drive from the side rails, and then reverse the process using the new drive; a few Torx screwdrivers needed. For up to 3TB replacement drives, the Roamio will do everything itself as to setting the hard drive up--no prep. is needed.

Voilà!


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

b-ball-fanatic said:


> You need a TiVo stream (Roamio or Stream) somewhere in the mix to be able to stream between TiVos. Minis require that capability,


I thought that all streaming between TiVo Roamio boxes and Mini boxes was done via a MoCA and/or Ethernet network without the need of a TiVo Stream. I thought that the TiVo Stream was only needed in order to stream to iOS and Android devices. Do I definitely need a TiVo Stream if I already have a MoCA network and 2 Slingboxes?


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## namwoljr (Aug 8, 2014)

TazExprez said:


> I thought that all streaming between TiVo Roamio boxes and Mini boxes was done via a MoCA and/or Ethernet network without the need of a TiVo Stream. I thought that the TiVo Stream was only needed in order to stream to iOS and Android devices. Do I definitely need a TiVo Stream if I already have a MoCA network and 2 Slingboxes?


No you don't need the Stream. The only reason you need a Stream is to transcode the MPEG2 to MPEG4 for watching on mobile devices. The Roamio and Minis don't need video transcoded to MPEG4. They stream shows in MPEG2 just fine over MoCA or Ethernet.


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## confinoj (Apr 2, 2003)

TazExprez said:


> I thought that all streaming between TiVo Roamio boxes and Mini boxes was done via a MoCA and/or Ethernet network without the need of a TiVo Stream. I thought that the TiVo Stream was only needed in order to stream to iOS and Android devices. Do I definitely need a TiVo Stream if I already have a MoCA network and 2 Slingboxes?


Correct, Stream definitely not needed other than streaming to mobile devices and you don't have a plus or pro roamio. You can use your slingbox for that anyway.


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## b-ball-fanatic (Aug 5, 2003)

namwoljr said:


> No you don't need the Stream. The only reason you need a Stream is to transcode the MPEG2 to MPEG4 for watching on mobile devices. The Roamio and Minis don't need video transcoded to MPEG4. They stream shows in MPEG2 just fine over MoCA or Ethernet.


Thanks for clarifying that....I misspoke in adding "between TiVos." TiVos communicate and stream between each other just fine over their network connections.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

Thanks to all of you for your help.

I wonder if the TiVo experience is the same for viewing on a TV for all of the Roamio editions, or are the higher end boxes faster, without lags or freezes? Will the lower end Roamio's processing power be more taxed by the Mini boxes?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

TazExprez said:


> Thanks to all of you for your help.
> 
> I wonder if the TiVo experience is the same for viewing on a TV for all of the Roamio editions, or are the higher end boxes faster, without lags or freezes? Will the lower end Roamio's processing power be more taxed by the Mini boxes?


The last info I saw indicated that the processor/memory was the same in all Roamios. So my expectation is all models should perform playback/menu/streaming functions within the same performance ranch. The one possible exception is the base Roamio only has a 100MB Ethernet connection versus the Plus & Pro's GB so if you had enough simultaneous inbound & outbound traffic something might get slowed down.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

atmuscarella said:


> The last info I saw indicated that the processor/memory was the same in all Roamios. So my expectation is all models should perform playback/menu/streaming functions within the same performance ranch. The one possible exception is the base Roamio only has a 100MB Ethernet connection versus the Plus & Pro's GB so if you had enough simultaneous inbound & outbound traffic something might get slowed down.


I will be connecting everything via MoCA, so the network performance might be the same? If this is the case, then I should have a similar experience with the lower and higher end Roamio boxes.


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## Blakeintosh (Sep 8, 2014)

The base & OTA Roamio do not have built-in MOCA. You'd have to get a MOCA adapter.


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

Whatever equipment you decide upon, buy it using a coupon from spherular; prices are much more reasonable, and for that matter if you're considering a Plus before using such a coupon, you can probably be paying less and getting a Pro unit instead.

(There's another thread going on here about that, but you can just go to his web site, too: http://spherular.com/)


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

TazExprez said:


> I will be connecting everything via MoCA, so the network performance might be the same? If this is the case, then I should have a similar experience with the lower and higher end Roamio boxes.


I am assuming because you are on FIOS your router is creating the MoCA network. As Blakeintosh said for the base Roamio you will need to buy a MoCA adapter (TiVo sells one for $50) the Minis have MoCA it built in so they don't need one. TiVo's Setup instructions are pretty straight forward


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

b-ball-fanatic said:


> You need a TiVo stream (Roamio or Stream) somewhere in the mix to be able to stream between TiVos. Minis require that capability,
> 
> Yes, it voids the warranty. You might also want to take a look at the HDD upgrade thread for discussion about base upgrades. The Plus and Pro run on 110V AC power, while the base model runs on 12VDC. Apparently, some owners have upgraded the power supply when upgrading to a larger HDD. I haven't had cause to deal with myself, so I'm not suggesting that it's _necessary_....I don't know that. I just know there's been a lot of discussion about it in that thread.


No, you do not need a stream for minis, or for tivo to tivo streaming.

Tivo has for many years practiced a 'don't ask, don't tell' practice toward hard drive upgrades. Don't mention it. They do not warranty the upgraded drive but if the tivo fails, re-install the original drive and they honor the warranty. Has been this way since the series one units. If you use one of the green drives, there is no need to worry about the basic unit power supply.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> The last info I saw indicated that the processor/memory was the same in all Roamios. So my expectation is all models should perform playback/menu/streaming functions within the same performance ranch. The one possible exception is the base Roamio only has a 100MB Ethernet connection versus the Plus & Pro's GB so if you had enough simultaneous inbound & outbound traffic something might get slowed down.


They are all the same. But if anything the Roamio Basic would be faster because it only has four tuners and four buffers to deal with. While the Plus and Pro have six buffers and tuners.

As far as network connectivity the Roamio BAsic is limited by the 100BT Ethernet connection. I see trasnfer speeds of up to 94Mb/s from my Roamio BAsic. The Plus and Pro have a 1000BT ethernet connection. I'll see transfer speeds up to 190Mb/s with my Roamio Pro to my TiVo Desktop/KMTTG PC.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

TazExprez said:


> ...I currently have the Verizon FiOS NY area Ultimate HD TV, 150/35 (really 152/72) Internet, and Phone bundle for $164.99. *I pay an additional $91.99 for the Quantum TV Premium 7 room setup*. I also pay about $30.00 in taxes and fees. I already have NetFlix and Amazon Prime accounts. I would only need to get a Hulu account.
> 
> Thanks a lot for reading.


YIKES! Over $90/month to rent (buggy) equipment from a company you are already paying over $150/month for services!

It doesn't matter WHAT TiVo you get, you'll be saving a lot of money. We are in northeast NJ and have the same package (BTW, your internet should 150/150, as Verizon made all their tiers symmetric a while ago) and have 2 Roamio Pros and 5 Minis, all on MOCA and couldn't be happier.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

aaronwt said:


> They are all the same. But if anything the Roamio Basic would be faster because it only has four tuners and four buffers to deal with. While the Plus and Pro have six buffers and tuners.
> 
> As far as network connectivity the Roamio BAsic is limited by the 100BT Ethernet connection. I see trasnfer speeds of up to 94Mb/s from my Roamio BAsic. The Plus and Pro have a 1000BT ethernet connection. I'll see transfer speeds up to 190Mb/s with my Roamio Pro to my TiVo Desktop/KMTTG PC.


Do you have your Roamio Pro and Basic hooked up via MoCA or Ethernet? Do the recordings take longer to start streaming to your Tivo Mini boxes when streaming from the Basic? Do the Mini commands lag when sent to the Basic? I will not be recording anything on my computer and I will connect all 7 boxes via MoCA.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

Diana Collins said:


> YIKES! Over $90/month to rent (buggy) equipment from a company you are already paying over $150/month for services!
> 
> It doesn't matter WHAT TiVo you get, you'll be saving a lot of money. We are in northeast NJ and have the same package (BTW, your internet should 150/150, as Verizon made all their tiers symmetric a while ago) and have 2 Roamio Pros and 5 Minis, all on MOCA and couldn't be happier.


I used to pay $84.99 for all of the boxes, but the price was raised to $91.99 recently.

I thought that my 150/35 Internet would be raised to 150/150, but it was never fully upgraded. Verizon gave me a chance to change my speed to 150/150 for an extra $10.00 until the end of July 2014. I never took this deal because I thought that I would be upgraded for free. I used to get 152/42, but was recently upgraded to 152/72. I called Verizon several times last summer and was told that I had an old package that was not eligible for Speed Match. Maybe they changed their tune since I received what I would like to call a "Speed Half" upgrade recently. I'll call again and see what happens.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

TazExprez said:


> Do you have your Roamio Pro and Basic hooked up via MoCA or Ethernet? Do the recordings take longer to start streaming to your Tivo Mini boxes when streaming from the Basic? Do the Mini commands lag when sent to the Basic? I will not be recording anything on my computer and I will connect all 7 boxes via MoCA.


My Pro and Basic are using the Ethernet connection(1000BT for the Pro and 100BT for the Basic). My four Minis are connected with MoCA.(I have an actiontec MoCA to GigE Bridge that connects to the Minis) Recordings take the same amount of time to start streaming from both the Pro and Basic. 3 to 5 seconds. No lag for commands to either the Pro or Basic. It's basically instant.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

Thanks a lot for all of your help.

I was reading the Roamio setup instructions and I think I'm going to need to connect the Roamio Basic boxes to Verizon MoCA routers, or to some other MoCA adapters, via Ethernet. Do the Roamio Basic boxes not have any MoCA capabilities at all? If so, then I will need to buy more MoCA routers. I thought that the main MoCA router provided the MoCA network and that the Roamio Basic could use it right away. I thought that the Roamio Basic had MoCA, but lacked the ability to create a MoCA network.

I wonder if I should just go Pro? If something happens and the boxes freeze, or have some other problem, it would probably be simpler for the less technically inclined in my home to troubleshoot any problems without the extra MoCA routers. I am not planning on cutting the cord anytime soon, so I probably won't be needing OTA capability for some time. By the time I cut the cord, the next series of TiVo boxes might be out.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

The Roamio Basic does not have any built in MoCA capability.


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## Peter G (Jan 3, 2012)

Taz

If you want OTA capability you need the base or OTA roamio.
Depending in where your Roamios are in the network, you may or may not need 1 or 2 MoCA adapters. If you already have a MoCA enabled router, then you have MoCA. Minis can connect direct to MoCA without any adapter. Roamio can connect to the router via ethernet, and then will be on the network. Only need adapters for the Roamios if they must connect over the coax. The adapters are $50 from TiVO and work great. Or search e-bay for used Verizon equipment - an equivalent adapter was used by them.

Peter G


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

TazExprez said:


> Thanks a lot for all of your help. I was reading the Roamio setup instructions and I think I'm going to need to connect the Roamio Basic boxes to Verizon MoCA routers, or to some other MoCA adapters, via Ethernet. Do the Roamio Basic boxes not have any MoCA capabilities at all? If so, then I will need to buy more MoCA routers. * I thought that the main MoCA router provided the MoCA network and that the Roamio Basic could use it right away. I thought that the Roamio Basic had MoCA, but lacked the ability to create a MoCA network. *I wonder if I should just go Pro? If something happens and the boxes freeze, or have some other problem, it would probably be simpler for the less technically inclined in my home to troubleshoot any problems without the extra MoCA routers. I am not planning on cutting the cord anytime soon, so I probably won't be needing OTA capability for some time. By the time I cut the cord, the next series of TiVo boxes might be out.





aaronwt said:


> The Roamio Basic does not have any built in MoCA capability.


I don't believe that's true. It should be as Taz said in the bolded text from his quote above. It can't create a moca network, but it can participate in a moca network via coax cable should one be already created on the cable from say a moca adapter or Moca enabled router, etc.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Peter G said:


> Taz If you want OTA capability you need the base or OTA roamio. ............. Peter G


He specifically stated he doesn't need OTA anytime soon:



TazExprez said:


> ............ I am not planning on cutting the cord anytime soon, so I probably won't be needing OTA capability for some time. By the time I cut the cord, the next series of TiVo boxes might be out.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

HarperVision said:


> I don't believe that's true. It should be as Taz said in the bolded text from his quote above. It can't create a moca network, but it can participate in a moca network via coax cable should one be already created on the cable from say a moca adapter or Moca enabled router, etc.


The Roamio Basic has no MoCA capabilities. Only wired Ethernet and WiFi. You need to use an external MoCA adpater to put it on a MoCA network.

Unless something has changed since I got my Roamio Basic in 2013. Because mine only has ethernet and WiFi. It connects to my Minis by using an Actiontec GigE MoCA adpater that's connected to my network.

EDIT:


> ....Devices that aren't MoCA-ready, like the four-tuner TiVo Roamio or Roamio OTA, can easily join the MoCA home network using a MoCA network adapter, available from the TiVo store. ....


http://www.tivo.com/my-account/how-to/how-connect-your-tivo-box-your-home-network


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

aaronwt said:


> The Roamio Basic has no MoCA capabilities. Only wired Ethernet and WiFi. You need to use an external MoCA adpater to put it on a MoCA network. Unless something has changed since I got my Roamio Basic in 2013. Because mine only has ethernet and WiFi. It connects to my Minis by using an Actiontec GigE MoCA adpater that s connected to my network. http://www.tivo.com/my-account/how-to/how-connect-your-tivo-box-your-home-network


Wrong. If the moca network already exists on the cable line, you CAN use a Roamio basic and OTA to connect to the moca signal instead of only Ethernet or wifi. The basic and OTA just can't "create" the moca network!

https://www.tivo.com/my-account/how-to/how-connect-your-tivo-box-your-home-network#option2


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

Basic/OTA boxes don't have moca client abilities like the Mini. They need adapters to connect to a moca network.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

BigJimOutlaw said:


> The Basic/OTA need adapters to connect to a moca network.


Nope


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

HarperVision said:


> Wrong. If the moca network already exists on the cable line, you CAN use a Roamio basic and OTA to connect to the moca signal instead of only Ethernet or wifi. The basic and OTA just can't "create" the moca network!
> 
> https://www.tivo.com/my-account/how-to/how-connect-your-tivo-box-your-home-network#option2


http://www.tivo.com/my-account/how-to/how-connect-your-tivo-box-your-home-network#option2

It says right on the page...


> Create and use a MoCA network
> 
> Use this option to create a MoCA network in your home. Once it's created, you can connect MoCA-ready devices (like other Roamio Plus/Pro DVRs, Premiere 4/XL/Elite DVRs, and TiVo Minis) to your MoCA home network through the coax cable.
> 
> *Devices that aren't MoCA-ready, like the four-tuner TiVo Roamio or Roamio OTA, can easily join the MoCA home network using a MoCA network adapter, available from the TiVo store*.


I do know that my Roamio Basic never displayed any MoCA options in the networking section.


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

HarperVision said:


> Nope


You're misunderstanding your image.  "Use a moca network adapter to connect to your moca network."

The OTA/Basic don't have moca client abilities like the Mini.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

BigJimOutlaw said:


> Your own image says so. "Use a moca network adapter to connect to your moca network."


Dude, they're saying that to sell you adapters! Look at the very next line. It says go into settings and choose "Connect using Moca". If you were using an adapter you would select "Connect using Ethernet" because that's what the adapter would supply your basic/OTA.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

aaronwt said:


> It says right on the page... http://www.tivo.com/my-account/how-to/how-connect-your-tivo-box-your-home-network#option2 I do know that my Roamio Basic never displayed any MoCA options in the networking section.





BigJimOutlaw said:


> You're misunderstanding your image. "Use a moca network adapter to connect to your moca network."


Whatever. Have fun wasting your money and that of the people you erroneously give this advice to. It works, try it!


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

HarperVision said:


> Dude, they're saying that to sell you adapters! Look at the very next line. It says go into settings and choose "Connect using Moca". If you were using an adapter you would select "Connect using Ethernet" because that's what he adapter would supply your basic/OTA.


maybe someone can chime in if they have actually been able to use MoCA with their Roamio Basic. I've never noticed any MoCA options in mine when I tested it with cable Tv and the coax my Minis use.

But if your saying it's there and TiVo specifically says to use an adpater, maybe I never even looked for it? It was way back in 2013 when I initially tested out my Roamio BAsic. Since then it has only been hooked up to an antenna and been using an ethernet cable or wifi for network connectivity.


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

The page is wrong. They erroneously copied and pasted the instructions from another box's instructions.

There are no moca settings or support on any of the Roamio 4-tuner boxes. When you connect one of them to a moca adapter (as the page instructs), there is no need for moca settings anyway because the Tivo thinks it's an ethernet connection.

I've spent hundreds of posts helping people with their moca networks. I know what's there and what isn't.

No need to get catty.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

BigJimOutlaw said:


> The page is wrong. They erroneously copied and pasted the instructions from another box's instructions.
> 
> There are no moca settings or support on any of the Roamio 4-tuner boxes. When you connect one of them to a moca adapter (as the page instructs), there is no need for moca settings anyway because the Tivo thinks it's an ethernet connection.
> 
> ...


You're correct, my apologies BJO and Aaron! Their page/linked image is indeed wrong, saying to connect via MoCA. No wonder there's so much confusion.

I pulled my OTA out of mothballs and hooked it up and as Aaron states, there's no MoCA option in the menu.

Thanks for clarifying and setting me straight (again!):up:

MEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

No worries.  They really do need to scrub their support pages. Since the redesign in particular, sloppy things like this have been showing up.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

Thanks a lot for clearing up my MoCA question. I was kind of confused about the MoCA capabilities of the Roamio Basic. I currently have 4 MoCA routers, so I could probably just move them around and place them near the Roamio Basic boxes, if I get those.

I am thinking about forgetting OTA for now and just getting Pro boxes with built-in MoCA. I think this will be one less complication for others in my home to worry about if anything goes wrong.

You have all been extremely helpful and I am very grateful for your time.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

I am thinking of running 2 Ethernet cables to one of the rooms and placing both Roamio Basic boxes side by side. This room is located right under the room where the main Verizon MoCA router is located. The other room that I originally wanted to place a second Roamio Basic box is too far, so I am not even thinking of running Ethernet to that one and will probably just settle for a Mini box, instead.

If I place the Roamio Basic boxes side by side, would the RF remotes control the boxes independently? If I decided to go OTA, would 2 small, non-amplified, antennas interfere with one another? I already tested OTA and confirmed that I can get OTA reception with a small, non-amplified, antenna. I will not install a roof antenna and would prefer to use 2 small, non-amplified, antennas. Could I just split the signal from a single small, non-amplified, antenna and feed the 2 Roamio Basic boxes with it?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

TazExprez said:


> I am thinking of running 2 Ethernet cables to one of the rooms and placing both Roamio Basic boxes side by side. This room is located right under the room where the main Verizon MoCA router is located. The other room that I originally wanted to place a second Roamio Basic box is too far, so I am not even thinking of running Ethernet to that one and will probably just settle for a Mini box, instead.
> 
> If I place the Roamio Basic boxes side by side, would the RF remotes control the boxes independently? If I decided to go OTA, would 2 small, non-amplified, antennas interfere with one another? I already tested OTA and confirmed that I can get OTA reception with a small, non-amplified, antenna. I will not install a roof antenna and would prefer to use 2 small, non-amplified, antennas. Could I just split the signal from a single small, non-amplified, antenna and feed the 2 Roamio Basic boxes with it?


The RF remotes get paired to the TiVo. I currently have half a dozen of the TiVo RF remotes paired to TiVos. They only control the one TiVo they are paired to.

You need to try out the antenna split to see if it works without issues. If any channels are marginal, the signal loss when splitting might affect the reception.

You can also run just one Cat5e/Cat6 cable and run it to a switch and then run both the TiVos to the switch. If the connection to the switch and another switch are GigE speeds, then you will see the same speeds from the two Roamio Basics attached to the switch.


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

I am close to buying the whole TiVo setup and wonder what would happen if 3 of the Mini boxes did live TV streams and the other 3 Mini boxes did recorded content streams, all from a single Roamio Basic? I am getting 2 Roamio Basic boxes and this is a very unlikely scenario, but I wonder if a single Roamio Basic doing all of this streaming would get bogged down? Would it cause any trick play command delays from the Mini boxes? Would the Mini boxes be bitrate starved and produce a lower quality, stuttering video? Would the 10/100 Ethernet connection be a severe limitation in this unlikely scenario? I will not be transferring anything to my Mac, I will only be streaming live and recorded shows to the 6 Mini boxes from the 2 Roamio Basic boxes.

I really like the Roamio Pro boxes because of the faster Ethernet connection and the included MoCA, which is faster than the Ethernet connection on the Roamio Basic. I wonder if this extra network speed would be helpful with 6 Mini boxes potentially involved in the scenario described above? Also, if I got the 2 Roamio Pro boxes, I would only get 5 Mini boxes, since I could place the Roamio Pro boxes anywhere, thanks to the MoCA capability.

Thanks again for all of your help.


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## erk48188 (Aug 16, 2002)

TazExprez said:


> I am thinking of running 2 Ethernet cables to one of the rooms and placing both Roamio Basic boxes side by side. This room is located right under the room where the main Verizon MoCA router is located. The other room that I originally wanted to place a second Roamio Basic box is too far, so I am not even thinking of running Ethernet to that one and will probably just settle for a Mini box, instead.
> 
> If I place the Roamio Basic boxes side by side, would the RF remotes control the boxes independently? If I decided to go OTA, would 2 small, non-amplified, antennas interfere with one another? I already tested OTA and confirmed that I can get OTA reception with a small, non-amplified, antenna. I will not install a roof antenna and would prefer to use 2 small, non-amplified, antennas. Could I just split the signal from a single small, non-amplified, antenna and feed the 2 Roamio Basic boxes with it?


You p


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## Peter G (Jan 3, 2012)

I reported to TiVo that their instructions were wrong on the Roamio Basic and MoCA. They admitted the error and said they were "working on" fixing the website. Thye copied the section from a Mini which can either be Ethernet or MoCA. A Roamio Basic/OTA can only connect through its ethernet port so needs a MoCA adapter to connect over coax. I have this set up and it works fine.

Peter G


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

HarperVision said:


> Nope


Really? Reread more carefully this text at the link you provided:

*Create and use a MoCA network*

Use this option to create a MoCA network in your home. Once it's created, you can connect MoCA-ready devices (like other Roamio Plus/Pro DVRs, Premiere 4/XL/Elite DVRs, and TiVo Minis) to your MoCA home network through the coax cable.

Devices that aren't MoCA-ready, like the *four-tuner TiVo Roamio or Roamio OTA*, can easily join the MoCA home network using a MoCA network adapter, available from the


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ej42137 said:


> Really? Reread more carefully this text at the link you provided: Create and use a MoCA network Use this option to create a MoCA network in your home. Once it's created, you can connect MoCA-ready devices (like other Roamio Plus/Pro DVRs, Premiere 4/XL/Elite DVRs, and TiVo Minis) to your MoCA home network through the coax cable. Devices that aren't MoCA-ready, like the four-tuner TiVo Roamio or Roamio OTA, can easily join the MoCA home network using a MoCA network adapter, available from the


You're a day late and a dollar short. I've already recanted and we've also established there's mistakes on their website.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

HarperVision said:


> You're a day late and a dollar short. I've already recanted and we've also established there's mistakes on their website.


Maybe 10 minutes late. How did you make this mistake in the first place, since the website was very clear on this point?


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ej42137 said:


> Maybe 10 minutes late. How did you make this mistake in the first place, since the website was very clear on this point?


It was 13 days ago on May 6, not 10 mins ago!

See the below posts and this image where it still erroneously says to connect with moca:



BigJimOutlaw said:


> The page is wrong. They erroneously copied and pasted the instructions from another box's instructions. There are no moca settings or support on any of the Roamio 4-tuner boxes. When you connect one of them to a moca adapter (as the page instructs), there is no need for moca settings anyway because the Tivo thinks it's an ethernet connection. I've spent hundreds of posts helping people with their moca networks. I know what's there and what isn't. No need to get catty.





HarperVision said:


> You're correct, my apologies BJO and Aaron! Their page/linked image is indeed wrong, saying to connect via MoCA. No wonder there's so much confusion. I pulled my OTA out of mothballs and hooked it up and as Aaron states, there's no MoCA option in the menu. Thanks for clarifying and setting me straight (again!):up: MEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!


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