# Use Lifetime Unit as a Mini (no cablecard)



## nleavitt (Oct 9, 2012)

It would be nice if I rather than buy an additional Mini, if I could use an unused Lifetime Premiere, Roamio or even Bolt as a Mini connected to another base unit. Basically just have one cablecard and then have another unit function as a Mini - slaving off the base unit. This can be for lifetime units. Is this possible for Tivo to develop via software? Just curious.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

You can essentially do that now, other than live tv. Base units can get an antenna and continue to record.

I don't see Tivo enabling a full DVR to be used like a mini, very limited use case.


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## matsalla (Jul 15, 2003)

I would see enabling the live tv a great feature. I would have considered buying 2 full units over a Mini for this. I would have liked to have been able to have something like a Bolt and a Bolt+ together. Only needing one cable card, could have the Bolt+ handle Cable, and the Bolt handle the OTA. I would have liked to have been able to have them completely inter operate including live tv, and guide (maybe some button in the guide to quickly switch between Tivos). Also, I am one of the ones that like the view window on every screen including Tivo Central (I like to delete and manage recordings while watching something), this would help enable that.


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## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

It works after a fashion. I used my old Premiere that way for a while, but the fact that you can only watch recordings gets old. You can use the TiVo app to remotely start something recording so you can watch it, but that isn't any substitute for channel surfing . The thing that really got to me and made me buy a mini is that the mini makes no noise. The Premiere was noticeable in the bedroom, and when it decided to download an update and reboot at 2AM , it was like an alien invasion started with the fan zooming to full speed and the front lights filling the room with eerie green glow. I decided the mini was worth it to prevent a heart attack.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Just sell it and buy a Mini. Even a Premiere with lifetime is worth more then a Mini.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

matsalla said:


> I would see enabling the live tv a great feature. I would have considered buying 2 full units over a Mini for this. I would have liked to have been able to have something like a Bolt and a Bolt+ together. Only needing one cable card, could have the Bolt+ handle Cable, and the Bolt handle the OTA. I would have liked to have been able to have them completely inter operate including live tv, and guide (maybe some button in the guide to quickly switch between Tivos).


This is a use model I could get into. I live between two markets in a condo. The one market is pretty covered by my cable (Fios), but the other is missing a lot of channels. The spot that I can get the missing channels OTA is the opposite end of my condo from my main TV, so it would be great to have two boxes that work together in the way you describe rather than have to run extra wiring.


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