# Circumventing "sleep mode" on mini



## HuskerMike (Jun 16, 2014)

I'm in a corporate environment with several television being run by several minis. I want them all (4 TVs) to all constantly use a tuner from my 6 tuner roamio, but they will keep sleeping after 4 hours. I've seen some archived threads about using perhaps a Rhasberry Pi or something similar to keep them awake always, but I'm curious if anyone here has actually accomplished this. If anyone has any way of keeping them "alive", I would really appreciate it. It's a VERY annoying "feature".


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

HuskerMike said:


> I'm in a corporate environment with several television being run by several minis. I want them all (4 TVs) to all constantly use a tuner from my 6 tuner roamio, but they will keep sleeping after 4 hours. I've seen some archived threads about using perhaps a Rhasberry Pi or something similar to keep them awake always, but I'm curious if anyone here has actually accomplished this. If anyone has any way of keeping them "alive", I would really appreciate it. It's a VERY annoying "feature".


Only when used in a bedroom when you want the TV on all night and you sleep for more than 4 hours, I don't know why TiVo did not make this an option, or set it for 12 hours.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

This is the raspberry PI IR blaster you are talking about...

http://blog.riyas.org/2014/01/raspberry-pi-ir-blaster-control-your.html

But I would recommend a telnet command from a simple scheduled script on your corporate network.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=392385&highlight=Telnet

Just write a script to telnet an unobtrusive command such as "clear" or "up" every 4 hours to the TiVo Minis and it should keep them up and running all day! You can also use it to change the channel remotely if you need too...

Here is a pretty simple script writing tool for telnet.

http://support.moonpoint.com/downloads/windows/network/Telnet/tst10.php

And a video showing how to use it!






Remember, in order for this to work you need Network Remote Control enabled. From tivo central: stpettings > remote & devices > Network remote control

And you are done!


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## HuskerMike (Jun 16, 2014)

Bradleys - this is exactly the type of answer I was hoping to get. I'm not a computer coder, so I was hoping for something exactly like this information. Thank you SO much!


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

If you have never used telnet before, it will have to be enabled on the host computer...

To enable Telnet command line utilities:
Click Start > Control Panel.
Click Programs and Features.
Click Turn Windows features on or off.
In the Windows Features dialog box, check the Telnet Client check box.
Click OK. The system installs the appropriate files. This will take a few seconds to a minute.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

lessd said:


> Only when used in a bedroom when you want the TV on all night and you sleep for more than 4 hours, I don't know why TiVo did not make this an option, or set it for 12 hours.


Just like I wish they had a shorter option. Like 30 minutes or an hour.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

Get the wristband that can sense you fell asleep and turns it off! 

http://mashable.com/2014/12/18/wristband-records-tv/


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

bradleys said:


> Get the wristband that can sense you fell asleep and turns it off!
> 
> http://mashable.com/2014/12/18/wristband-records-tv/


Why would they be watching it live?


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

aaronwt said:


> Why would they be watching it live?


Great question!


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

aaronwt said:


> Just like I wish they had a shorter option. Like 30 minutes or an hour.


I think pretty much all of us here with Minis have wondered why they don't provide ANY option to configure the timeout, or disable it. Seems like a very easy thing to do, but apparently it's yet another Not the Tivo Way (tm) decision.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

slowbiscuit said:


> I think pretty much all of us here with Minis have wondered why they don't provide ANY option to configure the timeout, or disable it. Seems like a very easy thing to do, but apparently it's yet another Not the Tivo Way (tm) decision.


I think (and this is only a guess on my part) that TiVo does not want to use any network services from the Mini continually as if you go on vacation for 2 weeks, why keep the load on your network, but options like 1 hour 4 hours, and 12 hours should cover most people needs.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

lessd said:


> I think (and this is only a guess on my part) that TiVo does not want to use any network services from the Mini continually as if you go on vacation for 2 weeks, why keep the load on your network, but options like 1 hour 4 hours, and 12 hours should cover most people needs.


I still don't see the issue with a slow 19Mb/s or less stream. That wouldn't even be taxing on a 100BT network let alone a GigE network. I have thirteen cameras streaming video 24/7/365 over my LAN to a PC. There is no load to speak of with the 45Mb/s+ constant video stream. Whether 45Mb/s or zero it shouldn't really make a difference. And the Mini data stream, is much, much slower.

My issue with a Mini would be tying up a tuner. Otherwise the actual streaming isn't going to make a difference.


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

Yeah but if you have a bunch of Mini's each stream adds up, is my guess for their reasoning?


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> My issue with a Mini would be tying up a tuner. Otherwise the actual streaming isn't going to make a difference.


I was under the impression that if you were watching live TV on a Mini and the host TiVo needed that last tuner for a recording you would get a notice on the Mini that it was about to be cut off if you want to record on the last tuner of the host TiVo, is this not correct ??


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

I have never run out of tuners... I know that is the message you will get on the host tivo, but I am not sure if that behavior extends to the mini.

I would make some sense for it to 'not' operate that way.


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## HuskerMike (Jun 16, 2014)

lessd said:


> I think (and this is only a guess on my part) that TiVo does not want to use any network services from the Mini continually as if you go on vacation for 2 weeks, why keep the load on your network, but options like 1 hour 4 hours, and 12 hours should cover most people needs.


This would maybe apply to a home user, but in my corporate environment, this does not at all match my needs. Some executive at Tivo simply did not think this through very well and assumed that all users have the same needs and wants as him. In corporations, this thinking is usually the result of a very opinionated or aggressive leader and very weak or timid or incompetent underlings. Tivo - look at your org chart.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

HuskerMike said:


> This would maybe apply to a home user, but in my corporate environment, this does not at all match my needs. Some executive at Tivo simply did not think this through very well and assumed that all users have the same needs and wants as him. In corporations, this thinking is usually the result of a very opinionated or aggressive leader and very weak or timid or incompetent underlings. Tivo - look at your org chart.


Or Tivo just doesn't cater to every fringe case use of their product like every other mass market product manufacturer.


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## kdmorse (Jan 29, 2001)

trip1eX said:


> Or Tivo just doesn't cater to every fringe case use of their product like every other mass market product manufacturer.


Also, I do not know if it is still the case, but it used to be that ANY change to the Tivo UI, especially a new option, took an act of congress to get implemented. Seriously, one simple setting, took longer to get through the UI folks, than passing a national budget.

As a result, big things, with big benefits, sometimes made it. Little things, with nebulous benefits, didn't have a prayer.

Making the timeout variable in the code, is probably manageable. But adding the UI element to control it is a real roadblock...


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## mdguy (Feb 10, 2003)

bradleys said:


> This is the raspberry PI IR blaster you are talking about...
> 
> Learn on the fly : Raspberry pi ir blaster- Control your Infrared Devices from the Internet
> 
> ...


Hi Everyone... This worked great for me... I am going to paste what I did on linux: "Raspberry PI running raspbian" NOTE works on MACOS etc as well.

1) Install expect (telnet and more scripting utility)
apt-get install expect

2) Create Script File I called it TIVOSCRIPT and put it in /usr/local/bin (here is mine)

#!/usr/bin/expect
set timeout 20
spawn telnet 192.168.123.152 31339
expect "LOCAL"
send "IRCODE CLEAR\r"

NOTE: in my file 192.168.123.152 is the IP address of the mini.

3) Make your script executable: chmod 755 TIVOSCRIPT (or /usr/local/bin/TIVOSCRIPT)

4) Setup CRON to run -- I did every hour

crontab -e (this puts in edit mode)
0 * * * * /usr/local/bin/TIVOSCRIPT

Now TIVOSCRIPT will run hourly on the hour

-Guy


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