Archives For TiVo

The TiVo Mini Review

Dave Zatz —  March 10, 2013

tivo-mini

TiVo’s been talking up their DVR extender over a year, since it was first introduced last February as the IP-STB. And, while we didn’t get the 2012 retail launch we were hoping for, the TiVo Mini ($100, plus service) has finally arrived. But is it everything we’d hoped for?

Instead of sprinkling a number of DVRs around the home, the TiVo Mini essentially leverages a 4-tuner TiVo Premiere as a central media hub – relaying both live and recorded content. This thin client approach features a variety of practical advantages including a lower total cost of ownership, via waived CableCARD and Additional Outlet fees, energy efficiency, and the simplicity of managing a single drive of scheduled recordings. Of course, TiVo isn’t first to this space,  joining very fine satellite offerings from DISH and DirecTV on one side… with years of Windows Media Center extenders at the other end of the spectrum.

TiVo Mini Unboxing & Setup

The TiVo Mini ships with a standard Peanut remote, including batteries, and TiVo has kindly included a HDMI cable. However, in order to keep the Mini’s size under control, TiVo passed on standard component jacks and folks reliant on them may have a difficult time connecting their TVs. So, perhaps, they should have provided that rather rare breakout cable instead. Monoprice to the rescue? Speaking of connectivity, Continue Reading…

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TiVo Mini Hits Retail Outposts

Dave Zatz —  March 8, 2013 — 39 Comments

tivo-mini-box

UPDATE: Our TiVo Mini review is live!

TiVo hasn’t yet gotten around to officially launching the TiVo Mini, but that didn’t inhibit at least one retailer from selling a unit today. And while cmonroe didn’t exactly out the “big box” store, we’ll go ahead and assume it’s Best Buy. There’s probably not much left to learn at this point in regards to TiVo Mini functionality or pricing, but it’ll be good to start getting some first hand accounts of performance. Once he gets around to activating it. Although I’ve got some Reward Zone cash burning a hole in my pocket, and may just pull the trigger tomorrow without waiting for a report.

Interestingly, the packaging seems to confirm rumors of an upcoming retail 6-tuner TiVo DVR: “Compatible with any TiVo DVR with four or more tuners.”

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A TiVo Mini Alternative: TiVo Stream to Apple TV

Dave Zatz —  March 8, 2013 — 11 Comments

sad_tivoMultiple data points had indicated a TiVo Mini launch this week… yet here we are, Miniless. As to the shifting announcement, one can only guess – perhaps TiVo’s still getting the device’s technical or marketing ducks in a row. Better yet, maybe they’re taking time to reevaluate the TiVo tax. Regardless, TiVo support seems to have confirmed the situation as we understand it:

We had to delay the release. Unfortunately we have not announced when the release was rescheduled to.

So while we wait, or perhaps in lieu of an eventual TiVo Mini purchase, by using an iPhone or iPad as an intermediary, TiVo Stream owners can already move video from TiVo to a secondary television via Apple TV. Now it is a bit of a hack and, in my experimentation, I did experience some dropped frames. But for occasional usage or those on a tight budget, here’s how you’d expand the capabilities of a TiVo Stream: Continue Reading…

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TiVo Stream Android Support… No Time Soon

Dave Zatz —  March 5, 2013 — 12 Comments

tivo-stream

We’re massive fans of the TiVo Stream. While imperfect, it truly offers the best way to beam your live and recorded television around the home…. assuming you have both a TiVo Premiere of some sort and an iDevice end-point. And so it shall remain for Android owners in the foreseeable future. RCN, a TiVo MSO partner, has soft launched TiVo Stream rentals - running a reasonable $5/month (given the $130 retail price point). As a discussion side note, it was mentioned that “Android support is coming, but not anytime soon.” Of course, Android has always taken a bit of a back seat to the iPhones and iPads for TiVo – which we assume has been both something of a strategic decision and a technological concern related to Google beefing up the platform’s security (as TiVo mentioned at CES). So the TiVo app might make it’s way to Android 4.2 later this month, but it’ll be some time before my Kindle Fire HD receives TiVo Stream capabilities.

(Thanks Sam and Jason!)

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TiVo Mini Pricing Confirmed. No Netflix?

Dave Zatz —  March 1, 2013 — 77 Comments

tivo-mini-pricing

UPDATE: Our TiVo Mini review is live!

Leading up to the official TiVo Mini retail announcement next week, TiVo’s gone ahead and launched a “test” page (now offline) that confirms both functionality and pricing. As you can see above, $100 hardware will be accompanied by either a $6 monthly service fee or a $150 one-time charge. On the functionality front, there’s not much new to learn… other than the conspicuous absence of both Netflix and Amazon apps from their listing of online partners. Amazon Instant is somewhat understandable given TiVo’s archaic, but high quality, download implementation in light of the Mini’s very limited storage. But the absence of Netflix is somewhat puzzling, despite previously being warned of missing apps. Ah well, there’s always the Roku 3? Continue Reading…

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