Want to extend your TiVo service to additional rooms? Today the company officially announced the TiVo Mini, a palm-sized device that lets you extend your live television feed. The Mini is not actually a tiny DVR (how cool would that be?), but rather utilizes the features of base TiVo tuners including the TiVo four-tuner DVR, the TiVo Premiere 4 and the TiVo Premiere XL4.
With the Mini you can search and schedule recordings, watch VOD content (with XFINITY On Demand in select areas), and seamlessly continue watching a program you started from another room. The Mini also supports apps such as YouTube, Hulu Plus and Photobucket, as well as games such as Quizzmaster and Black Jack.
But where the TiVo Mini falls flat is lack of wireless support (requiring Ethernet or Coax/MoCA connectivity). While the device’s small footprint might be convenient for placement around the house, you’ll still need to hard-wire an ethernet connection. That could mean hiding and dressing wires, and potentially running new wires through your wall. Come on TiVo, it’s 2013. Wires are so last century.
The TiVo Mini is only supported by the TiVo models mentioned above, which also puts a ding in our expectations. (TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL are not supported.) If you’re intrigued by a Mini, you might need to upgrade your TiVo DVR first. (See full specs & requirements below.)
What’s the TiVo Mini cost? MSRP is set at $99.99 with a required monthly subscription fee of $5.99 for 12 months. Alternatively, you can drop $249.98 on the Mini and avoid any future monthly service fees. The Mini is now available at TiVo.com and through retailers starting on March 17th, 2013.
TiVo Mini Specifications and Requirements:
- Requires 4-tuner TiVo DVR
- Compatible TiVo DVR models include:
- TiVo Premiere 4
- TiVo Premiere XL4 (previously Premiere Elite)
- Requires Coax/MoCA or Ethernet broadband connection. (Wireless networks are not supported)
- Dimensions: 1.25″ x 6.12″ x 6.12″
- Weight: 0.78 lbs
- Requires that the TiVo Mini be installed and activated on the same account and network as the main DVR
Source: TiVo via Yahoo News
