TiVo has been talking up the capabilities of its tiny TiVo Mini box for quite some time. Now, the product is actually available -- and the first reviews of the new component are starting to flow in.
The TiVo Mini is a DVR extender designed to work with the TiVo Premiere. So instead of having to put a Premiere box anywhere that you want to watch live and recorded TV, you just put the TiVo Mini. From there, the compact box can access any of the TiVo Premiere's tuners. It can stream both live and recorded TV, as well as any other media that can be accessed through the TiVo Premiere (think Pandora, Hulu Plus, on-demand, YouTube, and more).
Our friends at Zatz Not Funny were one of the first websites to put the TiVo Mini through its paces. The website noted plenty of perks, such as an improved processor. However, the box seems to have its share of issues as well. For instance, writer Dave Zatz says that the Mini is best suited for Premiere boxes with four tuners. Also, the Mini doesn't have any love for WiFi and standard component jacks. And it should also be noted that while TiVo touts the option to stream services via the Mini, the box can't tap into two of the most popular video options, Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.
Overall though, Zatz seemed happy with the box during his testing period with a four-tuner Premiere box.
"Despite the TiVo Mini's shortcomings and onerous service fees, we whole-heartedly recommend the solution to existing 4-tuner TiVo Premiere owners looking to extend the TiVo experience to additional TVs in the home," says Dave Zatz. "The TiVo Mini is particularly compelling for those running multiple Premiere DVRs... at a higher cost."
Speaking of those fees, the TiVo Mini will cost users $99.99 for the hardware, with an additional $5.99 per month for Mini service. TiVo is also offering a lifetime option for the Mini, for $149.99.
Currently, the Mini is exclusive for customers using the Premiere 4 or Premiere XL4/Elite. To get a peek at the ins and outs of the box, check out the full review on Zatz Not Funny, as well as the promo video below.
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