The new TiVo Mini replaces your second DVR, but it won't completely do away with additional subscription costs.
TiVo Mini solves one of the great problems of DVRs -- they're awesome for a single TV and less awesome when you want to watch TV in another room. That has always meant buying a second DVR and incurring an additional subscription. TiVo Mini replaces that second DVR with a smaller box that gives you all the functionality of the Premiere 4.
But here's the rub: The Mini only works with the TiVo Premiere 4. The Mini requires the use of one of the four tuners in the Premiere to work. It also requires a wired connection to your home network. If you want to watch live TV from your TiVo, you're going to need more bandwidth than Wi-Fi can muster. No one enjoys buffering during Breaking Bad.
Although TiVo Mini will reduce the $13-a-month subscription cost of a second TiVo, it still will set you back six bucks a month with a 12-month commitment -- if you purchase the TiVo Mini for $100. Fork over $250 up front and you get a lifetime subscription with your TiVo Mini. You can weigh the cost benefits of going monthly or paying up front. Still, the little box is cheaper than a second TiVo and works with your old non-HDTV thanks to component or composite video outputs. Of course, if you're the type with enough dough for a house full of HDTVs, TiVo Mini has HDMI output for that second HDTV.
The TiVo Mini will be available for purchase on March 17.
