Bolt vs Mini

Yes and yes.

 

A few other considerations:

By using the Mini, you save on the cost of a subscription for a 2nd Bolt. However, by using the Mini, your parents will see what you have on your Bolt--you might not want that--and everyone will be sharing the storage space on the Bolt; in using a 2nd Bolt, you and your parents each would have your own, distinct storage space, as well as the increased total amount of storage space. Likewise increased with a 2nd Bolt over the use of a Mini: the total number of tuners and shows that can be recorded at a given time.

A final consideration point: the ease, or not, of the connectivity between the Bolt and a Mini.

 

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What Mike said.

I'm cheap, so I would never pay the subscription on one Bolt, much less two. So in both my parent's house and my own house, each has a single lifetime main Tivo and several Minis which are subscription-free.

If you want to maintain totally separate recordings or need more recording space or tuners and don't mind the additional cost, then go for the Bolt.

 

And if you wanted to go the 2nd Bolt route but are balking at the $550 Lifetime subscription fee, there's a great promotion going on at TiVo.com right now for Lifetimed (1) Roamio OTA, and (2) Bolt refurb. boxes--the price of the Lifetimed Bolt box is just $100 more than a Mini VOX.

SKIP to an upgraded TiVo & Save

 

I currently have a Bolt and pay the yearly subscription. If I buy a new Bolt under the- SKIP to an upgrade - is there a way to tie the lifetime subscription to my existing Bolt?

 

Unlike current Mini boxes which come with Lifetime baked-in, your earlier Bolt needs its own subscription to work as anything more than a standalone playback unit. Sorry. What you could do is, get a Lifetimed Bolt under the promotion, transfer your shows from the old box to the new, and sell the old box, getting at least something for it--cost-effective at just under 2 years (not including any resale profit from the old box) compared to paying the annual subscription.

 

Thank you Mikeguy! I like the Bolt and want a similar experience on our downstairs TV so I was thinking about getting a second Bolt or Mini. I’d like to go forward without having to pay a subscription.
Perhaps a new Bolt and Mini are in my future. Are most TiVo’s sold on ebay?

 

Also see here: Buyer/Seller Area

 

The understandable desire not to pay another subscription fee automatically suggests the Mini route. But with the current sale, the Bolt refurb. with included Lifetime subscription is only $100 more than a new VOX Mini, making considerations closer (and potentially more difficult!).

 

One key difference between a BOLT and Mini isn't just the associated TiVo service fee. If you're a cable subscriber (your TV source isn't mentioned), adding a DVR would trigger a bump in your cable bill for the additional outlet or CableCARD required for the BOLT.

Were you to choose the BOLT path, given the current promotion, as @Mikeguy pointed-out, it may be more cost effective to just buy the renewed BOLT and sell your current unit -- depending on your commitment to the setup (short-term monthly or annual service vs All-In/lifetime).

As for a BOLT vs Mini, @mdavej hit on the most critical factors...

... concern for available tuners, OnePass/recording conflicts, combined content and management of content (e.g. parents deleting shows you've yet to watch).

If concerned about recording and content management, in the absence of user profiles on TiVos the best one can do is separate DVRs. If you really want to isolate the setups, you can put your parent's DVR on a separate TiVo account, or implement a LAN-based isolation mechanism to prevent their box from seeing your TiVos and vice versa. Requirements for access via the mobile app and mobile streaming should also be a consideration when determining the path forward.