How does a Roameo OTR figure out which channels it is buffering?

If you're on the older software, click the INFO button. On the left side of the info screen about 2 or 3 icons down, you'll see an icon comprised of 4 or so small dots, one or more which may be red. Arrow down to that icon, and you'll see the channel each tuner is recording and you can then right arrow over to that list and arrow down to the tuner/channel you want. If any of them are red, they're actively recording/saving the program. If they're not red, they're still recording, but just buffering.

Again, this is the older interface. I'm sure there's something similiar in the newer interface.

 

On the newer software, hit the right arrow when a full screen is displayed and you can see the channels being used by other tuners. Move right, press OK/Select to select one.

 

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Not exactly. You can leave a particular Tuner (A) on a channel you want to keep buffering, then before changing the channel, change the tuner instead to another tuner (B) then do you channel up/down surfing on Tuner (B) while knowing Tuner (A) is still buffering... Keep in mind if there are any upcoming recorded shows, standby energy settings in place, or a TiVO mini that requires an open tuner, you may lose the buffering you left Tuner (A) at.

 

When you switch channels, if you switch to a channel that is already being buffered then the Tivo will switch to the other tuner rather than change channels on the current tuner. Then when you switch back to the previous channel, since it's still being buffered by the original tuner, the Tivo again switches tuners instead of channels.

As an example, let's say your four tuners are currently buffering channels 1, 4, 8 and 10. Let's also say that you're currently watching channel 4. If you change channels to 10, the Tivo will merely switch to the other tuner that currently is buffering channel 10. Then when you change channels back to channel 4, the Tivo switches to the tuner that continued to buffer channel 4.

Now take the previous example and say you change channels from 4 to 11. Since 11 isn't being buffered by any tuner, the Tivo changes to channel 11 on the tuner you're currently watching. This clears the tuner buffer and then starts buffering channel 11. Then when you change channels back to channel 4, the same thing happens since no tuner is currently buffering channel 4 (i.e. buffer cleared and current tuner switched to channel 4).

 

Another trick, if you like to have a certain channel buffering, is to set a very short repeating manual recording. Create as many as you like, maybe 5 mins in length. Keep at most 1.

So if you like to wake up and have the buffer on Channel 111, set a manual recording to record 5 mins of Ch 111 every day at 5:30am.