[Steve]

Dumb question. Can an OTA Edge or Bolt co-exist within an existing cablecard Edge and Mini Vox network? Can it be seen as a device one of the minis can attach to, or a cablecard Bolt or Edge can stream from? The plan is to connect it wirelessly to the same home network as the cablecard boxes.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[JoeKustra]

Not dumb. Should be no issues unless you use MoCA. Content on a TiVo doesn't care how it got there. The Mini must match the software version it is using as a host (for streaming), but not an issue with the recorded content.

Wireless streaming can be a challenge in some environments with an old weak router.

 

[Steve]

Not dumb. Should be no issues unless you use MoCA. Content on a TiVo doesn't care how it got there. The Mini must match the software version it is using as a host (for streaming), but not an issue with the recorded content.

Wireless streaming can be a challenge in some environments with an old weak router.

Thanks, Joe! So wired or wireless, a Mini will see the OTA box as a "TiVo DVR Connection" option, and the other DVRs and Minis can get it to it via My Shows "Devices".

 

[krkaufman]

The plan is to connect it wirelessly to the same home network as the cablecard boxes.

You were solid up until the "connect it wirelessly" bit, where streaming success can depend on your home's wireless setup. TiVo only officially supports wired DVRs (Ethernet and/or MoCA) in a whole home setup, and only officially supports a streaming wireless connection for Mini VOX/LUX units using the TiVo WiFi 5 USB Adapter.

That said, plenty of people have successful wireless setups for TiVo streaming. It's just a DIY, YMMV solution.

See: TiVo Support: How to Use Multi Room Streaming

 

[Steve]

For the record, I have a 3-node TP-Link Deco mesh network setup here.

I just disconnected my Bolt's Cat-5 and connected wireless. It's also paired to a Mini Vox that's using the TiVo wifi USB adapter. No issues observed while watching an hour of recorded programming on the mini.

Nor were there any issues observed pairing that wireless Bolt to my wired Mini, or streaming from that Bolt to iOS devices.

I'd like to test an OTA Edge within my cable setup, just to see what the experience is like. Looks like I'm good to go.

 

[dishrich]

I'd like to test an OTA Edge within my cable setup, just to see what the experience is like. Looks like I'm good to go.

As long as you're NOT networking the boxes via MOCA (coax) it will work fine...I've been doing the same thing with 1 CC Roamio Pro, 1 Roamio on a large/distant OTA antenna for the Peoria/Bloomington market, & 2 Roamio's on a separate local OTA antenna, & 3 mini's.

 

[snerd]

It is possible to use MoCA with a mix of OTA and cable, but you need to jump through some extra hoops to ensure that OTA and cable are never on the same segment of coax. The OTA-only TiVos don't have MoCA built in, so they need an external MoCA adapter, which can simplify things by having the MoCA adapter attach to MoCA+cable section of coax, while the OTA feeds directly into the OTA TiVo. Then you just add an ethernet cable from the OTA Tivo to the MoCA adapter.

Using an OTA optional TiVo with built-in MoCA is still possible, but it requires careful use of diplexers.