TiVo Roamio vs. TiVo Premiere: Specs Compared

TiVo's new family of DVRs are destined to replace the Premiere series as the company's main line. The Roamio DVRs all sport a handful of upgrades over the Premiere models, and on the surface look very attractive. However, are they enough to justify replacing your TiVo Premiere DVR? If so, which Roamio should you get?

The comparison table below shows the major differences between all five currently available TiVo models (the TiVo Premiere 4 and Premiere XL4 are both available through TiVo's online outlet store). It's easy to see how the Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro eclipse the other models in features, but considering their $400 and $600 price tags, those features might not be quite enough.

First, if your main priority is streaming your recordings around the home (and, once the software update comes out, outside the home) and setting up a multi-room DVR system, you're covered with all five models. You need a TiVo Stream to stream recordings from the Premiere DVRs or the regular Roamio, and the Plus and Pro feature built-in streaming. All five DVRs support connecting a TiVo Mini for multi-room viewing. Networking is easier on the Roamio models, because they all feature built-in Wi-Fi and don't require an adapter. You'll need an adapter for the regular Roamio if you want to network your system using multimedia over coax (MoCA), though.

For sheer capacity, the Roamio Pro beats the other models with a 3TB hard drive that can hold 450 hours of high-definition video, but the Premiere XL4 comes close at 2TB and 300 hours, especially when it's available for the same price as the half-capacity Roamio Plus. The regular Roamio and the Premiere 4 both have the samee capacity, and since the Premiere 4 is currently $50 more than the Roamio, it's hard to ignore the new model.

All three Roamio DVRs have radio remotes that can work without line of sight to the DVR, letting you store it behind cabinet doors. The Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro have the added benefit of a remote finder button on the DVR that makes the remote produce a noise if it's misplaced. The Premiere DVRs have neither feature, with regular infrared remotes.

Finally, the regular Roamio has one curious advantage all the others lack. It's the only currently available TiVo model that has an ATSC tuner, meaning you can watch and record over-the-air programming with it. The other models all require cable connections.