SD-H400 Just as DVR/DVD player

STORMINORMAN · 10-18-2009, 12:55 PM

New to this Forum & to Toshiba/TiVo: bought a nice quality SD-H400 and, at the present time, I only want to use the unit as an occasional "record LIVE TV" DVR and as a DVD player. Using a flat-screen SD Toshiba TV with ColorStream connections.

Can I just run an S-video or VIDEO OUT cable out from my TV + RCA (L&R) audio to the appropriate inputs on the Toshiba SD-H400, then run Component (Y/Pb/Pr) back out to my TV and the Optical Digital Audio to my Dolby Digital receiver for playback? Do I need to also attach the RCA (L&R) cables?

My TV signal will be coming as a regular def signal from a Comcast converter box (they call it a Digital Transport Adapter) to the TV, BTW.

I'd be using the channel selection from the converter for the program info, HOPEFULLY allowing me to replay a recorded live program later, also allowing me to use the DVD player in Dolby Digital or DTS modes, etc. No need for a guide or to program a recording in advance: only looking to watch and record live TV, play DVD's.

Is this the best way to hook it up? Or, should I run directly into the SD-H400 from the converter?

Thanks in advance for your kind consideration: it is wholly possible I will become more "TiVo-oriented" in the future, but now I just want to use this unit as described above.

Cheers!

STORMINORMAN · 10-25-2009, 02:42 PM

100 views and not one person would even give me a hint about hooking this up?

Help, PLEASE!

JamieP · 10-26-2009, 12:07 PM

I would set it up as described in the manual; see page 20 in the owners manual. There's a link to the PDF here. You'd put the sd-h400 between the cable box and the tv, with a serial connection (or IR blaster) allowing the sd-h400 to change the channel on the cable box. If you really don't care about that part and are willing to change channels manually and only do manual recordings, then you can skip the serial/IR connection, but if I were you, I'd hook that up too and use the device as it was intended to be used.

STORMINORMAN · 10-27-2009, 03:46 PM

Thank you for your suggestion, Jamiep. As it turns out it is unlikely I will be using this unit with a cable signal available, so manual it will be.

Regards,

Norm

STC · 11-02-2009, 05:38 PM

I don't understand that the OP wants? Wasn't that the point of the SD-H400 (DVR/DVD combo).

Anyways you seem to complicate it, so do this:

Cable line from Wall to Comcast Digital Converter.
Split cable line from Comcast Digital Converter - One lines goes to back of TV. Other line goes to SD-H400.
Attach composite/component cables from SD-H400 to TV (Video 1 perhaps).
Attach IR Blaster.
Attach Phone Line or LAN Cable (if you have the network adaptor).
Run Guided Setup.
Use TiVo Basic.

dylanemcgregor · 11-02-2009, 07:26 PM

I'm a bit confused by the post as well. I thought that the Toshiba you have was one of the few models that came with free TiVo Basic? That gives 3 days of guide data and some limited season pass and other recording capabilities. You might think that you don't want this, but since it is free you might as well take advantage of it, my guess is it will end up coming in handy. Certainly better than manually recording everything.

My apologies if I'm misremembering the model that came with Basic.

STORMINORMAN · 11-03-2009, 11:12 AM

Sorry for the confusion. This unit does, indeed, come with Basic. I just want the ability to 1) record a live program manually on the DVR and play it back later, & 2) use the DVD as I need it.

I don't always have a convenient way to hook up with the TiVo update service. Does it even matter what the actual source of the tv signal is as far as live manual recording are concerned? Can't one record just as well from an antenna signal or a pair of rabbit ears?

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Norm

dylanemcgregor · 11-03-2009, 01:15 PM

As long as you can see the program you are watching when viewing through the TiVo you should be able to just press record on the remote and have it start recording what you are watching right then. The downside to this is that if the device isn't getting updates from TiVo the program won't be labeled. I'm also not sure how long it will record for with a single button press. IIRC, MY Series 1 TiVo would record for 8 hour stretches if I just pressed the button and it hadn't connected to service for a long time.

I think if you are going to use it without connecting to the TiVo service, the best thing to do is just hook it up and experiment with recording. The DVD functionality shouldn't be effected at all, just your recording of live TV will be a bit different. It should be pretty straightforward.

STC · 11-03-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STORMINORMAN

Sorry for the confusion. This unit does, indeed, come with Basic. I just want the ability to 1) record a live program manually on the DVR and play it back later, & 2) use the DVD as I need it.

I don't always have a convenient way to hook up with the TiVo update service. Does it even matter what the actual source of the tv signal is as far as live manual recording are concerned? Can't one record just as well from an antenna signal or a pair of rabbit ears?

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Norm

I see what you're saying, you did go a way round-a-bout way of saying it though.
In the initial post you said you have a Digital Converter Box. Why bring up the antenna/rabbit ears? And its not a "regular def" signal (I assume you mean Analog), its digital....hence the "Digital Converter Box".

DVR - like dylan said, if you can see a picture, you can record it.
DVD - why even bring this up for? Its a DVD player so of course you can play DVDs. Thats like asking if you can make phone calls on your iPhone.