# HD and Tivo Series 2



## RobNYC (May 17, 2007)

I'm currently in the process of buying an HD tv. I have a TiVo2 box at the moment. I understand that i can't record HD with this. I have Time Warner cable and I'm in the NYC area. Does anyone know if it's possible to still hook your Tivo series 2 box up to an HD TWC cable box and record? I've seen the prices of the HD boxes and after the money I spent on the TV I can't really afford to buy one but really wanted to be able to keep using TiVo rather than the TWC DVR for reasons that are obvious to all. Is anyone here know if it's possible to still use my TiVo box with the impending new set-up?


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## wdwms (Jan 10, 2003)

Yes it is possible. You'll get slow channel changes but your HD programs will be recorded, albeit down-converted to SD.

While i have an S3 now, I've still have my original S1 recording from a cable box. Been doing so for 5 years, including HD programming. 

There are ways to hack the S1 so that Tivo tunes channels 1-99 via its internal tuner and 100+ through the svideo or composit input coming from a cable box controlled by IR blaster. That is how I have my S1 setup.. Not sure if its possible on an S2.

-t


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## RobNYC (May 17, 2007)

Thanks. Did your HD Cable box downconvert the signal for non-HD recording? I probably at this point should call Time Warner and find out what the options are on their HD converter boxes.


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## wdwms (Jan 10, 2003)

The HD Cable Box I have (SA 3250) down-converts the HD channels.. My box has multiple outputs: DVI, component, s-video, and composite. The S-video and composite are on all the time and I use the s-video out + L/R analog audio going into the Tivo.

For DVI/Component, only one can be used, as the cable box switches off the other once you plug one in. 

Other boxes that my cable company offers (SA 8300) only let you use one output at a time. So if you connect via composite, the HDMI, component and s-video were shut off. This type of behavior is OK if you only plan to hook up the box to Tivo and not to Tivo and the TV for HD programming. Hence why I have the other box.

-t


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

The cable box will downconvert the HD to SD.

IMO, to make things a bit simpler, get the TiVo its own cable box.


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## jtreid (Jan 12, 2006)

IMHO, you need to take the dive and get the S3. I got a 50" Panny plasma and HD from comcast March a year ago. I had my S2 box and thought that whenever I wanted to watch HD I would just watch directly from the cable box. Well, having tivo, you know that watching live TV is just a PITA. Result....I never watched HD and really didn't realize it until it came up in conversations. It was basically a waste.

I got my S3 this March and JESUS CHRIST!, I think I've died and gone to Heaven. It was a good decision.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

RobNYC said:


> I'm currently in the process of buying an HD tv. I have a TiVo2 box at the moment. I understand that i can't record HD with this. I have Time Warner cable and I'm in the NYC area. Does anyone know if it's possible to still hook your Tivo series 2 box up to an HD TWC cable box and record? I've seen the prices of the HD boxes and after the money I spent on the TV I can't really afford to buy one but really wanted to be able to keep using TiVo rather than the TWC DVR for reasons that are obvious to all. Is anyone here know if it's possible to still use my TiVo box with the impending new set-up?


is your current Series 2 a Dual tuner model or a single tuner model? The STB will downrez HD to SD out the composite or s-video type outputs no problem. The DT model though will also let you hook up coax and get the analog channels recording without using the cable box if you set the channels you receive properly.

options 
1. use cable box to TiVo to TV. onl;y Sd this path
2. get two cable boxes - TiVo records whatever in SD - you watch whatever on TV and can watch HD
3. cable only to TiVo and STBto TV - TiVo will record the analog channels and you watch whatever on TV
4. get an S3


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## wdwms (Jan 10, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> options
> 1. use cable box to TiVo to TV. onl;y Sd this path
> 2. get two cable boxes - TiVo records whatever in SD - you watch whatever on TV and can watch HD
> 3. cable only to TiVo and STBto TV - TiVo will record the analog channels and you watch whatever on TV
> 4. get an S3


5 - Cable box to Tivo via svideo/composite, same cable box to Tv via component/hdmi/dvi for HD. Only caveat - if tivo is using the cable box if you change channels you'll change what tivo is recording...

6 - Hacked S1 - see my first post


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

wdwms said:


> 5 - Cable box to Tivo via svideo/composite, same cable box to Tv via component/hdmi/dvi for HD. Only caveat - if tivo is using the cable box if you change channels you'll change what tivo is recording...
> 
> 6 - Hacked S1 - see my first post


for 5 some boxes will shut off all but one output, especially if HDMI is being used. Plus as you say, you can not record anything else if you are watching the cable box "live"

6. - I had that as a DT series 2 with the channels I received set to the analog side and the lower simulcast digital channels unchecked. Saves having to get a series 1 and hacking it, plus you get to use the broadband features of the S2.


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## wdwms (Jan 10, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> for 5 some boxes will shut off all but one output, especially if HDMI is being used. Plus as you say, you can not record anything else if you are watching the cable box "live"
> 
> 6. - I had that as a DT series 2 with the channels I received set to the analog side and the lower simulcast digital channels unchecked. Saves having to get a series 1 and hacking it, plus you get to use the broadband features of the S2.


5 - correct, see my post further up, I had mentioned that for him.. What I did was to run cable directly to my TV as well, so at a minimum, if Tivo was recording something off of the cable box, I could watch via the TVs tuner.

6 - correct, thats an option, and saves having to hack as you said. Need a DT for that as you say.

Of course he could mimic my setup:

S3 - Dual cablecard via HDMI to TV
S1 - Analog tuning 1-99, Digital tuning via Cablebox via s-video broadcasts itself on channel 78 through the rest of the house and can be controlled from 2 other rooms
Cablebox - hooked up to Tivo as mentioned but to TV via component.

This gives me the ability in my main entertainment room to record 2 digital programs, 1 analog program and watch something else all at once. Or record 3 digital programs at once.

My S3 will broadcast itself on channel 80 as soon as the part comes in..

-t


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## RobNYC (May 17, 2007)

wdwms said:


> Other boxes that my cable company offers (SA 8300) only let you use one output at a time. So if you connect via composite, the HDMI, component and s-video were shut off. This type of behavior is OK if you only plan to hook up the box to Tivo and not to Tivo and the TV for HD programming. Hence why I have the other box.
> 
> -t


Ah, that's the delima right there. If the cable box only allows one output source to be used at a time then I wouldn't be able to hook it up unless I was willing to forfeit any HD channels (which is the whole point of having an HD tv in the first place). If the cable box outputs video on all of it's hook-ups in the back then my problem is solved but it doesn't seem like that's the case.


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## TiVo Troll (Mar 23, 2006)

RobNYC said:


> Ah, that's the delima right there. If the cable box only allows one output source to be used at a time then I wouldn't be able to hook it up unless I was willing to forfeit any HD channels (which is the whole point of having an HD tv in the first place). If the cable box outputs video on all of it's hook-ups in the back then my problem is solved but it doesn't seem like that's the case.


Contact TWNYNJ to find out specific details and pricing of their hi-def STB's and DVR's.

TW HDTV and digital STB's offered at *same price*.

TW hi-def DVR costs* $8.95 monthly*, at least for awhile.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

wdwms said:


> My S3 will broadcast itself on channel 80 as soon as the part comes in..
> 
> -t


I have had my S2 broadcast as SD around the house. Nice feature before I just added TiVo DVR's at each TV 

Does this part you mention broadcast the S3 as HD and if so what aprt is that ?


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## wdwms (Jan 10, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> I have had my S2 broadcast as SD around the house. Nice feature before I just added TiVo DVR's at each TV
> 
> Does this part you mention broadcast the S3 as HD and if so what aprt is that ?


It will broadcast as SD, I use Avcast:

http://www.crossbarmedia.com/html/cablecaster.html

I will eventually use this:

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/EXT-HDTV-CAT5.html
or this
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/9870.html

to run my S3 up to the bedroom.

-t


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