# Directv tivo converted to cable????



## haildc1 (Jun 11, 2007)

Is it possible to covert a directv tivo box to cable tivo box??


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## John T Smith (Jun 17, 2004)

No... a DTivo box does not have a tuner or an analog-to-digital converter, it ONLY works with the special satellite signal


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

Here's a thread from April about the same subject.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=347407

I'm not saying the OP should have done a search because the search phrase could be almost anything.

I do find it interesting that the OP of the April thread only posted that one time and hasn't replied since. I hope this OP returns.


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## wolflord11 (Jan 17, 2007)

Sat Boxes and Cable boxes have different Tuners in them. You could convert one, but the cost would be out of this World. You may as well just go out and buy a New Box.


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

JimSpence said:


> Here's a thread from April about the same subject.
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=347407
> 
> I'm not saying the OP should have done a search because the search phrase could be almost anything.
> ...


hopefully they join the community


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

wolflord11 said:


> Sat Boxes and Cable boxes have different Tuners in them. You could convert one, but the cost would be out of this World. You may as well just go out and buy a New Box.


You could convert a car to a power boat if you wanted to, but it wouldn't make much sense to do it.

Pretty much the same thing here.


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

dtremain said:


> You could convert a car to a power boat if you wanted to, but it wouldn't make much sense to do it.
> 
> Pretty much the same thing here.


Not really. 

A cable box and a DIRECTV box are designed to be connected to the TV to deliver the programming services of each provider.

It would be more like converting a car to be a minivan.


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## John T Smith (Jun 17, 2004)

I don't remember the name, but I saw a video once of a car that WAS a boat

Funny looking thing, but it did float and go... at least in calm water


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## gamo62 (Oct 12, 2002)

John T Smith said:


> I don't remember the name, but I saw a video once of a car that WAS a boat
> 
> Funny looking thing, but it did float and go... at least in calm water


I think it was a Bond movie, where the car turned into a boat/sub.


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## John T Smith (Jun 17, 2004)

No, this is a REAL car that was made several years ago, I just don't remember the brand

Oh well, I'll see it again some day


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

A quick Google search found these.
http://www.watercar.com/photo.html
http://www.aquajeep.com/
http://pointlessbutcool.com/gadgets/aquada_amphibious_car


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## wolflord11 (Jan 17, 2007)

They had those during WW2.

The Germans had a version of the Kubewagon, called the swimawagon or something along those lines.

And the US had the Duck.

So swimming cars have been around for awhile


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

gamo62 said:


> I think it was a Bond movie, where the car turned into a boat/sub.


Warning will robinson. Thread hijack Thread hijack. These car boats do exist I went in one as a kid. They were called the duck. Very cool indeed. Drive up to your local boat ramp and drive in the water. Flip a switch that changes the drive axle from the wheels to a prop. They only made a few of them. I have wanted one since i was a kid. http://www.time.com/time/2003/inventions/invaquada.html and 
http://www.watercar.com/ These are much more sophisticated than the one i was in as a kid. They appear to use jet ski technology vs a prop. Lordy if i only had a spare 250,000 Dag nabbitt SMEEK


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## captain_video (Mar 1, 2002)

To answer the OP and everyone else that has asked the question in this forum and others hundreds of times (are you paying attention), you CANNOT convert a DTivo for use with anything other than DirecTV, period!!!


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

captain_video said:


> To answer the OP and everyone else that has asked the question in this forum and others hundreds of times (are you paying attention), you CANNOT convert a DTivo for use with anything other than DirecTV, period!!!


Not 100% true. I can remove the top and all the innards. Put a liner in it and convert it into a litter box 

I also could remove all the inards drill a hole in the side insert a gold chain and convert it into Bling bling

I can leave everything intact hook it to my boat and convert it into an anchor.

I could take off the lid plug it into the bathroom outlet and convert it into a Dr. Kavorkian Suicide machine.

What else could you convert your directivo into if you no longer had D*?


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## Arcady (Oct 14, 2004)

I made one of my old D*tivo boxes into a media extender. I upload files to it from my computer via TiVoTool. I'll probably replace it with an Apple TV or SlingCatcher one day.


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

Arcady said:


> I made one of my old D*tivo boxes into a media extender. I upload files to it from my computer via TiVoTool. I'll probably replace it with an Apple TV or SlingCatcher one day.


Cmon Arcady i didnt want real things you could do. Just stupid funny things you could do like putting six or seven on top of each other to use as a counter balance on a see saw. Or a real neat candy dish


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## Scott in CO (Oct 27, 2003)

I don't understand why it would be so hard to convert a directv box to record cable. I converted a 1978 RCA 8-Track tape player/recorder into a directv/Dish/CableCard/OTA 1080P High Definition video recorder, integrated it with the Tivo GUI, and developed a completely new compression scheme that can store hours of HD programming on each 8-Track tape for convenient removable storage.

The only downside is the loud "KER-CHUNK!!!" when the tape switches tracks during the middle of playing back a show...


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

Ok!! I figured out how to convert a directivo to record cable. It is so simple its ridiculous. Items required to do this. 1. Directivo 2. torx driver 3. Ultra slim vcr

1.Use the torx to remove the case all the parts inside the directivo 2. cut out a hole in the back of the directivo(About the size of the yellow ,red and white set of jacks in the back of vcr.) 3. Cut out hole in back of directivo(the size of vcr plug) 4. cut out hole in front of directivo (size of vcr infrared ) 5. bolt the vcr into the empty directivo case 6. slide the vcr power cable out hole in back. Bingo start recording cable    


OOPS!! I forgot the big rectangle hole in the front of the directivo. Otherwise all you can record is 4-8 hours on a single tape!


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

Something else you can do to convert a directivo to record cable!


Sell your directivo on ebay and buy a S3 you will be recording cable before you know it!!


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

This thread comes up regularly. DTV customers are happy with DTivo, some customers paid a few hundred dollars for their unit and they want to know if they can use it with cable.

*I know it can't be done, short of putting a new unit in the old box* but the question isn't as stupid as it first sounds. DTivo units just record the digital data stream, they don't have an encoder. Conceptually the same thing could be done with digital cable. Obviously encryption issues and even the ability to tune channels and get guide data makes it impractical if not impossible but the lack of an encoder isn't the real issue.

Cable card tivos give users the ability to use the same tivo unit in different cable systems. Right now there isn't anything equivalent to a cable card for satellite otherwise tivo could go from satellite to cable.


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## wolflord11 (Jan 17, 2007)

Billy Bob Boy said:


> Not 100% true. I can remove the top and all the innards. Put a liner in it and convert it into a litter box
> 
> *I also could remove all the inards drill a hole in the side insert a gold chain and convert it into Bling bling*
> 
> ...


LMFAO


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

All kidding aside.



Spoiler



NO!


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

Scott in CO said:


> I don't understand why it would be so hard to convert a directv box to record cable. I converted a 1978 RCA 8-Track tape player/recorder into a directv/Dish/CableCard/OTA 1080P High Definition video recorder, integrated it with the Tivo GUI, and developed a completely new compression scheme that can store hours of HD programming on each 8-Track tape for convenient removable storage.
> 
> The only downside is the loud "KER-CHUNK!!!" when the tape switches tracks during the middle of playing back a show...


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

lew said:


> This thread comes up regularly. DTV customers are happy with DTivo, some customers paid a few hundred dollars for their unit and they want to know if they can use it with cable.


I guess we resopnd like this because the question is asked about once a week and a quick search could easily turn up the hundreds of threads.

Look, the OP's question was answered in the firs couple of posts. After that, we just started being funny.

Not against the law, last I looked.


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## Arcady (Oct 14, 2004)

Billy Bob Boy said:


> Cmon Arcady i didnt want real things you could do. Just stupid funny things you could do like putting six or seven on top of each other to use as a counter balance on a see saw. Or a real neat candy dish


Oh, I forgot to mention that the extra USB port powers a silly blinking fish that dances around.

Is that good enough?

I'm also using a dead Philips D*tivo to prop up a 22" Apple Cinema Display that has a broken foot...


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

Arcady said:


> Oh, I forgot to mention that the extra USB port powers a silly blinking fish that dances around.
> 
> Is that good enough?


Nope... I thought you would use it for a USB powered seat cooler http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/pcuser/articles/0608/17/news062.html


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## wolflord11 (Jan 17, 2007)

rminsk said:


> Nope... I thought you would use it for a USB powered seat cooler http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/pcuser/articles/0608/17/news062.html


Now a USB powered Coffee Warmer would be ideal.


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## phecksel (Oct 10, 2003)

wolflord11 said:


> Now a USB powered Coffee Warmer would be ideal.


http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SIL-CIGCUP-BAY
http://www.atlaspen.com/static/products/557372.php?pv=1&item=557372


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

I guess all of this silliness scared the OP away.


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

JimSpence said:


> I guess all of this silliness scared the OP away.


He scares easily. He never so much as thanked johnt for his initial direct response to his question.

Oh well.


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