# My setup any room DVR & music



## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

Rather than using the multi-room viewing, I have my Tivo HD wired to 5 TV's and use an RF extender.  
I have the Tivo in my closet in my bedroom wired to an HDMI splitter, then cables run in the attic to each room. 
(living room, basement, office & bathroom)

It works well because I live alone, but the TV's also have regular cable input if anyone wants to watch something other than what my Tivo is displaying. 
I enjoy playing music with Pandora in multiple rooms, pausing the Tivo on 1 remote pauses it on all TV's.









































Shane


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

Nice.

If only...


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Nice setup! I'm jealous. Makes me wish I had done even MORE pre-wiring than I did. And I pre-wired a bunch.

This weekend, I'm going to try to take the HD feed from the bedroom S3, split it, and send it to the kitchen TV (13" HD flat screen). HDMI over CAT5. We'll see . . .


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

astrohip said:


> This weekend, I'm going to try to take the HD feed from the bedroom S3, split it, and send it to the kitchen TV (13" HD flat screen). HDMI over CAT5. We'll see . . .


How did your setup turn out?


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## Grappa (Jul 5, 2011)

I wonder why didn't you used projector rather than Plasma TV? The screen area could be even more impressing in the living room.


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

Grappa said:


> I wonder why didn't you used projector rather than Plasma TV? The screen area could be even more impressing in the living room.


I am not that well versed on Projectors, I may look into them some more. 
The living room area has 3 big bay windows and at times alot of Sun coming in.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

So you're talking 5 TVs and one TiVo?

Can you just wander from room to room with the remote in your hand?

(sooner or later I'm going to regret seeing that picture of the TV in the bathroom  )


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

What's that arcade machine?

(Live, Laugh, Love? and you live alone?!?!?)


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

unitron said:


> So you're talking 5 TVs and one TiVo?
> Can you just wander from room to room with the remote in your hand?


You can... But there are Tivo remotes in each room. They communicate with the Tivo unit in my bedroom from any room in the house using RF in the battery. :up:


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Shanezam203 said:


> How did your setup turn out?


Forgot to order one part. I needed a connector for the CAT5 cables. I didn't want to face the store crowds, so I found an Amazon Prime seller for a $2 part.. Still waiting on it . . .


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

I have a 2nd Tivo HD in my spare bedroom I use for conflicts... 
I can transfer some recordings to my main Tivo (that is in all rooms) but can I split that adn output that to my bedroom TV also on a 2nd input and toggle to it quickly to set a conflict?

I can wire it easily, but how do I handle 2 Tivo's (in seperate rooms) and RF? 
I don't really want 2 remotes but I will. 
My Glow remote has DVR 1 and 2, how does that work exactly? :up:


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## nexter (Aug 25, 2010)

wow your setup is beyond awesome lol good job


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

DVR 1/2 work, becasue each is programmable to a TiVo remote address (0 to 9; 0 is a global "all units" address), and the TiVo is set to respond to that address, or 0 (same as the remote, is a "all address").


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

classicsat said:


> DVR 1/2 work, becasue each is programmable to a TiVo remote address (0 to 9; 0 is a global "all units" address), and the TiVo is set to respond to that address, or 0 (same as the remote, is a "all address").


Interesting, thanks. I mayyyyyy work on my 2nd DVR to handle conflicts UNLESS anyone thinks a Tivo update is coming to address it?


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## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

A TV in the bathroom? Really? Even I am not that decadent. 

I also don't allow any TVs in any of the bedrooms except the guest room, but I do have 3 TiVos. I much prefer multiple receivers for several reasons:


I frequently have people watching different recorded content in different rooms.
On the very rare occasion two tuners is not enough to record what I need, the extra TiVos provide up to four additional tuners.
The recording preferences are different in different TiVos. For example, my roommate only sets her recordings on the livingroom TiVo.
If one TiVo fails, I still have two working units until the failed one is fixed.


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## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

Shanezam203 said:


> I am not that well versed on Projectors, I may look into them some more.
> The living room area has 3 big bay windows and at times alot of Sun coming in.


A front projector is not a good choice where the lighting cannot be controlled. Even a rear projector suffers considerably when ambient light is excessive. I have a 140" screen illuminated by an Optoma HD81 DLP projector in my theater. The theater has no windows. I would not even consider such a setup if I could not at least blank out any windows with opaque shades and drapes.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

lrhorer said:


> A TV in the bathroom? Really? Even I am not that decadent.


That's not decadence, that's efficiency!


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## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

unitron said:


> That's not decadence, that's efficiency!


Or maybe just addiction. Please, either way, I do *not* want to know what gets watched in there. 

OTOH, the toilet paper roll seems a most appropriate and completely sufficient comment upon much of what is shown on TV these days.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

lrhorer said:


> I frequently have people watching different recorded content in different rooms.
> If one TiVo fails, I still have two working units until the failed one is fixed.


The OP lives alone so no issue there. 
I have 4 kids so agree with you that one 2 tuner TiVo would be a nightmare of conflicts.

Myself I can deal with loosing shows, but I do have high value shows (eg my wife would hurt me if they were lost) I do record on multiple TiVo DVRs.


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## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> The OP lives alone so no issue there.


So do I, pretty much. I have a roommate, but she isn't around much. I do have friends and family, however. When they come over, there are often 2 or 3 TVs going.



ZeoTiVo said:


> I have 4 kids so agree with you that one 2 tuner TiVo would be a nightmare of conflicts.


The situation only rarely pops up here, but it does pop up. I can see how reserving one Tivo mostly for kids' recordings would save a lot of headaches.



ZeoTiVo said:


> Myself I can deal with loosing shows, but I do have high value shows (eg my wife would hurt me if they were lost)


...And for some reason you don't like that? Strange. 



ZeoTiVo said:


> I do record on multiple TiVo DVRs.


If nothing else, suggestions are cranking away on all three.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

How did you manage to have 5 TV's connected to your TIVO when the HDMI splitter only has two outputs? Did you split them again or am I missing something?

I'm thinking of doing something like that here. I have 3 TV's and 3 TiVos. I want to be able to view any of the three in any room (using RF remotes of course). The only splitter I see at MonoPrice that would work for me would be the 4 X 4 model no?









4X2 Switch


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

astrohip said:


> Nice setup! I'm jealous. Makes me wish I had done even MORE pre-wiring than I did. And I pre-wired a bunch.
> 
> This weekend, I'm going to try to take the HD feed from the bedroom S3, split it, and send it to the kitchen TV (13" HD flat screen). HDMI over CAT5. We'll see . . .


It worked! After trying other solutions that failed (wireless HD), the HDMI over CAT5 worked! Perfect HD signal on the kitchen TV.

When I originally presented this idea to my wife (it's her TV), I explained that she wouldn't have any remote control over the TiVo. No problem, she says; I'll be happy just to get the signal. Now she needs remote control. You'd think I 'd learn. Women . . . 

So what options do I have to remote control the TiVo from downstairs and 50 feet away?


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

@Astrohip. We use an MX-600 remote here, but any RF remote will probably work.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

bareyb said:


> @Astrohip. We use an MX-600 remote here, but any RF remote will probably work.


That distance?


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## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

astrohip said:


> When I originally presented this idea to my wife (it's her TV), I explained that she wouldn't have any remote control over the TiVo. No problem, she says; I'll be happy just to get the signal. Now she needs remote control. You'd think I 'd learn. Women . . .


Yeah, you really should have seen that coming...



astrohip said:


> So what options do I have to remote control the TiVo from downstairs and 50 feet away?


Some others have suggested universal RF remotes. There are also some wireless IR repeaters available. That way you can use the TiVo remote. Their performance is hit-and-miss, depending on position, ambient light levels, and interference, but I have had pretty good luck with some of them in the past.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

I have a tv in the kitchen that only has power and a single coax cable available. No way to pull any new cables to it in a cost effective manner. Its approx 60 ft through several walls from the tivo. Any way to get HD there? Right now its getting SD over the coax using the composite output of the tivo to an old RF modulator and tuned to channel 3. I tried one of the wireless HD systems about 2 yrs ago and it would not connect, just too far. Are the better ones now that acutally work 100 ft plus? Is there a reasonable price way of sending it over the coax? I looked at ZeeVee box but the cost was nearly 2 grand...


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

astrohip said:


> That distance?


Mine works from the back yard. They have pretty incredible distance.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

jcthorne said:


> I have a tv in the kitchen that only has power and a single coax cable available. No way to pull any new cables to it in a cost effective manner. Its approx 60 ft through several walls from the tivo. Any way to get HD there? Right now its getting SD over the coax using the composite output of the tivo to an old RF modulator and tuned to channel 3. I tried one of the wireless HD systems about 2 yrs ago and it would not connect, just too far. Are the better ones now that acutally work 100 ft plus? Is there a reasonable price way of sending it over the coax? I looked at ZeeVee box but the cost was nearly 2 grand...


Is that co-ax an actual cable TV-type cable, i.e., RG-59 or RG-6?

Are you a cable TV subscriber?

If so, give the kitchen TV it's own Tivo.

Do you still have that wireless HD system gathering dust somewhere?


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Can anyone explain how the OP managed to hook up 5 TV's to one TiVo with a 4x2 HDMI splitter?


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

astrohip said:


> When I originally presented this idea to my wife (it's her TV), I explained that she wouldn't have any remote control over the TiVo. No problem, she says; I'll be happy just to get the signal. Now she needs remote control. You'd think I 'd learn. Women . . .
> 
> So what options do I have to remote control the TiVo from downstairs and 50 feet away?


PowerMID. Dirt cheap.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

unitron said:


> Is that co-ax an actual cable TV-type cable, i.e., RG-59 or RG-6?
> 
> Are you a cable TV subscriber?
> 
> ...


RG-6QS, I am OTA only. I would consider one of the new tivo extenders when they come out but $500 for a full Tivo is a bit much. Besides, there really is no place to put a tivo there other than perhaps vertical behind the tv. Even then, streaming HD content via wireless N is not real reliable and there is no way to get a hardwired network connection there. Perhaps moca but has anyone used it that way? Still, with all that hardware, its out of the budget for the kitchen tv upgrade from SD to HD.

The wireless HD went back to Amazon for refund within days of getting it since it did not work. Don't even remember the brand.


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

bareyb said:


> How did you manage to have 5 TV's connected to your TIVO when the HDMI splitter only has two outputs? Did you split them again or am I missing something?
> 
> I'm thinking of doing something like that here. I have 3 TV's and 3 TiVos. I want to be able to view any of the three in any room (using RF remotes of course). The only splitter I see at MonoPrice that would work for me would be the 4 X 4 model no?
> 
> ...


Hey sorry, I am just now getting to this... 2 TV's are HDMI and the others are component.


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

astrohip said:


> So what options do I have to remote control the TiVo from downstairs and 50 feet away?


Tivo sells an RF extender for $50, you will need it pointing to your Tivo box and 
then a little battery in your remote in the kitchen/ 2nd room.










Wireless RF Remote Control Extender


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## leiff (Aug 24, 2005)

or if he was only going 30 feet he could get the tivo slide remote


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

leiff said:


> or if he was only going 30 feet he could get the tivo slide remote


Right, using bluetooth and USB right? I haven't gotten a slider remote yet but I might now that the price went down...


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

astrohip said:


> So what options do I have to remote control the TiVo from downstairs and 50 feet away?


I use the Xantech Xtra Link system. It transmits the ir codes back over the coax from all locations throughout the home. There is a Tivo remote in each room with a tv so they all work exactly the same.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Shanezam203 said:


> Tivo sells an RF extender for $50, you will need it pointing to your Tivo box and
> then a little battery in your remote in the kitchen/ 2nd room.
> 
> 
> ...


I have the slide remote on the other TiVo. Will they interfere with each other?


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

astrohip said:


> I have the slide remote on the other TiVo. Will they interfere with each other?


Slide remote uses Bluetooth not RF right? I was thinking of getting a slide remote, I do not think it will interfere with RF, no.


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## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

Bluetooth *IS* RF. It employs frequency hopping spread spectrum RF signals in the 2.4GHz band, very much similar to WiFi and many wireless telephones. Whether it will interfere with the unit in question depends on several things, most notably whether the device uses the same frequency band. A lot of those devices use 900MHz.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

astrohip said:


> So what options do I have to remote control the TiVo from downstairs and 50 feet away?


Since the thread was bumped...

I installed a program by wmcbrine (TiVo Remote), that lets you control a TiVo thru a PC. My wife plays on her laptop while she watches TV, so it worked out perfectly.

See this thread.


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## HeatherA (Jan 10, 2002)

astrohip said:


> Since the thread was bumped...
> 
> I installed a program by wmcbrine (TiVo Remote), that lets you control a TiVo thru a PC. My wife plays on her laptop while she watches TV, so it worked out perfectly.
> 
> See this thread.


For that matter, if it's a Premiere the TiVo iPhone/iPad app works as a remote too.


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## Shanezam203 (Jul 28, 2007)

lrhorer said:


> A front projector is not a good choice where the lighting cannot be controlled. Even a rear projector suffers considerably when ambient light is excessive. I have a 140" screen illuminated by an Optoma HD81 DLP projector in my theater. The theater has no windows. I would not even consider such a setup if I could not at least blank out any windows with opaque shades and drapes.


Do you have picture of your setup? That is nice.


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