# USB HDTV Encoder - Hauppauge or Pinnacle for Series2



## jasonpalmer (Oct 13, 2004)

Is anyone working on a Tivo Series2 O/S Hack and drivers to allow the use of the USB HD (HTDV) hardware encoding sticks from Hauppauge or Pinnacle Systems?

This would seem to be a very inexpensive way to upgrade the Series2 to be HD TV capable while retaining cable box control and maximizing the significant investment that many of us have made in the purchase of Series2 units. These USB HD hardware based encoding stickes are all less than $100.


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## bytebug (Oct 2, 2000)

There are no HD outputs on Series 2. The video chips haven't a clue about HD. What exactly is a Series 2 box going to contribute? Easier to just get a TiVo HD which has all the requisite hardware to start with.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Nobody is at least publically working on supporting external USB tuner/encoders for any TiVo model. The Series 2s couldn't play HD if you tried, and it seems those tuner would require a certain amount of processing capability.

There are no HD encoders for less than $100. Any such device in that price range is just an SD analog encoder and/or an ATSC/QAM tuner.

To actually encode from an HD cable or satellite box, you need The Hauppauge HD encoder, which sells for $250 or so, and yes, will not work on a TiVo.


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## jasonpalmer (Oct 13, 2004)

I was assuming that using the Hauppauge or Pinnacle Systems would have solved the hardware horsepower issue for encoding. Completely forgot that the Series2 only has composit and S-Video out. However, thought I could have at least used the Series2 as an extra HD Recorder and then used the Transfer capability to view off a HD Streaming device. I don't know if the USB encoders are bi-directional which would have resolved the composit video out issue.

I appreciate the reply. Seems that the Series2 units are destined for recycling.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

There's no reason to consign them to the bin. You'll just have to accept that HD sources will be downconverted to SD. Or were you planning to toss all your SD TVs as well?


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## ciper (Nov 4, 2004)

I thought the USB devices were only tuners and did not encode or decode the stream.


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## jasonpalmer (Oct 13, 2004)

As these are single tuner Tivo's, yes, if I cannot sell them on eBay or craig's list or give them away through freecycle, then it is off to recycling.

I was hoping that someone had written an extension to utilize the Hauppauge HD-PVR through the USB port so that I could retain cable box control and maintain the interactive features of my cable box.

I had not considered that even though Linux based, that the Series2 may not have the horsepower to deal with HD.

My solution was to purchase three new Tivo Series3 HD boxes using the the $100 discount with HD TV purchase at Best Buy so each of my new boxes only cost $199 instead of $299. I will replace my forth Tivo with a new Series3 HD XL when I purchase the last HD set for our Living Room.

Radio Shack has the Tivo Series2 Dual Tuner on clearance for $50 which I will use to replace the one Tivo where HD is unimportant and we could use the Dual Tuner capability with our cable box.


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## ciper (Nov 4, 2004)

If your single tuner Tivos have a lifetime subscription I would like to buy one.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

ciper said:


> I thought the USB devices were only tuners and did not encode or decode the stream.


More or less yes, Digital tuners just pass the stream. Still though, a Series 2 TiVo may not have the processing to handle such a stream, even in SD. Analog channels may be encoded in the tuner, or part encoding on the host.


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