Newbie stuck connecting to cable box & TV

[wongo]

Surfed around these forums and couldn't find precise answer.

Followed TiVo's spiffy diagram to install with cable box ... I can watch cable through TiVo as intended, but I cannot watch cable by itself (my TV has 5 inputs: One set for DVD; one for VHS, one for cable, one for TiVo, etc).

Details:
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1. RF IN from wall to Comcast box.

2. Red, white, yellow OUT cable box to red, white, yellow IN on TiVo.

3. Red, white, yellow OUT TiVo to IN TV.

Shouldn't the cable signal passthrough the TiVo when the TiVo is on standby/off?

THANKS for any suggestions and comments!

[ZikZak]

No, the cable signal will only pass through if you're using tivo's internal tuner. You are using a cable box, so there is no pass-through.

[wongo]

Thanx for the quick comment.

What's strange is that in my previous apartment, I was able to watch cable like I'm hoping to here. In fact, I did not change my TV's settings of a dedicated input just for cable before my move (since I was able to watch cable there) ... when I now switch to this input, it's just snow with no obvious signal. Everything says to me that the connections have not changed from my previous apartment.

Leaving the connection as I outlined above (RWY in on TV from TiVo), would also connecting the RF Out in the cable box to the RF in on the TV interfere with the TiVo operation?

[AntiPC]

If your TV has a tuner, you can split the RF from the wall and send one into the TV too. That way you can:

-watch stuff on your tivo now playing list
-watch cable box stuff by hitting "watch live tv" in the tivo menu
-switch inputs on the tv and watch analog cable, while recording something else from the cable box on the tivo

This is the setup I use. :)

[ZikZak]

Leaving the connection as I outlined above (RWY in on TV from TiVo), would also connecting the RF Out in the cable box to the RF in on the TV interfere with the TiVo operation?

Not in and of itself, but you would only be able to watch the channel the tivo is on. If you changed channels on the cable box with its own remote, you would interfere with the tivo. See the link in my signature below for how to setup a bypass when using a cable box.

[azitnay]

The bottom line here is, your cable box only has one tuner, and that's being used by the TiVo. If the TiVo is recording something from the cable box, you won't be able to switch channels on the cable box to watch something else or the TiVo won't be recording the right channel any more.

The easiest way to get what you want would be to split the cable before the cable box, sending one side to the cable box and the other directly into the TV. Of course, you won't have the ability to watch digital / premium channels outside the TiVo (the only way to accomplish that would be to get a second cable box).

Drew

[wongo]

Thanx for all the comments!