Just ordered a 42" Sony HDTV. How will this impact my Tivo?

[coolbreeze]

Hi guys,

Well, after a long analysis, I have decided to go high-def with my TV. I ordered this model:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-v46jajgEX6y/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=147350&I=158KD42A10

I plan on using it with my basic standard cable, because of this TV's ability to receive HD broadcast over a standard coax connection (digital cable ready tuner). This will allow me to receive HD broadcasts at no additional cost.

My question is this. Obviously my Series 2 Tivo will not be able to record HD, but will I be able to run the coax into my Tivo, out to my Sony and still be able to receive the HD broadcasts? Or will I have to constantly switch between Video 1/Video 2, etc in order to view Tivo vs. HD content?

Any help would be appreciated. BTW, I negotiated down to $1325 at Sears. Not too shabby! :up:

[terryfoster]

I would highly suggest using svideo to connect your TiVo to the HDTV and splitting your cable from the wall and directly connect it directly to the HDTV and to the TiVo. You will need to switch between your HDTV's tuner and "Video 1" to watch HDTV or TiVo.

Alternatively you could connect your TiVo to your HDTV with the cable connection and then set your TiVo to stand by mode to watch live HDTV. This is less than desirable since you are using the lowest quality video connection from your TiVo to the HDTV and run the possibility of incurring signal issues that would prevent your HDTV from being able to receive all the digital cable channels that are unencrypted.

[coolbreeze]

Thanks. I'm already worried about the picture quality since my cable line is already on a 4-way (Monster Cable) splitter. One is my cable modem, bedroom 1&2 and living room. I am concerned about splitting it yet another time, as the picture quality will probably be very poor.

I'll play with it tomorrow night after I pick it up. We shall see.

[rcobourn]

Are you sure your plan to watch HD content on basic cable is going to fly? I don't know about your cable provider, but I do know that here in Cox Cable land, the HD content is only available through digital cable, and requires a set top box.

[terryfoster]

Theoretically all cable providers are required to provide the local digital broadcasts unencrypted. Which means a QAM capable tuner is all that is necessary to tune in the channels.

[coolbreeze]

Theoretically all cable providers are required to provide the local digital broadcasts unencrypted. Which means a QAM capable tuner is all that is necessary to tune in the channels.
True. I have some friends who have HDTV sets with a QAM tuner and they get HDTV stations absolutely free (well, after the cost of basic cable).

All new sets are leaving out the QAM tuner, so if you want free HDTV, get one before they are gone. Most older (last generation) Sony's have it. If it says "cable ready" on it, it most likely has a QAM tuner.

Comcast may scramble/encrypt the signal one day, but for now I'll enjoy free HDTV over my simple coax basic cable connection. :D

[wtkflhn]

Good news in that respect. Cable companies are not allpwed by the FCC to scramble the digital/HD local feeds, It's just a matter of finding them!
D.H.

[coolbreeze]

Good news in that respect. Cable companies are not allpwed by the FCC to scramble the digital/HD local feeds, It's just a matter of finding them!
D.H.
The guy at Sears has this same set...he said all he did was hook up the cable, and allow the TV to "autoprogram." It found like 11 HD channels, and all the Digital Music channels.

I can't wait!

[skanter]

Good news in that respect. Cable companies are not allpwed by the FCC to scramble the digital/HD local feeds, It's just a matter of finding them!
D.H.

I'm confused. Are you saying I do not need a special HD cable box from Time warner Cable to get HD broadcasts over cable?

I assume I need a HD STB to get premium channels?

Does anyone have TWC in Manhattan with HD? What do you get?

[JKay]

My question is this. Obviously my Series 2 Tivo will not be able to record HD, but will I be able to run the coax into my Tivo, out to my Sony and still be able to receive the HD broadcasts? Or will I have to constantly switch between Video 1/Video 2, etc in order to view Tivo vs. HD content?
:up:

I have the same TV and when I set it up it did a scan of my Comcast basic cable feed and found 90 digital channels. Some were scrambled, but all the major networks were unscrambled. Took a few hours go through them and ID the networks. Then I put them in “Favorites” on the Sony A10 menu.

I split my cable feed to the TV and the TiVo and used s-video from the TiVo to the TV.

I found my SD feed looked pretty good on the Sony. I set the Aspect for wide-zoom got use to everyone having a little broader shoulders.

[coolbreeze]

Nice. Thanks guys. Can't wait.

[vman41]

Steady viewing of HD made me more sensitive to the low quality of analog video and made the degraded quality of the TiVo's recording of it even more annoying. I got a larger hard drive so all recording could be at 'best' quality.

[moyekj]

Broadcast SD on these HDTV sets just doesn't look as good compared to old CRTs which hide most of the imperfections. I think you will be a little dissapointed even with highest recording quality setting on Tivo - I know I was. However if you use the HDTV mostly for HD and DVD viewing and an older CRT for broadcast SD viewing then you will be happy.

[hutch327]

I've got the same Sony TV. I just upgraded to the dual tuner Tivo from an old one. The new tivo causes my tv to stretch to the full mode even though the tv is set to default to the normal mode. I have tried to set the tivo to the 4:3 and the 16:9 aspect ratio, this doesn't fix the problem. I can only assume the DT tivo is sending a wide mode signal to the tv, kind of like my DVD player, the tv will pick up that signal and stretch the picture. Anyone else heard of this problem?

[ashu]

Let's not let the HD issue bypass th TiVo-related questions.

In summary - Cable companies are REQUIRED to broadcast the basic/locally aired HD channels for 'free' with a basic cable connection. Any ATSC (QAM 64 or QAM 256, whichever your cable company chose) tuner should be able to tune these just fine.

You MAY also pick up music channels, dynamic channels representing VOD feeds your
neighbors are watching and a couple more, because there is extra bandwidth in the spectrum that the cable company will reuse, but don't count on these.

HD Premiums (inHD, HDNet, HBO-HD, ESPN-HD etc) require that you pay for a package that includes the non-HD 'cab'e version and an HD settop box surcharge, if any.

[ah30k]

Here is the most basic answer I can give on how a new HD set will impact your Tivo viewing...

Every night that you sit down to watch a season pass show you will get a knot in your stomach as you view your recorded show in compressed SD quality in 4:3 mode and black bars on the sides of your nice 42" set. The fact that the same show is being transmitted in full 16:9 HD glory will make the knot in your stomach only grow more annoying.

Oh yea, and the splitter stuff can all be worked out while the knot can't.

[SeanC]

I have no idea what ah30k is talking about. OP your plan is fine. I have this (almost) exact same TV (the 50") and Comcrap. Out of the box with just the cable plugged in I picked up all my basic cable channels, all the local HD channels, and all the music channels. Also with some patience I could watch the VOD that my neighbors were watching. There were 10-20 channels I could flip through where the VOD was being sent to a neighbor but I could watch it too, though if they fast forwarded or stopped the program I was SOL. It was an interesting twist on surfing those channels though.

[ah30k]

I have no idea what ah30k is talking about.
What I am talking about is that if you want to watch a prime time show your choices are:

1) Use Tivo and watch the show in compressed (degraded) 4:3 form with black letterbox fill on the sides of the screen.

or

2) Watch in full HD 16:9 by avoiding Tivo

SeanC, what is so hard about understanding that? I already said that the cabling can be worked out. I was responding the the OP topic question of how Tivo watching will be impacted.

To all you HD Direct TV fans, spare me the lecture about how you've had HD-Tivo for so long.

[PCVSTAR]

You got a good price. Sony is replacing this tv with a 46" at the end of the month.

[cwoody222]

I'm confused. Are you saying I do not need a special HD cable box from Time warner Cable to get HD broadcasts over cable?

I assume I need a HD STB to get premium channels?

Does anyone have TWC in Manhattan with HD? What do you get?

Your HDTV will need to have a HD tuner first. And it has to be a 'QAM' tuner. (often comes with ATSC tuners but not always) You'll only get what the cable company sends UNencrypted which will most likely just be your LOCAL HD stations (which they're required to do). Anything more than that is because they "forgot" to encrypt it.

If your TV does not have a QAM tuner, you'll need TWC's HD STB to get your HD channels.


My TV does have a QAM tuner but can't pick up anything (other than music channels). :( Other people in my city CAN get the local HD channels so something in my house is interferring or something but I don't know what.

And unfortunately no one at my cable company has any idea what I'm talking about when I call to ask about QAM tuners and the like :(

So for now I'm using an antenna (which actuallys give me FOX with my cable co wouldn't anyway).

[Pearhead]

What I am talking about is that if you want to watch a prime time show your choices are:

1) Use Tivo and watch the show in compressed (degraded) 4:3 form with black letterbox fill on the sides of the screen.

or

2) Watch in full HD 16:9 by avoiding Tivo

SeanC, what is so hard about understanding that? I already said that the cabling can be worked out. I was responding the the OP topic question of how Tivo watching will be impacted.

To all you HD Direct TV fans, spare me the lecture about how you've had HD-Tivo for so long.

I have the same TV and couldn't agree more about the DT's poor PQ on htese sets. I planned on replacing my DTiVo with the DT...but after a weeks worth of "testing" the DT will be going back as the analog "fuzz" is very sub par to the D* digital feed.

[Stu_Bee]

What I am talking about is that if you want to watch a prime time show your choices are:
1) Use Tivo and watch the show in compressed (degraded) 4:3 form with black letterbox fill on the sides of the screen.
or
2) Watch in full HD 16:9 by avoiding Tivo
--
SeanC, what is so hard about understanding that? I already said that the cabling can be worked out. I was responding the the OP topic question of how Tivo watching will be impacted.
--
To all you HD Direct TV fans, spare me the lecture about how you've had HD-Tivo for so long.

Guess I'm watching them on option (3)
3) Watching Tivo recorded HD channels in full 16:9 aspect ratio. It is SD quality, but much better than the normal SD shows.

[ashu]

Guess I'm watching them on option (3)
3) Watching Tivo recorded HD channels in full 16:9 aspect ratio. It is SD quality, but much better than the normal SD shows.

That is counter-intuitive, they're still SD< in fact zoomed up to magnify the defects of SD ;)

FWIW, my 42" LCD (Sceptre X42) does a satisfactory job, after reducing noise a bit, dropping sharpness, and increasing my S2 TiVos' recording quality to High from medium. I don't watch any Network shows on HD, because I prefer the TiVo experience. HD is for sports and my DVR (if I can call the abominable Motorola 6412 that!) records movies & documentaries only.

[Stu_Bee]

That is counter-intuitive, they're still SD< in fact zoomed up to magnify the defects of SD

Keep in mind that it is HD signal quality all the way to HDDigital Cable box. It is downres'd from HD to SD on the HDDigital box and sent to the Tivo. Therefore I imagine the 'defects' are less than straight SD. Also, when watching a normal SD show on a 16:9 TV...you are also zooming...just horizontally. (unless you like blackbars)

But the proof is in the pudding......Try Tivoing Lost on HDABC and then Tivo it on regular SD ABC and you may see what i mean.
[I'm using a 42" Panasonic]

[Pearhead]

I am actually very happy with the SD channels and the TiVo going through this set. I had a Sony XBR 36" HDTV Tube (4:3) before this, and this set is leaps and bounds better when it comes to any source. Granted I fiddled with the settings a bit and it looks much better, but not sure why you would stick with an old CRT when this set just looks better (with any source).

Cool. But for me (and I've tweaked) the SD analog picture from my cable co. is blown to an extremely annoying resolution even in 4:3 mode on the big screen. Their SD digital and HD PQ when run directly to the TV is awesome. I'm not faulting the TV...it's the TiVo that's the weak link here.
But the proof is in the pudding......Try Tivoing Lost on HDABC and then Tivo it on regular SD ABC and you may see what i mean.

I haven't tried using their digital box to the TiVo yet. I'll give that a whirl. As for the TV itself....killer-- buy it yesterday.

[mattack]

My question is this. Obviously my Series 2 Tivo will not be able to record HD, but will I be able to run the coax into my Tivo, out to my Sony and still be able to receive the HD broadcasts? Or will I have to constantly switch between Video 1/Video 2, etc in order to view Tivo vs. HD content?

Ok, one followup did mention a splitter. But just to make this clear, you can't do it your way.. Unless you put the Tivo into STANDBY when you want to watch via the TV's tuner.

That's because the Tivo outputs the signal on the coax output, and not the rest of the channels that were originally on the signal. (A device theoretically COULD just output one channel, and not mess with the rest of the signal.. That's expensive though.)

Using a splitter makes more sense... and with that you will "have to constantly" switch.. but that doesn't bug me. I have the tuner going into my TV's antenna (well actually at the moment it's the cable-box on my short-term digital cable special pricing), and my two Tivos in Video 1 and Video 2.. I use PIP to watch both Tivos (e.g. clean up To Do list on one while watching something on the other) all the time.

[ashu]

Keep in mind that it is HD signal quality all the way to HDDigital Cable box. It is downres'd from HD to SD on the HDDigital box and sent to the Tivo. Therefore I imagine the 'defects' are less than straight SD. Also, when watching a normal SD show on a 16:9 TV...you are also zooming...just horizontally. (unless you like blackbars)

But the proof is in the pudding......Try Tivoing Lost on HDABC and then Tivo it on regular SD ABC and you may see what i mean.
[I'm using a 42" Panasonic]

I'll grant you the slight difference. I prefer to watch evrything in Original Aspect Ratio, though, and recording 16:9 HD->Sd and then zooming up to fill the 16:9 screen leads to a more obviously-flawed image than a non-zoomed 4:3 version.

And NO boxing bothers me (letter/pillar). I'm happy to be watching in OAR. In fact, even for video off the PC upscaled smoothly to 1920x1080 on the HDTV, I still twiddle with vertical and horizontal dimensions until the aspect ratio satisfies me :) Good 'ole Media Player Classic.

[ashu]

... and with that you will "have to constantly" switch.. but that doesn't bug me.

It bothered me enough that I switched to the Logitech Harmony (676) remote. Should be here tomorrow (whee!)

I like to make sure I'm watching everything I can (to the extent possible, with TiVo > HD on the preference scale!) through the best available connectivity. (HDMI/DVI > Component > SVideo being my three options)

[coolbreeze]

By the way, this TV is AMAZING! It found 93 digital channels, like 12 HD channels automatically! I only pay $45 for basic cable. So in addition to my 76 basic cable channels, it found 93 more digital for free.

Sweet! I ended up splitting my Tivo via S-Video...so all I have to do is swap between Aux 1/2 to watch HD/Tivo.

For the price I paid, it's a heck of a deal.

[wbryce]

Not sure how to use this site but I have a new problem with my Tivo,
When I view a recorded program the playback has these annoying sharp sounds and " chirps"
that make watching a show impossible. I have rebooted with no help.
Also frustrating is that this problem presents itself often but not all the time

Ant thoughts on how to fix ?