Fiber cable

[usnret]

We have been informed that our small city will be converted to "digital" fiber from cable next year. I have a few questions regarding this change (and possibly to get my Xmas list in order).

I have 2 computers, an SD-400 (2 1/2 yrs old approx.) and a reg. Tivo that I purchased last Dec., all hardwired to my DSL router and an Panny Plasma. Everything has been working without any problems. I am not to savy on the difference between the 2 modes of cable, and I suspect that this digital fiber is the means of providing HD in the future, so, now the questions:

1. Will both Tivos still work with the new fiber cable ( I realize that the Tivos can't record HD, just downconvert to SD)?

2. Will I have to "upgrade" my present Cat5 hardwiring because there will be some sort of a new/different modem?

I like the way that my present system is setup, the reg. Tivo in the basement and the SD-400 in the family room (transfer between the 2 is no problem and very fast).

3. If I were to spring for a new DT to replace the SD-400 what happens to the dual tuner SD side. As I understand it there is a SD tuner and Digital tuner on the DT. From the price speculation of the new HD Tivo and that fact that we are on a fixed income (old fart-retired), that Tivo is pretty much out of the question.

Any and all advise/information would be greatly appreciated. I realize that it's a year away, but want to kinda get my guns loaded and money saved.

Tks again

[gjustice]

We've had fiber here for years, and it comes in two flavors:

1. Fiber runs from the cable company's office to some point out "toward" the neighborhood, where it runs into a cabinet and the signal is converted back to the copper coax buried (or overhead) for the rest of the trip to your house.

2. Verizon FIOS - fiber runs all the way to a box on the side of your house in which it's converted into 4 phone lines, a coax for TV, and an ethernet connection for Internet access.

[reh523]

2. Will I have to "upgrade" my present Cat5 hardwiring because there will be some sort of a new/different modem?



Any and all advise/information would be greatly appreciated. I realize that it's a year away, but want to kinda get my guns loaded and money saved.

Tks again
No it should still be a ethernet hand off.....

[greg_burns]

As I understand it there is a SD tuner and Digital tuner on the DT.

The DT does not have a digital tuner. It is capable of controlling (via IR or serial cable) and recording from one digital tuner (like a satellite receiver or digital cable set top box). This is just like a non-DT S2 except that at the same time it is can also be recording from an analog cable channel.

[usnret]

So, if I split the line coming into the house, one to the cable box (and on to the DT) and one directly to the DT, the Tivo will control the cable box and the other tuner (coming directly from the splitter) will be controled by the remote (as it is in my present setup-I have basic cable straight from the wall to the Tivo). If I were to get a DT now, I would split the cable from the wall and plug a cable into each tuner, controlling them both from the remote??

[mick66]

Absolutely nothing will change regarding how your various devices function.

If you had a DT now, you would run a single cable to the Tivo's one and only rf input which would split the signal internally.