HELP!! Can I use Comcast HD Box with Series 1?

[mharbold]

Hello. My husband just bought a Samsung 40" LCD HD TV and I want to use it with our Series 1 or 2 TIVO DVR. Is there a way that we can do this? Even if we're not getting HD on the TIVO shows, and as long as the picture is as good as pre-HD, that will be fine with us. We just want to be able to watch HD on live TV - sports, etc., and then watch a nice clear picture on TIVO, as well. Is there a way to do this? We now have a comcast digital cable box and we are getting a Comcast HD box today. My concern is that we won't be able to record on our TIVO, and then will have to get the Comcast DVR, which I don't like. Please help! My husband was the one that wanted the TV, and if he messes up my TIVO, I'm not going to be happy!

Thanks!

Michelle

[Stanley Rohner]

I'm pretty sure you can run the s-video output out of the HD Comcast box into the TiVo s-video input.

[vstone]

Hello. My husband just bought a Samsung 40" LCD HD TV and I want to use it with our Series 1 or 2 TIVO DVR. Is there a way that we can do this? Even if we're not getting HD on the TIVO shows, and as long as the picture is as good as pre-HD, that will be fine with us. We just want to be able to watch HD on live TV - sports, etc., and then watch a nice clear picture on TIVO, as well. Is there a way to do this? We now have a comcast digital cable box and we are getting a Comcast HD box today. My concern is that we won't be able to record on our TIVO, and then will have to get the Comcast DVR, which I don't like. Please help! My husband was the one that wanted the TV, and if he messes up my TIVO, I'm not going to be happy!

Thanks!

MichelleYour old Tivo will be able to record as before, but you may need some cable splitters for running COAX cable to three units (HDTV, cable box, Tivo)(some consumer electronics do not pass through COAX signals to other units well). Your brand new HDTV may not display the same Tivo picture with the same apparent quality as your old SDTV. Picture Quality issues become much more visible when displared on an HD display. This is not really much of a Tivo issue.

[mharbold]

I'm pretty sure you can run the s-video output out of the HD Comcast box into the TiVo s-video input.

What will that accomplish? I'm not that familiar with s-video.

[terryfoster]

What will that accomplish? I'm not that familiar with s-video.

S-Video is a video cable. I'm assuming you already have your digital cable box connected to one of your TiVos, right? All you would need to do is swap out the box and add a HD video cable (component or HDMI/DVI) that runs to your HDTV and a digital audio cable to your stereo.

If you don't already have your digital cable box connected to one of your TiVos, you will need to re-run guided setup and dig up your IR blasters. Your TiVo will use the S-video/composite video output from your HD cable box along with the "red and white" audio connections. Then you add a HD video cable (component or HDMI/DVI) that runs to your HDTV and a digital audio cable to your stereo.

[mharbold]

Hi. Thanks for getting back to me. What I have now is a Tivo Series 1 (I have 2 Series 2 models upstairs) and a digital cable box. We watch and record thru the TIVO which is hooked up to the digital cable box. We also have a splitter so that we can watch something else while TIVO is recording - we just change the source. I just got off the phone with TIVO tech support and they are telling me that there is NO WAY to hook a S1 or S2 TIVO to an HD TV and have it record. They are saying, "Sorry - it will not work." I find that hard to believe. Why can't I just use the splitter, but in reverse. Have my main source be HD thru the HD cable box and have the alternate source be TIVO with the basic cable??

Michelle


S-Video is a video cable. I'm assuming you already have your digital cable box connected to one of your TiVos, right? All you would need to do is swap out the box and add a HD video cable (component or HDMI/DVI) that runs to your HDTV and a digital audio cable to your stereo.

If you don't already have your digital cable box connected to one of your TiVos, you will need to re-run guided setup and dig up your IR blasters. Your TiVo will use the S-video/composite video output from your HD cable box along with the "red and white" audio connections. Then you add a HD video cable (component or HDMI/DVI) that runs to your HDTV and a digital audio cable to your stereo.

[terryfoster]

Hi. Thanks for getting back to me. What I have now is a Tivo Series 1 (I have 2 Series 2 models upstairs) and a digital cable box. We watch and record thru the TIVO which is hooked up to the digital cable box. ... Have my main source be HD thru the HD cable box and have the alternate source be TIVO with the basic cable??

Ok, you're kind of all over the place here, but if I understand correctly you are looking at two options:

1) Take the coax cable TV line from the wall and split it to the TiVo and the HD cable box. This option would make you lose the ability to record any digital cable channels on the TiVo.

2) Simply replace the digital cable box with the HD cable box. This option would require very few configuration changes.

Both are good options. Personally I would lean towards option 2. This one would allow you to record the HD channels (of course they wouldn't be in HD) on your series 1. What the HD cable box would do is take the HD signal and convert it so a regular tv (or TiVo) signal.

So option 2 would work like this:

Coax cable TV from the wall directly to the HD cable box
Connect the TiVo to the HD cable box the same way you connected it to the digital cable box
Connect the HDTV to the HD cable box with a Component/HDMI/DVI video cable


I have done this with my S1. This allowed me to get a wide screen version of the HD show I would normally watch live if I were home. Then if I were home I would switch my HDTV to the Component/HDMI/DVI input so I could watch the show in HD.

[jfh3]

Whoever at the cable company that told you "it won't work" is either misinformed or not aware that you don't want to record IN HD. The composite output from either cable box you use will not be in HD (even if you are tuned to an HD channel) and the Tivo Series 1 or 2 will record it fine.

I think the previous poster summed up the options, though personally I'd also split the cable feed and run one directly to the TV as well

[mharbold]

Ok, you're kind of all over the place here, but if I understand correctly you are looking at two options:

1) Take the coax cable TV line from the wall and split it to the TiVo and the HD cable box. This option would make you lose the ability to record any digital cable channels on the TiVo.

2) Simply replace the digital cable box with the HD cable box. This option would require very few configuration changes.

Both are good options. Personally I would lean towards option 2. This one would allow you to record the HD channels (of course they wouldn't be in HD) on your series 1. What the HD cable box would do is take the HD signal and convert it so a regular tv (or TiVo) signal.

So option 2 would work like this:

Coax cable TV from the wall directly to the HD cable box
Connect the TiVo to the HD cable box the same way you connected it to the digital cable box
Connect the HDTV to the HD cable box with a Component/HDMI/DVI video cable


I have done this with my S1. This allowed me to get a wide screen version of the HD show I would normally watch live if I were home. Then if I were home I would switch my HDTV to the Component/HDMI/DVI input so I could watch the show in HD.


Thanks so much. This is the info that I needed. I'm really surprised that you can just hook it up the same way as before HD. So, basically, you are going into the HD box and then are splitting it from there - one to the TIVO box with coax, and then from the HD box to the HDTV with the HDMI/DVI video cable? Which remote will I use? I'm guessing when I'm in the HD input, I use the comcast or Samsung remote, and then when I switch to the other input, I would use the TIVO remote? How is the picture quality when you are watching recorded shows? Thanks again!

[Chapper1]

Ok, you're kind of all over the place here, but if I understand correctly you are looking at two options:

1) Take the coax cable TV line from the wall and split it to the TiVo and the HD cable box. This option would make you lose the ability to record any digital cable channels on the TiVo.

2) Simply replace the digital cable box with the HD cable box. This option would require very few configuration changes.

Both are good options. Personally I would lean towards option 2. This one would allow you to record the HD channels (of course they wouldn't be in HD) on your series 1. What the HD cable box would do is take the HD signal and convert it so a regular tv (or TiVo) signal.

So option 2 would work like this:

Coax cable TV from the wall directly to the HD cable box
Connect the TiVo to the HD cable box the same way you connected it to the digital cable box
Connect the HDTV to the HD cable box with a Component/HDMI/DVI video cable


I have done this with my S1. This allowed me to get a wide screen version of the HD show I would normally watch live if I were home. Then if I were home I would switch my HDTV to the Component/HDMI/DVI input so I could watch the show in HD.

This is coming in very handy, as I will be in a similar situation soon. So, we can use our existing Series 2 to record on the regular digital channels on the HD cable box in SD, but then just switch inputs and watch the program in HD??

So basically, just switching the inputs on the HDTV will allow us to switch between TiVo and HDTV, right?

[terryfoster]

Yes, all you would need to do is switch inputs to watch a live program in HD. You can also set your TiVo to record the HD channels if you want the widescreen version of the program.

Yes, when you switch inputs you should still use the TiVo remote to change channels since it controls the cable box. You don't have to, but it would probably be most convenient.

I wouldn't recommend using the coax cable output from the cable box. I would recommend using the s-video or composite (yellow cable) to connect the cable box to the TiVo.

[Chapper1]

Yes, all you would need to do is switch inputs to watch a live program in HD. You can also set your TiVo to record the HD channels if you want the widescreen version of the program.

Yes, when you switch inputs you should still use the TiVo remote to change channels since it controls the cable box. You don't have to, but it would probably be most convenient.

I wouldn't recommend using the coax cable output from the cable box. I would recommend using the s-video or composite (yellow cable) to connect the cable box to the TiVo.

How is the picture quality when watching HD through a TiVo? I have read/heard conflicting stories.

I would definitely use either s-video or cables instead of coax.

This would be so nice, because then we could still watch something and if we need to pause, we can still use that.

[jwehman]

I have a very simiilar scenario as being described: We use Comcast/DCT6412 Digital box and a Series 2. The TiVo records from the S-video output of the 6412 and changes channels on the 6412 via the IRBlaster. We can record either standard digital or HD digital but the output from the TiVo is of course only SD. But when we record a HD channel, it's letteboxed (and clearer). Since the outputs on the 6412 are all active, we can simply switch inputs on the HD and watch the 6412's HD output live (or recorded using their DVR software as long as it doesn't conflict with TiVo's schedule).

[mharbold]

Yes, all you would need to do is switch inputs to watch a live program in HD. You can also set your TiVo to record the HD channels if you want the widescreen version of the program.

Yes, when you switch inputs you should still use the TiVo remote to change channels since it controls the cable box. You don't have to, but it would probably be most convenient.

I wouldn't recommend using the coax cable output from the cable box. I would recommend using the s-video or composite (yellow cable) to connect the cable box to the TiVo.


What do the s-video cable and composite cables look like? I have a whole drawer of unidentified cables. Thanks again! I can't wait to hook up my TIVO after work.

[mharbold]

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Hello. I appreciated all of your help, but I attempted to hook the TIVO up to the HDTV and it's not working. Here's what's going on. I have no sound when I'm in live TV on TIVO, yet if I play a program on my NOW PLAYING LIST, I get sound. Strange. Also, when I switch stations when I'm in the HDTV mode, (out of TIVO) it's also switching stations on the TIVO. I'm so confused and frustrated. To make matters even worse, the screen quality on TIVO is really poor.

I attempted option 2:

I connected the coax from the wall into the HD Cable box.


I connected the HDTV to the HD cable box but not with HDMI/DVI video cables - what came with my HD cable box was what I think they called RX Cables? It was five cables attached to one another and they went into the audio L-R and a P1, P2 and Y spot on my TV.

I had purchased a HDMI Monster Cable at Best Buy thinking that we were getting an HDMI box. I can exchange that for the HDMI/DVI cable - do you think that will give me a better picture? Or is that what's causing my other problems?

Here's the tricky part. You said to connect the TIVO to the HD cable box the same way that we had it connected to the digital cable box. That obviously didn't work - the connections were different and I tried a bunch of different things and obviously they didn't work.

Could you be very specific about which cables to hook up and where? I don't know if I should use s-video, coax, red/white/yellow video/audio cables. I'd really appreciate your help because I'm about to pull out my hair and my husband is threatening to get the Comcast DVR.