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rlc1
09-13-2006, 07:00 AM
Dumb question, but would I still need my HD cable box with an S3 in order to do HD recordings? Or can I plug the cable straight into the S3?
rainwater
09-13-2006, 07:01 AM
You will need a cable card (or 2 for dual tuning) from your cable company. The S3 doesn't work with a cable box. The only reason to keep the cable box would be for PPV or video on-demand which the TiVo can't do with a cable card.
rlc1
09-13-2006, 07:08 AM
Ah yes, that makes sense....another expense :(
ZeoTiVo
09-13-2006, 07:37 AM
Ah yes, that makes sense....another expense :(


why is swapping out the cable box for 2 cable cards another expense?
rainwater
09-13-2006, 07:59 AM
Ah yes, that makes sense....another expense :(

Cable Cards are usually only $2-$4/month. And if you don't need PPV, you can return the box and not have to pay for it.
gastrof
09-13-2006, 12:42 PM
Keep in mind that if a box is kept for PPV, it still will not work with the Series 3.

The S3 has no way to control a cable box, and isn't even meant to work with one. In setting up, I gather there isn't any "what type of cable box do you have?" option.

The box would only be usable on a TV for PPV.
rlc1
09-14-2006, 12:22 PM
why is swapping out the cable box for 2 cable cards another expense?

Well it turns out I was wrong (found out after calling Comcast), but clearly when I posted this, I thought it was going to cost extra for cable cards (meaning they would be more expensive than a cable box). What I really meant was, "$800 for a new, then $??? for cable cards". But the Comcast guy said there was no extra expense (at least not for one cable card).
stahta01
09-14-2006, 01:29 PM
The info somewhere said if you put only one cablecard in the S3 and it is NOT a multistream the S3 becomes only one tuner at a time( Loses dual input mode ability). But, this is un confirmed by me.

Tim S
rainwater
09-14-2006, 01:31 PM
The info somewhere said if you put only one cablecard in the S3 and it is NOT a multistream the S3 becomes only one tuner at a time( Loses dual input mode ability). But, this is un confirmed by me.


With one cable card you could only record from one cable source at a time obviously. But if you have the OTA setup as well, it could still be used as a dual tuner.
megazone
09-14-2006, 01:32 PM
The info somewhere said if you put only one cablecard in the S3 and it is NOT a multistream the S3 becomes only one tuner at a time( Loses dual input mode ability).That is, indeed, the case. I tested it and confirmed with TiVo that it is the expected behavior.
megazone
09-14-2006, 01:34 PM
With one cable card you could only record from one cable source at a time obviously. But if you have the OTA setup as well, it could still be used as a dual tuner.No. As I said in my review and the FAQ, if you put in one single-stream CableCARD the ENTIRE unit goes single-tuner. It doesn't operate in an asymmetric configuration. That's what I experienced and when I asked TiVo that's what they said should happen, and that they were looking at asymmetric support as a possible feature in the future.

And I know TiVo people have read my review and FAQ because they emailed me, and they didn't correct that.