HD service using non-HD Tivo?

[douglawson]

OK, simple yet dumb question.

Is there any reason I can't upgrade my TV service to HD, and keep my current non-HD Tivo? I would assume I can't record HD channels, and that I'd have to route the cable box directly to the TV on a separate input in order to watch HD content.

[ZeoTiVo]

you can go up to HD servide and if you kept the current setup you have the HD is downconverted and recorded to the Tivo as SD - it would be much better Sd but still SD.

your cable box can do one output - either to the TiVo or to the TV but not both. You can get a second cable box or a cable cards enabled TV and get a cable card frrom the cable company.

barring that - you can route the cable box to the TV and watch HD and digital channels etc.. directly live. You would then just hook the cable right into the TiVo and record just the analog channels below 100.

of course you can get an S3 and replace the current S2 model or you could get a cable company DVR abd run it alongside the TiVo

[douglawson]

Thanks for the awesome response! I really appreciate the reply.

[rdrrepair]

your cable box can do one output - either to the TiVo or to the TV but not both.In my case your statement is not true. I had my TiVo record the SD channels and changed the Box thru the IR blaster.

I sent the DVI out of the box to the in on the TV for HD viewing.

I sent the S-Video cable out to the input on the TiVo DVR.

I recorded the SD Channels thru the TiVo but could watch HD thru the box to the TV via the DVI Cable.

The only time this was an issue was if the TiVo was scheduled to record something I wouldn't know about it watching via DVI cable until my box changed channels and my TiVo's red light came on.

[gambit3131]

In my case your statement is not true. I had my TiVo record the SD channels and changed the Box thru the IR blaster.

I sent the DVI out of the box to the in on the TV for HD viewing.

I sent the S-Video cable out to the input on the TiVo DVR.

I recorded the SD Channels thru the TiVo but could watch HD thru the box to the TV via the DVI Cable.

The only time this was an issue was if the TiVo was scheduled to record something I wouldn't know about it watching via DVI cable until my box changed channels and my TiVo's red light came on.

What service do you have? I am thinking about doing this. I have TWC, but not sure if their HD boxes will allow me to do it.

[ashu]

I agree with rdrrepair's statements. My Moto 6412 cable box is also an HD DVR with two tuners, but as long as my S2 unit requests a channel change a wee bit before the 6412 does an internal channel change, in the rare event of a simultaneously scheduled recording one ach, the 6412 tunes the background tuner for its own recording, and spits out the foreground tuner's A/V to the little S2 TiVo for it to record.

On the rare occasion when TWO recordings are scheduled on the 6412, the S2 can't record the correct channel, of course; but this has never yet happened, considering I do my 'important' HD recording on my S3 TiVo :)

The other issue is that you can't use your cable box (in my case the HD DVR box) for live TV viewing and channel surfing when its foreground output is expected by the S2 to be fixed to the requested channel the S2 is recording from! Also minor, I channel surf rarely, and use my S3 to do so.

So YES you can use your non-HD TiVo with an HD box. But why not just buy an S3 TiVo and SAVE yourself money? :) Retire the S2 or sell it (admittedly for a pittance) and pay TiVo the same monthly fee as before. And enjoy a superior HD DVR experience!

[ZeoTiVo]

In my case your statement is not true. I had my TiVo record the SD channels and changed the Box thru the IR blaster.

I sent the DVI out of the box to the in on the TV for HD viewing.

I sent the S-Video cable out to the input on the TiVo DVR.

I recorded the SD Channels thru the TiVo but could watch HD thru the box to the TV via the DVI Cable.

The only time this was an issue was if the TiVo was scheduled to record something I wouldn't know about it watching via DVI cable until my box changed channels and my TiVo's red light came on.
all well and good but I was more pointing out that you could not watch HD on the TV while recording something else on the TiVo via one cable box.

[Arnie]

Hey Guys,

Here is my current situation...

I have a Dual Tuner Tivo S2

I have a HD TV capable of accepting a cable card

Is it possible to get HD to my television using only one cable box, one cable card and not lose On Demand HD?

Of course maintaining the functionality of my DT S2 Tivo.

Thanks..

[TydalForce]

You can hook the TiVo up to your coax line, and it'll have access to any/all the analog cable channels you receive.

You can use the CableCARD in the TV, if you wish, to tune directly to the digital channels. But that won't give you On Demand.

You can put a Cable Box in the mix, which would give you On Demand. You could leave it "by itself" separate from the TiVo, but then TiVo wouldn't be able to access the digital channels.

You can hook up the cable box to the TiVo, and let it do its thing... and when you want to watch On Demand, just go to "Live TV", change channel to the Cable Box (Channel 1 if memory serves) and then use the Cable Box remote. Only problem with this trick is, if TiVo wants to record a program through the cable box while you're watching On Demand.

I set up my b/f's Dual Tuner this way, since they don't watch On Demand all that frequently. And you're right there at the TiVo (hopefully) if it prompts to change channel.

Your mileage may vary.

[ewilts]

I have a Dual Tuner Tivo S2

I have a HD TV capable of accepting a cable card

Is it possible to get HD to my television using only one cable box, one cable card and not lose On Demand HD?

Of course maintaining the functionality of my DT S2 Tivo.

Nope. The S2 will not accept an HD signal - the S2 only understands analog signals. You can continue to use your S2 for analog channels, but for all HD, you'll need to bypass the S2.

.../Ed

[TydalForce]

more accurately, if you set up the tivo to pull from the cable box, and the cable box tunes in to an HD channel, the cable box will output it as SD video (over S-Video or Composite, however you have it hooked up) so you won't get the HD quality

[ewilts]

more accurately, if you set up the tivo to pull from the cable box, and the cable box tunes in to an HD channel, the cable box will output it as SD video (over S-Video or Composite, however you have it hooked up) so you won't get the HD quality
Which means that the S2 is still receiving an analog signal which I never said wouldn't work. The S2 will not display a digital signal - how you feed it an analog signal is up to you.

.../Ed