THD--Which tuner am I watching?

[wtherrell]

I have searched the forums for the answer but haven't found anything. Playing around with my new THD while waiting for the cable card. Hooked up S-video out put from the tivo into my NVTV card in PC and presto, I am watching Tivo output through windows media center. Crazy, huh? Then it occurred to me that I might use the PC to record copy of what the Tivo was recording in nearly real time instead of "Copy to DVD or VCR" later. If I knew which tuner number I was watching, or which tuner Tivo planned to use if I am not watching or recording anything else this would be easy. I would just leave the screen on the right tuner and set up the recording in Media Center at the same time. Then I would be recording right from the Tivo output of the show right as the Tivo was recording it.
So--any way to identify which tuner I'm watching or predict which one Tivo will use?

I know, I'm probably SOL on this one.

[windracer]

If you enter Select-Play-Select-Instant Replay-Select (while playing a recording or in Live TV (just make sure the banner isn't on the screen before you start, and press Clear at the end of the sequence)) it will turn on a status display at the bottom showing you which tuners (and CableCARDs) are in use.

However, if that display is on and you "record" to your PC, you're going to record that status bar as well (obviously it won't appear in the recording on the TiVo itself).

I don't think there's a way to predict which tuner the TiVo will use for future recordings, though.

[aaronwt]

It would be be easiest to use TiVo Desktop to get it to the PC. Just us the auto series transfer and it will automatically transfer those shows to the PC after it's recorded.

[atltom331]

If you enter Select-Play-Select-Instant Replay-Select (while playing a recording or in Live TV (just make sure the banner isn't on the screen before you start, and press Clear at the end of the sequence)) it will turn on a status display at the bottom showing you which tuners (and CableCARDs) are in use.



nice tip! Is there a thread around here that has all the functions that are available like that? Or do I just need to RTFM?

sorry for the threadjack

[windracer]

The SPS codes aren't in the manual.

The three I know off the top of my head are:

SPS-Ir-S - tuner info
SPS-9-S - onscreen clock
SPS-30-S - enables 30 second skip on the ->| button

[wtherrell]

nice tip! Is there a thread around here that has all the functions that are available like that? Or do I just need to RTFM?

sorry for the threadjack
No need to apologize, I was about to ask the same thing. I read the manual pretty thoroughly and there's nothing about the remote back doors like SPS codes.

[wtherrell]

It would be be easiest to use TiVo Desktop to get it to the PC. Just us the auto series transfer and it will automatically transfer those shows to the PC after it's recorded.
Hmm--you are right. Like I say, I was just playing around waiting for my cable card and was surprised it would show up in Media Center. Is there any way to get the TiVo Desktop listings to show up in Media Center? Or do the Tivo recordings have to be transcoded?

[wtherrell]

It works-sort of. I left Tivo live TV into Media Center on the channel I wanted to record, then set up the recordings in both Tivo and MC with nothing else on the agenda. MC recorded the Tivo output as the Tivo was recording. I don't think MC could keep up with the Tivo if other things were scheduled in the Tivo and the channel changed. Looks like the suggestion to use Tivo Desktop is by far the easiest solution. But, hey, I wouldn't have learned about those great SPS back doors if I hadn't started the thread. Thanks to all who replied. You guys are great! I'm off to search for more SPS codes!!

One final question. Can the Tivo Desktop dub the recordings to a VCR or are we limited to just the TTG devices? Guess that's OT and probably in another thread somewhere.

[windracer]

One final question. Can the Tivo Desktop dub the recordings to a VCR or are we limited to just the TTG devices?
Not really ... if you want to transfer shows to a VCR (or a DVD recorder) just hook out the video/audio outs of your TiVo to the inputs on your recording device and use the "Save to VCR" function. I do this to record shows to my DVD burner.

[worachj]

I'm off to search for more SPS codes!!

Try this link for more codes.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=122090