Tivo S2

[grantsa4]

If I ran basic cable through an S2 into an HDTV, would I be able to pick up HD channels or would I need a Tivo HD?

[stevel]

You would not be able to pick up HD channels. A TiVo HD would do it.

[ThAbtO]

The HDTV itself will pick up HD Channels Off the air, but if you had digital cable you might be able to receive the HD channels onto the S2. Ask your cable company about it.

[JYoung]

The HDTV itself will pick up HD Channels Off the air, but if you had digital cable you might be able to receive the HD channels onto the S2. Ask your cable company about it.

Since a Series 2 does not have an ATSC nor QAM tuner, how would that work?

[MickeS]

Since a Series 2 does not have an ATSC nor QAM tuner, how would that work?

If he rents a HD cable box from the cable company, and have that down-rez to the s-video output into the Series 2. It wouldn't be Hi-Def though, so the real answer is, no you can not get HD channels on a Series 2.

[ThAbtO]

It would be on a channel (ie.: cable channel 701 for the OTA 7.1). although it would be in SD instead of HD.

On the other hand, a HD converter box will let the S2 receive OTA HD channels in SD.

[classicsat]

You can pass the RF signal through to the TiVo in Standby and tune digital channels on your TV. The TiVo itself can only tune and record analog channels which of course, are SD.

[nirisahn]

I would think that if the OP ran basic cable through anything, he'd still have basic cable. Without a subscription to and the box for HD, I don't think he could tune to any of the HD channels. I do have a subscription to HD channels and I do record them on my S2. Of course at this point they're no longer HD, but they definitely look better than the standard channels for the same shows. My other TiVo is connected to a non-HD digital box, but I don't remember being able to tune it to HD channels.

[stevel]

Non-HD TiVos don't know how to tune in digital channels on an external box, though I imagine they will have to add that capability soon.