Mom's OTA Channels

[mccoady]

My mom has a SA Series 2 Tivo that she is using to record her local channels via a antenna on a 20' tower (she lives on a farm). I actually have her incoming coax cable split after it comes in the house with one run going to her tv and the other run going to her Tivo so she can watch one thing and still record something else.

After reading the above sticky about digital converter boxes it looks like she will need two of them (one to the tv and one to the Tivo) and then will have to wait on Tivo's summer update so the Tivo and the converter box will work together.

In the sticky one of the options was to by a Tivo HD, now in the past I thought this was what she needed (2 tuners) but as I understood things it would only work with cable not OTA. Since the OTA channels in 2009 will then be digital does this mean she could now use a Tivo HD with OTA channels and in turn giving her a dual tuner Tivo?

[MickeS]

Since the OTA channels in 2009 will then be digital does this mean she could now use a Tivo HD with OTA channels and in turn giving her a dual tuner Tivo?

Yes. If you have the economic means to do this, this is the best alternative for her, IMO.

The old Series 2 Dual Tuner units do not work with OTA, but the TiVo HD (which only comes in dual tuner) does.

[rainwater]

In the sticky one of the options was to by a Tivo HD, now in the past I thought this was what she needed (2 tuners) but as I understood things it would only work with cable not OTA. Since the OTA channels in 2009 will then be digital does this mean she could now use a Tivo HD with OTA channels and in turn giving her a dual tuner Tivo?

Many people are using the TiVo HD with only OTA. With a digital converter box and a S2, you are only going to get single tuner functionality. But with the TiVo HD, you get dual tuner functionality with OTA. I think it would be worthwhile to upgrade the box to a TiVo HD. You can buy the box at retail and change the the TSN online with no extra fees. By getting it now, you can set the box up with the digital channels instead of the analog ones and the digital transition will be seemless. To be clear, you do not need a HDTV to record from the digital stations even if they are HD. By buying a TiVo HD, you could easily convert the TV to an HDTV at a later date, and it will not require any changes to the TiVo HD.

[Lupin]

Those are all good points but please keep in mind the Tivo HD/Series 3 does not have coaxial or composite out. The only SD output he has is component, you will need to make sure her tv does have component inputs.

[wmcbrine]

It does so have composite output (also s-video); and if you need RF, you can get a cheap modulator.

[MickeS]

Those are all good points but please keep in mind the Tivo HD/Series 3 does not have coaxial or composite out. The only SD output he has is component, you will need to make sure her tv does have component inputs.

That is incorrect. The TiVo HD has both composite and s-video outputs in addition to component and HDMI. You are right that it does not have coaxial output though.

[Lupin]

Wow, I feel like a total idiot. I now only own a THD but Ive actually upgraded my HDD in it so I have spent a bit of time with the box itself lol. I could of sworn I read somewhere it didnt have composite and since I just use HDMI I guess I never paid attention to the rest. And yes, I knew it did have S-Video and I guess you could use s-video to Composite even if it didn't have composite guess I forgot about that as well. Bad post all together, unless of course its a really old tv and doesn't have composite then at least somewhat useful.

[scandia101]

Many people are using the TiVo HD with only OTA. With a digital converter box and a S2, you are only going to get single tuner functionality.

Why is everyone responding as if the Tivo in question were a dual tuner S2 when it is clearly a single tuner model?

[mccoady]

Thanks for the responses guys! I'm not sure if she will spend the money or not but I'm glad to hear that she could use the Tivo HD as a dual tuner to record OTA digital channels. Actually the Tivo she's using is mine with Lifetime that I'm letting her use.

If I bought the HD Tivo under my account would it qualify for $8.31 monthly as my second Tivo with a 3-year prepaid plan? Any chance of me being able to transfer my Lifetime to it?

If transferring my Lifetime is not an option do I understand correctly that the total cost for a new Tivo HD plus the cheapest plan would cost around $550?

Too bad it doesn't have coax output since I believe all her other inputs are being used. What she has hooked up is a Dish Network receiver (via S-Video) and a dvd (via Component) but I can't remember if there's a third set of inputs on the rear of the tv. Some might say why doesn't she get your locals through Dish but she also has a big screen HDTV in her basement so she still needs her outside OTA antenna for that.

Anyway I guess I need to look at her tv to see if there's any unused inputs left and if not see how often she uses the dvd connected to that tv since she has another dvd connected to her big screen. How does a modulator work?

[MickeS]

Why is everyone responding as if the Tivo in question were a dual tuner S2 when it is clearly a single tuner model?

Nobody has responded as if the TiVo in question was a dual tuner.

[GoHokies!]

Why is everyone responding as if the Tivo in question were a dual tuner S2 when it is clearly a single tuner model?
Not to mention if someone with S2DT comes along and reads this thread, the information could be useful.

[rainwater]

Why is everyone responding as if the Tivo in question were a dual tuner S2 when it is clearly a single tuner model?

It doesn't matter what the S2 is. If you use it with a converter box, it will be single tuner.

[mccoady]

It seemed to me everyone knew my mom's SA Series 2 Tivo was a single tuner and that I was asking about the dual tuner HD.

Guys could you get back to answering my questions if possible?

[MickeS]

Not to mention if someone with S2DT comes along and reads this thread, the information could be useful.
It doesn't matter what the S2 is. If you use it with a converter box, it will be single tuner.

Just for clarification, an S2 Dual Tuner can not be used with OTA, converter box or not. At least that was the status last I checked, not sure if TiVo has any plans to change that.

[MickeS]

Actually the Tivo she's using is mine with Lifetime that I'm letting her use, if I bought the HD Tivo under my account would it qualify for $6.95 monthly as my second Tivo? Any chance of me being able to transfer my Lifetime to it?

If you add it to your account, it will qualify for the Multi Service Discounts. I don't remember exactly what the discounts are right now.

You MIGHT be able to transfer your Lifetime to it, if you ask a nice CSR, but I don't think they have an official policy of doing it right now. Someone else might know if the $199 fee lifetime transfer is still in effect.
How does a modulator work?
Plug in the composite and audio l/r, and it outputs an RF signal over coaxial.

[mccoady]

Thanks I just called Tivo customer service and there is no current options to let me transfer my Lifetime at $200 for a new HD. Looks like after buying the Tivo HD I would have to pay $10 monthly, $100 prepaid for a year or $300 for Lifetime (although at their website it says $400 so don't know if he was right or not on the $300 price). I forgot to ask customer service if you are only eligible for the Lifetime at the time of purchase or if you can do this later.

1. Just to clarify if I were to buy a Tivo HD now then it could be used immediately with OTA channels and you wouldn't have to wait until 2009 when the channels went digital?

2. Are these HD Tivos pretty future proof if there can be such a thing?

3. Since the Tivo HDs have dual tuners do they need a coax cable ran to each tuner (like my Direct Tivo) or do they just take one cable run?

[scandia101]

1. Just to clarify if I were to buy a Tivo HD now then it could be used immediately with OTA channels and you wouldn't have to wait until 2009 when the channels went digital?

I doubt there will be many OTA TV stations going digital in 2009 because the vast majority of them already are broadcasting digital. What happens in 2009 is that analog TV gets shut off.


2. Are these HD Tivos pretty future proof if there can be such a thing?

Digital OTA won't change for many years.
Digital cable likely will and the first major change has already started - SDV

3. Since the Tivo HDs have dual tuners do they need a coax cable ran to each tuner (like my Direct Tivo) or do they just take one cable run?

There's only one rf input for cable.

[scandia101]

Nobody has responded as if the TiVo in question was a dual tuner.

You're right. My bad.
Everyone is responding as if the DT Tivo is the only S2 model out there.

[classicsat]

Most broadcasters are transmitting in both analog and digital. A TiVo HD will get both right now.

The TiVo HD is somewhat futureproof. As said, digital OTA will probably not change anythime soon.

The TiVo HD needs just one cable from the antenna. It is internally split.

[magnus]

If it's a lifetime S2... why don't you just get the 2 converter boxes?? It would only cost $25 after the coupons. Instead of $700 for a THD with lifetime.

[ThAbtO]

My mom has a SA Series 2 Tivo that she is using to record her local channels via a antenna on a 20' tower (she lives on a farm). I actually have her incoming coax cable split after it comes in the house with one run going to her tv and the other run going to her Tivo so she can watch one thing and still record something else.

After reading the above sticky about digital converter boxes it looks like she will need two of them (one to the tv and one to the Tivo) and then will have to wait on Tivo's summer update so the Tivo and the converter box will work together.

In the sticky one of the options was to by a Tivo HD, now in the past I thought this was what she needed (2 tuners) but as I understood things it would only work with cable not OTA. Since the OTA channels in 2009 will then be digital does this mean she could now use a Tivo HD with OTA channels and in turn giving her a dual tuner Tivo?

Yes to both, and she won't need a converter box for the THD. There will be no need to split the antennea cable for the dual tuner because there are 2 separate inputs labeled, antenna and cable, so any future cable connection goes to 'cable' without a cable box.


Try www.tivo.com/mom for a deal.

[mccoady]

Okay thanks for all the info I think you can actually buy them just as cheap brand new from Amazon. I'll have to see if my mom wants to upgrade to the dual tuner HD or buy a digital converter box for her Tivo and wait for the Tivo software upgrade.

[samo]

Cheapest and best solution for your mom is to get VIP722 from Dish. At $6 per month she would get 3 tuners (2 satellite and one OTA) plus the best HD DVR money can buy. I don't know what the best offer is today for the existing customers - you would have to call, but I'm willing to bet that it will be cheaper than TiVo HD.

[magnus]

How is that the cheapest solution? If they are only using OTA to begin with.... then your suggestion is not the cheapest one. I don't think the OP was looking for more HD per se.

The cheapest solution is to get 2 converter boxes (after coupons of course) for $25.

Cheapest and best solution for your mom is to get VIP722 from Dish. At $6 per month she would get 3 tuners (2 satellite and one OTA) plus the best HD DVR money can buy. I don't know what the best offer is today for the existing customers - you would have to call, but I'm willing to bet that it will be cheaper than TiVo HD.

[samo]

How is that the cheapest solution? If they are only using OTA to begin with.... then your suggestion is not the cheapest one. I don't think the OP was looking for more HD per se.

The cheapest solution is to get 2 converter boxes (after coupons of course) for $25.

OP said:
Too bad it doesn't have coax output since I believe all her other inputs are being used. What she has hooked up is a Dish Network receiver (via S-Video) and a dvd (via Component) but I can't remember if there's a third set of inputs on the rear of the tv. Some might say why doesn't she get your locals through Dish but she also has a big screen HDTV in her basement so she still needs her outside OTA antenna for that.
VIP722 has two independent outputs and allows watching two different programs on two different TVs. It means that if she replaces her Dish receiver with VIP722, she doesn't have to change anything in her setup and she can watch HD OTA on her HDTV.
Cheapest solution of course is to do nothing till 2009, but since OP was considering to get HD TiVo for OTA only, I suggested to get VIP722 instead.

[magnus]

Ok, I saw this one and assumed that they were only using OTA. :o


My mom has a SA Series 2 Tivo that she is using to record her local channels via a antenna on a 20' tower (she lives on a farm). I actually have her incoming coax cable split after it comes in the house with one run going to her tv and the other run going to her Tivo so she can watch one thing and still record something else.


OP said:

VIP722 has two independent outputs and allows watching two different programs on two different TVs. It means that if she replaces her Dish receiver with VIP722, she doesn't have to change anything in her setup and she can watch HD OTA on her HDTV.
Cheapest solution of course is to do nothing till 2009, but since OP was considering to get HD TiVo for OTA only, I suggested to get VIP722 instead.