Interested in purchasing tivo

[tirone]

I am interested in purchasing Tivo but am wondering if it will work for my configuration.

Presently I have Shaw Canada basic cable service (considering upgrading to classic cable service - but not digital). One important channel I watch is turning exclusively HD. It is plugged directly into my pc's tuner and I watch tv in Vista Media Center.

I'm suspecting Tivo won't work with this configuration (watching tv on my computer). I don't have the room or funds to get a tv.

Basically I want to know if it will work with my configuration and what device(s) I would need to watch the standard cable channels and the one HD channel

[Chester_Lampwick]

Yeah, the dual tuner sold in Canada would work for the plain analogue cable, and digital channels when controlling the Motorola digital box. You should be able to control a HD box too, but of course you'll never be able to use the HD with a Series 2 TiVo.

Series 3 isn't available in Canada due to no legislation for cable companies to use subscription cards (CableCards). It will only work with off-the-air ATSC HD like Global, CBC, CTV, CityTV.

[LADYBUGBLUE2002]

I have two Series two hooked up to Shaw Digital cable...my brother has it hooked up with just analog and it works fine. It won't work for the HD channels but for everything else.

[Chester_Lampwick]

I have two Series two hooked up to Shaw Digital cable...my brother has it hooked up with just analog and it works fine. It won't work for the HD channels but for everything else.

But it would work for HD channels provided that:

1 - the HD box has the same IR codes as the regular digital box
2 - the HD box has an RCA or RF output
3 - you understand this will not be HD
4 - the guide listings have the HD channels listed

All this is true for Starchoice/Motorola hardware. I think Shaw digital cable uses Motorola hardware, so likely not much different.

[classicsat]

You can watch TiVo on your computer if you have a tuner card with analog RF or A/V in. The Tivo will record only the analog channels.

To watch your HD channel, if it is unencrypted and you have a QAM capable tuner card, you can do that, and likely record it with PC DVR software.