Multi room viewing with Tivo HD

[dave13077]

Can you use the multi room viewing with the Tivo HD? I read somewhere that this feature is not ready yet. Anyone have any luck with multi room viewing and is it easy to do? I want to make sure the rest of the family won't have ant issues if I switch. I use Windows Media Center with Linksys media center extenders now.

Anyone who have used Media Center and now Tivo have any experiences?

Thanks

[RonDawg]

MRV was not yet enabled when the TiVoHD was first on sale. It has long since been enabled via a software update.

The only restrictions are no transfers of HD programs to a Series 2, and no transfers of copy-protected programming between any TiVo boxes or to a PC.

[westside_guy]

If the Tivo HD still ships with 8.x software (it still did around Thanksgiving), then at first MRV won't work. Force a few connections to the mothership and it'll update to the latest software - at that point, per RonDawg's response, you'll have full MRV functionality that works just like it always has (yes it's easy to use, in other words).

Note that shows that are recorded in HD will only be available to other Tivos that have HD capability - so if you're trying to pull a high-def show onto a Series 2 Tivo from the Tivo HD, it won't work. Actually I don't know offhand if it'll even transfer or not; but you won't be able to watch it. You will be able to transfer standard-def shows from the HD to the Series 2.

[berkshires]

Not only were transfers enabled a while ago, but there have been software updates since then and they work very well now, with good reliability and good speed. Its more than ready for prime time.

[RonDawg]

Actually I don't know offhand if it'll even transfer or not

You won't be able to transfer it at all. You will see a red circle with a slash through it, just like with programs that are copy-protected.

[berkshires]

You won't be able to transfer it at all. You will see a red circle with a slash through it, just like with programs that are copy-protected.

Entering the world of the arcane, I have managed to transfer something HD to a PC, turn it to an mpg and transfer it to an S2. It didn't play properly, but could be MRV'd to an S3P TiVo for proper playback.

Also I think I've gotten .tivos not properly labelled as HD onto PC and back to S2, or something like that. I just know the S2 offered to transfer them. There are some funky things like that you can discover.

[pdhenry]

What if I record a standard def show from a digital local channel? I'm not sure that will transfer to an S2. The HD TiVo is still recording the digital stream even though the show is not HD.

[StanSimmons]

One thing to watch out for... In the DFW market, TimeWarnerCable has chosen to mark nearly all of the digital shows as copy protected. This means that if you recorded it using the cablecard, and it is a local OTA source, you will not be able to watch it on another TiVo or transfer it to a PC.

Apparently this is perfectly legal as the FCC rules say that the cable company must put the copy inhibit bit on if the source requests it, but the rules don't say anything about not putting the copy inhibit bit on except for OTA sources... This leaves it entirely up to the cable company, and TWC is a PITA.

[berkshires]

What if I record a standard def show from a digital local channel? I'm not sure that will transfer to an S2. The HD TiVo is still recording the digital stream even though the show is not HD.

It will and it will play.

[pdhenry]

It will and it will play.Just checked. Didn't work.

[bkdtv]

Just checked. Didn't work.You can't transfer SD shows recorded from HD channels. As far as the TiVo knows, there is no difference between actual HD content recorded from HD channels and SD programs upconverted to HD.

You should be able to transfer recordings from SD (480i) digital channels to a TiVo Series2.

[rsnaider]

SD Channels recorded on my HD transfer fine to any of my 3 S2 boxes.

As stated above it must be recorded from a SD Channel and not just SD content on an HD channel to transfer it.

[pdhenry]

I'll try something from a SD digital channel later tonight - both tuners are workin' right now. I think all of my "DT2" channels are 480i.

[JYoung]

SD Channels recorded on my HD transfer fine to any of my 3 S2 boxes.

As stated above it must be recorded from a SD Channel and not just SD content on an HD channel to transfer it.

I never thought of this but I just tried it and it works.

[JayJayTen]

One thing to watch out for... In the DFW market, TimeWarnerCable has chosen to mark nearly all of the digital shows as copy protected. This means that if you recorded it using the cablecard, and it is a local OTA source, you will not be able to watch it on another TiVo or transfer it to a PC.

Apparently this is perfectly legal as the FCC rules say that the cable company must put the copy inhibit bit on if the source requests it, but the rules don't say anything about not putting the copy inhibit bit on except for OTA sources... This leaves it entirely up to the cable company, and TWC is a PITA.
This is the same with Cablevision (Optimum), in the last few months they have coded almost everything "copyprotected". I have red dot next to almost everything. The multiroom viewing is a waste from my perspective.

Anyone know a wy of getting around this??

Jay

[pdhenry]

I thought it was against FCC regs to set the copy protect bit on programming that's available OTA. Apparently this isn't the case for HBO. I'm not sure what the story is for other basic cable programming.

There are a lot of threads about this in the case of analog cable; I don't know why it would be different for the digial versions of the OTAs.

ETA: I went back and was able to transfer a show from a 480i digital channel to my S2, even though there is no record quality setting for these channels. So not seeing a record quality setting means it's a digital channels, but not a HD channel.

[TriBruin]

I thought it was against FCC regs to set the copy protect bit on programming that's available OTA. Apparently this isn't the case for HBO. I'm not sure what the story is for other basic cable programming.

There are a lot of threads about this in the case of analog cable; I don't know why it would be different for the digial versions of the OTAs.

ETA: I went back and was able to transfer a show from a 480i digital channel to my S2, even though there is no record quality setting for these channels. So not seeing a record quality setting means it's a digital channels, but not a HD channel.

From what I understand (mostly from previous posts here :) ) A cable company can:

1) Not copy protect a retransmission of an OTA channel. (ie. your local broadcast channels)

2) Must copy protect any CABLE channel that requests it (I know that HBO does.)

The problem seems to be that law is vague about cable channels that do NOT specifically request it (like say ESPN). Some cable companies are adding the copy once bit while other do not.

[berkshires]

I thought it was against FCC regs to set the copy protect bit on programming that's available OTA. Apparently this isn't the case for HBO. I'm not sure what the story is for other basic cable programming.

There are a lot of threads about this in the case of analog cable; I don't know why it would be different for the digial versions of the OTAs.

ETA: I went back and was able to transfer a show from a 480i digital channel to my S2, even though there is no record quality setting for these channels. So not seeing a record quality setting means it's a digital channels, but not a HD channel.

Exactly. The reason for all this is the highest resolution the S2 can handle is something like 720x480 (maybe some other slightly higher res no one here has ever tried - like what is the PAL res, Hx540?) Any HDdigital channel is, by definition, going to be above that resolution, regardless of the content; it is transmitted that way. (and that is the whole reason it has the HD label.)

The cable co. has all the rights to determining the copy flag, with the exception of those OTA re-transmissions. There are cable channels for whom the copy flag is set other than how they would prefer. (ex. HDNET claims they want no flag.) Over time cable channels may get smart and negotiate those terms into their contracts with the cable cos.

[chris401]

So what about post-Feb OTA channels? Those are broadcast in digital? Can I set the HD Tivo to record in standard def so that I can have the option to transfer to my series 2 if I like (have not yet bought the HD Tivo, but will soon)

[pdhenry]

Digital != High definition. If it's really a SD channel transmitted digitally you will be able to transfer, For example, my local "-2" channels are SD digital and the programming transfers OK.

[berkshires]

So what about post-Feb OTA channels? Those are broadcast in digital? Can I set the HD Tivo to record in standard def so that I can have the option to transfer to my series 2 if I like (have not yet bought the HD Tivo, but will soon)

If there is an SD version of the OTA transmission you pick up or if you are using cable and the cable co still retransmits either in analog or SD digital.