Tivo HD, composite output

[westside_guy]

Right now I have a Tivo HD connected to an HD television, and a Series 2 Tivo connected to an older non-HD set. I am thinking of upgrading the Series 2 Tivo to a Tivo HD, even though I'm not going to upgrade the older TV for a little while.

I think I know the answer to this, but - if I have a Tivo HD connected (via the composite connectors, obviously) to a non-HD television, will any HD content I might have on that Tivo still be available (downscaled to glorious 480i, of course) to the non-HD television? Or is HD content only available to HD-capable connections, and therefore limited to the component and HDMI outputs?

Thanks!

[dlfl]

What you think is correct.

[westside_guy]

What you think is correct.

He he, I set myself up for that one.

I hadn't found the answer to this on tivo.com before; but of course once I posted my question and then went back to tivo.com I found the answer:

Can I connect the TiVo HD to a regular TV that doesn’t support HD?

Yes, you can use the TiVo HD with a standard TV. It will record TV shows in HD, but display them in standard definition on your TV.

[chicagobrownblue]

I'd wait for a new and improved Tivo HD if I were you. I have the opposite from you and I am waiting for a new HD with more drive space and SDV; I've given up on VOD. I have my Series 2 connected to an HDTV via the composite output and get 16:9 standard definition screens with no distortion which look good to great depending on the channel. So my cable company must be down converting the HD signal to composite for me.

[jlib]

I'd wait for a new and improved Tivo HD if I were you. I have the opposite from you and I am waiting for a new HD with more drive space and SDV; I've given up on VOD. I have my Series 2 connected to an HDTV via the composite output and get 16:9 standard definition screens with no distortion which look good to great depending on the channel. So my cable company must be down converting the HD signal to composite for me.Since he is not upgrading his TV why would he need an improved TiVo HD? It also make more sense for the cable company to provide the SDV capability if needed as they do now, depending upon whether it is a Cisco or Motorola based system. Finally, any 16:9 display you are getting from your S2 is either horizontally stretched 4:3 SD or zoomed letterboxed SD. The zoomed letterboxed SD you are probably referring to is even lower resolution than regular 4:3 SD. The cable company is just resending the source material (maybe adding some compression). They are not taking a digital HD signal and reprocessing it into analog SD for you.

[chicagobrownblue]

no need for the current Tivo HD either. Why buy a Blu-Ray player if you don't have an HDTV? Conumer electronics tend to get cheaper, faster, bigger, better over time; sometimes all of these.

[shwru980r]

Most HD TVs do a pretty good job of upscaling 480i to the native resolution of the TV.

[chicagobrownblue]

Since he is not upgrading his TV why would he need an improved TiVo HD?

Wait for a new HD Tivo also means he does not need the current Tivo HD models. I stand by this recommendation. There should be an upgrade shortly.

It also make more sense for the cable company to provide the SDV capability if needed as they do now, depending upon whether it is a Cisco or Motorola based system.

I do not want another box or dongle to get SDV. Tivo needs to add it or I will just get a cableco box that does provide it natively. Hopefully, Tivo Premier will provide this feature, but I am not holding my breath.

Finally, any 16:9 display you are getting from your S2 is either horizontally stretched 4:3 SD or zoomed letterboxed SD. The zoomed letterboxed SD you are probably referring to is even lower resolution than regular 4:3 SD. The cable company is just resending the source material (maybe adding some compression). They are not taking a digital HD signal and reprocessing it into analog SD for you.

I am now receiving the letterbox version, black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, of "Saturday Night Live" and the picture is, IMO HD, quality but is probably really just full 480i quality. This is on the standard definition NBC Channel 5 in Chicago. I really believe this is downconverted HD. Some other programs and commercials are full screen but a Walmart commercial is letterbox and high quality.

"Mad Money", however, does look like it is stretched letterbox and is pretty low quality. The producers add comments and market info where the letterbox black bars would be at the top and bottom of the picture. These comments are complete and nothing is squashed or cut off, so they are pretty clever producing this show.

One full screen PBS channel in Chicago is definitely low quality and is zoomed letterbox. I can tell because their comments are chopped off at the left.

The picture quality went up noticeably when my cable company went from analog for their standard package to digital. This was on my old standard definition TV.

I've watched football in both HD and non-HD channels at a friends house on the same TV I have. The pictures are actually pretty close in quality but the HD versions are noticeably better.

waiting for the details on the Tivo Premier ....