Output configuration

[tdenson]

I'm just trying to plan ahead for when I have my Tivo, in particular how I'm going to pipe it around the house. I currently have a Topfield which I pipe to the kitchen and the bedroom. The kitchen comes from a Scart socket which I take into a UHF converter and run coax to the kitchen. The bedroom also comes from a Scart but goes via a Scart/Cat 5 converter. Thus I currently use two scarts and an HDMI (for the TV). What options do I have on the Tivo (and in particular is there a definitive answer to whether the HDMI and Scart can be live at the same time).

[cwaring]

Tivo Outputs:
http://www.virginmedia.com/images/box%20back.jpg

And yes, I'm sure they do :)

[Brangdon]

They have on/off switches now? Wow.

[cwaring]

Yes, but you don't normally use that. There's the usual 'standby' on the front ;)

[geekspeak]

No fan - intriguing. I guess putting other equipment on top is a definite no-go?? (not sure if the top is rounded also?)

[jonphil]

I bet the fan is hidden behind in the box somewhere.
Hard drives and components do run much cooler than they did in the days of the S1.

[tdenson]

They have on/off switches now? Wow.

For me, the lack of an on/off switch on the S1 was symbolic. This was the first bit of computer technology that had ever approached the status of an appliance (even my wife loved it). The complete lack of any switches reinforced that.

[tdenson]

Tivo Outputs:
http://www.virginmedia.com/images/box%20back.jpg

And yes, I'm sure they do :)

Hmmm, one scart does give me a problem though. Guess I'm going to have to install a scart splitter box.

[geekspeak]

I bet the fan is hidden behind in the box somewhere.
Hard drives and components do run much cooler than they did in the days of the S1.

The power connector might suggest an external "power brick" which would also help keep the temperature down. I imagine also with the low power standby mode a lot of the £3pm would be saved in reduced electricity, compared with S1 and a standard stb.

[cwaring]

Hmmm, one scart does give me a problem though. Guess I'm going to have to install a scart splitter box.
Me too, maybe. Or I could plug the Tivo into my DVD Recorder and then into my TV. One SCART does seem a little odd, but then of course I assume it's really geared towards HD.

[maxwells_daemon]

I was planning on sending the SCART out into the old TiVo - so I could record the catch-up TV. (I quite often spot something I meant to watch, but don't have time to see before the week's up.)

[davidthornton]

I was planning on sending the SCART out into the old TiVo - so I could record the catch-up TV. (I quite often spot something I meant to watch, but don't have time to see before the week's up.)

Use the HDMI splitter option I mentioned. SCART won't output HD.

[steveroe]

A Tivo series 1 will not accept HDMI though...

[M_at]

A Tivo series 1 will not accept HDMI though...

Why would you want to pipe the output of a fully digital multi tuner TiVo into a single source analogue input TiVo?

[smokie]

Yes the top is curved. The top and bottom are both vented but I can't see any fans through the vents (but I might have missed them). There is a power brick.

I can confirm that SCART and HD output work fine at the same time.

[teresatt]

Smokie, can you tell me please if a scart is essential for the initial installation of the box?

My plasma doesn't have a scart and the engineer couldn't install my V+HD box because it needed a scart so that he could see the menu to set the box to HDMI. He had to arrange to come back again with a portable TV. However in the meantime I'd found the front button combination to set the box to HDMI without needing a screen.

[Tavis75]

Smokie, can you tell me please if a scart is essential for the initial installation of the box?

My plasma doesn't have a scart and the engineer couldn't install my V+HD box because it needed a scart so that he could see the menu to set the box to HDMI. He had to arrange to come back again with a portable TV. However in the meantime I'd found the front button combination to set the box to HDMI without needing a screen.

I had that problem when they installed my V+ box, probably could have hooked up a scart output using a scart to composite converter if I could actually find it, but luckily the engineer was able to talk to someone and get the button press sequence they needed to turn on HDMI.

Hopefully the TiVo box will have the HDMI output enabled by default as this sort of thing is likely to be more of a problem as scart disappears.

[smokie]

Smokie, can you tell me please if a scart is essential for the initial installation of the box?



No, the HD worked straight out of the box.

[M_at]

Diverging a little - can you give us an idea as to size relative to the Samsung or SA/Cisco V+ boxes?

[smokie]

Roughly - a couple of inches less wide, almost the same height towards the back once the curve is complete, not quite as deep :) Here's the full manual http://www.virginmedia.com/tivo/tivo_complete_guide.pdf but doesn't include sizes.

I'll get pen paper and ruler if you want precision...?

It looks much less clunky, not being square.

[ColinYounger]

Smokie - did it come with an HDMI cable, or did you have to provide one?

[tdenson]

Why would you want to pipe the output of a fully digital multi tuner TiVo into a single source analogue input TiVo?

For the exact reason that he stated. The Tivo S1 is one of the only PVRs that allow recording from sources other than OTA. This would allow Virgin catch up to be recorded.

[tdenson]

Use the HDMI splitter option I mentioned. SCART won't output HD.

I already have UHF and Cat5 cabling in place and I couldn't care less about HD on TVs in the kitchen and bedroom.

[teresatt]

No, the HD worked straight out of the box.

Thank you, smokie. That's a relief.

[Lysander]

Smokie - did it come with an HDMI cable, or did you have to provide one?

That's a good question. Smokie?

[richw]

That's a good question. Smokie?

Paperwork says it comes with an HDMI cable. Not sure if that'd cover needing a longer than normal cable or not.

[smokie]

That's a good question. Smokie?

Yes, it came with cable

[ptruman]

The V+ HD boxes downscale HD over SCART to RGB or (without menus) composite. Is this still the case with the one SCART?

I'd like to hook it up via through my DVD player, as TiVo is now :)
(I still have V+ HD out over HDMI direct to the TV for HD channels obviously!)

[smokie]

Are you asking me to check this? If so, how would I know?

[ptruman]

:)

If you have a DVD recorder, or any other SCART device linked to the TV, link Tivo to that box via SCART, then use the other devices to display that SCART connection (on the TV).

If you get an image, good. Then choose an HD channel on the S3 box. If the TV still gets an image, then it's downscaling :)

Currently, an S1 TiVo can record to VHS/DVD+RW via it's SCART, and existing V+ boxes downscale HD content over their SCARTS, so you can backup anything TiVo has, or that you've watched etc. The downside is that the existing V+ boxes output RGB with all the OSD, and only the "what you're watching" feed - so you get all the menus. You can lose all the menus, to get a "clean" feed, but that is only output in composite, which can result in whiteouts on bright colours etc.

In a nutshell, I know I'm going to lose my S1 and existing V+ box, but want to know if I can still route things via my DVD+RW if necessary? (my video sender is SCART too, etc etc).

Don't worry if you can't check though, I'm just wondering :)

[ptruman]

No-one has mentioned the "Test Port" yet. It looks suspiciously similar to the S1 serial port to me, and we all know what that started! Does anyone know if it is a serial port?