Newbie Question

[muzicman1961]

Greetings,

I hope I don't make a total fool out of myself but I am not too smart when it comes to these electronic devices. Here is my situation, My brother has comcast cable with their dvr box hooked up to his tv. comcast broadcasts a tv show that I can not get on direct tv, so I purchased a used Tivo series 2 box. Now for my question, after my brother records a weeks worth of ewpisodes, is it possible for me to hook up my Tivo and record them from his box to my unit.

Thank you
muzicman1961

[WhiskeyTango]

No. First, the Tivo must have an active subscription to record. It can not interact/copy from a non-Tivo unit.

[rage777]

But if your brother gets a Tivo, then records it he can put it on his computer and burn a DVD and send it to you.

[lillevig]

Originally Posted by muzicman1961

Greetings,

I hope I don't make a total fool out of myself but I am not too smart when it comes to these electronic devices. Here is my situation, My brother has comcast cable with their dvr box hooked up to his tv. comcast broadcasts a tv show that I can not get on direct tv, so I purchased a used Tivo series 2 box. Now for my question, after my brother records a weeks worth of ewpisodes, is it possible for me to hook up my Tivo and record them from his box to my unit.

Thank you
muzicman1961

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTango

No. First, the Tivo must have an active subscription to record. It can not interact/copy from a non-Tivo unit.

The only Tivos that don't need a subscription to do recording are the Series 1 units. They can do manual recording. As for not being able to copy from another DVR, that isn't completely true. If your brother's DVR has composite outputs (yellow, red, white cables) then you can set up the Tivo to accept video on the composite inputs. I actually do that with a spare Tivo connected to a VCR so that I can record some old VHS tapes.

[muzicman1961]

Originally Posted by lillevig

The only Tivos that don't need a subscription to do recording are the Series 1 units. They can do manual recording. As for not being able to copy from another DVR, that isn't completely true. If your brother's DVR has composite outputs (yellow, red, white cables) then you can set up the Tivo to accept video on the composite inputs. I actually do that with a spare Tivo connected to a VCR so that I can record some old VHS tapes.

I think this is what I wanted to know, kind of like the old VHS to VHS days where you just ran cables between the 2 units.

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by muzicman1961

I think this is what I wanted to know, kind of like the old VHS to VHS days where you just ran cables between the 2 units.

You still won't be able to record unless the TiVo has a lifetime subscription or you pay a monthly fee.

[steve614]

Originally Posted by lpwcomp

You still won't be able to record unless the TiVo has a lifetime subscription or you pay a monthly fee.

Or he finds an S1 Tivo that allows for manual recording.

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by steve614

Or he finds an S1 Tivo that allows for manual recording.

The initial post said "I purchased a used Tivo series 2 box".

[unitron]

I think you can subscribe that S2 for $12.95 per month with no commitment, and if you cancel before 30 days are up you might be able to get a refund of that first $12.95.

That will let you use the S2 to record, but since your brother has a cable company box and not a TiVo, they can't be networked together, so you'll have to do it same as with a VCR, over A/V cables, and to get the line inputs on that TiVo to work you'll have to go through Guided Setup and lie to it about having a satellite receiver and have an active video source of some kind feeding the TiVo's video input at the time to be able to fool it. If you tell it you have DirecTV, it'll think you have a channel 1, so you can tune to channel 1 and that'll cause it to use the line inputs instead of the tuner.

[muzicman1961]

Maybe I am not going to be able to do what I want. The Tivo isn't going to be doing the intitial recording, it is just going to be transfered to from my brothers Comcast DVR.

[muzicman1961]

I was wondering if I could use line out of his DVR and line in to my Tivo like the old days with copying VHS tapes

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by unitron

... If you tell it you have DirecTV, it'll think you have a channel 1, so you can tune to channel 1 and that'll cause it to use the line inputs instead of the tuner.

Unless it is a dual tuner, if you tell it you have a cable box or satellite receiver connected via a/v, it will never use the internal tuner for any channel.

[unitron]

Originally Posted by muzicman1961

I was wondering if I could use line out of his DVR and line in to my Tivo like the old days with copying VHS tapes

Yes, if the TiVo will record.

Only if the TiVo has an active subscription, or did and hasn't yet found out that it no longer does, will it record.

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by muzicman1961

I was wondering if I could use line out of his DVR and line in to my Tivo like the old days with copying VHS tapes

Yes, you can do that but a TiVo 2 or later must be actively subscribed.

[unitron]

Originally Posted by lpwcomp

Unless it is a dual tuner, if you tell it you have a cable box or satellite receiver connected via a/v, it will never use the internal tuner for any channel.

You can tell a single tuner you have cable without a box and a satellite box, and it'll record analog cable off of the tuner and whatever's plugged into the line inputs when you tell it to record a satellite channel.

It'll just mis-label the line-in recording as whatever satellite show it thought it was recording.

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by unitron

You can tell a single tuner you have cable without a box and a satellite box, and it'll record analog cable off of the tuner and whatever's plugged into the line inputs when you tell it to record a satellite channel.

It'll just mis-label the line-in recording as whatever satellite show it thought it was recording.

Ok. But why on earth would you do that if you don't have it hooked up to the cable at all? He only wants to record off of the cableco DVR.

[unitron]

Originally Posted by lpwcomp

Ok. But why on earth would you do that if you don't have it hooked up to the cable at all? He only wants to record off of the cableco DVR.

I wasn't advocating a particular way of using a TiVo for the OP or anyone else, I was correcting your incorrect assertion that a single tuner TiVo which thinks there's a satellite receiver feeding the line inputs would not use the tuner.

If you go through Guided Setup and tell it you have cable with no cable box, just straight co-ax into the tuner, and tell it you have a satellite receiver feeding the line inputs, and you have an active video source plugged into the video line input for it to detect, then when it contacts the mother ship and downloads guide data, it will do so for whatever cable co. you told it you had and for whichever satellite service you told it you had, and when you go to pick stuff to record you can have duplicate channel numbers, but some will be marked cable and some will be marked satellite, and which you choose will determine if it uses the tuner or activates the line input and sends an IR signal to change the channel on the satellite receiver it thinks is there.

[lpwcomp]

The problem I am having is it would be a total waste of time for the OP to set it up that way. In fact, he would be much better off setting it up as cable w/box. He could at least get the correct channel in the TiVo recording.

[unitron]

Originally Posted by lpwcomp

The problem I am having is it would be a total waste of time for the OP to set it up that way. In fact, he would be much better off setting it up as cable w/box. He could at least get the correct channel in the TiVo recording.

He's looking to record from the line outputs of his brother's non-TiVo Comcast DVR.

I was under the impression that he was planning on dubbing off a week's worth of shows at a time, although I suppose he could leave the TiVo at his brother's all week and record it every day and then watch all of them on the weekend and take it back to his brother's house the next week, but his brother would have to switch cables around twice a day.

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by unitron

He's looking to record from the line outputs of his brother's non-TiVo Comcast DVR.

I was under the impression that he was planning on dubbing off a week's worth of shows at a time, although I suppose he could leave the TiVo at his brother's all week and record it every day and then watch all of them on the weekend and take it back to his brother's house the next week, but his brother would have to switch cables around twice a day.

And thus he has absolutely no need to set it up with cable and satellite. It will never be connected to cable.

[unitron]

Originally Posted by lpwcomp

And thus he has absolutely no need to set it up with cable and satellite. It will never be connected to cable.

"Unless it is a dual tuner, if you tell it you have a cable box or satellite receiver connected via a/v, it will never use the internal tuner for any channel."

That was incorrect. I pointed out that it was incorrect, and illustrated with a situation under which the TiVo would record both from its own tuner and the A/V inputs, depending on which channel one told it to record.

Althought I earlier pointed out how to get the line inputs to work, at no time did I specifically suggest that the OP set it up for non-box cable and satellite.

Now if you had said "if you tell it you only have a cable box or satellite receiver it won't use the tuner" we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.

It is important to be precise to avoid misleading future searchers.

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by unitron

"Unless it is a dual tuner, if you tell it you have a cable box or satellite receiver connected via a/v, it will never use the internal tuner for any channel."

That was incorrect. I pointed out that it was incorrect, and illustrated with a situation under which the TiVo would record both from its own tuner and the A/V inputs, depending on which channel one told it to record.

Althought I earlier pointed out how to get the line inputs to work, at no time did I specifically suggest that the OP set it up for non-box cable and satellite.

Now if you had said "if you tell it you only have a cable box or satellite receiver it won't use the tuner" we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.

It is important to be precise to avoid misleading future searchers.

Then why did you even suggest that he do it that way? It's important to actually address the precise issue rather than bringing up irrelevancies.

In the post to which you referred, I guess I should have added "unless you do something stupid and unnecessary".

[unitron]

Originally Posted by lpwcomp

Then why did you even suggest that he do it that way? It's important to actually address the precise issue rather than bringing up irrelevancies.

In the post to which you referred, I guess I should have added "unless you do something stupid and unnecessary".

If you actually have cable without a box, it's not un-neccesary.

I never never never suggested that the OP say he had cable without a box when going through Guided Setup, I said lie about having a satellite receiver and have an active video source hooked to the line in when you do so.

You started this when you made the potentially misleading statement

"Unless it is a dual tuner, if you tell it you have a cable box or satellite receiver connected via a/v, it will never use the internal tuner for any channel. "

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by unitron

If you actually have cable without a box, it's not un-neccesary.

I never never never suggested that the OP say he had cable without a box when going through Guided Setup, I said lie about having a satellite receiver and have an active video source hooked to the line in when you do so.

You started this when you made the potentially misleading statement

"Unless it is a dual tuner, if you tell it you have a cable box or satellite receiver connected via a/v, it will never use the internal tuner for any channel. "

And you stated what may have been misleading - that he would have set it up by lying to it about having a sat. receiver and that he would have to tune to channel that it thinks is on sat. He could just as easily lie to it about having a cable box connected via a/v. Even if he chooses to go with the sat. receiver, unless he says he also has cable, it doesn't matter what channel he tunes to. it will always use the a/v inputs. Telling him to use channel 1 was misleading.

[muzicman1961]

WOW does it look like I started something here. I am so confused about this I may just say screw it and junk ther Tivo.

[unitron]

Originally Posted by muzicman1961

WOW does it look like I started something here. I am so confused about this I may just say screw it and junk ther Tivo.

We're always at each other's throats like this, think nothing of it.

You should see how we treat the people we don't like.


Despite its virtues, TiVo may not be the solution to your particular problem.

Perhaps a couple of good used VCRs, one at his house to record and one at yours for playback, would better serve your particular needs.

[lpwcomp]

Originally Posted by muzicman1961

WOW does it look like I started something here. I am so confused about this I may just say screw it and junk ther Tivo.

Don't do that just because of this. The important thing to take from this whole thread is - the TiVo has to have an active subscription to do what you want. If it does, then what you want to do is fairly easy. IF it doesn't, it may not be worth the expense. Also, as unitron posted while I was typing this, a TiVo may not be the best solution. Have you looked into a standalone DVD recorder? Before TiVo Desktop, that's what I used to get stuff off of my TiVo.

[muzicman1961]

I think what I am going to try is just record the shows from my brothers DVR to VHS and then transfer them to my hard drive. Thank you for all the info and input

[unitron]

Originally Posted by muzicman1961

I think what I am going to try is just record the shows from my brothers DVR to VHS and then transfer them to my hard drive. Thank you for all the info and input

How will you transfer the tape to your hard drive?

[muzicman1961]

I have a VHS to DVD cable set that connects my VCR to my computer and then I transfer the show over.