Hooking tivo and a dvd player to a tv w/no A/V inputs?

2004raptor · 01-01-2006, 03:30 PM

i'm helping someone else hook up their tivo but have a few questions.
Tv has no A/V hookups in the back. They will probably buy a new tv in the near future but really need this to work now.

I know, in generl, an RF modulator would aid in hooking a dvd player up in this situation. But I need to hook up both devices. Keep in mind they also want to be able to record w/tivo while watching another show on tv. And no cable box is involved.
Do they need one of those devices simiilar to an rf modulator but with several connections?
Any links/diagrams/details are appreciated.

de

litzdog911 · 01-01-2006, 04:08 PM

How about a combo video switcher and RF modulator ....

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

2004raptor · 01-02-2006, 05:52 AM

That's kinda waht I am talking about. Although the image makes it look kinda big. I was hoping for something rather small.
Is this the same thing? I ran across it at a local walmart after I made this post and it looked like it would suffice.
It says

Quote:

Automatically switches to the input that has a signal

so does that mean that once it's all connected, when you want to play a dvd you just turn it on channel 3 or 4 and power the dvd on and it will play?
If this would work would I go from the wall with one cable to a splitter. One side of splitter to tivo. One side to RF IN then OUT to tv. Then hook composite A/V's OUT's from tivo to RF modulator. Next, hook DVD A/v OUTs to RF modulator INs???

Did any of that amke sense?

2004raptor · 01-02-2006, 10:26 AM

anybody?

litzdog911 · 01-02-2006, 01:11 PM

You missed the Tech Specs tab on the Radio Shack site ....
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...&tab=techSpecs

It's only 2" high by 5" wide.

The Philips switch at WalMart looks pretty much the same and should work fine.

litzdog911 · 01-02-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2004raptor

... so does that mean that once it's all connected, when you want to play a dvd you just turn it on channel 3 or 4 and power the dvd on and it will play?
If this would work would I go from the wall with one cable to a splitter. One side of splitter to tivo. One side to RF IN then OUT to tv. Then hook composite A/V's OUT's from tivo to RF modulator. Next, hook DVD A/v OUTs to RF modulator INs???

Did any of that amke sense?

Right. It's "automatic" when you program it to recognize the remote signals from your Tivo and DVD player. When you send DVD player commands it switches to the DVD input. When you send Tivo commands, it switches to the Tivo input. The output is always either Ch 3 or Ch4, and you just leave your TV set to that channel.

You can download the owner's manual for the Radio Shack switch here ....
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ch&tab=support

2004raptor · 01-02-2006, 01:29 PM

Thanks litzdog.
One more question (I hope). I'll probably get my brotehr to go with the WM one since it's cheaper.
Since he will be using a splitter so he can record with the tivo and watch another show through the cable, I guess I'm confused as to how he can do this with the RF modulator.

Basically the tv will be on channel 3 or 4. Nomally the tivo would be powered on so it will sense it and you can watch cable trough it. Then if you want to watch a dvd, turn the dvd player on and it will just switch to it??

Keeping in mind we wwll install a splitter, if you are wanting to record something with tivo but watch a different show, can you just use your original tv remote and change channles?
Sorry these may be basic questions but I want to kinda get everything mapped out before all the fun begins?

litzdog911 · 01-02-2006, 01:45 PM

Good catch .... unless the TV has TWO RF inputs, he'll have a problem connecting BOTH the cable TV coax AND the video switch to the same input. There are RF coax switches that could solve this, but it's getting rather messy with so many switches. Wouldn't it be easier to buy a new TV

2004raptor · 01-02-2006, 05:54 PM

Litzdog, yes it would be eaier to buy a new tv.

He's got everything there so now I'm trying to help him over the phone. He's got a splitter hooked up. One coax goes straight to the tivo. The other coax goes to Input of RF modulator. Then from the Out to TV to the In of Tv. We know that is right.
Next he hooked up composite audio (red and white) from Output of tivo to Input 1 of RF modulator. Then S-video out of tivo to S-video Input 1.
Tivo works fine. I had him go through the remote control setup in tivo menu. Just steps 1 (power, volume, mute) and 3 (tv input). No need for step 2.
Problem is that when he records something he still isn't able to change back to the regular cable and watch tv. Tried the TV Input button and it just says "LINE". It's been forever since I've messed with a tv with no on-board A/V's. Shouldn't that switch back to the regular cable????

litzdog911 · 01-03-2006, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2004raptor

.... He's got a splitter hooked up. One coax goes straight to the tivo. The other coax goes to Input of RF modulator. Then from the Out to TV to the In of Tv. We know that is right.

.... Problem is that when he records something he still isn't able to change back to the regular cable and watch tv. Tried the TV Input button and it just says "LINE". It's been forever since I've messed with a tv with no on-board A/V's. Shouldn't that switch back to the regular cable????

What do you mean by "The other coax goes to Input of RF modulator."? I don't think it will work connecting the Cable TV coax to an input of the RF modulator and getting that signal passed through to the TV. He'll need an RF coax switch on the TV's antenna input to switch between the Cable TV coax (to watch regular cable channels directly on that TV), and the RF modulator output (to watch the Tivo or DVD player).

Also, what do you mean by "Tried the TV Input button and it just says "LINE"? Is it the TV that's displaying "LINE", or the Tivo? If the TV is displaying "LINE", the it must have more than just an RF coax input.

2004raptor · 01-03-2006, 09:09 AM

litzdog
I will try to attach a basic picture of how things are wired. I didn't include the dvd player because it's not hooked up yet. Just need to get the tivo working roperly.
TIf it doesn't clear things up I can try and answer more questions.
Please keep in mind when I searched here on the forums and with tivo's instructions, I found out to record one channel but watch a different would require a spliter. And I know from experience if a tv does not have A/V inputs on it then and RF modulator is needed to hook devices (vcr, dvd player, game systems) up to it.

BTW the tv is what displayed "LINE".

Alos, as I've said before I am just helping somone over the phone. It may be a few days before I can get over there to help them.

litzdog911 · 01-03-2006, 11:27 AM

Thanks for the diagram.

Are you SURE that the RF Modulator can "pass through" the Cable TV coax? I don't think they work that way, but I could be wrong. That input is designed for VCRs and devices that output on one RF channel (Ch 3 or Ch 4), not a broadband input like your Cable TV coax.

What I'm suggesting is to add an "RF Coax Switch" where your "coax to TV" arrow points. Connect the RF output of the Modulator (the Tivo and DVD player) to one RF Switch input, and connect the Cable TV coax to the other RF switch input. When you want to watch regular analog Cable TV, switch the RF switch for the Cable TV coax input. When you want to watch the Tivo or DVD Player, switch the RF switch to the RF Modulator output.

Here's a three RF-input Switch available at Radio Shack ...
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...h&tab=features

2004raptor · 01-03-2006, 01:38 PM

Thank you for your patience litzdog.

I wonder if the first item you suggested would have been a better buy? I kow it's 50 and the price of the RF modulator from WM was ~25 + 13 (the other switch youi linked) is only 38 but it might have done a better job being all-in-one.

I'm going to swing by RS today hopefully and get one of these.