Digital Cable-TWO tivos

fted2 · 04-05-2006, 07:03 AM

I am having digital cable installed. I have two streams available. I have two tivo's in two different rooms. Cable company says I will only be able to use one tivo at a time. Even if i rent the extra gateway for the second tivo, they dont think tivo will be able to split what needs to be recorded to stream one or stream two. Anyone had any experience with this? I am using Nextlevel Residential Gateway RG2200.

JimSpence · 04-05-2006, 08:34 AM

If you can get the TiVos to control individual streams from the box, then you should be able to use both TiVos. However, I think you may be out of luck, since I doubt there are remote codes in a TiVo for that box.

fted2 · 04-05-2006, 06:11 PM

Surely someone has digital cable and more than one tivo at home?

Narf54321 · 04-05-2006, 06:32 PM

I don't think what you're getting is actually "digital cable" in the traditional sense - where all stations are broadcast down the wire at once on varying frequencies (but digitally encoded). This is more like TelcoTV, where they send one or two specific channels down the phone line depending upon what your 'gateway' device requests from the head end. If they can only provide tuning to two concurrent streams into your home at one time, it doesn't seem that next generation to me.

classicsat · 04-05-2006, 06:45 PM

Yes, but you don't have digital cable, you have VDSL, and the gateway can only have one DVR control it.

Shawn95GT · 04-05-2006, 09:32 PM

I have Qwest VDSL (Motorola branded RG2200C). I have three streams.

I haven't found a way to let my #2 Tivo control the VDSL gateway box, but all is not lost. You can schedule timers on the individual streams. I just do it when needed to get around scheduling conflicts.

I don't know if it's an option for you, but you might concider and ATSC tuner for the #2 box. This will let you have full control for recording network television if it's an option for you.

I have the VDSL gateway and an ATSC tuner on the #1 Tivo, a VCR to translate channel 7 (stream 2) to channel 4 to get stream 2 to Tivo #2. This Tivo also has an ATSC tuner. Tivo #3 is connected to my 4DTV.

Since setting up the ATSC tuners I almost never record from the #2 stream. Tivo #1 does the bulk of my 'off cable' recording.

The Tivo is limited to channels 3 & 4 so you'll likely need to use an old VCR to tune in one of the alternate streams as well.

If I was doing it over I wouldn't bother trying to get stream 2 recordable. It is more of a pain than I think it's worth. If it's your only option, go for it.