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S3 without a HD TV

Discussion in 'TiVo Series3 HDTV DVRs' started by pninen, Oct 9, 2007.

  1. Oct 9, 2007 #1 of 5
    pninen

    pninen Member

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    Jun 25, 2003
    Anybody operate an S3 with a standard def TV?

    I was thinking of upgrading my elderly mom from S2 to an S3, so she could watch programs that her local PBS stations now broadcast ONLY in HD. (Nova, Nature, etc) I have to introduce technology to her slowly, and I don't think she's ready for an HD TV yet. All the ones I have seen have more complex remote controls, menus, etc than her SD TV.

    I tried it a bit tonite. Hooked an old TV to the video output of the S3, and it seemed to work ok. I was wondering if anyone had tried this more extensively, and noted any gotchas.
     
  2. Oct 9, 2007 #2 of 5
    Icarus

    Icarus Member

    361
    0
    Jun 15, 2002
    Upcountry...
    I did just that when I got the S3 last year so I could do the lifetime service transfer to the S3. It works fine, and the channels all looked great.

    Eventually, I upgraded my monitor.

    -David
     
  3. Oct 9, 2007 #3 of 5
    wmcbrine

    wmcbrine Well-Known Mumbler

    11,626
    774
    Aug 2, 2003
    Yes, it works great. There are no "gotchas". Just be sure to tell it that the display is 4:3. Then the Aspect button cycles between center-cut, letterbox, and vertical stretch on 16:9 (HD) content, while 4:3 content always fills the screen. The "Zoom" aspect (center-cut) is then ideal for handling pillarboxed upconverts.
     
  4. Oct 9, 2007 #4 of 5
    CharlesH

    CharlesH Member

    1,096
    10
    Aug 29, 2002
    Sacramento...
    Using an SD TV with an HD TiVo is a completely supported configuration. It also has the advantage that there are no multiple video conversions going on, which is the case if you have a digital channel going to a set-top box and then to a Series2 TiVo. You can also watch down-converted HD channels, which gets you the best-possible picture on an SD TV.
     
  5. Oct 9, 2007 #5 of 5
    TiivoDog

    TiivoDog FIOS Fast!!!

    238
    0
    Feb 14, 2007
    Central PA
    Would this all be true regarding a TivoHD, as well? I have 2 S2 Single Tuners coming off their free 1 year of service and was thinking of picking up 2 TivoHD units to replace them, so I can leverage the MRV functionality, which is soon to be turne up. Therefore, I'll have the abilility to xfr and watch HD content on a SD unit, correct?
     

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