2nd Tivo on Analog TV, for Networking only?

1505 Views 13 Replies 7 Participants Last post by mattack, Nov 1, 2011

breecat

Discussion Starter · Oct 16, 2011

I've got a Tivo 3 on my HD digital TV with Comcast cable in the living room, and I have an old analog TV in the bedroom with a small cable box (converter only, not a dvr).

I'm sick of paying Comcast for the cable box in the bedroom, but I also don't want to buy a digital to analog converter box for OTA TV because it sounds like they all suck.

I don't watch the bedroom tv that much, so I'm thinking I want to buy a Premiere tivo for the living room and move the series 3 into the bedroom. So I'd have it on an analog tv, with no digital antenna, cable or anything, and I would just stream programming from the living room to the bedroom when I felt like watching in there.

I have an ethernet network from my tivo to my pc set up already, and I could either get a wireless adapter, or, possible string an ethernet cable to the bedroom (but it's a long distance) to set up the network with the 2nd tivo.

So basically I'm talking about using the analog tv as just a monitor and the tivo as kind of a streaming dvd player!

So, is this possible? Thanks for any thoughts or ideas on my set-up too!
breecat

Save

1 - 14 of 14 Posts

lrhorer

· #2 · Oct 16, 2011

breecat said:
I'm sick of paying Comcast for the cable box in the bedroom, but I also don't want to buy a digital to analog converter box for OTA TV because it sounds like they all suck.

My sister-in-law has a couple, and she likes one of them pretty well. The other, not so much.

breecat said:
I don't watch the bedroom tv that much, so I'm thinking I want to buy a Premiere tivo for the living room and move the series 3 into the bedroom. So I'd have it on an analog tv, with no digital antenna, cable or anything, and I would just stream programming from the living room to the bedroom when I felt like watching in there.

That would work.

breecat said:
I have an ethernet network from my tivo to my pc set up already, and I could either get a wireless adapter

I don;t recommend wireless, especially for video. It can work, but unless it is absolutely necessary, I recommend against it.

breecat said:
, or, possible string an ethernet cable to the bedroom (but it's a long distance) to set up the network with the 2nd tivo.

Quantify "long distance". Ethernet specs allow for 100 meters of Category 5e cable between devices. If it is less than 100m total cable length, there should be no issues. If it is more than that, then you will also probably have trouble with WiFi.

breecat said:
So basically I'm talking about using the analog tv as just a monitor and the tivo as kind of a streaming dvd player!

So, is this possible? Thanks for any thoughts or ideas on my set-up too!
breecat

Yeah, it's perfectly possible. 'A little unusual, but not outrageous.

Save

breecat

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 16, 2011

Thanks for the in-depth reply Irhorer.

I think it's about 80' from my office/router to the bedroom. It has to snake around a long dividing wall. But that's still well under the 300m you mentioned. I had no idea the device reach ability was that far. I have a 50' ethernet cord from the living room to the router now, and I thought that was pushing the limit, but I get perfect streaming through that wire, even with Netflix.

It is an unusual set-up idea, but I'm trying to do 2 things: 1. get the most bang for my buck, and 2. eventually cut the cord on cable.

My 20" analog tv is perfectly functional and I hate the idea of it being obsolete when it really isn't. The digital-analog converters seem to cost about $50+ for a decent one. I'd rather spend a bit more and get more tivo. :-D

(For that matter, it would make more sense to spend a bit more and just get a small flat screen to replace the analog, than to buy a converter box. My opinion anyway.)

So I kind of like the set-up I'm envisioning. I want to get more in the habit of recording and watching tivo'd programs and streaming Netflix, and get away from watching cable, and eventually I'll cancel my cable subscription. They keep giving me good deals (free HBO, low rates, no contract, etc) to keep me on-board, but the one thing they won't waive, and which really sticks in my craw for some reason, is the $7.95 for the cable converter box. My tivo m-card is free - or vice versa - in any event, only 1 is free, so I'd still have to pay for a 2nd one if I kept the cable on the bedroom tivo.

I have an RCA digital antennae I've hooked up in the living room and I get pretty good OTA reception. Right now I'm addicted to cable shows like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, so it's going to take some discipline to cancel the cable before those new seasons come back on! But I'm generally happy watching Netflix streaming, PBS, and a few network shows like House.

See less See more

Save

lillevig

· #4 · Oct 16, 2011

breecat said:
I have an ethernet network from my tivo to my pc set up already, and I could either get a wireless adapter, or, possible string an ethernet cable to the bedroom (but it's a long distance) to set up the network with the 2nd tivo.

Wireless can work but I'd recommed that you don't use a Tivo wireless adapter. I stream video between Tivos with no problem using wireless G devices but mine are either WRT54G (older Linksys) routers that I've upgraded to DD-WRT firmware or a WAP3205 set to bridge mode. The point being that something with nice antennas would work better. What DD-WRT provides is the capability to crank up the signal power as well. If you can run the cable, though, that's the best you can get.

Save

84lion

· #5 · Oct 16, 2011

Comcast should provide you a free digital-analog adapter for the bedroom TV, which should give you all the extended basic cable channels, might be enough for most casual viewing. You could also run an analog A/V cable from your existing Tivo to the bedroom TV and use a "remote extender" (see the Tivo.com site or Ebay for an example of the "flying saucer" style remote extender). The only issue with that would be not being able to watch two different channels at once on the bedroom TV and main TV.

I'm currently running a 50 foot analog component video and audio cable from our Tivo to a kitchen TV and this works fine. I would think that you could do 80 foot with a composite analog video/audio cable.

Save

breecat

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 16, 2011

lilliveg - thanks for the tips on wired/wireless. I will try it wired first, an 80' to 100' cable should more than do it.

84lion - I've got 2 converters from Comcast - the m-card and the converter box. Here in Chicago they give you the first one free, and then charge $7.95 each for any additional ones you use.

Re: analog cables and remote extender. I wasn't familiar with those, thanks. I think I'd rather go with the multiple tivo account and be able to stream anything into the bedroom. As long as I'm running cables, they might as well be from the router. The router is actually closer to the bedroom than the tivo TV is, so it'll be easier to run the ethernet cable.

Save

lrhorer

· #7 · Oct 17, 2011

breecat said:
Thanks for the in-depth reply Irhorer.

That's LRhorer, if you please, not IRhorer.

breecat said:
I think it's about 80' from my office/router to the bedroom. It has to snake around a long dividing wall. But that's still well under the 300m you mentioned. I had no idea the device reach ability was that far. I have a 50' ethernet cord from the living room to the router now, and I thought that was pushing the limit, but I get perfect streaming through that wire, even with Netflix.

Yep, and that's over copper. Using fiber, the allowable distance is greater. MUCH greater.

breecat said:
It is an unusual set-up idea

Yeah, but not impractical, which is the important thing for you.

breecat said:
My 20" analog tv is perfectly functional and I hate the idea of it being obsolete when it really isn't.

I can relate. I still have a 26" analog set fed by a TiVo. It's in the guest room, so I don't feel compelled to spend money upgrading it.

breecat said:
The digital-analog converters seem to cost about $50+ for a decent one. I'd rather spend a bit more and get more tivo. :-D

You won't get an argument from me.

breecat said:
So I kind of like the set-up I'm envisioning.

OK, you're entitled to like anything you like. <ahem>

If it floats your boat, more power to you.

breecat said:
They keep giving me good deals (free HBO, low rates, no contract, etc) to keep me on-board, but the one thing they won't waive, and which really sticks in my craw for some reason, is the $7.95 for the cable converter box.

Um, OK. You're also entitled to dislike whatever you like. <cough>

The bottom line is what you propose is perfectly feasible, even if it is a little bit quirky.

See less See more

Save

lrhorer

· #8 · Oct 17, 2011

84lion said:
I'm currently running a 50 foot analog component video and audio cable from our Tivo to a kitchen TV and this works fine. I would think that you could do 80 foot with a composite analog video/audio cable.

Maybe not. Eighty feet is a long way to run a baseband analog video signal. The results may be objectionable. Back in my days as a CATV engineer, we sometimes ran video over coax much farther even than that, but never without an amplifier and an equalizer in-line.

Save

breecat

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 17, 2011

Sorry I missed your name, LRhorer. Thanks for all your help!

I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Save

mattack

· #10 · Oct 18, 2011

breecat said:
I don't watch the bedroom tv that much, so I'm thinking I want to buy a Premiere tivo for the living room and move the series 3 into the bedroom. So I'd have it on an analog tv, with no digital antenna, cable or anything, and I would just stream programming from the living room to the bedroom when I felt like watching in there.

Note, there is no such thing as "streaming" on anything before the Premiere Elite (and even that is not enabled yet).

You will be *copying* shows from the Premiere to the S3 in the bedroom.

Also, in case you don't know, you *will* need Tivo subscriptions (including lifetime, of course) for all Tivos for this to work, even "just to use on an extra TV". (This use case is somewhat covered by the forthcoming standalone non-DVR streamer, that might be only available from cable companies.)

Save

breecat

Discussion Starter · #11 · Oct 30, 2011

Thanks for the clarification, mattack. I do mean copying rather than streaming. Also, for some reason I never got notice of a new post to this thread, or I would have responded sooner.

But I think I'm still confused as to the basic ability to do what I want to do, in terms of analog vs digital and having only analog output on my other tv.

This may be a stupid question, but aren't all transmitted tv signals in digital now? If so, wouldn't that mean that my analog tv still wouldn't be able to show the copied program, if it was a digitally sent signal and therefore a digital recording? Or am I mixing apples with oranges or even with gold balls?

Thanks for any light on the subject!

Save

unitron

· #12 · Oct 31, 2011

breecat said:
Thanks for the clarification, mattack. I do mean copying rather than streaming. Also, for some reason I never got notice of a new post to this thread, or I would have responded sooner.

But I think I'm still confused as to the basic ability to do what I want to do, in terms of analog vs digital and having only analog output on my other tv.

This may be a stupid question, but aren't all transmitted tv signals in digital now? If so, wouldn't that mean that my analog tv still wouldn't be able to show the copied program, if it was a digitally sent signal and therefore a digital recording? Or am I mixing apples with oranges or even with gold balls?

Thanks for any light on the subject!

TiVos, at least up through the 3 Series 3 models, have analog video and audio outputs and the necessary digital to analog converters, so if your analog TV has a yellow, white, and red input jacks, or an S-Video inut jack and white and red audio input jacks, you can use it. If it only has an antenna input, you can get an RF modulator to turn the analog video and audio into a channel 3 or 4 signal (or use a VCR to do the same).

Save

aymanme

· #13 · Oct 31, 2011

At the moment I am pretty much doing this exact thing. I have an S3 / TA / cable cards hard wired via GigE to a router. Then I have a TivoHD in my bedroom connected to an analog tv (well until tomorrow when my new tv shows up). I have just basic cable on that tivo but I have the wireless adapter (TivoG) to attach to my router. I basically copy shows from the living room tivo to bedroom to watch them. I have never experienced the sorts of problems that folks have copying the HD video from living to bedroom. When I start a transfer, at most it takes 30-40 seconds and I can start watching it. The router I am using is a dlink 825 flashed to dd-wrt. It is through a couple of walls to get there. The only catch is that my tivos are patched to have a slightly better network throughput. I have no idea if it actually makes a difference b/c I don't have any before/after numbers.

Save

mattack

· #14 · Nov 1, 2011

Semi-tangent, but even the new Elite (digital cable only) has composite output (why the heck did Tivo make the image of the back the ONLY one just in black and white, making it slightly harder to tell it had composite).

I think that's good, since I like to route most things through my DVD recorder -- yes, I admit that's slightly strange with a HD capable box..

Save

1 - 14 of 14 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month