Impossible configuration?

1265 Views 14 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Johnbyte, Jun 9, 2011

Johnbyte

Discussion Starter · May 19, 2011

My current setup configuration consists of a Freeview box connected via SCART (which I don't want to change) and analogue terrestrial TV via RF.

What I'd really like, is access to Sky programme data as well as Freeview because of TiVo's Wishlist, New Episodes, Suggestions and vastly superior search capabilities. I don't necessarily want to record Sky programmes on TiVo, just the ability to access the programme data.

I know in Guided Setup I can configure Sky to SCART and Freeview to RF, but AFAIK it can't be done the other way round.

Am I asking for the unachievable, or does anyone have any ideas on how it can be done?

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

britcub

· #2 · May 19, 2011

Deleted post: misunderstood the question!

Automan

· #3 · May 19, 2011

Why do you want to swap it round?

I don't think the current Tivo EPG which expires in 14 supports such a change.

Automan.

RichardJH

· #4 · May 19, 2011

AFAIK with the new EPG project you will get all options as one so that will leave you to remove channels from the channels i receive option. If you don't remove the Sky channels you will download the guide for them BUT of course your Tivo may try to record from the higher numbered channels which of course your Freeview box cannot change to.

mikerr

· #5 · May 19, 2011

It is possible to switch source in mfs,

E.g rf2scart at the bottom of http://www.garysargent.co.uk/tivo/skyradio.htm
(do you have a network/cachecard ?)

That wouldn't solve the issue of wishlists etc recording from sky channels.

TCM2007

· #6 · May 19, 2011

RichardJH said:
AFAIK with the new EPG project you will get all options as one so that will leave you to remove channels from the channels i receive option. If you don't remove the Sky channels you will download the guide for them BUT of course your Tivo may try to record from the higher numbered channels which of course your Freeview box cannot change to.

No, you choose between Sky/Freeview/Freesat/Cable.

AltEPG doesn't support analogue channels (or STBs on the RF) because it adds wildly to the complexity and in most of the country they've been switched off already, with the rest following within months.

sjp

· #7 · May 20, 2011

i realise that there's a cost to this (aesthetic as well as financial) but would you be able to install a sat dish and get your freesat/view offering that way? you'd get all the channels you want and be able to have a single scart input carrying all the sky channels you'd want the listings for - not that they'd have anything but a blue screen asking you to subscribe.

spitfires

· #8 · May 20, 2011

There are some free channels which are only on Freeview and not FreeSky/Freesat - e.g. Dave & Yesterday.

That's why I have FreeSky + Freeview dual setup. Didn't realise it wasn't going to be supported or I wouldn't have bought the FV box and scart-to-rf converter last month

:down:

Johnbyte

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 20, 2011

Many thanks all, for your replies.

TCM2007 said:
AltEPG doesn't support analogue channels (or STBs on the RF)...

I appreciate that analogue isn't supported in the AltEPG: am I right in assuming that Freeview STBs via RF is ok?

mikerr said:
It is possible to switch source in mfs,

E.g rf2scart at the bottom of http://www.garysargent.co.uk/tivo/skyradio.htm
(do you have a network/cachecard ?)

That wouldn't solve the issue of wishlists etc recording from sky channels.

Thanks, Mike, this looks like a possible solution, if I've understood it correctly. Would I therefore run GSU to select Sky via SCART and Freeview via RF, but in fact physically connect my Freeview STB via SCART and run Gary's script (I do have a cachecard) to tell Tivo to 'read' Freeview via SCART rather than RF?

Automan

· #10 · May 20, 2011

Johnbyte said:
I appreciate that analogue isn't supported in the AltEPG: am I right in assuming that Freeview STBs via RF is ok?

I think the answer is no.

AltEPG doesn't support analogue channels (or STBs on the RF) because it adds wildly to the complexity and in most of the country they've been switched off already, with the rest following within months.

Automan.

Fred Smith

· #11 · May 20, 2011

TCM2007 said:
No, you choose between Sky/Freeview/Freesat/Cable.

AltEPG doesn't support analogue channels (or STBs on the RF) because it adds wildly to the complexity and in most of the country they've been switched off already, with the rest following within months.

Ah, that's disappointing as my current set-up is Sky Freesat on Scart and Freeview on RF. Oh well just as well I have a second TiVo.

spitfires

· #12 · May 20, 2011

Anyone know if there is some sort of intelligent scart switcher that could switch between dodgybox and STB based on the channel Tivo wants?

Highly unlikely methinks, but off to Google we go...

(Thinks: cheap scart switches will auto-switch to the one source that is 'on' so if Tivo could switch *off* the box it doesn't want (via the ir wand) and switch on the one it does want that should do it. Still probably impossible though

)

Trinitron

· #13 · May 20, 2011

spitfires said:
Anyone know if there is some sort of intelligent scart switcher that could switch between dodgybox and STB based on the channel Tivo wants?

Won't channel numbers be a problem though as one uses two digits and the other three? If the EPG could handle duplicate channels via different numbers (eg you choose 1 or 101 for BBC1) then a script to trigger the power button is feasible in theory at least, based on the channel selection immediately before recording. I'm thinking here of the irblast script that controls my Sky+HD box: it polls TiVo at min+45s to see what's happening. If a recording on a listed 'HD channel' number is scheduled and active it will then send additional 'key presses' to the HD box to start it recording.

AMc

· #14 · May 20, 2011

spitfires said:
Anyone know if there is some sort of intelligent scart switcher that could switch between dodgybox and STB based on the channel Tivo wants?

Highly unlikely methinks, but off to Google we go...

(Thinks: cheap scart switches will auto-switch to the one source that is 'on' so if Tivo could switch *off* the box it doesn't want (via the ir wand) and switch on the one it does want that should do it. Still probably impossible though )

I have a reasonably flash B-Tech Quintro SCART switch which will swap to input that is most recently active - so if you had Freeview box in standby that could be woken by a Tivo channel change then it would select that input.
You're still stuck with the problem that once active you wouldn't have any way to turn it back to standby though so it would work for 1 unattended recording at a time

Johnbyte

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jun 9, 2011

mikerr said:
It is possible to switch source in mfs,

E.g rf2scart at the bottom of http://www.garysargent.co.uk/tivo/skyradio.htm

Mike - many thanks. Got the rftoscart hack to work at the second attempt, in conjunction with switching to the Altepg. I now have Freeview via Scart AND programme data for Sky, which is not connected - exactly what I wanted and a perfect solution for me. It never ceases to amaze me what you can do with Tivo.

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

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