REALLY stupid question

900 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by stevel, Feb 3, 2012

chigi21

Discussion Starter · Feb 3, 2012

Hi all. I had hoped to upgrade to a new DirectTV/DVR combo but discovered that I need a second cable from the satellite dish to the location of the television. My existing cables were installed during remodeling projects and are inside interior walls. A new cable would have to be run the entire length of my house and then brought in through the exterior wall. Because of the materials of my house, this solution, while not impossible, is definitely sub-optimal. So my stupid question is, what is TiVo. How is it connected to your tv? Does it run directly from the TV or does it, too, require a cable? (okay, several stupid questions.) Do I have any other options for recording t.v. shows? Thanks.

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caughey

· #2 · Feb 3, 2012

This is a short, and therefore incomplete answer, but hopefully it will get you started.

TiVo plugs into your TV through a cable (typically HDMI or component). Your program source (cable TV or antenna--or both) plugs into the TiVo. Think of it like a standard cablebox setup with TiVo replacing the cablebox. You will also need an internet connection, either wired or wireless. There are multiple variations of this configuration, so you might want to look at this link for more information: http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/107/session/L3NpZC94aU9qSktQaw==

There is also a new DirecTV TiVo, but I expect it will have the same connection requirements as a D* DVR: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/technology/tivo_receiver

What is TiVo? http://www.tivo.com/what-is-tivo/tivo-is/index.html

Other options include renting a DVR from your cable company--these vary from crappy to acceptable, or an HTPC (google that), which can be a hobby in itself if you're so inclined.

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SNJpage1

· #3 · Feb 3, 2012

Would Direct TV be willing to install a second dish closer to the DVR instead of running cable from one end of the house to the other?

By the way there is no such thing as a stupid question. Just dumb answers.

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wmcbrine

· #4 · Feb 3, 2012

To answer the question you're really asking: I don't think a TiVo would help you, unless you were also willing to drop DirecTV at the same time.

It's been a while since I left the DirecTV community, so I'm not totally up on their current tech, but I'd be surprised if you really needed a second line for their DVR, either. It's more like, you need a second line if you want dual-tuner functionality. If you'd be content with a single tuner, they should be able to hook you up that way without an additional line.

DirecTV now offers a TiVo (again), but of course it works much the same as their regular DVR. Current model "standalone" TiVos don't support DirecTV, and the older, discontinued standalone models that do support it are standard definition only, plus they'd still be single-tuner.

If you're willing to switch to Cable TV or Fios, you can get dual-tuning (or even quad-tuning) with a single input line, with current model standalone TiVos.

BTW, nothing runs from the TV, only to it. The TV is only an output device. Signal line -> TiVo -> TV.

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stevel

· #5 · Feb 3, 2012

You no longer need a second cable. All current DirecTV DVRs, including the TiVo-UI THR22, can use the Single Wire Multiswitch SWM) technology. This lets you run a single wire from the dish to as many as 8 tuners in multiple boxes, using splitters as needed. You will need the outside dish swapped, and DirecTV will do that for free.

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