[Sheils]

I've had my TiVo for 3 years now, and I'm ready to buy a plasma HDTV. I know if I get a HD cable box, my TiVo won't record the HD channels. But my question is, how will the picture quality be for normal digital cable channels on my new television? Also, is there a way that I can enjoy the HD channels if I change channels through the cable box as opposed to the TiVo? Sorry if these are stupid questions - but any help would be muchly appreciated! I want to upgrade my tv and hopefully avoid getting rid of my loyal TiVo.

Thanks!

 

[gastrof]

If you want to record from your box onto your TiVo, it'll be getting a Standard Def version of the cable channels.

It won't be High Def.

If I understand right, the cable box has to be "told" it's working with a Standard Def device.

I don't think there's any way it can feed SD into the TiVo and HD into an HD set at the same time, even if it were to have a means to output to two different devices at once.

'Changing channels thru the box as opposed to the TiVo?'

You may not understand how this works.

In a setup like yours, the TiVo doesn't use its tuner. It tells the cable box to change channels.

It's the cable box all along, whether you're using the original remote (which could ROYALLY confuse the TiVo, leaving it thinking the box is on one channel when the box is actually on another), or letting the TiVo tell the box to change channels.

It's the cable box all along, so which remote is sending the IR signal makes no difference. (As far as picture quality is concerned...and how could it?)

 

[gastrof]

Oh...

You could always split the cable before the cable box and feed "plain cable" into the TiVo, with the cable box feeding into the TV.

You could feed the TiVo into the TV thru one set of A/V lines, the cable box in thru a different set of inputs. (Assuming the TV has at least two sets.)

The TiVo will only get analog cable, but if you don't have HD cable now, you won't lose anything where the TiVo is concerned.

You want to watch live TV, you use your HD box. You want to watch something on the TiVo, you switch the TV to the other set of inputs.

Again, there will be a lot of channels the TiVo won't be able to record that the TV will be able to get thru the box.

In a few months, tho', a new "Series 3" TiVo is coming out that will work in place of a HD cable box, will be able to record two shows at the same time on different channels, and will record in High Def.

 

[cherry ghost]

I've had my TiVo for 3 years now, and I'm ready to buy a plasma HDTV. I know if I get a HD cable box, my TiVo won't record the HD channels. But my question is, how will the picture quality be for normal digital cable channels on my new television? Also, is there a way that I can enjoy the HD channels if I change channels through the cable box as opposed to the TiVo? Sorry if these are stupid questions - but any help would be muchly appreciated! I want to upgrade my tv and hopefully avoid getting rid of my loyal TiVo.

Thanks!

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=282916

 

[Sheils]

Thanks for the reply! So when I watch "Live TV" the picture quality won't be affected?

 

[dgh]

Live TV: No
"Live TV": Yes.

The former being the splitter approach and the latter being "Live TV" via the TiVo, which will always be standard def and MPEG'd.

 

[Sheils]

That's kinda what I thought - thanks!!!