sounds reasonable to me...
TivoHD worth it for SDTV only?
I have a Series 2 which has been working well for years, and is eligible for the current lifetime transfer deal. I'm thinking about taking the offer, even though I probably won't purchase an HDTV for perhaps another year.
I've read at the FAQ that the TivoHD supports a 480i output format. I also am on a digital cable tier, so I know that I'll have to get cablecards to continue recording those channels, but that I should then be able to record two digital channels at once.
I'd like to upgrade now, to get dual tuners and new hardware in the short term, and to have a smooth upgrade path to HDTV when I'm ready to make that plunge.
Does this sound like a reasonable course of action? Importantly, will the TivoHD function fully at a fixed 480i resolution? Can the apps be coerced to run at 480i as well? (The HD FAQ isn't clear on this.) Is anyone already doing this?
I've read at the FAQ that the TivoHD supports a 480i output format. I also am on a digital cable tier, so I know that I'll have to get cablecards to continue recording those channels, but that I should then be able to record two digital channels at once.
I'd like to upgrade now, to get dual tuners and new hardware in the short term, and to have a smooth upgrade path to HDTV when I'm ready to make that plunge.
Does this sound like a reasonable course of action? Importantly, will the TivoHD function fully at a fixed 480i resolution? Can the apps be coerced to run at 480i as well? (The HD FAQ isn't clear on this.) Is anyone already doing this?
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Me tooMikeyis4dcats said:sounds reasonable to me...
I am glad you asked the question, as I was about to ask the same thing 
Yes, there is an option to fix the video resolution on the TiVo HD at 480i.
When I had my TiVo HD connected to my old SD tube TV temporarily, the picture quality was noticeably improved, even with the ancient S-video connection.
If you can get a multistream CableCard, you will need only one to run both tuners.
The only problem is, you're going to get the UMF for an HDTV. In a HUGE way. You may be buying it much sooner than you think. That's what happened to me.
When I had my TiVo HD connected to my old SD tube TV temporarily, the picture quality was noticeably improved, even with the ancient S-video connection.
If you can get a multistream CableCard, you will need only one to run both tuners.
The only problem is, you're going to get the UMF for an HDTV. In a HUGE way. You may be buying it much sooner than you think. That's what happened to me.
It would be the only way to go, if I were you.
Eh, unless you're talking about HD Photos, they're running at 480i anyway.Veloso said:Can the apps be coerced to run at 480i as well?
Be prepared to hassle with CableCards... and know that we still don't have MRV/TTG yet (and you may lose it for some channels even when we do). Other than that, sure, it works.
I'm doing just this for our lone remaining S2 lifetime unit, with the expectation that I'll eventually replace the TV with an HDTV. Being able to transfer HD recordings come November will be a bonus as well.
Drew
Drew
I have a 36" Sony Wega (tube style HD Ready) that I have had for a few years. I've has SD all along because I was using DirecTV. But now with DirecTV using their own garbage-DVR's and Tivo adding HD cable card support, I'm going to switch back to cable... but not until early next year.Veloso said:Does this sound like a reasonable course of action? Importantly, will the TivoHD function fully at a fixed 480i resolution? Can the apps be coerced to run at 480i as well? (The HD FAQ isn't clear on this.) Is anyone already doing this?
In the mean time, I purchased the TivoHD anyway - I just couldn't wait anymore. I have an antenna on the Roof that I hooked up to the box and connected the Sony TV. HD clarity OTA is FANTASTIC.
Regarding your 480i comment, the settings are pretty straight forward. For my 4x3 tube, the picture switches when going between 720p/1080i OTA channels and when I enter the menu, Tivo changes to a full screen 4x3 480i picture. There are multiple settings available depending on what your screen supports.
-fate
Note that if you are hooking up to your SD TV with composite or S-Video, you don't need to fuss with the resolution settings on your TiVo, since those formats only support 480i. OTOH, if you use component cables, then you do have to lock it to 480i. But you still would want to specify the 4:3 aspect ratio in any case. Using a SD TV with an HD-TiVo or Series3 is a fully-supported configuration.
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