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Why won't TiVo guide show cable HDTV channels?
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Posted by: NowPlaying

I just got Comcast HDTV. The HD channels (few that there are) look great. My stand alone TiVo records them great too! I know the picture is downgraded but it still looks WAY better than the old digital and analog channels, wide aspect too.

The problem is there is no guide data for these channels!?! I've submitted a lineup change with TiVo but haven't had luck with that in the past. Is there a reason TiVo is hiding the HDTV channels? I just want to record my shows from the crystal clear HD signal rather than the snowy analog signal.

Craig

Posted by: smark

No reason. Mine showed the HBO HD and SHO HD when the rebuild happened. But ESPN HD that was just added isn't there yet. Make sure you check the Channels You Recieve option and see if the channels are there or not.

Posted by: NowPlaying

First thing I did was to go into "Channels You Recieve" and take a look. The HD channels are not listed. That is the problem.

Craig

Posted by: smark

How long ago was HD launched in your area?

Posted by: NowPlaying

I'm not sure, I think since July.

Craig

Posted by: HTH

My TiVo lists the HBO HD and SHO HD channels, east and west. And KUON DT (a local HD PBS). But my cable box doesn't downconvert. Not even when they show something that isn't in HD res.

Posted by: Dajad

This thread confuses me ... I don't know of any cable box that down-converts an HDTV signal so that it can be recorded by TiVo. My Scientific Atlantic HDTV box only outputs the HDTV channels over the composite connections (which TiVo can't see).

If you are going to watch in analogue format (as needed for TiVo to record it) you might as well just watch/record the non-HDTV version of the same channel.

I guess if you have an HDTV-ONLY channel and you do have some way of down converting it you might want TiVo to record it, but if i wasn't going to be watching things in HDTV I wouldn't spend the exorbitant prices on an HDTV set-top when a regular plain-vanilla set-top would get me the same thing.

What am I missing? And what HDTV box are you using that downconverts the HDTV signal?

...Dale

Posted by: Stephen Tu

quote:
This thread confuses me ... I don't know of any cable box that down-converts an HDTV signal so that it can be recorded by TiVo.

Motorola 5100?

quote:
My Scientific Atlantic HDTV box only outputs the HDTV channels over the composite connections (which TiVo can't see).

You mean "component video" connections.

quote:
If you are going to watch in analogue format (as needed for TiVo to record it) you might as well just watch/record the non-HDTV version of the same channel.

Well if you aren't present to watch the HDTV live and don't have the gear to record it in HD, downconverted to the Tivo is the next best option. This provides much better quality than recording the non-HD version of the channel. Non-HD version is often analog cable, limited to ~330 lines of horizontal resolution or so, plus susceptible to noise etc. Downconverted HD on the Tivo should be about 50% sharper than that, close to DVD quality. The HD is also sharper and has fewer artifacts than the typical overcompressed SD digital channels. Plus it's 16:9, you don't have to deal with stretch modes.

quote:
I guess if you have an HDTV-ONLY channel and you do have some way of down converting it you might want TiVo to record it, but if i wasn't going to be watching things in HDTV I wouldn't spend the exorbitant prices on an HDTV set-top when a regular plain-vanilla set-top would get me the same thing.

What exorbitant prices? For cable in most parts of the country you rent the box for $5-10 a month. Only a few areas make you buy it. And presumably you are getting it primarily to view HD programs live; it's just nice to have the option to record to Tivo with the better signal when you aren't home. A vanilla set-top won't get you the same thing.

Posted by: Gene S

While I'm waiting for Time Warner to get a box that will down-rez HD cable...this part has me confused...

quote:
Plus it's 16:9, you don't have to deal with stretch modes.

Are you saying its an anamorphic picture coming thru the s-video of the Tivo?

On a slightly different subject...
All my HD channels show up in Tivo, but I don't have them selected as channels I receive, because I have no way for the Tivo to record them. But is there a way to get Tivo to show those channels in the guide??

It would be so much easier to hit the LIVE button to see whats playing on the HD channels, rather than switching inputs on my TV and bringing up the guide data from the cable box.

Gene

Posted by: NowPlaying

Gene

The DCT5100 Comcast box will output downconverted HD channels via s-video. You get the 16:9 aspect ratio picture but it comes out as a letterboxed 4:3. You then use your TV's zoom function to fill the screen.

If you want channels to show in your guide you need to select them as channels you receive. My problem, as stated in the beginning of this thread, is that my TiVo doesn't show any HDTV channels even though I do receive them.

Craig

Posted by: nexus99

Does anyone here have Timw Warner Cable is Southern California? (OC) I just got a new HD TV and I am trying to puzzle out how to record a downconverted signal on my TIVO and still watch the HD channels live.

Posted by: Dajad

Stephen, yes, I meant "component" ... oops! I didn't know the Mot 5100 downconverts. The Scientific Atlanta box provided by Rogers sure doesn't. It would spit out the digital channels through an S-video but all the HDTV channels ONLY came out of the component connections ... quite a bummer for the TiVo user.

The high cost I referred to was the box rental. I'm not an expert at nationwide, but Rogers charges me $20 a month rental charge for the Scientific Atlantic HDTV set-top and only $6 a month for the regular Scientific Atanta digtial set-top. I had assumed this was the typical pricing approach that most MSOs were taking. I guess if your cable-co is eating the price differential for your HDTV set-top than there is no increased cost for you. That's certainly not the case for me.

Does anyone have a sense of what the nationwide breakdown is for HDTV settops that can downconvert vs those that can't. Also, anyone have a sense of what proportion of MSO's are eating the cost of the HDTV set-tops vs those that are charging extra for it?

This thread is news to me (and thanks for the news guys) that ANY HDTV cable box can downconvert. That's terrific!!! I sure wish mine could because I'd love the HDTV shows to record on TiVo if that was possible.

Posted by: NowPlaying

For once I guess I'm glad I am a Comcast customer as it looks as if only the DCT5100\6200 boxes can downconvert an HD signal. Any others?

My Comcast is charging $5.00 a month extra for the HD box. Their current deal is the typical free install and the first 3 months free.

Posted by: Stephen Tu

quote:
The DCT5100 Comcast box will output downconverted HD channels via s-video. You get the 16:9 aspect ratio picture but it comes out as a letterboxed 4:3. You then use your TV's zoom function to fill the screen

Is there anything in the setup menu of your box to output 16:9 mode like a DVD player? That would be ideal.

Gene, if you hit "display" (or "enter" if your remote doesn't have "display") while on the live guide, there is an option to display "all channels" rather than just "channels you receive" or "favorites".

Posted by: NowPlaying

quote:
Originally posted by Stephen Tu
Is there anything in the setup menu of your box to output 16:9 mode like a DVD player? That would be ideal.

Yes, using the HD component or DVI output, like a DVD player. The defaults using these connections are 16:9 and 1080i.

If you use the s-video, composite or coaxial connections you get 4:3 and 480i.

Craig

Posted by: Stephen Tu

Oh well, that's annoying. One should be able to set the S-video to also output 16:9.

Posted by: pinballfan

quote:
Originally posted by Stephen Tu
Oh well, that's annoying. One should be able to set the S-video to also output 16:9.

Yeah, they could easily support an anamorphic 16:9 format...

My Sony SAT HD-100 box for DirecTV works fine outputing a 16:9 picture on the S-Video port. The pictures I get are much better than recording the regular channels.

Now if I could only explain to Tivo that my external tuner can feed it both DirecTV and OTA digital!!! It only understands the DirecTV HD (and SD) channels.

Right now to record OTA digital, I have to program the Tivo to record on say channel 4 with 2 minutes of padding on the front, then program my Sony box to tune to 4.1 when the show starts. (Manual recordings... what a drag...)

-- Doug

Posted by: NowPlaying

Yea, TiVo listened to my request and added the HD channels to my lineup.