TiVo Community Forums Archives - Watching a Show and Recording a different at the same time

TiVoCommunity.com
(c)opyright 1995-2005 All rights reserved
indexcheckTC
This area is a static history of posts in the TiVo Community Forum Archive.
This archive history was made for the simple indexing of search sites like Google.

Pages:1

Watching a Show and Recording a different at the same time
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: mackingbrd

I am new to TIVO and this chat room, and was wondering how (if possible) you can watch a specific show lets say on channel 2 and record a different show on channel 4, at the same time. I have heard that there is a way to do this, but I never got specifics. My set up is a TV, Cable Box, Phillips TIVO, and a Receiver (if it helps at all).

Posted by: WinBear

If you are using coax in to the TiVo, that is cable without the box or antenna, you put the TiVo in standby (it's a menu item under Messages and Setup) and you can watch a different channel on your TV.

Posted by: zaknafein

Or, if you have or can switch to DirecTV, you can get a DirecTV/TiVo, which can record two things simultaneously.

Posted by: HTH

("Chat room"?)

If your TV has more inputs than just one RF input, you can split your cable and use your TV to tune one channel directly while your TiVo records another.

Or you can watch in the Live TV buffer the thirty minutes that was recorded on channel 2 before the TiVo changed channels to record something else on channel 4. Many people have fooled themselves into thinking they have two tuners by doing this.

You said record one channel and watch another on a different channel at the same time. You didn't say the two shows had common or overlapping timeslots. ;)

If they do have overlapping timeslots, then if you have to use an external tuner for both channels, then you'd need dual tuners in that external tuner, or two external tuners.

Posted by: mackingbrd

I don't have direct TV, so I that won't help me...
Sorry, I didn't mention that I wanted them at the same time slot.

I do have to say the some of these responses are very technical and unfortunately at this point in my TIVO life, I am not. If someon could explain it in plainer English, that would be great.

Posted by: Hemi

Mackingbrd,

We need more info on your setup if you want us to help you. What kind of connection (cable) are you using to connect your cablebox to the TiVo and from the TiVo to the TV and Receiver? Also, do you have a VCR, and could you watch one thing and record another with the VCR? If so, just replace the VCR with the TiVo making all of the same connections and it should work.

Dan

Posted by: kgidley

Actually, we don't need more info on his setup. If you don't have DirectTv with Tivo, then you can only record ONE program at any given time on the Tivo. So if you're trying to watch two programs that both air at 9:00pm Wed, you can record one on the Tivo and depending on how the rest of your system is configured, you MAY be able to watch the second show LIVE (with no Tivo functionality) on your TV.

A stand alone Tivo simply can NOT record TWO shows at once.

You can however watch something that was previously recorded while the Tivo is recording another program. For example, if the Tivo recorded an 8:00pm program earlier, and is now recording the 9:00pm show, and you sit down to watch TV at 9:15pm, you can: 1)watch the 8:00pm show, 2) starting watching the 9:00pm show at the beginning and fast forward thru commercials, or 3) begin watching the 9:00pm show 'live', essentially watching the show already in progress. If you do #3, then if you try to change channels on the Tivo, you will be prompted to either cancel the current recording and change the channel, or continue recording the program and NOT change the channel.

Posted by: jgickler

Here is the setup I would suggest. This assumes two things, 1) You can view some channels without a cable box ( for example you need the box only for pay channels or digital chanels, but the basic networks etc do not require a box) 2) your TV has two inputs. If 1 is not true you will need 2 cable boxes, if 2 is not true you will need an A/B switch.

Split the cable before it goes to the Tivo. One split will then go to the cable box then Tivo then the TV. I would suggest the second split goes to a VCR then the TV. You can go straight to the TV, but if you use a VCR, you can actually Tivo one show, watch a second and tape a third.

To watch a show live (or watch a vcr tape) all you need to do is switch the video input on your TV. If you only have one input, you can buy an A/B switch which will handle this for you.

You mentioned you are using a receiver, I have the setup shown above, and I use the audio out jack on my TV to go to my receiver. This way I don't need to worry about changing inputs on my receiver when I change from live TV to Tivo. I hope this helps.

Posted by: HTH

quote:
Originally posted by kgidley
Actually, we don't need more info on his setup.

We do if we don't want to be technical and use plain English.

Posted by: phone1

You might do better posting questions like this in the Help Center. Also check the FAQ's. Here's what it says (in plain english :D ):

quote:
-- Can I watch one thing while recording another?
With DirecTV/Tivos with 2.5 software and two connected satellite feeds, yes you can. More specifically, you can can record one show while watching and buffering a second live show, or watch one of two shows that are recording, or watch one of two shows being buffered but not recorded, or record two shows while watching a third prerecorded show.

Standalone TiVos can watch one prerecorded show while another show records but they cannot record one channel while buffering another. You can also start watching a show that is currently being recorded from the beginning while TiVo continues to record the rest. However. they only have one tuner/MPEG encoder so can only process one incoming signal at a time. But in standby mode they will pass their RF input straight to the RF output the same way a VCR does when it's TV/VCR switch is set to "TV". As with a VCR this won't work for every setup but if your current setup lets you to record something on the VCR while watching something else on the TV, a standalone Tivo should also allow it. Also, if you are using a cable box, you might be able to split the cable before it goes into the cable box and send it directly to a second input on your TV. This will allow you to watch a non-digital, non-scrambled channel through your TV (no pausing, etc) while TiVo records another channel.

Enjoy your TiVo!

Posted by: Skylooker

And just for a little insight, you might look at my post in this post.