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Using tivo rf input with analogue cable. Is the tuner "cable ready"?
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Posted by: gb_drbob

Hi there,

I'm considering buying a tivo but I have a couple of questions about the rf input which I haven't been able to find answers to elsewhere.

At the moment I have digital cable but I split the incoming signal before it gets to the digital box. This allows me to pipe the terrestrial channels and a couple of others such as sky one and bbc news which are still broadcast in analogue over the cable system to my "cable ready" vcr (allowing me to record sky one analogue whilst watching filmfour digital for example).

Will a similar set up be possible with the tivo allowing me to record one of the analogue channels on the internal tuner whilst watching a digital channel or vice versa? Is the tivo rf tuner "cable ready" or does it only support the standard TV frequencies (ie those used to broadcast channels 1-5 for reception with an antenna)? If it doesn't support the cable frequencies this would be a problem for me as my house has no TV antenna.

I realise that tivo changes viewing habits so I will not often find myself watching something "live" whilst tivo records another program but I still feel it would be a useful for when two programs clash and I decide to watch one of them live.

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

regards,

drbob

Posted by: Richardr

It only supports the standard channel frequencies.

Posted by: blokedownthepub

The Tivo tuner is a bog standard UHF tuner which will cover from Channel 21 upto Channel 69 (UK analogue Terrestrial TV frequency range) . The analogue cable system uses frequencies in and below the range of the Tivo. If you set up your VCR prior to your Tivo in the RF chain, and tuned your Tivo to receive the UHF frequency from your VCR, you could use your VCR effectively as a frequency shifter for the frequencies out of the Tivo's range. You would I think (?) have to set up manual recordings, and remember to change your VCR to the required channel.

Not sure how you actually get the Tivo to recognise your VCR as a analogue source though. Tell Tivo it is a seperate (RF) source addditional to your cable box, like having cable and DTT ?

Posted by: njh

quote:
Originally posted by gb_drbob

At the moment I have digital cable but I split the incoming signal before it gets to the digital box. This allows me to pipe the terrestrial channels and a couple of others such as sky one and bbc news which are still broadcast in analogue over the cable system to my "cable ready" vcr (allowing me to record sky one analogue whilst watching filmfour digital for example).

Will a similar set up be possible with the tivo allowing me to record one of the analogue channels on the internal tuner whilst watching a digital channel or vice versa? Is the tivo rf tuner "cable ready" or does it only support the standard TV frequencies (ie those used to broadcast channels 1-5 for reception with an antenna)? If it doesn't support the cable frequencies this would be a problem for me as my house has no TV antenna.

Hi Dr Bob,

I think that you are making a conceptual mistake when you assume that the TiVo has to drop into your setup in the same place that your existing VCR does. One of the TiVo's (many) undersold features is the fact that it makes a nice SCART switching device!

Why not keep your splitter and "cable ready" VCR as they are now, and attach a TiVo between the digital cable box and the TV? The TiVo can then be used just as someone who only had the digital cable box would use it, but you still have the ability to use the VCR as an analogue tuner, or to tape analogue broadcasts when they conflict with live digital viewing or TiVo recordings.

Warning - attempt at ugly ASCII block diagram follows:

code:

                   +-----> STB -----> TiVo -----> TV
                   |                   ^
                   |                   |
Cable In -----> Splitter               |
                   |                   |
                   |                   |
                   +-----> VCR <-------+

Connection between VCR and TiVo is bi-directional SCART. This allows you to:

archive TiVo recordings to tape for permanent storage.
play back VCR recordings and have them show up on the TV.
Put the TiVo into VCR-bypass mode and watch the output of the VCR live (allowing you to use it as an analogue tuner / PAL decoder).

Hope that this helps.

Posted by: ozsat

quote:
Originally posted by gb_drbob
I'm considering buying a tivo but I have a couple of questions about the rf input which I haven't been able to find answers to elsewhere.

At the moment I have digital cable but I split the incoming signal before it gets to the digital box. This allows me to pipe the terrestrial channels and a couple of others such as sky one and bbc news which are still broadcast in analogue over the cable system to my "cable ready" vcr (allowing me to record sky one analogue whilst watching filmfour digital for example).

Will a similar set up be possible with the tivo allowing me to record one of the analogue channels on the internal tuner whilst watching a digital channel or vice versa? Is the tivo rf tuner "cable ready" or does it only support the standard TV frequencies (ie those used to broadcast channels 1-5 for reception with an antenna)? If it doesn't support the cable frequencies this would be a problem for me as my house has no TV antenna.

I think what you are talking about is pass-thru channels.

If the pass-thru channel is not < RF channel 21 - then TiVo will handle it OK. It treats these pass-thru channels as normal analogue terrestrial channels.

Some cable pass-thru channels are < RF channel 21 - so neither TiVo or a standard TV or VCR will view them.

If your are recording a pass-thru channel on TiVo - then you can continue to watch digital tv.

Here on NTLdigital Oxford - you can record BBC News, E4, Granada +, Cartoon + more as analogue RF channels.