Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 0

Hdtv & Tivo

Last weekend I bought a 34" wide screen HDTV ready television. I know that TIVO doesn't support HDTV but does that mean that when HD is available in my area I have to stop using my TIVO?? OR .. can I watch HDTV but when I record using TIVO it won't play back in HD?? I'm worried that if I want to use this awesome new technology than I have to LOSE THE TIVO. Advice??

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Toronto
Posts: 953

You didn't say how you receive your signals.

Current TiVo's will NOT record HDTV. TiVo will record (and will continue to record) all other types of TV signals from cable, sat & over the air. You'll be able to record those and play them back on your tv in their native formats.

You'll be stuck having to watch your HDTV broadcasts live for now. That is unless you are willing to pony up for one of the very expensive VCR-like HDTV recorders that are coming out now.

...Dale

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Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 0

HDTV Live

Currently I have digital cable with AT&T ... so my choice is that I can bypass TIVO and watch HDTV broadcasts live or ... dump the TIVO right?

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Toronto
Posts: 953

I don't follow you ... why would you dump TiVo? It's not clear to me whether you are getting HDTV over-the-air or through AT&T.

In all non-HDTV scenarios you would use TiVo as usual. When watching HDTV content you switch your TV's input selector to the input source connected directly to your HDTV tuner. When done watching your live HDTV show, you switch back to TiVo.

No need for dumping TiVo unless you are saying you will never watch a show other than HDTV shows ... which is a little unrealistic at this point.

...Dale

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Dallas (or L.A.)
Posts: 15821

why would you dump the TiVo?? Just by-pass the TiVo and watch High Def programs live. It ain't the end of the world, allthough there are some that will tell you oterhwise.

__________________
Jeff
Proud to use my TiVo improperly
President of the TiVoShanan Fan Club
Yay, Smeek! Smeek rules! -- JediCowboyD
jsmeeker, you will live in a dark place someday....where they do not allow TiVo. -- nachonaco

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 11

quote:

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Originally posted by Spartan Fan
Currently I have digital cable with AT&T ... so my choice is that I can bypass TIVO and watch HDTV broadcasts live or ... dump the TIVO right?

---

__________________
We're all bozos on this bus ...
Tivo Series2

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 339

I get HDTV as well as analog TV over cable using a digital cable tuner (Time Warner Cable and a Scientfic Atlanta 3100 HD). I split the cable and run it directly into both my Tivo and my cable box. I use Tivo to record any analog shows I want (which happen to be almost entirely in the analog tier of shows so I don't even record from the cable box; I use the internal tuner in the Tivo) and play them back as analog video on my HDTV. For HDTV channels (of which there are still relatively few: the major networks, Showtime and HBO from cable, HD-Net or Discovery-HD are available on DirecTV and DISH Network, respectively), I am "stuck" with watching only "live" TV. It's certainly less convenient and flexible than watching TV through Tivo, but the video quality of analog TV, made slightly worse by its journey through the Tivo (even at "best" recording quality) can't hold a candle to the quality of a good HDTV show.

Of course, I'd love to be able to combine Tivo and HDTV directly. The closest thing out there that I've heard of is the Scientific Atlanta 8000 PVR/digital cable tuner, which is supposed to be HD-capable. Unfortunately, it does NOT use Tivo software, so many of the great features of Tivo software (season passes, wish lists, search by title, etc.) are not available. It's just time & channel-based recording. It's also in very limited distribution yet so I can't vouche for it's recording quality for either analog or HD TV.

So HDTV and Tivo CAN live together, but the relationship is not yet ideal.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location:
Posts: 9

Here is a link to a review of the Scientific Atlanta 8000:http://groups.google.com/. . .nyroc.rr.com

A more promising product might be the Motorola DCT5200 -- http://www.gi.com/. . .dct5200.pdf -- but neither one appears to have the functionality of TiVo.

I have no doubt, however, that eventually an integrated set-top cable box with the functionality of TiVo will become available that will allow seamless recording of analog, digital and HDTV. TiVo will either need to be part of that solution or risk losing its cable subscriber base.

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Mike H.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 42

quote:

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Originally posted by sepstein
Digital cable is not the same thing as HDTV. The digital cable signal is converted to analog at the cable box, and delivered to your set. The quality is quite a bit better than analog cable, as there is no signal degradation between the cable company and your box.

HDTV delivers a digital signal to your TV.

---

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9

SpartanFan - Your Tivo will be connected to the standard definition input of your TV (composite or S-Video).

Your HDTV input will be connected through an HD input, most likely the component video, but depending on your set this could also be VGA/RGB or DVI.

So, you just have to switch inputs on your TV depending on if you want to watch SD-Tivo or HDTV. There is no reason to dump the Tivo, but it will not do anything for your HDTV viewing.

Go Green! (MSU '93)

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: lexington, ky
Posts: 125

It sounds like Scientific Atlanta needs to suck it up and buy into TiVo for the 8000. It looks like a weak attempt at a pvr.

Hey TiVo, give them a call.

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Toronto
Posts: 953

No doubt TiVo has given them and the cableco's many calls!

TiVopony made a hint in another thread that makes me think that either a combo Scientific Atlantic or a combo Motorola box with TiVo is likely in the next few months. A bit of tea leave reading but his approach at hinting is quite similar to that of RB's and I think I'm getting good at reading him.

...Dale

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