[vmpaul]

So there's this great deal at www.tivo.com for refurb units for $49 or $99. I'm just wondering if you can use one to full advantage with a Digital Cable Box.

Right now, our configuration in the living room is:

Cable outlet > Digital box > VCR > TV

The VCR capability is limited because the Digital Cable Box is the channel controller. VCR is set to Ch 3 and tapes whatever the DCB is tuned to. Obviously that limits our options because you can't automatically change the DCB channel. You can only set the VCR once. That defeats the whole purpose of the TiVO season Pass, doesn't it? I could put the TiVO before the DCB but then it means I can't tape the Premium Channels like HBO or Showtime because they're dependent on the DCB.

Anybody else in a similar situation?

[MaxPower2k3]

you could split the cable signal and send one to the Tivo and one to the digital cable box. if the Tivo has a video input, hook the digital cable box's video output up to that and then you can record premium channels when you want, or use the Tivo's internal tuner to schedule recordings on all other channels. I don't know of any other solution besides that.

[dreilly1]

The TiVo comes with a infrared doohickey that you put in front of the cable box's sensor. It lets the TiVo change the channels on the cable box. There's a short delay before the channel change takes effect, of course, so you'll get a second of some other show at the beginning of every recording. And, very rarely, it will miss a channel change because the IR transmission gets hosed. I think it happened to me once while we had a digital cable box.

(a few months ago, we realized that we never watched digital cable, so we brought back the converter and have the cable plugged directly into the TiVo. We only get the Analog channels, but the TiVo changes the channel directly now.)

[vmpaul]

I never heard of the infrared doohickey. Nobody ever mentions that.

Thanks.

[MaxPower2k3]

yeah, i didn't know about that either. good to know

[jld]

http://www.tivocommunity.com for all your Tivo needs.

[mikellanes]

What brand/model cable box, does it have a serial connection?

Basically with a stand alone TiVo It works as such

Cable Line> Digital Box> TiVo> TV

You will not be using the Digital cable box any longer, TiVo will control that box either vis infrared or serial connection (serial is better, faster channel changes most of the time)
If you have to use a infrared blaster it will cause a delay in the channel switching much like if you have satellite TV.

Your VCR can be hooked to an output on the TiVo.

I would suggest if you would EVER consider Satellite that you get DirecTV, the DirecTiVo (with built in dual tuners) is an EXCELLENT product and gives you the ability to record 2 shows at the same time, and has no extra delay in channel changing than normal satellite.
I know some people don't like satellite for whatever reason so just throwing it out there.

Either way they are both great solutions, the linked community forums above are a wealth of information!

[mikellanes]

Originally posted by vmpaul:
The VCR capability is limited because the Digital Cable Box is the channel controller. VCR is set to Ch 3 and tapes whatever the DCB is tuned to. Obviously that limits our options because you can't automatically change the DCB channel. You can only set the VCR once. That defeats the whole purpose of the TiVO season Pass, doesn't it? I could put the TiVO before the DCB but then it means I can't tape the Premium Channels like HBO or Showtime because they're dependent on the DCB.

What exactly are you trying to do? I just keep everything on my TiVo and threw my VCR out.

Anyway, when the VCR is connected to the TiVo you tell the TiVo to send the show to the VCR, hit record on the VCR and it will send the show while you watch it.

Again the DirecTiVo is nice with the dual tuner because you can watch something else while it records or record another show. I highly recommend it

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by mikellanes:
What brand/model cable box, does it have a serial connection?

Basically with a stand alone TiVo It works as such

Cable Line> Digital Box> TiVo> TV

You will not be using the Digital cable box any longer, TiVo will control that box either vis infrared or serial connection (serial is better, faster channel changes most of the time)
If you have to use a infrared blaster it will cause a delay in the channel switching much like if you have satellite TV.

Overall goal is to ditch the VCR. Can't stand those crappy tapes any longer. I don't watch much TV but enough that we occasionally have to tape something because we're trying to maintain a social life.

It's a General Instrument (Comcast) cable box. Doesn't have a serial connection but it does have the Infrared Out so I'm assuming we'd use the infrared blaster. Which is OK by me, I didn't know the thing existed before this thread. I thought there'd be no solution till Comcast started offering their own DVR service (which won't be till end of the year in our area). Looks like I have some options. Satellite really isn't an option right now.

I could even get a Series1 TiVO on eBay now if I wanted (I hear they're more upgradable). I didn't think there was a way around the cable box.

Thanks for your help and advice.