Tivo & Digital Cable

[consumertalks]

It's not Tivo, it's an RCA PVR (Personal Video Recorder), but Tivo is easier for the title of the thread.

From the manual:

"You must view premium cable channels through the Digital Media Recorder because only regular cable channels are being sent to the TV via the 2 way splitter. If you have a digital cable box, you need purchase a special type of splitter, the one shown (and included) is only for regular, analog cable boxes.

So.. this means I can't watch anything but basic cable if I'm using the DVR to record something.

Anyone know of a special splitter for digital cable so I can watch and "tape" both premium channels? Thanks!

[Gomer]

You have a seperate digital tuner box for your cable?

[Kc2iLq]

Cable > Cable box > PVR > TV.
Is there anything preventing you from doing that?

-Kc2iLq

[Siliconjunkie]

My mother had the same problem. I will try to sum it up.

With Time Warner here you get basic cable with your digital. Meaning that you can plug into any cable outlet with a cable ready TV and get basic cable with no box. You have to have a box to get any of the premium/digial channels.

if you do cable----box---pvr----tv
you can only record the channel you are watching on the digital box

if you do
cable----box---pvr---tv
l
----------------------tv
Sorry for the bad drawing- With this you can watch regular cable while recording what is on the digital box. This also assumes that you have more than one way to connect the pvr to the tv, such as composite, svideo or something.

Or if you move the box down to the other leg you can record regular cable and watch on the digital.


So, in a nutshell, you have to watch what you are recording. Unless you get a second box.

[Gomer]

To accurately answer this question we need to know what inputs and outputs the devices he has have.

I am familiar w/ the PVR unit.

[consumertalks]

Upon closer inspection of the manual I pretty much decided I can watch whatever I want in my bedroom if I'm taping a premium channel, and want to watch another premium channel. The way it works is (because the pause/rewind live tv feature), the cable from the wall is split into 2:

1) directly to TV, and I have basic cable on the TV in Input 1.
2) directly to the cable box, which has a cable out. This cable out goes to the DVR's input. Then the component out from the DVR goes to the TV in Input 2.

|____>> cable box >> DVR >> TV
|
|____>> TV (with cable selected for channel setup).

So I can watch/pause/rewind/tape anything. If I want to tape something and watch another show, I have to use Input 2 on the TV, which has a direct connection to the wall outlet. This leaves me with basic cable to watch.. or I can just go to my bedroom if I'm that much of a slave to television.

Like the manual says, I need a seperate digital splitter from the wall if I want to watch and tape premium channels.. which I'd be interested in if it's not too much.

[Siliconjunkie]

I know someone added to this thread, but beacuse of the lame caching contraption they are using I can't see it. Weeee