Brett Jason

Can I control live HDTV?

I have a ReplayTV and I am about to get a Directv HDTV box. Will I be able to hook it up so I can control live TV, via the replay and still enjoy the benefits of the HD?

Robert_J

No. For that you will need the soon to be released HD DirecTivo.

-Robert

Brett Jason

So right now, no one that HD has a Tivo or ReplayTV hooked up with it, that seems bizarre. I mean I know I can't record HD with the PVR, but I just want to be able to pause Live TV

Robert_J

Then you will have to set your HD receiver to output SD via composite or s-video and run that into your Replay. There is no PVR on the market with component, DVI or HDMI inputs for HD.

I have a Hughes E-86 and a DirecTivo. I watch HD on the E-86 if I happen to be in front of the TV and something I want to watch is on in HD. Other than that, I use the DirecTivo.

-Robert

Cindy V

Is this why my replay shows blue screen/no cable signal when attached to my HD Compast Cable Box? I have my cable box connected to the tv but I also wanted to run a cable out to replay inorder to tape shows.

I knew that I could not pause live HD feeds but I thought while I was sleeping, replay could record any channel I received on the cable box.

I was about to go to the store and buy new cables adn signal boosters to make this work.

Cindy V

Michael Reuben

I have a Scientific Atlanta 3100HD and a regular TiVo. The 3100HD's component output goes directly to an HDTV, while its S-video goes to TiVo, which is then routed via S-video to my pre/pro and then to a separate input on the TV. I watch the 8 HD channels I receive directly through the cable box; I watch the hundreds of other channels through TiVo.


I get a blue screen through TiVo when I'm on an HD channel, but all standard channels play normally. I'm not familiar with the Comcast box, though.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

Brett Jason

thank you, this is very helpful

Stephen Tu

What you can record depends on the STB in question. The Motorola 5100 for example will output downconverted to NTSC on the S-video/composite on the HD channels as well as the regular channels. You can check by connecting S-video to your TV; if you can see it on your TV then your Tivo/Replay can record it.

For the satellite models if you are going this route be sure to get one that has simultaneous s-video output when on HD channels; many older models have it disabled unless you have it set to 480i output. But I question the wisdom of this because in any case it will require lots of manual intervention, setting timers on both boxes (since Replay/Tivo software doesn't know how to deal with OTA digital channels properly). Just pony up the $900 for the HD-DirecTivo and get full capabilities, and record two HD at once, while watching another prerecorded!