Connecting video sources to projector through Tivo (1 Viewer)

I have a Tivo; I'm going to get a projector. I can connect the Tivo to the projector using component. If I connect other things to the Tivo (tv though coax, vcr through composite), will the Tivo send those signals to the projector through its component output?

Thanks.

TiVo isn't intended to be used that way and I don't think its going to work the way you're thining. If your TiVo box has component out then its not standard Series 2 so it might be different, but I think my comments will apply.

Anything hooked to TiVo is a source for it to record. Output from TiVo is whatever you've selected to play back from the harddrive. (Yes, you can put it in standby mode to bypass the record cycle but I still can't see how it will work). What you're attempting is using TiVo as a converter and video switch. I'm not sure it will work at all because TiVo assumes that there's a TV signal connected to those inputs and TiVo is only intended to have one source of that signal which is what you'd select in setup. You'll definitely run into some problems and when TiVo's schedule says its time to change channels it will try to do so.

Dang! You know what? You're right, I don't have component out. That's what I get for not checking things out thoroughly.

Someone gave me the Tivo box. (It is series 2.) I haven't played around with it or even connected it to a tv yet. At this time, I have no plans to subscribe to the service...I was just going to use it essentially as a vcr, manual recording, so Tivo's scheduling telling it to change channels is not an issue.

I'm trying to figure out how best to incorporate it into the upcoming home theater set-up. I assumed, perhaps erroneously, that it would behave like a vcr in terms of input and output. So after studying the back of the Tivo more carefully, here are more specific questions:

1) (Tivo connected to a tv via coax) When the Tivo is off, will it still passively send a coax input signal on through to the tv like a turned-off vcr does? (I assume that it would not passively send a signal through via any of the other input/output modes.)

2) If I'm understanding what you've said, during set-up I will specify the mode of input and the mode of output. Once that is done, it will ignore any input signals from other modes, and shut down all the other modes of output, unless I go back into set-up and change it again. Correct? And if correct, do input and output modes have to be the same as each other?

3) If input and output modes can be different, could I use the Tivo as a tuner for a projector when the Tivo is on but not necessarily recording? (Coax input, s-video output.) If this won't work, why not?

4) Then would this work: Cable tv --(coax)--> vcr --(coax)--> Tivo --(s-video)--> projector. Turn on the Tivo, watch cable tv through projector. Turn on Tivo and vcr, watch video tapes through projector. (I'm thinking that sending the vcr's signal to the projector through Tivo's s-video would give better quality than connecting the vcr directly to the projector via yer basic composite RCA video cable.)

Thanks for your patience with the noob,
Joel

You probably need to do a little more research in to your TiVo situation over in the DVR forum, but Series 2's can't be used in "VCR" mode.

The old Series 1's could be used this way without a subscription, but the Series 2s are pretty limited in terms of what you can do without the TiVo service.

TiVo's don't have a "power" switch. You don't shut them off. You can put them in "Standby" mode, which basically bypasses the recording functionality, and should prevent any compression artifacts, but you're basically just using the TiVo's tuner to convert to S-Video signal from a lousy Coax input. You're now into "using a cannon to kill a mosquito" territory here.

You're wrong in thinking that the TiVo is going to somehow "clean up" the signal from the VCR, especially if you are putting that output over the Coax line to get it into the TiVo. At the very best, the output from the TiVo will look just as bad as any other Coax signal.

Use the Composite connector if that's all you've got. Are you really watching that many tapes? If so, maybe invest in a VCR with an S-Video output...

Besides, why not try using the TiVo "normally" for a few months? I still don't know many folks who get used to life with a DVR who want to go back to regular TV. And I don't know ANYONE who's had a TiVo who would go back.