New Tivo doesn't work. Help! (1 Viewer)

[Cerebus]

Okay. I have no cable box. Cable into the RF input on the new Sony Tivo. Composite video & audio outs from the Sony Tivo into my Sony VCR. Keep the VCR outs as is; video into the tv, audio into the receiver. The switch on the Tivo is set to "3." Channel on the VCR is set to "3."
Turn the Tivo on and I only get a blue screen; no "Welcome To Tivo" comes up as the manual says. Unplug, try again, no joy.
I removed the cable and plugged it back into the RF In on the VCR. Got my tv feed as usual. Somehow, the Tivo isn't passing the signal to the VCR.
I've hooked uo home theaters for years but I'm stymied by this. Any clues?

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Well, Ken, for one thing if you are taking the video outs from the TiVo into your VCR, you won't be watching it over channel 3. You will be watching it via your VCR's line input (or aux input, depending on what it is called). Make sure your VCR is switched appropriately. Then you don't tune your TV to channel 3. You switch it to video in.
The only way you will get TiVo to broadcast over channel 3 is if you run coax to your VCR from the coax output terminal on the TiVo. Then you would tune your VCR to channel 3.
- Steve

 

[Cerebus]

Steve,
Someone on another forum just pointed that out. I'm a dumbass, in desperate need of a vacation. The manual gives the wrong instructions (says to set the VCR to Ch. 3) and it threw me off.
Thanks for taking the time to write. Now I just need to see if this Tivo thing has a timer so I can just use it as a VCR and not subscribe...

 

[GregoryP]

You're really going to want to go ahead and subscribe to the Tivo service. Without the service, you're basically losing most of the great functionality of the Tivo.
I'm glad you got it working!
Gregory

 

[Jeff Croft]

I also was interested in the TiVo, using it with the timer and not subscribing (which IS possible). But, if you give the TiVo service a try with the free period, I'm sure you'll stick with it. It's amazing, and worth every penny of my $10/mo. And it's even a better deal if you can afford the $200 lifetime price.
Everyone told me this and I scoffed, but it's true: you'll want the service. Don't have a TiVo without it. It's a waste.
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[Cerebus]

I went ahead and subscribed and have a ton of stuff set to be recorded thru the nest two weeks. Recorded a documentary on Discovery last night. Works fine, watching it now.
TiVo's cool.