How do I connect my TiVo Series 2 with a Comcast HD Digital Cable box?

Question

I'm not trying to record HD programming, but I am trying to figure out a good configuration to 1) Record standard TV programs with sound and 2) Still be able to watch HD programming. Right now, I can't get sound from one or the other in the basic configuration. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Most HDTV Tvs will have multiple input jacks on the back of the TV. You may simply want to run a splitter for the Coaxial cable before it enters the Comcast box, and connect one Coax to Comcast Reciever, and the other to the TiVo. You will want to leave the connections as they are between the Comcast reciever and the TV, but add RCA jacks from the TiVo to the TV. Now, if you want to view something on the TiVo, you can select that input with your remote control, and if you want to watch HDTV programming, switch to the input which the Comcast box is connected to! I believe this is your best option.



I'm not sure on the capabilities of the TiVo series 2, but is may be able to recieve all of the digital channels as well as the standard analog channels. Comcast will be going ALL DIGITAL very soon, so the analog signal will eventually be turned off as it uses a lot of bandwidth to send an analog signal, as compared to digital.



Now, I didn't take time to read the information here, but TiVo has a very good solutions guide, here:



http://tivo.instancy.com/external/LaunchContent.aspx?cid=dcadf995-410e-407a-8e33-65a0ed6a14fa&anchor=undefined

Answer 2

The Tivo will record channels 1-99 without any box involved as long as you are getting a standard analog signal to your house. Even if you are on a digital package the cableco usually sends the analog signal to the house as well. If you can plug a tv into a cable without a box in your house and you get signal than you are getting an analog feed. So if you don't want to TiVo anything over channel 99 I would suggest splitting the cable from the wall. Plug one into the TiVo and one into the cablebox. Then just hook each one into a seperate input on your TV. If you want to watch HD just put your TV on the cablebox input, if you want to watch TiVo just put the TV on the TiVo input. This is the way I had mine set up until I got the Series 3 last month.

Answer 3

Tivo will record the hi def channels just not in hi def. The only way to get hi def recording would be to upgrade to the new series 3 tivos

Answer 4

it should tell you in the owners manual