Questions about Tivo with H20

[nbadger23]

My illiteracy is going to show on this question... but I guess that's the way it is. I've gotten some good info here before so I figured this was my best bet to get my questions answered.

Can I display HD if I'm using a HD DirectTv receiver (h20) with a non-HD Tivo? I knew I couldn't record anything in HD but was hopefull I would still get an HD signal on my TV with the non-HD Tivo in the mix. I'm starting to think that was wishful and dumb thinking. The reason I say that is the "HD" channels look the same as the non-HD channels with the Tivo in the mix

Our connection was S-video from H20 to Tivo, then S-video from Tivo to TV.

Thanks.

 

[Jimbo]

Our connection was S-video from H20 to Tivo, then S-video from Tivo to TV.

Thanks.

Theres your problem ... A S Video connection will pass video but NOT HD ...Depending on what options you have on your TV, you need to use either
HDMI (Hdmi carries audio as well as video)
DVI (plus audio cables)
Component (plus audio cables)( Red, Green, Blue)

These will allow you to get your HD.
All the others will only do SD
S Video
Composite (Yellow/ red/ white)
Coax

If you have a TV with different Video inputs, I would run the H-20 to a HD input on the TV, and run the TIVO unit (non HD) to another Video input and toggle between them according to what you want to watch.

Jimbo

 

[nbadger23]

Jimbos.... Thank you!! That picture looks a lot better now that I have it going through the component cables. The TV didn't come with an HDMI cable so I will have to purchase one of those.
I even got the Tivo hooked up as you recommended using S-video and audio cables. As it turns out, I don't have any other choices other than what you recommended as the Tivo unit only has composite and s-video hookups.

It looks like the only downside to this is that I can't use the "pause" function of Tivo when my input is Component. I'm also going to be curious to see if the Tivo unit switches channels correctly and records as it should when my input is component and not S-video.

Maybe this will only be a temporary solution until I figure out which HD DVR/receiver I want. Any recommendations on a unit? Thanks again.