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Can a ReplayTV control a Tivo Premier?

post #1 of 8
4/27/11 at 8:12am
Thread Starter 
So just hear me out.

I picked up a Tivo Premier off amazon for 50 bux out the door because its one of the 19.99/month subsidized units. The sum of the parts actually are worth more than the box purchase price if you don't activate the unit.

My original plan was to get a cablecard @$2/month from my cable company to use it as a dumb cable box to get all my encrypted channels in a bedroom that I do NOT go in often. I was NOT planning on activating the Tivo Premier. From reading tivocentral's forums, the premier should work just fine w/o a sub for tuning channels only (no recording, or guide data). Thats fine with me for what I want to use it for.

I still have one replaytv left activated/lifetime'd that I have hooked up via analog cable to a slingbox.

I was thinking of using the tivo premier's video output as the feed for my replaytv so I'd get all my encrypted channels on there too.

As renting a cable box is 7 and change a month, with the difference, I'm saving 5bux a month after the 10 month break-even point on the tivo box purchase price.

Is it possible that the ReplayTV has IR codes to control a Tivo Premier? If not, has someone uploaded tivo's IR codes that I could feed into the Replay via DVArchive?

My cable company Cablevision does NOT offer low cost / no cost DTA dumb digital tuning adapters. My only options are cablecards ($2/month) or their own cable boxes (about $7.50/month).

I know its a bizzare concept but any info is appreciated.
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post #2 of 8
4/27/11 at 10:52am
Interesting concept.

I would hope that they aren't any 'nag' screens that keep reminding you to get a subscription... It would suck to have my RTV record a Tivo nag screen for 30 minutes.

Assuming the premiere would work as you describe, unless the device uses a standard codeset, you are likely on your own in developing your own .rid file...

Cheers!
-Doug
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post #3 of 8
4/27/11 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Doug. I was assuming that a custom rid file didn't exist as why on earth would anyone want one dvr to record another's output.

If only I could buy my own cablebox to use a cablecard in that would have a standard IR set.
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post #4 of 8
4/27/11 at 11:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by blacknoi View Post

If only I could buy my own cablebox to use a cablecard in that would have a standard IR set.

A CableCard compliant tuner is not cheap. Heck, the CM-7001 (which I am still waiting for, btw) is a clear-QAM tuner, and it retails for $130. I can imagine a cable box costing much more At that point, you may as well just buy a Tivo w/ LT, or rent a converter box.

I just don't see a retail market for a stand-alone cable converter cox acceptable of using cablecard. We are not the masses.

Cheers!
-Doug
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post #5 of 8
5/8/11 at 5:41am
I have the same question -- for the same reason. I have converted to FIOS and the replay must have a converter box. The SD converter box is $7/mo and the HD converter box is $10/mo. I have a boxed TIVO HD that I picked up from Blockbuster. However, I only want to use it to replace the converter box and not as the DVR. I dislike the many monthly fees (I have lifetime ReplayTV) and just want to reduce monthly cost to the $2-3 for a cablecard.

I have not created .rid files yet and had hoped that I could use the IR blaster to 'tune' the TIVO and use the TIVO output as RTV input. May need to learn the .rid process.
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post #6 of 8
1/15/13 at 7:03pm
Bump

Curious if this was doable.
Admittedly an odd configuration but I can appreciate the idea behind utilizing the Tivo's ability to use a cable card for digital tv but have the Replay beable to record for use with other RTV's in the house (and DVArchive)

Does ReplayTV have ir blaster capabilites/control over a TIVO box?
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post #7 of 8
1/16/13 at 7:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kepy View Post

Bump

Curious if this was doable.
Admittedly an odd configuration but I can appreciate the idea behind utilizing the Tivo's ability to use a cable card for digital tv but have the Replay beable to record for use with other RTV's in the house (and DVArchive)

Does ReplayTV have ir blaster capabilites/control over a TIVO box?

This would be the ulimate hack job.

1. You would need custom IR files to control the Tivo uploaded to your replay.
2. You would need to use the 480i composite output from the Tivo. The best input to the RTV is S-Video, and unless your Tivo has it, composite you must use.
3. You MAY need to create a custom channel lineup.
4. Your RTV can and will ONLY send numeric digits. (There are some caveats, but that requires mucho hacking and very custom IR Files). Remember, if you are required for any reason to press any other set of buttons to get your Tivo to tune a channel, you are SOL. If Tivo suggests something, you are SOL. If Tivo needs you to press "What's on TV" first each time before entering a channel number, you are likely SOL. Your RTV has NO WAY of knowing the last state of the Tivo.
4. You WILL need to HOPE that the Tivo doesn't put up ANY nag screens asking to be subscribed / press OK / etc..., becuase the RTV has NO way of knowing what is being displayed on the screen. Nothing like seeing a week's worth of "Please subscribe to Tivo to enjoy the full features of your DVR. Press "OK" to acknowledge this message" when you get home.

In theory, possible. But no guarantees. Why don't you buy an unsubbed Tivo and see if you can make it work? My gut tells me you will find it is more trouble than it is worth.


Cheers!
-Doug
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post #8 of 8
1/21/13 at 4:15pm
I have a Premier with a Cablecard on Cablevision. Sort of had to when Cablevision went all-encrypted all-digital.

Because it is Cablevision, any tuning automatically gets uptuned to the HD stations (channel 2 becomes 702), so you will be getting a double letterboxed recording for almost anything. There is nothing you can do about it. That may not be so bad if your TV automatically zooms.

Almost everything the Tivo records has the copy protection bit set, so you might look to check whether the output is going to have some sort of macrovision scrambling going on that is going to mess you up. Don't know, but I was surprised that so many things could be pulled off the Tivo but not put into something that could be streamed to anything but a Tivo.

You might think about a Vulkano, which can control the Tivo and will record the output. It has about .01% the intelligence of a Replay but there is an EPG and no monthly fees. Plus, it will draw a lot less power than the Replay.
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