[JosephR]

I have a DirecTiVo and it only has one Svideo output. I will be primarily recording from that but right now I am using Svideo from the DirecTiVo to my Sony HD TV. My question is should I use Composite out from the DirecTiVo to the E-80 or should I use S-Video? If I use S-Video will it constantly feed through to the TV even when the E-80 is off? If I set it up that way will it loose any quality from it passing through the E-80? Will I be able to pass it through when I am burning a DVD so I do not have to watch the sam show again? If not and I use the composite will it still be as good quality? Can you split Svideo into 2 outputs from the DirecTiVo and not loose any quality?


I'm trying to find the best way to connect it for the best PQ but also not mess up my DirecTiVo the way it works now.


Thanks.


-Joe

 

[Spoffo]

You probably won't see any difference between feeding the E-80 with composite vs. S-video. Then you can feed the E-80 output via component. The E-80 will output both component and S-video on any pass-through signal, but only when it's turned on.


It doesn't pass through anything while it's in the process of burning a disc. You just get a progress dialogue on the screen. The trick is to record to the hard disc, during which you can watch the incoming (live or time-slipped) or anything previously recorded on the hard disc. Then, you start a lossless high-speed burn when you go to bed, and finalize the next day.

 

[johnny dollar]

The only way to 'split' the s-video is to use an active (powered) video switcher or run everything thru a receiver that has a similar function. You can watch the s-video thru the E80, but I wouldn't want to have the E80 powered all the time, and it does degrade the picture slightly to watch it that way. I haven't tried composite into the E80 but you might record something onto a DVD RAM first with composite then with S-video and see if there's any difference? Pick something that replays continually so you have an identical source. And try some of the color menu screens as well.

 

[newsposter]

Quote:

Originally posted by Spoffo You probably won't see any difference between feeding the E-80 with composite vs. S-video.

Actually I do. But your mileage will vary. I did many tests (ask my frazzled wife "honey is there a differences?") and on my setup, S vid was the best for sure. Maybe it was because of my big screen.


Joseph, it seems like a lot of people had the problems I did during set up. I send them to this thread because I'm too lazy to copy paste it enables you to use tivo w/o the e80 on. I had 1 s vid out of tivo and only 1 on my tv.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=349807

 

[JosephR]

Thanks, I just bought a 3 way component switch to switch between my DVD Player and Recorder, between that the E-80, and the DirecTV HD Package I am about broke so I am going to hold of on the 2 Svideo Switches for now. I hooked up the Composite out from the DirecTiVo and it looks ok to me playing TiVo to E-80 to TV making all the conversions, I only notice a very slight change maybe a little darker image and the TiVo remote click sounds kind of weird for some reason but the audio from the shows sound fine. I'll make a DVD and see if it looks good. I have a 30" Sony XBR Wide Screen so locals via DirecTV already looks slightly pixelated anyways. Can't wait for HD locals but then wont be able to record that quality to DVD lol.


I read the E-80 Cheat Thread. I'm still kind of confused. It explained two ways of recording and high speed dubbing for Tv Shows because it will be about 42 minutes after commercials. I'm still not sure what is best. Here is the 3 ways I can think of.


1: Record to HD in XP mode. Crop 2 shows and use FR mode to convert both shows to one DVD. From what I understand it will have to re encode it but if it was less quality or not was not certain.


2: Record to Hd in SP mode. Crop 2 shows and high speed dub both shows to one DVD.


3: Record to HD in FR mode. Crop 2 shows and burn to one DVD in FR mode.


What is the best way? Time really isn't an issue for burning I can do it and forget about it right? It will turn off after 2 hours of idle time.


Would there be any advantage to keeping the manual record going and just use the TiVo to start playing the second show and not do it in two separate recordings?


Is there any way to fit more than 2 shows on one DVD and still have it look good? 3 shows should be 2 hours and six minutes. Will FR still make that look as good as SP.


Sorry for all the questions. I have a feeling I will have to do a lot of trial and see how it looks but any suggestions to any of my questions will be appreciated.


Thanks.


-Joe

 

[newsposter]

You can fit three 42 minute shows at 2:08 with SP. I've done it for 25 dvds so far and never had a problem. You stay under the 4411 mb threshold and that's what matters, not the time.


I see no problem keeping it going and doing your shows consecutively as you say. I record each one separately because I like to have 3 distinct programs on the dvd and if you recorded 3 shows together, I am not sure you would be able to have that 'menu' option to go to each one individually on your dvd with one long segment. Of course you just could do the shows together then just divide them in the end.


You are already aware there is reencoding and since I never tested a real time dub, I personally can't say if the difference is noticeable. I've always recorded in high speed. So you can't go wrong if you pick the right speed up front.

 

[JosephR]

I took the commercials out of three episodes of Joan of Arcadia and its 2:15 and won't fit in SP mode. I am testing to see what it will look like now burning that to a DVD-Ram in FR mode. If it still looks ok I guess I will use that. With real DvD's I am able to use DVD Shrink on my PC in an Analyze mode and it can compress a 9 gig Dual Layered DVD into a 4 gig DVD+R and not loose any quality or very little and they fit 4 episodes sometimes. Does the LP mode on this just not compress as well or what?


-Joe

 

[newsposter]

Wow you are lucky that show doesn't have as many commercials. Of course I cut out the credits at the end of my shows since they are quashed by more ads anyways.


Regarding FR you could sit in front of the TV, pause and edit, then have all 3 episodes in FR to do a HS dub. But that is very tedious and I'm sure it's not what you want. Perhaps someone else can confirm if this would help: Set it to FR for 3 hours (3eps x1hr) record all 3 in a row, then edit the commercials to shrink to 2:15. The one thing I'm not sure about is the FR will "expand" to fill the 45 minutes you edited out or else if you will have 'wasted' the 45 min of blank disk.


Can someone help me out? I'm personally curious myself now.

 

[JosephR]

Anyone know where to get a cheap DVD-RAM drive for the pc that will take a dvd-ram cartridge? I did some searches and someone said they had a toshiba for $40 that just read and was perfect. I can't find anything cheaper than $150 though.


-Joe

 

[tider]

Newsposter,


Do a search in this forum for "lying to the e-80", it gives a good explanation on how to accomplish this.


(Although I haven't tried this) :


If you have 3 one hour shows that equal 2:15 minutes after commercials have been edited, then set the recording in fr mode for 2:15 minutes.


Record the first show for one hour and manually stop the recording and then you can cut the commercials out and have your time down to 45 minutes. When you record the next episode you will need to set the fr mode time to 1:30 min . Repeat this process with the other shows and then you will use the entire capacity of the disc.


I've read you can record 3 episodes onto a disc in sp mode and it will fit, although barely after cutting commercials.


I'm up in the air on which of these methods to use, I'm getting ready to start recording survivor onto dvd-r, I guess I need to do a test run on some of the other 1 hour episodes to see which works best.


Maybe I didn't just tell you something you already knew. I am new to this myself. Hope this helped.

 

[JosephR]

Hmm, I've just been recording to the E-80 in XP then dubbing out 3 shows at FR. I even did a test of 6 shows in FR mode that was 4:30 and the quality wasn't that bad just a little more pixelated mostly noticeable in the channel logo and letters words they put on the screen.


-Joe

 

[Londo]

Quote:

Originally posted by tider If you have 3 one hour shows that equal 2:15 minutes after commercials have been edited, then set the recording in fr mode for 2:15 minutes. Record the first show for one hour and manually stop the recording and then you can cut the commercials out and have your time down to 45 minutes. When you record the next episode you will need to set the fr mode time to 1:30 min . Repeat this process with the other shows and then you will use the entire capacity of the disc.

NO. that will give you progressively BIGGER files with each show.


We'll use three 1 hour shows that will edit to 45 minutes each, for a total of 2:15 for this example. (obviously a HD will be necessary for this trick).


record EACH show SEPERATELY in a FR of 2:15, stop each after 1 HR (or if you are recording on a timer, be prepared to have 2:15 of space available).


EDIT each show down, they are now 45 mintues each, but 45 minutes in a FR 'space' of 2:15


you can now HD dub the three 45 minutes shows to a single disc.

 

[tider]

Londo is correct, sorry for the confusion.


Which is the best recording format in your opinion for 3 one hour episodes (after cutting out commercials) sp or fr using the "lying to the e-80 method"?

 

[newsposter]

Quote:

Originally posted by JosephR Hmm, I've just been recording to the E-80 in XP then dubbing out 3 shows at FR. I even did a test of 6 shows in FR mode that was 4:30 and the quality wasn't that bad just a little more pixelated mostly noticeable in the channel logo and letters words they put on the screen. -Joe

While there are debates here on whether or not the XP to FR really introduces any noticeable loss (you mentioned pixels and I assume you meant they were not on the original?) , I don't think anyone disagrees that keeping the same speed will give you a high speed exact duplicate of your recording. So if you are doing your 2:15 recordings, I'd follow Londo's method of FR so you can maintain the same recording speed throughout and do the HS dub. That was a neat trick and someday I'm sure it will come in handy.