How would I hook this up (ReplayTV, cable question)

[trmiv]

I just got ReplayTV, and I love it, but I can't record and watch a different show at the same time. Right now I have the cable going into my digital cable box, then the ReplayTV is hooked to the digital cable box via RCA cables, then the TV is hooked to the ReplayTV by S-video and RCA's. I've heard that I could get a splitter and have the cable signal going into the digital cable box, and into the cable-ready tv. That sounds like a good idea, and I know that I would not being able to see the digital channels on my TV when just viewing though that. The problem is, my cable here has two cables that run from the wall into the cable box. Are there any cable slitters that work with dual line systems like this? Every splitter I find seems to only be for one line. Thanks

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Yes, you won't be able to get the channels from like 90 and up without a second digital box. Just split the cable before the cable box and take one right into the tv.

As you record more and more things, you'll likely start shifting your tv schedule. I rarely, if ever, watch live TV since I've had my TiVo. I watch what I want, when I want dagnabbit.

 

[isekii]

this is how mine is setup

mine goes from digital cable line ---- 3 way splitter ----> cable box ----> replay tv ------> receiver -------->> tv
----->TV

basically I can either use the replay to view cable and record or I can view cable without the replay TV ( my usually viewing )

-------> = RCA input
------->> = Coaxial cable
2 lines for digital cable and 1 line for cable modem

 

[trmiv]

But how do I deal with the fact that my cable system uses two lines into the cable box?

 

[trmiv]

isekii: I see you edited your post and said you have two cable lines coming from the wall?

 

[trmiv]

Would something like this work?

 

[Jugernot]

Is there a serial cable in the ReplayTV box? If yes, you can hook it up to your digital cable box and it will change the channels for you. As for recording one channel while watching another, don't know.. most likely you'd need a second box.

 

[trmiv]

Yea there is a serial cable on the replay box, but it won't change channels for me. I tried to hook it up that way, but when I was doing replaytv setup and selected my cable provider and cable box maker, it said I had to use the IR Blaster. I guess the cable box just doesn't work like that. Not sure what the serial input on the cable box is for if that doesn;t work.

I want to figure out this record/watch thing.

 

[Drekce]

There are very few (if any) digital cable boxes that work with the serial cable. I use the IR Blaster and have never had a problem. ReplayTV Rules.

Go here for setup and other general help.

 

[trmiv]

Well I figured it out. It's a bit messy to look at, but it works! I got two good quality cable splitters, an A/B switch, and some cables. I ran line A from the wall into splitter A, line B from the wall into slitter B. Then one line from each splitter goes into the cable box, and the second line from each splitter goes into the A/B switch. Then the A/B switch hooks directly to the TV. The replaytv is still hooked to the cable box via RCA's, and the TV is still hooked to the replay via s-video and rca's. I can now record all my regular and digtal channels on replaytv, and watch something different (only analog channels though), at the same time. Works great!