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Cable Box Workaround

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  • Cable Box Workaround

    I’m putting my resurrected TiVo Premiere into service while on the road. This town is centrally concentrated so has good OTA. I’m glad the Premiere allows for both cable and antenna input.
    Since this is a temporary residence I’m not bothering with a cable card. I was hoping to use the Comcast box coax output for TiVo input. I expected something on Channel 3 but am getting nothing. I let it go thru the usual set-up of scanning the cable channels thinking that at least one should take. Nope. Any advice?

  • #2
    No way to use a Premiere with a cable box. Use antenna only.
    Been here a long time . . .

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    • #3
      That's too bad but thanks for the answer.

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      • #4
        Could you explain that to me? The cable box outputs a signal that readable by a TV as Channel 3. Why can’t the TiVo accept the same? If I didn't do the cable scan would the TiVo be more accepting of an input?
        Last edited by GregRoadFan; 09-16-2023, 10:39 AM.

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        • #5
          Also, when I did the cable scan on the cable box output I got hits at hundreds of channels. These showed signif strength on a few channels, sub-carrier ones. No imaging on the screen, just good strength. Are these side lobes (harmonics) of major scrambled frequencies?

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          • #6
            This is just how Premieres work. They aren't designed to work with cable boxes, so they have no way to change the channel on a cable box, nor can they record HD coming out of it. I suppose you could rig up something to record SD off channel 3 with you manually changing channels on the cable box in time. Maybe.
            Been here a long time . . .

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            • #7
              Yep, I figured I couldn’t record HD due to digital protections but this extended stay pays only for SD from its boxes. I’m recording some college ball from the OTA. I’ll try playing with the cable box channels after it. Thanks.

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              • #8
                I tried sitting on Channel 3 and changing the cable box channels. Nothing came on. I did a partial channel scan that I terminated early to avoid wasting time. Nothing on Channel 3. (Is the antenna set scanned first?) I disconnected the cable coax, erased all previous channel finds and did a fresh scan of antenna channels to get a nominally functional line-up. I left Channel 3 selected in case something shows up when I reconnect the cable coax.

                What did you have in mind about getting lucky? Would there be any value in bringing the cable out of the wall into the TiVo cable coax input and skipping the box altogether?

                Thanks

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                • #9
                  Yeah - I just don't think it's going to work in this situation. TiVos really aren't built for this at all.
                  Been here a long time . . .

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                  • #10
                    OK, if something comes to mind please share it.

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