How To Setup A TiVo With A DVD Player?
Update 01/24/06: Setting up my Mother’s TiVo was easier then I thought it would be. Here’s a picture which depicts how I connected everything together.
My Mother called me other day and told me that she wanted to hook up a DVD player to the same TV that she has her TiVo hooked up to. After doing a couple of Google searches, I came up with this article on TiVo’s website. The article recommends that you use an A/V receiver for this type of setup. Before I go out and purchase an A/V receiver for my parents, I want to make sure that there isn’t another way that I could do this. Also, assuming I add a RF splitter to the setup, will this allow my Mom to watch TV while recording another channel?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I certainly don’t claim to be an A/V expert ;).
Here’s some additional information that may be useful:
- No cable box is involved in this setup
- The TV is rather old so it doesn’t have a lot of connections in the back just: RF & Composite A/V (Red, Yellow, White)
January 20th, 2006 at 9:21 pm |
Go to Radio Shack and tell them what you need to hook up, and to what sort of TV. There are special gadgets that you can get that will take inputs from multiple devices (VCR, DVD, etc.) and then send the output to a single input on an older television.
I wish I could tell you the name of what you’re looking for, but my husband’s the techie here. All I know is I now have both a DVD and Tivo hooked up to my 13″ bedroom TV that has only a single Co-axial input.
January 20th, 2006 at 9:26 pm |
Have the TiVo use the RF input on the TV and have the DVD player use the RCA jacks. Assuming the TV will let you switch inputs… Older, simpler sets will just look for any incoming signal and display it on channel 3 or 4.
January 21st, 2006 at 12:03 am |
That would work, Dave, but in order to watch something while recording something else, the TV’s coax (RF) has to come straight from the wall. Of course, you need to split the coax, one going to the TV the other going to the TiVo.
Then use the composite A/V (red/white/yellow) from the TiVo to the TV.
This is probably how you have it right now.
So to add the DVD, your only choice is to go to Radio Shack and buy a “composite AV A/B switch” (two sets of red/white/yellow going in, one set going out). When she watches TiVo (most of the time), it’s on “A”. To watch a DVD, pop it over to “B”.
TiVo can still be recording while you’re watching the DVD, in case she asks.
January 21st, 2006 at 1:32 am |
“That would work, Dave, but in order to watch something while recording something else, the TV’s coax (RF) has to come straight from the wall.”
Not really. You can easily put the TiVo into stand-by and it will keep recording but pass the RF to the TV. Just like the old TV/VCR button on a VCR.
January 21st, 2006 at 7:40 am |
I was figuring the watching one channel while recording another was optional - oops! The TV has two inputs, but you need three: TiVo TV, Live TV, and DVD. So you’re right, you’ll need some sort of switch box (everyone sells them these days including Target, some even come with remotes, most will have more than two inputs though).
Here’s a two input model at Radio Shack for $15:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049644&cp=&kw=video+switch&parentPage=search
January 21st, 2006 at 8:53 am |
I had this exact same situation a couple of years ago before I purchased my big-screen TV. It’s rather simple to setup. What you’ll want to buy is a 2-way switch from Radio Shack (15-1982).
Take the cable from the wall and put a regular splitter on it. One of the splits will go to the TiVo and the other to the RF input on the TV.
Now, hookup composite cables from the TiVo to one of the inputs on the switch. Hookup another set of composite cables from the DVD player to the switch.
Finally, hookup a set of composite cables from the switch output to the TV’s composite input.
And you’re done. Your mom can now watch one channel on regular TV while she records another on TiVo.
Whenever she wants to watch TiVo or the DVD she just needs to hit the corresponding button on the 2-way switch.
January 21st, 2006 at 8:55 am |
Thanks a lot! I knew somebody whould have an answer for me!
February 12th, 2006 at 2:28 am |
With this setup, will you be able to: 1) pre-schedule recordings on the vcr like normal and 2) use the “save to vcr” on TIVO? Thanks!
April 1st, 2006 at 4:32 pm |
what about this kind of setup with a cable box ? I have the diagram from the TIVO webite, but that has a VCR. I don’t have a vcr. I have a cable box, dvd, tv, a/v box and splitter. i had this hooked up fine with a vcr but i got rid of that. i’m messing something up. HELP!!!!
April 1st, 2006 at 4:33 pm |
what about this kind of setup with a cable box ? I have the diagram from the TIVO webite, but that has a VCR. I don’t have a vcr. I have a cable box, dvd, tv, a/v box and splitter. i had this hooked up fine with a vcr but i got rid of that. i’m messing something up. HELP!!!!