The DirecTV HD10-250 won't. Which current brand model does?

We're outputting composite to the HT's Mitsu DLP and component to modulate to other rooms.

Yes, everyone on the periferal sets will look like Kareem Abdul Jabar. I realize it would be best to have a dedicated DSS for this, but he wants only one Tivo thruout the house and is replacing his little TV's w/widescreens.

None - there is only one HDTivo and that's it. It will output both, just not at the same time.

Any discretes to turn this info into a comfortable bandaid?

No discretes exist for this that I have found. The up arrow key can be programmed in the menu to toggle between 2 or more outputs. This will be difficult to program since it needs 2 up arrow commands if the output display is not on and 1 if it is. The workaround may be exit first than 2 up arrow commands. Directv has announced networked units this year...lets see what that is all about.

Hey Doodman,

Where do I begin to start this workaround?

...Still trolling for a miracle here. So are there no HDTivos that output 480 & 1080 at the same time?

Steve,

Your only solution is to feed the 1080i out of the HD Tivo, into the HD monitor and a black box. (Your need a component video splitter box for this function.) Another black box will need to down convert the 1080i into 480 (either interlaced or progressive, choose the correct one for your setup).

Seems like a cheesy solution for spending so much money! Why not just put in TiVo units at all the locations. By the time you contrast the extra cost of the black boxes, and the fact that the other TiVo's provide extra functionality, I don't know why you'd opt for the solution you're after.

Yup. He wants one Tivo to run the house - that way they only setup one for recording and playback everywhere.

So... a component video splitter: one to the HDTV, one to the downconverter for 480i throughout the house. Sounds like the ticket. I'm eatin' it cause I figured there would be an $800 HDTivo that would output both at the same time.

Do you have any brand/model for both of these that are dependable? I appreciate the tip.

Classic case of the customer thinking he knows what's best for him and not taking advice... happens all the time. If you plant the seed of the multiple TiVo concept, there's an 80% chance he'll come back to you in 6-12 months and say - you were right... I need the second (or third) TiVo. How many times has the customer said "I don't need the [intellicontrol/HTM/Crestron/Pronto etc...] I'm good with this stuff, and it's too much money. I'll just use the original remotes" only to have him call six months (sometimes weeks) later and say... "you were right - I've got it figured out, but it still sucks, and no one else in my house can get a picture on the TV without calling me on the cell phone at work... Please come put in the better remote"

Remind him that he can only record one show at a time... What does he do if he likes two shows that are on at the same time? If you plant the seed, he will find times where he wants to record two things at once...

All of the DirecTV TIVOs can record two shows at once (a feature that blows outboard TIVOs away!). If all the family members watch the same TV shows and movies (sometimes just a husband and wife) then having just one TIVO where all of your content is stored is a great feaure. It would be very inconvienient and clunky for them to have to look on multiple TIVOs to find where they recorded a specific show.

What sucks is that if they need as little as HD in one room and SD is one other room, this cannot be done out of the TIVO box.

Oops, I forgot... Oh well... Still a good story!

Steve,

AVtoolbox.com has the component splitter distribution amps and I am pretty sure they have a down converter as well.

..Exactly why we're doing things this way. We'll be swapping out the 2 periferal TV's (exercise & kitchen) for little Sharp wide screens so the people on TV will look as naturally fat as the clients (not tall & skinny).

I still couldn't pry the Pioneer DVDTivo out of their fingers upstairs in the MB on the other Mits HDTV.

I'll check into the Toolbox. This sounds like the solution. Very much appreciate the help.

Are there any other companies that might manufacture a 1080i to 480i converter?

And really.. are we sure there are no HDTivos that don't output both at the same time?

Yes, there is only one brand and model of HDTivo available the HR10-250, and it will not output HD and SD at the same time.

i have had SEVERAL customers that are using the HR10-250, and we had the same issues with the SD/HD switching. In one particular system, we have 3 of these units, and they are distributed throughtout the house with a full crestron system. The problem is that some of the smaller tv's in the house (kids beds, kitchen) are sharp aquos LCD's that dont display HD, and they want them to automatically appear when they press a button.

the fix... (heh heh)

I opened each of the tivo's up, took off the face plates (where the format button and indicator lights are) and soldered small wires to the ground, format button, 480i indicator light, and the 1080i indicator light. I then drilled a hole in the back of the tivo, and installed a DIN plug to make it quick-disconnect. I then ran the format button wires to one of the relay outputs on the crestron brain, and the indicator lights to the versiport inputs on the crestron brain. Then i wrote logic in the brain that looks at the versiport inputs that monitor the indicator lights and determines which output mode the tivo is in.

so... when someone uses one of the HD plasmas in the house, the crestron looks at the tivo, and sees if it is in HD or SD... if it is in SD, then it toggles the format button via its internal relay until it senses that the tivo is in HD... then if someone activates a SD tv somewhere in the house, then the crestron kicks the tivo down to SD so that it can be watched by the little tv. When there are no SD tv's on, it kicks the tivo back to the HD mode.

I have done this little modification on over 10 tivos thus far, and it works AWESOME, however... this is not for amateurs or the faint of heart.... you will void the warranty (duh) on your (or your customers) $1000 tivo.

If any of you are in the same boat, and you would like to know the exact procedure on how to do this, feel free to contact me at [email protected]

This message was edited by powertrippin on 05/03/05 13:36 ET.