Everything is rewired and configured. Much better. The HD Cable/DVR Box hooks to the TV via a HDMI connection. The Sony DVP-NS77H/B HDMI Upconverting DVD Player hooks to the TV via a HDMI connection. The Tivo Series 2 Dual Tuner DVR hooks to the TV via a S-Video and L/R Audio connections and the VCR hooks to the TV via a RCA Audio L/R & Video connections. All I can say is WOW! The HD video sources on cable and the upscaled DVDs look absolutely great. Even the audio is much better.
Previouly:
OK, the TV has been up and running in the family area. I guess that's what you call the little space next to the kitchen area. Previously, I had a standard cable box, a dvd player, a vhs recorder/player and a Tivo Series 2 Dual Tuner hooked up to the old TV. First thing I noticed is that standard cable on the HDTV sucked. The DVDs looked really good because the HDTV has built in signal upconverting circuitry from the DVD player. VHS playback is always going to suffer somewhat.
So, I called Charter Cable and had them come out to install an HD cable box and run a new outlet into a front room. Bad news was they'd have to run the line on the outside of the front of the house. There's a chance an electrician can run a line up in the ceiling since we have ceiling vents instead. So no go on the second line for now. The good news was they ran out of regular HD cable boxes and they gave me one with a built in DVR for N/C. All right! Except one problem. I have a Tivo DVR box already. The installer re-wired all my equipment and now I have boxes with wires hanging off them or routed in a way I'm not happy with. I have a "project."
Shouldn't be bad. I took a look at what I have and how it's wired and figured out what I'm going to do. I also want to take advantage of the highest quality signals the equipment can handle. I have HDMI connects but no wires. That's not cheap but doable.This is what I'm going to do since the HDTV has a ton of input connections.
1) Get an HDMI cable for connecting the HD Cable Box to the HDTV
2) Use the built in HD cable box DVR to record HD channels or any channels > channel 99.
3) Split the cable signal and run a co-axial connection to the Tivo Box. I'll use the Tivo DVR to record channels 1-99. In other words, daughter can record all the cartoons and Hannah Montana, Sweet Life of Zack & Cody and other kids shows she wants on the Tivo without interfering with the "good stuff" that will be recorded on the cable box dvr. Once the old tv is hooked to a new cable connection then the Tivo box will be moved.
4) The VHS recorder/player will have a RCA Audio/Video connection direct to the TV or maybe a co-axial connection. I'm not sure yet. I never use it for recording anymore so no problem being stand alone.
5) The DVD player is being moved to where the old TV is. Daughter can watch DVDs there. Eventually, the Tivo box and the PS2 will join it. A mini entertainment center so to speak. The HDTV will be strictly viewing pleasure.
6) I bought a Sony upconverting DVD player with HDMI interface. A real bargain. Retailers are getting desperate. The HDMI cable to connect it to the HDTV costs almost as much as I paid for the DVD player. Eventually it will be upgraded to a Blu Ray DVD player. Part of the reason I say Blu Ray is because I eventually want a PS3 and it has a built in Blu Ray player. I'm sneaky that way.
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