Topic: Official "My Living Room is broke thread"

[UncleBob]

Okay, here's the basics of my living room set up (and how it pertains to my current problem)



Let this sink in while I work on the post detailing my issue.

[ShyGuy]

VCR? hahahahahaha

[UncleBob]

Okay, here's the deal.  TiVo lets you record live television feed and download (most of it) to your PC.  I want to be able to use this feature to download gameplay from video games (just for kicks, I won't be making any Video Gameplay Guides or anything)...

So here's what you've got in the picture.

The NES/SNES use their Composite Audio/Video Outputs (with the sound from the NES going into a connector joining it with the right channel from the SNES and the Video from the two combining in the same fashion) for button #1 on my switch box.  The N64 is in button #2.  The GCN is in button #3.  My DVD player is in button #4.

Now, from all this, the Audio/Video goes through a splitter, with one feed going into my VCR and one feed going into my TiVo.  The VCR feed must be there because video shown from the TiVo is shown at about a 2 second delay (as part of it's recording process) - a delay that would not work for playing video games.

So, into the TiVo goes the feed from the Switch Box (and thus, all the A/V equiptment) and basic cable feed (via coax).

Into the VCR goes the feed from the TiVo (via Coax) and the direct feed from the switch box.  This is the feed that goes directly into the Television via coax (all my larger TV has, it's an older set).

Let that sink in...  

[UncleBob]

Now, here's how it works.  Obviously, the regular cable feed goes into the TiVo for all the basic features (watching TV, Recording TV, etc).  If I turn the VCR on, it takes over what the TV is showing (either the feed from the TiVo or the feed directly from the switch box (or, I guess, a VHS tape)).

Now, in order to get the TiVo to recognize the incoming A/V feed from the switch box, I have to change the TiVo channel to channel Zero.  The A/V-in on the TiVo is supposed to only be used for a Digital Cable Box, so what I'm doing is techically unsupported.  Anywhoo... If I have either the DVD player or the GameCube powered on (and it's button switched on the switch box), I get the Audio/Video feed both live through the VCR or on the two second delay through the TiVo feed.

However...  If I try to use the Nintendo 64, the Super Nintendo or the original NES, I get the live feed through the VCR, but the TiVo tells me there's no A/V feed coming in and to check the signal, etc., etc...  So I tried switching connections, putting the N64 connection into the switch box where the GCN was connected, connecting the SNES directly to the TiVo... everything... But the TiVo just won't recognize that it's getting feed from the three older systems...  Any ideas?

[Ceric]

What if you pipe the Video from the VCR to the TV and the TiVo?

[UncleBob]

I tired that first.  The VCR completely takes over all video feed - meaning that if the VCR isn't sending it out, it ain't going out.  So the only thing the VCR sends out is whatever channel it's currently set to - and then the TiVo *FREAKS OUT* because it can't get all the other channels that it's looking for (and in some cases, trying to record) in the back ground...

[UncleBob]

Ceric, Shecky and I were talking... I think I totally misunderstood you!

I'm going to try it as soon as possible (what we think you were suggesting), but my wife is watching a new Law and Order right now... so it'll have to wait...

[UncleBob]

Okay, Now I'm even more confused.

I took the direct feed from my Switch Box and ran it into the A/V-in jacks on my VCR.  Then, I took the direct feed from the VCR's A/V-out jacks and ran it into my TiVo's A/V-in jacks.  Then, I hooked my TiVo directly into my television via the Coax output.

And I'm getting the same thing.  The DVD Player works through the TiVo.  The GameCube works through the TiVo.  Heck, even the VCR's blue screen works through the TiVo.  But as soon as I turn on the SNES/NES or N64, the VCR's blue screen cuts out and suddenly TiVo says it's not getting a signal.  It's like it doesn't recognize the signal being sent from the NES/SNES/N64 as a real signal.

[Ceric]

I can only think of 2 things that could be the reason for that off the top of my head.
1)  With that much pass through maybe those three just don't put out a strong enough signal to begin with for it to do a good job
2)  They are using an older/different standard to send the data across the wire.  I mean there are multiple standards even on the Coax side of the equation.  (Though the wikipedia entry makes no not of it)

Also I have another funny question for you.  If you are using the "Standard" jack on the GCN.  Have you tried taking it's plug and using it on the SNES or N64?  It's a long shot that its wire but you know it never hurts...

[stevey]

maybe if you dont use the AV cable but hook the Coax(RF) wire to the s-nes-64 and then to the tivo?

[ThePerm]

lol my flow chart for my video lines is as comples as 10 chess games!!