I'm assuming that I can run a cable to a VCR (or two) before the cable box and get at least some channels that way.

If there's an analog signal in addition to a digital signal. I don't think VCRs or much else can handle the digital signal directly.

Shoot, that wasn't the answer I was looking for. But I think I will still get it, I just won't quite retire the VCRs yet.

-t-, I'm not sure what exactly you're looking to do, but you can think of a TIVO as a VCR. IOW, whatever TV watching options you get with a VCR while it's recording a show, you'll get with the TIVO. Plus a whole lot more.

And weren't there some TIVOs out that had two tv tuners built-in, or did that never happen?

But do TiVos have digital cable tuners in them?

No.

Early 2006, they said! There was a press release!

I tried to split my cable once to do the watch/record thing, but it didn't end up working very well. One split got all the channels I wanted, and the other one got CBS and three or four Spanish channels and nothing else.

I think if I get an HD set before there's an HDTivo, I may switch over to Time Warner's HD-DVR. But I'll be bitter about it.

[eta: The DirectTivos have 2 tuners, but I'm not sure they make them anymore. I vaguely remember that partnership falling through sometime this past year.]

I don't have the link to my setup right now, but I can get all my analog channels through the VCR and directly into the TV, with the TiVo bogarting evrything over 99. Works great.

I have DVR through the cable company. No set top box, and we can record two and watch one of the ones recording all at the same time.

I'm assuming that Comcast delivers an analog signal as "backup" to the digital, because that's what Cox did. Though Cox offered a DVR, and Comcast doesn't, at least not in my area.

I tried to get DirectTV and their special Tivo deal (mainly for the NFL Sunday Ticket), but there's apparently nowhere to mount a dish that would work. Alas. I'll have to get my Saints games some other way.

In any case, I'm going to pick up a Tivo box tonight and may very well be back for setup help...I'm already splitting my cable to go to the cable box and my modem. Sigh.

I have Directv & its TiVo which uses two tuners. So I can watch something previously recorded and record two simultaneous shows. Furthermore, I live in nowhereland, so I also get both LA & NY locals, meaning I could conceivably record four shows that air simultaneously.

Neener.

I only neener, because I'm envious of all the other nifty features that real TiVos, TiVos unabandoned by their makers, have and continue to offer. Including utilizing the deactivated USB port just sitting there at the back of my unit, taunting me. Blargh.

So I neener when I can.

I could conceivably record four shows that air simultaneously.

And change the gravitational constant of the universe...