Panasonic DMR-E85H: How to get Time and TV Guide from TimeWarner Cable box

[Constable01]

I have Time Warner Cable TV using a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD and 8300SD PVRs. Time Warner New York City uses encrypted channels. Could someone tell me how I can get the TV Guide and Time sync signals? I've had this unit around for a couple of years with very little use. I use other methods of recording programs now, but I still want to try to get this E85H to get the TV Guide Listing just for the heck of it.

Should I put the E85H before the cable box or after the cable box? I have to use the coaxial cable, right?

There are hundreds of channels so it probably takes a long time. I have never seen any time sync or TV Guide listings after a day or so. I don't even know if it's trying to find anything other than it flipping through channels.

I sent an email to TWCNY, but they didn't seem to know anything about a time sync signal or TV Guide signals. The clock on the E85H runs rather slow so resetting the clock manually is a pain.

Could somebody please clue me in what to do. I'm not using one of my cable boxes at the moment and can leave it on for a week if necessary. I just need to know if there are any signals to get. There's a few PBS stations available, but I don't know which one gives a signals. Please help.

[gshelley61]

TVGOS (TV Guide On Screen) only can retrieve data for the analog cable channels. You must use the regular cable input of the DVD recorder in order for it to work (bypassing the cable box). The TV Guide program listings are downloaded overnight from the cable system while the DVD recorder is off.

Get a two output cable splitter. Run one output to your cable box, one to the DVD recorder cable/antenna input. Then hook up the audio/video output of the cable box to the audio/video input of the DVD recorder (this will allow you to manually record the digital cable channels you receive with the cable box).

You will be able to record the analog cable channels that you can receive with the DVD recorder's internal tuner using the TV Guide On Screen listings system.

When you do the TV Guide setup on your DVD recorder, use the "no cable box" option.

[Constable01]

TVGOS (TV Guide On Screen) only can retrieve data for the analog cable channels. You must use the regular cable input of the DVD recorder in order for it to work (bypassing the cable box). The TV Guide program listings are downloaded overnight from the cable system while the DVD recorder is off.

Get a two output cable splitter. Run one output to your cable box, one to the DVD recorder cable/antenna input. Then hook up the audio/video output of the cable box to the audio/video input of the DVD recorder (this will allow you to manually record the digital cable channels you receive with the cable box).

You will be able to record the analog cable channels that you can receive with the DVD recorder's internal tuner using the TV Guide On Screen listings system.

When you do the TV Guide setup on your DVD recorder, use the "no cable box" option.

Thanks for your help. I'll try that setup sometime this week. Does this also make the Time Sync Signal work?

Not your fault, but having to manually set the digital channels defeats having the TVGOS system. I don't even know what channels are analog. I thought they were all digital. Oh how I hate these cable companies. If I had the SARA system on my cable box I would just add an extra drive to get more space. Dammit.

[CapeKO]

You need to hook up an IR blaster to your Panasonic, in order to change channels on your cable box.
Check your manual to see if it is available on your model.
This will make the TV Guide funtions work
My panasonic works just fine with a digital cable box(different model recorder then yours)
Digital box to recorder to TV, Bypassing any thing is not required
You need the IR blaster hook up, in order for you recorder to download the TV guide and make it funtional for recording.
The IR blaster will change the channels on Your cable box as reqired

[Constable01]

You need to hook up an IR blaster to your Panasonic, in order to change channels on your cable box.
Check your manual to see if it is available on your model.
This will make the TV Guide funtions work
My panasonic works just fine with a digital cable box(different model recorder then yours)
Digital box to recorder to TV, Bypassing any thing is not required
You need the IR blaster hook up, in order for you recorder to download the TV guide and make it funtional for recording.
The IR blaster will change the channels on Your cable box as reqired

Yes, I have the IR Blaster that came with the Panny. I have to go through the manual again since I haven't read it for a long time. I know during the setup of the Panny the IR Blaster is required to flip through the cable box channels to find time sync and TVGOS signals. The problem I had was that the Panasonic never found any signals after 24 hours of searching. That's why I thought maybe I'm doing something wrong. Maybe different cable companies work things differently. I'll just have to experiment more.