Tivos with basic service questions

[Sports Fan]

I'm looking to buy my first Tivo and I wanted to get one with the free basic service (I don't need all the extras with regular Tivo). I already got a standalone DVD recorder, so I was looking for a Toshiba SD-H400. If I got this model will I be able to record the video from Tivo to my DVD recorder? Will I run into any macrovision problems? Is it worth the extra money for a Toshiba Tivo DVD recorder (the TX20 and TX60) even if I already have a standalone recorder? Is ebay really the only place I can find these Tivo Basic units now? Thanks.

[wscannell]

TiVo Basic service only comes on some of the DVD units. The Toshiba is one of them, I believe.

[robomeister]

TiVo Basic service comes standard on the Pioneer DVR-810H-S, Pioneer DVR-57H, Toshiba SD-H400, Toshiba RS-TX20 and Toshiba RS-TX60. All have DVD burners, except the Toshiba SD-H400. All burner units will not burn any recorded programs that have MacroVision encoding. This includes VHS tapes that have been manually recorded onto your TiVo. You will be able to record them to the TiVo to view them, but will not be able to burn them to a DVD.

The Humax TiVos with DVD burners do not include TiVo Basic service.

If you are using an external DVD burner to manually "record to VHS", then however your external DVD burner deals with MacroVision will apply. The TiVo will play the recorded shows with the MacroVision encoding. It will not strip this out for you.

Ebay seems to be a good source for these Tivos. However, if you do some searching, you may be able to find an online store that has these units in stock. But they are getting harder to find.

Hope that helps.

[Sports Fan]

If you are using an external DVD burner to manually "record to VHS", then however your external DVD burner deals with MacroVision will apply. The TiVo will play the recorded shows with the MacroVision encoding. It will not strip this out for you.

So if the show doesn't have macrovision, I should be able to record a program to my external DVD recorder just fine? How often are TV programs encoded in macrovision?

[robomeister]

Sure, you shouldn't have any problems burning to disc if the show doesn't have MacroVision encoding.

Many shows on the pay channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.) have some sort of copy protection. But it doesn't happen too often. But if you try to copy store bought tapes by recording them on your TiVo, then trying to burn them to disc via a DVD recorder, you may have problems.

[ashu]

Tosh SD-H400 (DVD player with TiVo, very decoupled DVD/TiVo subsystems)
Tosh RS-TX20 (DVD recorder with TiVo, familiar DVD playabck interface, burning of shows to DVD -R/RW, 120 hours)
Tosh RS-TX60 (160 hours)

All have a very limited TiVo service for free, called TiVo basic.

The Humax DRT-800, 1600 (rare) and 400 (no FireWire input) lack TiVo Basic. But CAN be subscribed to Lifetime service, if you can find a gift card (selling for way too much on ebay!)

[Sports Fan]

Thanks for the help, I ended up getting a SD-H400 on ebay.

[magnus]

Anyone know the difference between the following status' on RS-TX20?

Tivo Account Status
-------------------------
17: Tivo Basic (FT Possible)
19: Tivo Basic (FT Not Possible)

[Chester_Lampwick]

I'm speculating that you can lifetime sub one but not the other. You can definately monthly sub either, TiVo won't say no to money.

[magnus]

I thought lifetime sub was no longer available.

I'm speculating that you can lifetime sub one but not the other. You can definately monthly sub either, TiVo won't say no to money.

[MungoJerrie]

Anyone know the difference between the following status' on RS-TX20?

Tivo Account Status
-------------------------
17: Tivo Basic (FT Possible)
19: Tivo Basic (FT Not Possible)
Doesn't the "FT" mean "Free Trial" - these units had a free trial of "Tivo Plus" service initially...

[magnus]

I wondered that too but i do not see the trial in any of the menus on the tivo.

Doesn't the "FT" mean "Free Trial" - these units had a free trial of "Tivo Plus" service initially...

[megazone]

Yeah, I thought the one had already used it's trial and the other hadn't.

[Awalt]

I just saw a Humax DVD DRT-800 on Ebay with lifetime basic service. Is the seller confused or are their some humax models that offer the free basic service.

[wscannell]

The Humax models do not include basic. The seller is confused. He probably thinks all DVD Tivos have basic which is the case for the Toshiba and Pioneer, but not the Humax.