Possible use of TIVO Series 2 Dual w/o subscription

[mitch77]

Hi,

Never had or even seen a Tivo unit in use (ubernoob).
I have been offered an 80-hour TiVo Series2 Dual Tuner DVR
used but working fine for $35.
I can not afford to pay for a subscription and
would like to use it to record stuff 'manually' if you will.
(I have no need to record whole seasons of shows or topics etc.)

Is this possible? Or is it useless w/o a subscription?
Are there mods to make it useful in this way?

Thanks very much!

mitch

[SullyND]

Is this possible? Or is it useless w/o a subscription?
Are there mods to make it useful in this way?

No. Yes. No.

You'd be buying a $35 brick without subscription.

The only TiVo which will allow manual recording without subscription is the Series 1.

[magnus]

Also, the Series 2 Toshiba DVD players and Pioneer DVD players can get basic service for free.

Toshiba
--------------------
RS-TX20/60
SD-H400

Pioneer
--------------------
DVR-810-H
DVR-57H


No. Yes. No.

You'd be buying a $35 brick without subscription.

The only TiVo which will allow manual recording without subscription is the Series 1.

[funtoupgrade]

Door stop.

[Sleestak]

If the tivo unit previously had a subscription, and the subscription ran out and has never connected to tivo service since, then it thinks it's still in good standing, and can record manually. but no season pass, etc. and if you ever do connect, recording ability will end. And when Daylight savings comes around, the clock will be an hour off, so manual will be a bit of a pain.

I have one like this, but i dont use it cuz the clock being off was a problem.

[mitch77]

MAGNUS SAID:
Also, the Series 2 Toshiba DVD players and Pioneer DVD players can get basic service for free.

Toshiba RS-TX20/60 SD-H400

Pioneer DVR-810-H DVR-57H

I was wondering if these units will allow time setting etc
Or are they quirky and subject to odd issues or bricking.

thanks for the info guys

[mick66]

MAGNUS SAID:
Also, the Series 2 Toshiba DVD players and Pioneer DVD players can get basic service for free.

Toshiba RS-TX20/60 SD-H400

Pioneer DVR-810-H DVR-57H

I was wondering if these units will allow time setting etc
Or are they quirky and subject to odd issues or bricking.

thanks for the info guys

Those units have free basic service (that Tivo calls 'Tivo basic') that allows them to work with some limitations w/o a subscription but they will record what you want them to record. That service was built into the purchase price.

[mitch77]

Hi one more question;

Could someone rate these by desirablity please.
Perhaps they are all the same thing in different wrappers?

Just wondering which I should focus the hunt for.

Thanks everyone who has helped me get a clue.

mitch

[mick66]

Perhaps they are all the same thing in different wrappers?


bingo

[jlb]

The only TiVo which will allow manual recording without subscription is the Series 1.


Not true.

My AT&T branded Series 2 works just fine as a manual record unit.

[mitch77]

JLB

Could you tell me the model number or brand etc of your At&t unit?
I can't find any reference to AT&T tivo when Isearch.

[jlb]

My AT&T Series 2 has 130 as the first three numbers.

It was a 40-hour box.

[mick66]

JLB

Could you tell me the model number or brand etc of your At&t unit?
I can't find any reference to AT&T tivo when Isearch.

FYI - the only reason jlb's S2 Tivo can function w/o a sub is because it had a subscription at one time and when he decided to cancel the sub, he disconnected it from the phone line or network so that it couldn't make a daily call, then he canceled it. Without making a daily call the Tivo was never allowed to get the message that it's subscription had been canceled. After a couple of weeks it ran out of guide data and so the only remaining option was to record by time and channel. This is not unique to the AT&T Tivo. Any S2 will do this.

[mstenzel]

mick66, I get what you're saying. What I'm still not clear on is whether the de-subbed box will eventually shut off its manual record feature if it doesn't get to dial home to confirm account status. Any thoughts?

[classicsat]

It may or may not. It seems it is the case a Series 2 will work (manually record) without a sub, if the box is physically disconnected from the network or phone line before service is canceled. There is no guarantee that it will be the case though.

[shlomo]

hi everyone, it's been a few years since anyone added to this post. i just got a series 2 tivo, and want to use it for basic recording w/o subscription. has anyone figured out whether a previous subscription on the box will allow this as suggested? i am seeing conflicting information on this. kindly advise.

[classicsat]

There is no will, but it may, if the box was physically disconnected before service was terminated. Of course, connecting it to go through guided setup or to set the clock, will set the TiVo to the status that TiVos servers believe it ought to be.

[lessd]

hi everyone, it's been a few years since anyone added to this post. i just got a series 2 tivo, and want to use it for basic recording w/o subscription. has anyone figured out whether a previous subscription on the box will allow this as suggested? i am seeing conflicting information on this. kindly advise.

At this point other than trick TV an unsub TiVo is a door stop. (with the exception of some Series 1 TiVos), when a sub is stopped if you disconnect the TiVo from calling home you can get about 30 days of almost full use, you will have no guide data after about 12 days but you can manual record until the 30 days are up.

[Wil]

At this point other than trick TV an unsub TiVo is a door stop. (with the exception of some Series 1 TiVos)The HR10-250 is a special case, not relevant to the specific discussion here but just wanted to note my opinion that your statement is too broad.

Four levels of non-sub HR10-250 use: one pretty easy, OTA with guide, otherwise dumb, and clearly legal; an intermediate OTA level of use that could be regarded as just arranging things unusually but legally and then "just letting it happen" rather than anything out-of-bounds underhanded; a similar OTA level that requires some intervention that most would regarded as bad or at least marginal; and the obviously illegal beyond-OTA with no redeeming social qualities, a level I know about only through intellectual curiosity and have never even played with.

One of the things that makes the HR10-250 a special case, IMO, is that it's DirecTV-abandoned for the purpose for which it was sold (sold, not leased), and many think that justifies a certain amount of latitude in former subscribers trying to achieve some salvage value.

[shwru980r]

Hi,

Never had or even seen a Tivo unit in use (ubernoob).
I have been offered an 80-hour TiVo Series2 Dual Tuner DVR
used but working fine for $35.
I can not afford to pay for a subscription and
would like to use it to record stuff 'manually' if you will.
(I have no need to record whole seasons of shows or topics etc.)

Is this possible? Or is it useless w/o a subscription?
Are there mods to make it useful in this way?

Thanks very much!

mitch

It doesn't make sense to buy an S2 without lifetime service unless you want to use it for spare parts for a lifetime unit you already own. Additionally a dual tuner S2 won't work with over the air TV anymore. With cable TV the second tuner will only work on analog channels which are being phased out.

[bj501]

Just bought a new S2 from BB and hoping it wasn't a waste.
I have basic cable with Atlantic Broadband and just would like to use the S2 functions as long as possible.

Is this a dead or dying unit and not worth the effort or not.
I have no intention to get HD in the near future but have read much about cable cos. moving all to digital. if so, how can i continue to use this unit. amont lots of articles i saw things like QAM tuners and digital transport adapters. do i need to look at hem also now or later?
is this S2 feasible or should i return it and look at another product. i know the HD unit was also available at some BB's but i dont have Hd now.

i also figure a lifetime sub would be prudent but if its tied to the unit and it becomes abrick in the coming year or so, that doesnt make sense either.
thanks all.

[classicsat]

I wouldn't buy PL for a Series 2 anymore. I would buy the prepay one year though.

I doubt they will make it into a brick (they still service Series 1s), but your provider may drop or sigificantly curtail analog, significantly reducing dual tuner capability of the box.

If you have actual cable, you likely will be more satisfied with a TiVo HD, even without an HD TV set. With it, you will get full dual tuners for digital cable, and antenna (to add to or replace cable if it goes out or you have to cancel cable service), anf no real hardware changes when you upgrade to an HDTV set.

[gastrof]

Just bought a new S2 from BB...

i saw things like QAM tuners and digital transport adapters. do i need to look at hem also now or later?...

QAM tuners are digital tuners that work with digital cable. If the cable company scrambles their digital channels, all such tuners get you is the channels that can't be legally scrambled (namely OverTheAir locals).

Digital Transport Adapters are cheapo cable boxes the cable companies give to people who only had analog cable and didn't want to switch to digital, but sort of have to if they want to keep their "real cable" channels.

One thing that'd help is if you'd tell us what type of Series 2 you bought. The single tuner ones were upgraded to work with OTA digital converter boxes. The Dual Tuner ones weren't. Either will work with a cable box.

[shwru980r]

Just bought a new S2 from BB and hoping it wasn't a waste.
I have basic cable with Atlantic Broadband and just would like to use the S2 functions as long as possible.

Is this a dead or dying unit and not worth the effort or not.
I have no intention to get HD in the near future but have read much about cable cos. moving all to digital. if so, how can i continue to use this unit. amont lots of articles i saw things like QAM tuners and digital transport adapters. do i need to look at hem also now or later?
is this S2 feasible or should i return it and look at another product. i know the HD unit was also available at some BB's but i dont have Hd now.

i also figure a lifetime sub would be prudent but if its tied to the unit and it becomes abrick in the coming year or so, that doesnt make sense either.
thanks all.

I would return the S2 to for a refund. Look for a Tivo HD at block buster or online. Even if you're not going HD, the Tivo HD has the ATSC and QAM tuners built in, and will display the output in SD. You will probably pick up many more channels from basic cable with a Tivo HD.