Are you asking if you can use it without TiVo service? I'm pretty sure the answer is No. It will work just fine with OTA signals from an antenna, though, if you do subscribe.

 

I use my TiVo to record OTA HD broadcasts.

 

You may want to see the TivoHD Overview, Q&A, Setup, Tips sticky.

All DVRs are based on hard drives, and all hard drives fail eventually. But it is a relatively simple process to replace the hard drive with a new one, restoring your TiVo to "like new" condition.

 

I have always had satellite service attached to my Tivo, but I am interested in this question.

With a lot of people converting from analog to digital sets.... if all those new digital converts wanted a way to record digitally onto a Tivo DVR and get rid of their old VCR.... they need to pay the Tivo service charge to get the program guide delivered by Tivo... is that right? If they did not pay for Tivo, could they still record by time outside of the program guide--to avoid the monthly charge? What actually happens when you hook up a Tivo to an antenna driven set and do not subscribe to Tivo service. I looked at the help file and did not really see an answer.

THX,

DL

 

TivoHD will not work (for every long) without a service plan. If you want a DVR that doesn't require a service plan, look at DTVPal.

Regarding hardware lifespan, a Tivo is essentially a small cheap home computer with a hard disk drive. What is the average lifespan of home computers that you have owned in the past?

 

they need to pay the Tivo service charge to get the program guide delivered by Tivo... is that right? If they did not pay for Tivo, could they still record by time outside of the program guide--to avoid the monthly charge? What actually happens when you hook up a Tivo to an antenna driven set and do not subscribe to Tivo service. I looked at the help file and did not really see an answer.

Yes.

The TiVo is sold at a loss. It's essentially a $650 product sold for $200 @ Sears and $250 @ Amazon.com. Hence, a monthly or yearly fee is required to use it, unless you pay $299-$399 for a lifetime subscription to eliminate the fees. Without a monthly, yearly, or lifetime subscription on every unit, TiVo would go out of business in a matter of months.

TiVo feels that more people can afford to pay $199-$250 with a subscription...than can afford to pay $600-$650 without a subscription.

If you're willing to settle for VCR-like timers, then you can get the DTVPal DVR for half the price.

 

Note my signature;

 

Just look at TiVo's new add.

LINK

 

Regarding hardware lifespan, a Tivo is essentially a small cheap home computer with a hard disk drive.

And just like a computer, the most common cause for failure in a Tivo is the hard drive or power supply, both easily user replaceable.

 

Just look at TiVo's new add.

LINK

Yeah, but they are just stating that the OTA digital signal is free versus cable or satellite. Not that using the tivo is free... it's all in the wording and that's what I get out of it.

 

to avoid the monthly charge?

Just pay for a lifetime subscription (tied to the device).

then you have no monthly charge. Period.

It ends up being a ~$500-$600 device (depending upon if you already have a Tivo or not), but if you look at it that way, it's not that expensive. (and gets "cheaper" over time, when you look at it amortized over longer amounts of time).

 

It ends up being a ~$500-$600 device (depending upon if you already have a Tivo or not), but if you look at it that way, it's not that expensive. (and gets "cheaper" over time, when you look at it amortized over longer amounts of time).

Or for the less than half of that OP can get DTVPal DVR that was specifically designed for OTA. No sub required and no extra ads. Last I checked, dishdepot.com had them for $279 shipped.
Somehow I don't think that somebody who needs or wants to save money on programming will be willing to shell out $600 for the DVR.
PS. oops! missed bkdtv post.

 

TivoHD will not work (for every long) without a service plan. If you want a DVR that doesn't require a service plan, look at DTVPal...

Or, if you want a unit that also has a DVD burner built in for saving shows off the hard drive, you might try this one, tho' it has no programming guide at all (as far as I know).

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10104532

 

I convinced someone to get a lifetime THD. Total was about 620$. After about 3 months they decided it wasn't right for them and sold it for 560$. My point being that the overall cost is less if you keep it for a long time but if you decide to get rid of the the money lost is minimal.

BTW my Sony TiVo is still working and it will be TEN YEARS OLD in 6 months.

 

I love my OTA Tivo. The subscription fee is a good buy considering the added value it brings for ease of programming and features for finding broadcasts.
Of course, if you have a computer, then the fun expands greatly.

 

I have always had satellite service attached to my Tivo, but I am interested in this question.

With a lot of people converting from analog to digital sets.... if all those new digital converts wanted a way to record digitally onto a Tivo DVR and get rid of their old VCR.... they need to pay the Tivo service charge to get the program guide delivered by Tivo... is that right?
If they did not pay for Tivo, could they still record by time outside of the program guide--to avoid the monthly charge? What actually happens when you hook up a Tivo to an antenna driven set and do not subscribe to Tivo service. I looked at the help file and did not really see an answer.

THX,

DL

This is what.

The TiVo service is a lot more than simply guide data (despite that and software is all that is practically delivered). The subscription enables a lot of the functionality of the device, including basic recording functions.

Without a subscription, all it can do is buffer live TV, and view recordings made when it had service.

 

I have a Series 3 and my TV is OTA. I use that and my Netflix membership and am very satisfied. I get everything I need for about $30 a month, in mostly HD and pretty much everything is a minimum of DVD quality. Buy the Tivo HD at an actual Sears store (not online) for the best price. Why pay the cable guy or the sat. guy $50 to $100 a month to get HD channels when you can get them for free (or 100+ channels when you only watch a couple)? The TiVo Digital Media Recorder (think of it as a DMR with so many extra features other DVR units cannot come close to) will pay for itself.

Though if you buy the TiVo HD, you may want to think about adding capacity at some point...

 

I convinced someone to get a lifetime THD. Total was about 620$. After about 3 months they decided it wasn't right for them and sold it for 560$. My point being that the overall cost is less if you keep it for a long time but if you decide to get rid of the the money lost is minimal.

BTW my Sony TiVo is still working and it will be TEN YEARS OLD in 6 months.

If you mean Sony Series 1, it's really a Philips with a Sony cover!

 

I think the TiVo service and it's excellent interface are well worth the subscription fee in comparison to a basic recording device. The Series 3 and TiVo HD work great for OTA digital/HD and if you provide your TiVo with a good internet feed, there are tons of online features that make the subscription even better value.

I would definitely recommend the lifetime subscription. It's way better than having an annoying monthly service fee and it pays for itself in a couple years. As mentioned before, in the remote chance you are not satisfied with TiVo, you can recoup most of the cost by reselling the box.

As far as hard drive failures, I did a drive upgrade on mine so I have my original drive as a backup. It's pretty easy to keep the box working for many-many years.

Go for it, you'll have no regrets.

 

If you mean Sony Series 1, it's really a Philips with a Sony cover!

And even then, the Philps is not a Philips either, rather it is the reference TiVo design built by a contract manufacturer in Mexico, with the Sonly or Philips front and lid attached.

 

I think the TiVo service and it's excellent interface are well worth the subscription fee in comparison to a basic recording device.

I would definitely recommend the lifetime subscription. It's way better than having an annoying monthly service fee and it pays for itself in a couple years. As mentioned before, in the remote chance you are not satisfied with TiVo, you can recoup most of the cost by reselling the box.

Go for it, you'll have no regrets.

While I agree with the first statement, I disagree with the second for those that receive programming from another third party. What happens when Direct TV makes you lease (no more purchase) their latest HD DVR and they take your Tivo away? That happened to me. I could still use my Tivo, but I chose not to, and with Direct, you could not get all the available HD channels unless you switched. (the big DTV vs Tivo fight...)

Now, admittedly I don't think that the Tivo lifetime sub was an option for me with Direct, but still... do you think Tivo would have prorated my lifetime sub and given me money back?

I did love my Tivo. It was almost as good as my first Microsoft Ultimate TV DVR. And that is why I recommend them if they are an option.

 

.... and they take your Tivo away?....

... is there some anti-TiVo police force I don't know about?

 

... is there some anti-TiVo police force I don't know about?

OK, not exactly.
Direct TV did not take my Tivo.
Direct TV made me buy the Tivo way back when, so it was mine to keep.
I ended up using it as a sales perk when I sold my last HD TV.

 

You have to have a subscription, but it works great.

I get about 20 channels locally, and thats all mine is used for.

 

Where's the OP?