Anyone have Tivo WITHOUT the service?

[chopper]

Subject title sort of says it. I am considering a Tivo unit but don't want the monthly fee to view the listings. Can this actually work to manually find and record.

Maybe I should just get Apple TV.

[Robert M]

Chopper,

If I remember correctly, the TIVO Series 1 could be used without the TIVO service. they worked like VCRson steroids. Some specific TIVO Series 2 units such as my Toshiba RS-TX20 TIVO DVD Recorder include TIVO Basic free of charge as a part of the initial purchase price. It's a very scaled back version of the regular TIVO service, similar in features but not quite as feature-laden as a cable box DVR. Unfortunately, models likethe RS-TX20 are difficult to find brand-new these days.

That said, an AppleTV is not a DVR. If you want a device that records TV shows, rewind live TV and such, an AppleTVis not for you. I look at it this way... If the monthly fee for the TIVO service (or a cable box DVR) saves me from having to remember to set a VCR (or DVD recorder), lets me watch what I want when I want to watch it and reduces the amount of time I actually spend watching TV and prevents me from having to sort through all of the crap to get the stuff I want to watch, then it's worth the purchase price and the monthly fee.

That's why i own the RS-TX20 and dropped the bucks for for TIVO lifetime the very next day (or was it the same day?). Either way, it was worth _every_ penny!

Robert

[vicrock]

I have a Pioneer DVR /burner- comes with a 3 day program listing free - or you can buy the TIVO full service - which I have not done - 3 days seems fine for my needs - if you need to go further out, you can program manually like a VCR.

There are those who want to set a season ticket and forget it, but it isn't worth the fee to me.

[Robert M]

Vic,

Then you have one of the Pioneer models - there are two of them, both discontinued - that included TIVO Basic. Definitely a viable option for those who don't want two weeks worth of guide information, Season Pass and other features offered by TIVO Plus.

Robert

[Bill in NC]

I bought a series 2 single tuner w/ lifetime for around $200 off ebay (it did need a new drive) and transferred it to my account.

ebay likely has plenty of lifetime units available, if you can live w/ a single tuner.

[Gareth]

Yup, Series1 will work as a digital VCR without service. But you end up with a whole bunch of "Manual Recordings" with only the time and channel to identify recordings.

With a TiVo Basic model you'll get program information in the recordings, but you still have to set recordings from the 3 day guide or manually (no season passes).

The TiVo Basic models were the Toshiba DVD/TiVo (this model is the cheapest, but has a really slow interface and awful, proprietary remote), Toshiba DVD-R/TiVo (uses regular TiVo remotes), and the Pioneer DVD-R/TiVo (Pioneer's lack firewire).

Since the decent TiVo Basic models still fetch $200-$300 on eBay, you might find a regular Series2 with lifetime service for the same price or a little bit more. Though Series1's are probably dirt cheap, around $50 or less, plus shipping.

Note the Humax DVD-R/TiVo's are NOT Basic models and require full service (but supposedly you can still buy lifetime on a Humax unit for $299 by calling TiVo).

[Robert M]

Gareth,

A benefit of one of the Toshiba and Pioneer DVD-R models is the ability to archive recordings onto DVD. I use that feature regularly. Just this morning I saved a show I recorded for my mom onto a disc. Definitely amazingly happy with my Toshiba RS-TX20 TIVO DVD Recorder.

Robert

[Gareth]

True, though you can do the same with a Series2 and Toast or Popcorn. Transfer the show to the computer, then burn a DVD. Admittedly, a few more steps, but also more flexible since you don't have to worry about recording at the correct quality to fit on one disc (i.e. you can record a 3 hour movie at best quality and let Toast/Popcorn re-compress it to fit. The DVD TiVo's would split that across multiple discs). But you do lose the pretty TiVo menu's on the DVD.

Also, I find the recording quality on regular Series2's to be slightly better than the DVD-R TiVo's.

[Robert M]

Gareth,

True. Not nearly as convenient, though. BTW, when you say the recording quality is better on a standard Series2, are you talking the TIVO recording itself or the resulting recording after archiving to a DVD via a computer as compared to a DVd created by a DVD-R model?

Robert

[Gareth]

The TiVo recording itself. I've used Toshiba, Pioneer, and Humax DVD units, and Sony and TiVo Series2's and find the standalone Series2 units to be just a touch better at any given quality setting.

Not sure why, I imagine it has something to do with making sure the DVD units can fit the number of hours on DVD in each quality setting.

I'd find my DVD-R units more useful if they could record programs from other TiVo's to DVD, but alas, they can't (has something to do with the audio encoding).