Can TiVo be used without a subscription?

[dmw16]

If I buy a TiVo and only want to use it to record TV shows, pause, and so forth, but dont care about the season pass stuff, can I use it to do that stuff without paying for the subscription?

thanks,
-doug

 

[EvilYoda]

yep, tivo basic.

 

[dmw16]

cool, thanks.

 

[royaldank]

I don't think Series 2 TiVo brand machines can be used at all without a subscription. The other 3rd party machines have TiVo basic for free, though.

Series 1 TiVos act like a VCR w/o subscription but you don't get any kind of guide. You have to program it like a VCR.

 

[torpid]

Depends on the tivo. Tivo basic is pretty much exclusive to Tivo+DVD combination units. Series 1 tivos can in some cases work as normal vcr with even more limited functionality than is found in tivo basic. For the most part, all other tivos cannot.

DirectTV + Tivo units can act as DTV receivers but can't do any tivo stuff unless you pay the $5/mo.

 

[BATCH71]

Yep. Toshiba has the SD-400. Free basic and has a DVD player built in. I have 2 and love em.

Dave

 

[TwiceOver]

Yeh, standard series2 can't do it. Only series1 and the proprietary TiVos that come with basic are free.

I like the subscription service, it's a whole new version of watching TV.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Why not make your own tivo using mythtv or something?

 

[RossMAN]

Yep it's called Tivo Basic.