Tivo Subscription / HDTV recording

Refrigerator

Is there any way to use a Tivo without signing up for the subscription? I've heard from some that it can still be used as a recording device, just without any guides or features commonly associated with Tivo.

Everything I read on Tivo's site contradicts this, though. I just want a definite answer on whether or not this is possible.


With DVD recorders (not Blu-ray / HD DVD), is it possible to record HDTV? Or, do DVD recorders only support 480i recording.

Can any/all DVRs record HDTV?


Thanks.

FrchTwst

I doubt that things have changed, but a few years ago when I got my tivo series 2, the only thing you coulod do without subscription was pause, fast forward, and rewind live tv. You couldn't actually set up any recordings or anything. As far as I know, its not actually functional without a subscription. Maybe they were referring to a hack or something in order to get it to actually record.

I don't know much about dvd recorders, but the only dvrs that record hd are tivo and the one provided by cable companies. I think I read something about a samsung or some other product coming out but I don't know anything specific about it.

bicker

The Series 1 TiVos could be used as "digital VCRs" -- i.e., even without subscription you can record programs by time and channel. (You don't get guide data.) With Series 2, only a few models (and all of those came with DVD burners) were provided with "TiVo Basic" service, which was similar -- it basically would provide you guide data, for free, for the life of the machine, for broadcast channels. Most of the Series 2 machines, and all the Series 3 machines, require subscription to record programs.

There were a few non-subscription, non-cable company HD DVRs available a couple of years ago, but none are still in production, except those that are provided by the cable companies themselves. In the United States, cable companies are generally unwilling (and not required to) activate a DVR you purchase yourself, unless it supports CableCard (of which there is only one device, the TiVo Series 3, which requires its own subscription as well).

Refrigerator

Does anyone know why DVDs won't record in HD? I work in electronic sales and this question comes up a lot.

The HD camcorders which use the AVCHD compression will record HD onto regular DVDs. Of course, they aren't recognized by regular players.

Just wondering if anyone knows why this is.

Thanks

rwdavis2

You said it yourself. "they aren't recognized by regular players" it's a different format. It's probably not in any DVD format either. Probably just regular data, as on a hard drive of a PC.

You do know that hi-def dvd players were just introduced over the last year, correct?
BD

kunikos

The Toshiba unit that has very basic Pre-Series 1 TiVo software has no subscription fee but like you said, it doesn't have much of what makes TiVo great either. They are discontinued as well.

kunikos

DVD format is MPEG2 compression (which is pretty awful as far as codecs go) on a DVD-Video booktype and UDF format file system, and HD-DVD or Blu-Ray use different types of MPEG4 (I don't know the booktypes or file system formats off-hand).

No DVD players that I'm aware of can display HD content in a different codec/filesystem-format off a regular DVD disc. I've seen plenty that can upscale to HD, and I haven't heard of any that can display HD content off any other format either (such as DVD players that can do DivX decoding).

Loves2Watch

Echostar, not Dish Network since the company has split is coming out with a new OTA DVR with an electronic program guide for your local stations. It will be similar in function to the ViP622 but will not have satellite tuners in it. It does have 2 HD OTA tuners and the HD size has yet to be anounced. Looks very interesting and I would like to get one as soon as they become available (May-June). Below are some photos from CES.

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