# Roamio without TIVO subscription



## srwdc1 (Sep 24, 2014)

Hello.. 

I have a bunch of shows recorded on my roamio, but that Roamio no longer pays a fee to Tivo. Can I still watch the old shows?

Thanks in advance to this great community.!

My situation: 

I have the Roamio OTA (+cable card)-- was about $150-$200 when new. 
We had "cut the cord"-- used OTA and a patchwork of streaming (Sling, Hulu, Showtime,) plus Showtime/HBO.. So we paid $15/month to TIVO basically for the OTA recording and "guide" to the 50 OTA channels here (Washington DC)

Finally went back to Cable company (reluctantly)-- RCN locally-- since the "package price" but better live sports (olympics) without the hiccups on Sling and without switching back and forth between TIVO and firestick. Price is equivalent all-in.

Cable company added a $7/month Premiere 2-tuner which is sufficient. (Cable guy asked why not just put in a $2/month cable card in the old Roamio).

Anyway, now we have an extra Roamio. So I'll cancel the $15/month Roamio-TIVO subscription (since it's includled in the overall-cheaper-cable package) The Roamio has maybe 40 hours of programming I hate to lose (but havent watched anyway-- previous operas and Arlo Guthrie shows recorded from PBS, and an Adele concert).

Question #1 -- more important
Can I just plug in the Roamio (without its own TIVO monthly fee) via HDMI to the TV, and watch those recordings? Or is the Roamio "dead" without an additional Tivo monthly fee?

Is there a way to "download" the shows to some external hard drive and play that way?

Question #2. -- less important 
We have a 2nd TV in basement we don't use (kids have left home). It only has OTA channels and ROKU. Can I put the Roamio on that TV? would the Cable Company charge me only $2.00 for the Cable Card? Or would I also have to pay TIVO (again) the $15 monthly fee? 

Thanks for reading the long post. I posted here since I expect I'll get a more honest response than calling either the cable company or TIVO.

-Steve


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Yes you can watch recorded shows. I think a cable card would work if set up before canceling. You would have no guide data and only be able to watch live tv and already recorded shows. You should be able to pause and buffer for 30 minutes.


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## PCurry57 (Feb 27, 2012)

srwdc1 said:


> Hello..
> 
> I have a bunch of shows recorded on my roamio, but that Roamio no longer pays a fee to Tivo. Can I still watch the old shows?


Yes, only on a tv connected to that TiVo!



srwdc1 said:


> Thanks in advance to this great community.!
> 
> My situation:
> 
> ...


You can watch previously recorded content. You can use it as a digital tuner box without any trick play features.



srwdc1 said:


> Is there a way to "download" the shows to some external hard drive and play that way?


All network features i.e. Streaming to another TiVo device and downloading require an active subscription. Download content before canceling service to the TiVo.



srwdc1 said:


> Question #2. -- less important
> We have a 2nd TV in basement we don't use (kids have left home). It only has OTA channels and ROKU. Can I put the Roamio on that TV? would the Cable Company charge me only $2.00 for the Cable Card? Or would I also have to pay TIVO (again) the $15 monthly fee?


Depends on what functionality you want.


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## zubinh (Jun 7, 2004)

Sorry to rehash this old thread, but I just wanted to confirm what will work without a subscription. I want to use a Roamio for my mother who has no need for Guide Data, recording of any kind or skip functions. I simply don't want to pay Verizon a box rental fee and instead will just get a cable card. If all she does is watch live TV and nothing else, will the Roamio work without a subscription? Thanks for confirming!


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Unless you mean for a room in your house, you typically get a cable box _OR_ a cable card "for free", i.e. included in your cable subscription. (So i.e. you won't be saving any money.)

Now, if you mean if she lives with you for example and for another room.. I still think it's a bad idea, I don't think it'll really work/will complain all the time that it is not subscribed.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

zubinh said:


> Sorry to rehash this old thread, but I just wanted to confirm what will work without a subscription. I want to use a Roamio for my mother who has no need for Guide Data, recording of any kind or skip functions. I simply don't want to pay Verizon a box rental fee and instead will just get a cable card. If all she does is watch live TV and nothing else, will the Roamio work without a subscription? Thanks for confirming!


Simplest is to just have a cable box connected to the TV and why would you complicate things with a TiVo if the user is not compliant to technology.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

zubinh said:


> Sorry to rehash this old thread, but I just wanted to confirm what will work without a subscription. I want to use a Roamio for my mother who has no need for Guide Data, recording of any kind or skip functions. I simply don't want to pay Verizon a box rental fee and instead will just get a cable card. If all she does is watch live TV and nothing else, will the Roamio work without a subscription? Thanks for confirming!


The nag screens are designed to get on your nerves after a while. I wouldn't ask my mother to put up with nag screens while my TV didn't have them.


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## wpatters1229 (Nov 11, 2003)

We have a tivo romio in the bedroom and one in the family room all connected with wifi. Can I stop the subscription with Tivo in the bedroom and then use the tivo to transfer recording from the one in the family room?


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## wpatters1229 (Nov 11, 2003)

Just remembered another question...what will still work with the Romio with no subscription and a cable card? Can I manually record? Does it still have the 30 minute shift...etc..?

We are thinking of cutting the cable tv and just keeping internet. We the the base romio with 4 tuners. Will this work with an antenna? It has a coax connector on the back so I assume it will but am I wrong?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

wpatters1229 said:


> We have a tivo romio in the bedroom and one in the family room all connected with wifi. Can I stop the subscription with Tivo in the bedroom and then use the tivo to transfer recording from the one in the family room?


No, without a subscription pretty much nothing works, except watching recordings made before the subscription was dropped.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

wpatters1229 said:


> Just remembered another question...what will still work with the Romio with no subscription and a cable card? Can I manually record? Does it still have the 30 minute shift...etc..?
> 
> We are thinking of cutting the cable tv and just keeping internet. We the the base romio with 4 tuners. Will this work with an antenna? It has a coax connector on the back so I assume it will but am I wrong?


You should be able to watch live TV, you can not do manually recordings. I think it still has the buffer but not 100% sure.

Base Roamio will work with an antenna. Yes you connect the antenna using the same COAX connection that you are using for cable now. After you connect the antenna you will have to re-run guide setup.


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## wpatters1229 (Nov 11, 2003)

OK thanks....with the antenna can I record 4 different shows like I can with my current cable card?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

wpatters1229 said:


> OK thanks....with the antenna can I record 4 different shows like I can with my current cable card?


Yep--as long as you have a current TiVo subscription.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Re: OTA antenna reception, you'll want to review what stations/channels to expect and what antenna type you'll need by reviewing one of the following websites (or similar):

antennaweb.org
tvfool.com​


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## jlin (Nov 20, 1999)

Can a subscribed Roamio plays shows from a non-subscribed Roamio?

Also can I push shows recorded on the subscribed unit to the non-subscribed unit?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

jlin said:


> Can a subscribed Roamio plays shows from a non-subscribed Roamio?
> 
> Also can I push shows recorded on the subscribed unit to the non-subscribed unit?


No, These functions are a part of Tivo service. BOTH needs to be subscribed.

You cannot Push from 1 Tivo to another. Push is currently broken with no time frame fix.


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## jlin (Nov 20, 1999)

Push = Transfer?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

jlin said:


> Push = Transfer?


Push and pull are the same transfer, the only difference is where its initiated. Push from the PC side (upload) , pull from the Tivo side (download)

Transfer is defined as transport of data (shows) from one place to another (Tivo to Tivo or PC).

Streaming is defined similar to transfer but not actual files (shows) are transferred, it is similar to watching Live TV, but its the shows recorded on another Tivo.


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