# New series 2 Tivo activation NO connection?



## Testing456 (Jan 3, 2010)

I was given a brand new never-activated or connected Series 2 Tivo, and don't want to connect it to my phone line or internet connection. I only want to use it to manually record shows by time selection. I can't get past the "dial the mothership" routine during setup at first power-up. Is there any way around that? Can it even be used in this capacity? I only need it for off-air antenna recording (I have a converter box). I don't have cable TV or satellite (and don't want it). I only need it to record a few network shows that come on late at night while I'm sleeping. My VHS tapes are getting totally worn out, and this -might- be the perfect substitute if I can make it work!

TIA, T456


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Nope. You need to run through guided setup to use it, and guided setup requires a phone or network connection, and will need to subscribe to the TiVo service to do more than buffer Live TV (even if you have just an antenna), unless you have a DVD combo by Toshiba or Pioneer, which include a Free Basic service.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

Won't work.

You might be able to find an ancient Series 1 that will do that... or one of the "TiVo Basic" Series 2 (I think with build in dvd recorders.)


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## Testing456 (Jan 3, 2010)

I found a long phone wire, hooked the thing up to my phone line, and attempted to go through the "forced install" routine. After nearly FOUR HOURS of trying to get it to dial the mother ship, it made contact, and went to the next level of initialization- finding channels. It totally skipped my home head-end system channels (arbitrarily selected channels 3, 17, 27, and 34), and decided it was only going to program itself for the two remaining low-power analog translators that remain on the air here that are too weak for me to even pick up! I guess it must use some kind of look-up table that Tivo has on it's mother-ship computer and does not actually scan active frequencies like one would think it should. Nearing six hours into the initialization, I threw my hands in the air and gave up! There must be something wrong with the modem, and I think that's why it was given to me! I've decided that what I really want is a DTVPAL unit. They feature Dual ATSC tuners, but I really wish it also did analog channels. I need something a little less.... "automatic"... and more manual/commandable than a Tivo. Guess this one is going to-da-dump to-da-dump to-da-dump dump dump! Thanks, -T456


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## robomeister (Feb 4, 2005)

Don't give up yet. It is very likely that your software version is old and needs to be updated. Once you complete guided setup, you can force several connections to the "mothership" and download the new software version. It will need to be v9.3.2b to use the coupon converter boxes (CECB). That is why the unit currently thinks you can only receive 2 channels. You probably have software version v7.2 or earlier. You can check this in the System Information page, under Settings.

Unfortunately, updating over the phone will take forever. If you can find and use one of the compatible USB to ethernet adapters, that would speed things up significantly.

Good luck, you are half way there to the TiVolution!
robomeister


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## braindribble (Feb 10, 2010)

I would like to do the same things as Testing456. I checked and my Tivo model does not have the Tivo Basic option. Assuming I do get my unused series 2 Model TCD540080 updated to v9.3.2b, what do I do next? 

I've read some pretty technical posts about hacking your Tivo with a 'Zipper' scripted install and so forth. Isn't there a way to hack my series 2 Tivo to let me just configure basic scheduled recording on the few channels I get on my coupon converter box (CECB)?


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

And you missed the posts that clearly state that what you want is against rules here?

Recording at all is a subscribed feature on that model, and because of that would be considered theft of service to enable that without subscription.

What you do next if you want to record, is simply subscribe to the service.


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