# Tivo evaluation subscription?



## tripmaster (May 27, 2003)

Anyone ever hear of an Evaluation subscription being cancelled?


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## dirtypacman (Feb 3, 2004)

Depends on how long the evaluation was supposed to last... I know on my Pioneer 810H we could have a trial of TIVO PLUS that lasted 2 weeks I believe.


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## tripmaster (May 27, 2003)

dirtypacman said:


> Depends on how long the evaluation was supposed to last... I know on my Pioneer 810H we could have a trial of TIVO PLUS that lasted 2 weeks I believe.


This was an eval unit given to press - it's been going for years.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

tripmaster said:


> This was an eval unit given to press - it's been going for years.


that gets its own code (which I forget off hand) you can see the code in the System information screen. so it is not an eval which will time out but one TiVo needs to timeout. Guess TiVo wants to keep the press happy


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## tripmaster (May 27, 2003)

Mine says 11: Evaluation.... it's never changed.


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## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

I have an eval sub. It was given to me in 1999 and is still going strong. It was originally on a Philips 14hr, which got struck by lightning and I was able to get it transferred to a Sony SVR2000 in 2001 because it was an insurance replacement. Because it was one of the first, I still have the right to call in on the 800 number too.

And yes, it states it on the System Info screen.


Edit: I got it because I'm a computer journalist, although I haven't written anything for a while (thread posts don't count!!).


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

Hmmm maybe I need to have TiVo to switch all my subscriptions to eval...


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## tripmaster (May 27, 2003)

What does it state on your screen?

This is what someone told me:

"Q: Call TiVo and ask them. These units are intended for use by the person or store the unit is originally given to and once the contact info changes these are subject to termination. One TiVo employee on the TiVo forum insists the company is in the process of purging these evaluation units that have changed hands. Apparently the changed phone numbers are flagged."


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## megazone (Mar 3, 2002)

Well, if you claimed lifetime from TiVo Rewards it is also Evaluation.


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## TiVoStephen (Jun 27, 2000)

Yes, if we give an evaluation unit with evaluation service to Celebrity Star Mary Smith, and Mary Smith calls us to say that she no longer owns the unit, then yes we reserve the right to cancel the evaluation service in that case.


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

I have two Premieres with 'Evaluation' on them. When I called Tivo they said that they were a year subscription, but didn't say if they would end it at the year point. (Dec 4th 2011). Will Tivo send me a notice that the evaluation it going to end before they shut the box down? (I.E. shut off the recording features) I want to disconnect it from my broadband before they shut it off if they decide to do that.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

replaytv said:


> I have two Premieres with 'Evaluation' on them. When I called Tivo they said that they were a year subscription, but didn't say if they would end it at the year point. (Dec 4th 2011). Will Tivo send me a notice that the evaluation it going to end before they shut the box down? (I.E. shut off the recording features) I want to disconnect it from my broadband before they shut it off if they decide to do that.


Are they on your account? Check tivo.com for the details of your tivo subscriptions.


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

I didn't put those Tivos on my account because I was worried that might set off a flag for Tivo to cut off the 'evaluation'. I bought the Tivos used locally. I have another Series 2 on 'evaluation' and also didn't put in on my account. Maybe I should put it on my account and see if TIVO shuts down the 'evaluation'.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

replaytv said:


> I didn't put those Tivos on my account because I was worried that might set off a flag for Tivo to cut off the 'evaluation'. I bought the Tivos used locally. I have another Series 2 on 'evaluation' and also didn't put in on my account. Maybe I should put it on my account and see if TIVO shuts down the 'evaluation'.


Why would tivo give you any information on tivos that, as far as they are concerned, you don't own and are on someone else's account?


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

who said they were on someone elses' account?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

replaytv said:


> who said they were on someone elses' account?


If they are not on your account then they are still on someone elses account.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

replaytv said:


> I have two Premieres with 'Evaluation' on them. When I called Tivo they said that they were a year subscription, but didn't say if they would end it at the year point. (Dec 4th 2011). Will Tivo send me a notice that the evaluation it going to end before they shut the box down? (I.E. shut off the recording features) I want to disconnect it from my broadband before they shut it off if they decide to do that.


I remember reading a thread about an evaluation unit that got shut down with no advance notice from Tivo. I think it might have been a mistake to notify Tivo that the evaluation units have changed hands.


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

atmuscarella said:


> If they are not on your account then they are still on someone elses account.


Well, they were scheduled to have Evaluation for one year at least, and that year ran up yesterday, so I guess I am good at least for awhile. I have one of them disconnected from the network right now just in case they shut the other one off. Then at least it will be still good to use even though the tvguide won't be there if they discontinue the 'evaluation'. Maybe I will buy a lifetime for one of them and then be able to buy a $99 lifetime for a HD that I have. I don't use any of the networked features on any of my Tivos right now.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

replaytv said:


> Well, they were scheduled to have Evaluation for one year at least, and that year ran up yesterday, so I guess I am good at least for awhile. I have one of them disconnected from the network right now just in case they shut the other one off. Then at least it will be still good to use even though the tvguide won't be there if they discontinue the 'evaluation'. Maybe I will buy a lifetime for one of them and then be able to buy a $99 lifetime for a HD that I have. I don't use any of the networked features on any of my Tivos right now.


After about 30 or 31 days without any Call Home connection any TiVo will become a door stop. If the TiVo has service a Call Home will restore the service.


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

lessd said:


> After about 30 or 31 days without any Call Home connection any TiVo will become a door stop. If the TiVo has service a Call Home will restore the service.


I have lots of Tivos that work without calling in.


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## rayik (Feb 4, 2006)

I bought a TIVO off of ebay (S2DT). When it arrived it had EVALUATION status.

Called TIVO to pay to put lifetime service on it. CSR told me it already had lifetime. CSR moved the box to my account. It is now five years later, it still shows EVALUATION and it works fine.

My understanding of EVALUATION is it's lifetime where you did not pay for the service. Thus, the box will not count towards MSD on other boxes.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

replaytv said:


> I have lots of Tivos that work without calling in.


I don't know about the Series 1 but any Series 2 and up never worked for me after 30 or so days of not calling home even if they had service. When I say worked I mean fully work like record, MRV, etc. They will always be able to be used for trick TV watching and be able to watch what you had recorded in the past.


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## magnus (Nov 12, 2004)

rayik said:


> I bought a TIVO off of ebay (S2DT). When it arrived it had EVALUATION status.
> 
> Called TIVO to pay to put lifetime service on it. CSR told me it already had lifetime. CSR moved the box to my account. It is now five years later, it still shows EVALUATION and it works fine.
> 
> My understanding of EVALUATION is it's lifetime where you did not pay for the service. Thus, the box will not count towards MSD on other boxes.


That's my understanding as well.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

lessd said:


> After about 30 or 31 days without any Call Home connection any TiVo will become a door stop. If the TiVo has service a Call Home will restore the service.





lessd said:


> I don't know about the Series 1 but any Series 2 and up never worked for me after 30 or so days of not calling home even if they had service. When I say worked I mean fully work like record, MRV, etc. They will always be able to be used for trick TV watching and be able to watch what you had recorded in the past.


The 30 days to door stop thing ended many years ago.


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## sonali1234 (Sep 20, 2010)

Evaluation.... it's never changed.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

scandia101 said:


> The 30 days to door stop thing ended many years ago.


So your saying that if I stop my TiVo from calling home than cancel the monthly service it will record manually forever, and the only loss will be the guide data and any Internet type of service ?
So one could purchase a TP for $80 something, put monthly service on the unit, than unplug the TP from the Internet (after it has been upgraded) than cancel the monthly service (within 30 days to get your money back) and have a HD recorder that can be set up to manual record forever???
I just though of another idea, purchase a inexpensive router, connect 2 or more $80 TPs to this router that now connected to the Internet, set up your TPs than disconnect the router from the Internet and cancel you trial TiVo monthly sub (within 30 days) and not even have the loss of MRV. Your main router will still be connected to the Internet for your computers. This seems to easy to have such a great TiVo system without paying for service.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from my understanding, S3 platform and earlier Tivos can be subscribed, and then disconnected* and continue to work. You eventually lose guide data and the ability to use some features, but you can still schedule manual recordings. Clock drift will be issue as well.

TiVo seems to have closed this door with the Premieres as they seem to require access to the internet to operate properly.

* Prevented from connecting to the TiVo Service.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

steve614 said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but from my understanding, S3 platform and earlier Tivos can be subscribed, and then disconnected* and continue to work. You eventually lose guide data and the ability to use some features, but you can still schedule manual recordings. Clock drift will be issue as well.
> 
> TiVo seems to have closed this door with the Premieres as they seem to require access to the internet to operate properly.
> 
> * Prevented from connecting to the TiVo Service.


Thats not how it worked on my Series 2 that I dropped the service on. After a certain period of time (30 days I think) it would no longer record anything other than the 30 min buffer.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

atmuscarella said:


> Thats not how it worked on my Series 2 that I dropped the service on. After a certain period of time (30 days I think) it would no longer record anything other than the 30 min buffer.


That exactly what i have been saying, and observed, but some other people have been saying this is not true anymore, I think they are incorrect.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

lessd said:


> That exactly what i have been saying, and observed, but some other people have been saying this is not true anymore, I think they are incorrect.


Personal experience says it's absolutely true. I disconnected a 540 from the outside world and canceled it's subscription. Over six months later it was still able to record and it did so right up until I allowed it to call home. I canceled that subscription in January 2007.

From a legal perspective, it only makes sense that Tivo's don't get semi bricked if they don't call in for 30 days.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

lessd said:


> So your saying that if I stop my TiVo from calling home than cancel the monthly service it will record manually forever, and the only loss will be the guide data and any Internet type of service ?


I would never say that those are the only losses because they are not.

All I'm claiming is that a Tivo will continue to record manually after 30 days w/o making a daily connection.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Also, others have said that the clock drifts, so even your manual recordings won't be reliable after a while.

Really, if all you want is to do manual recordings, getting some other kind of recorder will be better for you.


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## cannonz (Oct 23, 2011)

replaytv said:


> I have two Premieres with 'Evaluation' on them. When I called Tivo they said that they were a year subscription, but didn't say if they would end it at the year point. (Dec 4th 2011). Will Tivo send me a notice that the evaluation it going to end before they shut the box down? (I.E. shut off the recording features) I want to disconnect it from my broadband before they shut it off if they decide to do that.


Did they shut it down?


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

cannonz said:


> Did they shut it down?


I am disconnecting each one, then reconnecting them so if they turn one off, I will have at least one that isn't shut off completely. I have a Series 2, with evaluation, that is 5 years old and still working.


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

There is another Premiere for sale here in Denver on craiglist with eval. I wrote to to the poster of the it, but he never wrote back.


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## replaytv (Feb 21, 2011)

I just put back into service a old series 2 with evaluation and it called in and still is saying eval


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## George A Cawood (Dec 9, 2018)

Bought a series3 and replaced the HD and power unit, then I noticed it showed 11: Evaluation and it was after I transfered it to myself, will this continue to work it shows lifetime on my account but Eval on the unit


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