# What can I do with it?!



## gromit69 (Apr 20, 2007)

I've just aquired/rescued a Tivo box and am currently wondering what I can do with it!
I'd like to use it as a PVR, but I've heard that it can be modded/hacked to do things like play files from a network store, etc.
Will I need a subscription to make it do anything, or can it be used as a VCR without having to pay anything?

Many thanks for your input!
Cheers


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## RWILTS (Apr 21, 2006)

First question is, is there any subscription attached to it? If you are lucky it could be a Lifetime unit and then the fun can realy begin. You can use it without any paid for subscription but although you can use the trick play and set manual recordings all the really clever stuff wont be available. I have a subbed unit as a main and an unsubbed as a back up to record conflicts.


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

The subscription is either £10 a month, or £200 one-off lifetime (of the box). That gives your TiVo access to the Mothership (the central TiVo computers) which supply it with information on TV programs.

At first glance, it then looks like you've paid for an EPG which your freeview\cable\Sky box already gives you.

But then comes the clever bit. TiVo starts learning - and you start teaching it - what you like to watch, and TiVo scans the listings for you.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

gromit69 said:


> I've just aquired/rescued a Tivo box


And what would have happened to it had you not "rescued" it?


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> And what would have happened to it had you not "rescued" it?


Probably sold it on eBay...


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## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

with a bent case..


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Ouch  Nasty! Put your claws away


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## gromit69 (Apr 20, 2007)

Sorry, I've just realised what the original post sounded like! This box was destined for the bin - it had sat on the shelf for about 3 years and I offered it a good home....
How do I find out what kind of subscrition it has?
It's just going through it's 3 hour setup thing, and I've had no problems so far!


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## Tivo_noob (Jan 28, 2006)

gromit69 said:


> Sorry, I've just realised what the original post sounded like! This box was destined for the bin - it had sat on the shelf for about 3 years and I offered it a good home....
> How do I find out what kind of subscrition it has?
> It's just going through it's 3 hour setup thing, and I've had no problems so far!


Go into the tivo main menu and under system info check the account status


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Tivo_noob said:


> Go into the tivo main menu and under system info check the account status


Or more accurately go to Tivo Central then Messages & Setup and then System Information.

Then look for the 5th item on the System Information page - "Tivo Account Status" and tell us what it says.


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## Tivo_noob (Jan 28, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> Or more accurately go to Tivo Central then Messages & Setup and then System Information.
> 
> Then look for the 5th item on the System Information page - "Tivo Account Status" and tell us what it says.


Hey im not called Tivo noob for nothing you know!


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## gromit69 (Apr 20, 2007)

The account status says "new" so I'm assuming it was never registered.

However, I've been able to schedule a recording, but is that basic functionality or is it part of the paid for service?

Cheers!


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Schedule a recording from guide data or by manually entering times?


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## gromit69 (Apr 20, 2007)

I picked out 'Dr Who' from the guide (had to give it a ball park time to look around) - but the recording was labelled correctly.

I've just managed to watch back the recording, but it was flickering a bit - almost like the frame rate was too high.....
Any ideas?!


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

If you've got a guide then the subscription is active, unless you've got a rare Tivo which has never been used in which case you might be in the short grace period before the subs is needed.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> unless you've got a rare Tivo which has never been used in which case you might be in the short grace period before the subs is needed.


That's a one week grace period.

Since the account doesn't say Closed or Never Set Up (i.e. a New unit the grace period has run out on) but New it sounds precisely like a Tivo that has never been through Guided Setup before.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

gromit69 said:


> I've just managed to watch back the recording, but it was flickering a bit - almost like the frame rate was too high.....


Flickering.... or stuttering?

If you are getting stuttering of picture and/or sound, picture breakup or blockiness then the hard drive could be on its way out. Luckily though, that's the easiest problem to fix


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

blindlemon said:


> Flickering.... or stuttering?
> 
> If you are getting stuttering of picture and/or sound, picture breakup or blockiness then the hard drive could be on its way out. Luckily though, that's the easiest problem to fix


Unless the MPEG encoder or decoder has developed the same fault as the faulty one I purchased off Ebay and all pictures through the Tivo involve flickering.


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