Using a Series 1 TiVo without Service
If you have a Series 1 TiVo (like my Sony SVR-2000) that was manufactured before October 2001, you can use it without paying for service. (The “official” thread on tivocommunity.com has a good deal of information, but can be difficult to find. It took me about six months. I’m just reiterating these this information here in hopes that it can be easier for people to find in the future.)
To actually use this free service, you have to make sure that your TiVo is enabled for it. There are two method to make this happen:
- Call TiVo Customer service (877-367-8486) and indicate that you need help through internal service code 14-29-02.
- Log-on to tivocommunity.com and send a PM to TivoJerry with your TSN.
Good luck.
Why would you want to run a TiVo without the service? The service is what makes TiVo, well, TiVo
I did a fairly poor job of defining the word “use”. Very early TiVo’s had the option to work without service as a digital VCR, recording shows by time and channel. This feature is all some people were looking for.
Personally, I am happy with the Series 2 in the living room and can’t justify spending $10 a month to run the old TiVo next to the elliptical in the basement.