Use Tivo/DirectTV as only a DVR?

[Michael Jackson]

I upgraded my Hughes 30 hour Tivo/DirectTV to a 90 hour(?) unit. Can I give
my old 30 hour unit to a friend to use as a DVR without Tivo or DirectTV?

I assume you would use the cable/antenna RF (standby pass-thu only, the
label says) and program the day/time/channel with the remote.

Elsewhere on this newsgroup, a similar question got a reply of "yes"
providing the unit is a Series 1. My new unit is in a built-in bookcase
requiring about 2 hours to take out and put back in if anyone suggests just
plugging the old one back into my system to see if it works. I'd like to
avoid that, if possible.

Can my friend use my old Tivo/DirectTV combo? Is there a way to find out if
my old unit is a series one without ripping apart my bookcase?

Any help is appreciated.

[gary]

DirecTV Tivos will only record a DirecTV feed. The passthrough only passes
the signal through.

Without the DirecTV service, it will not record anything.

There is an exception. The DirecTV HDTV HR10-250 tivo will record HD
broadcast signals. I do not think it'll record anything if you don't have
DirecTV service.

"Michael Jackson" > wrote in message
...
>I upgraded my Hughes 30 hour Tivo/DirectTV to a 90 hour(?) unit. Can I give
>my old 30 hour unit to a friend to use as a DVR without Tivo or DirectTV?
>
> I assume you would use the cable/antenna RF (standby pass-thu only, the
> label says) and program the day/time/channel with the remote.
>
> Elsewhere on this newsgroup, a similar question got a reply of "yes"
> providing the unit is a Series 1. My new unit is in a built-in bookcase
> requiring about 2 hours to take out and put back in if anyone suggests
> just plugging the old one back into my system to see if it works. I'd like
> to avoid that, if possible.
>
> Can my friend use my old Tivo/DirectTV combo? Is there a way to find out
> if my old unit is a series one without ripping apart my bookcase?
>
> Any help is appreciated.
>

[Joe Smith]

Michael Jackson wrote:
> I upgraded my Hughes 30 hour Tivo/DirectTV to a 90 hour(?) unit. Can I give
> my old 30 hour unit to a friend to use as a DVR without Tivo or DirectTV?

Nope.

> I assume you would use the cable/antenna RF (standby pass-thu only, the
> label says) and program the day/time/channel with the remote.

The label says it all. That RF connector is for passing the signal through
when the DirecTiVo is in standby. There is no tuner connected there;
the DirecTiVo _cannot_ record channels 2 though 125.

The DirecTiVo is like a plain DirecTV receiver in that it cannot display
anything at all without an active DirecTV subscription.
-Joe