Do you need subscription to use a DVR or Tivo?

Donita Desjardin: Tivo Service Subscription

Sonya Volcko: Tivo requires a subscription. Other DVRs do not, such as Panasonic.The last time I checked ReplayTV required a subscription too, but that is now part of DirecTV and has become the DirecTV DVR, so it may no longer have a subscription since that would be part of having DirecTV.

Sharri Scalley: This Site Might Help You.RE:Do you need subscription to use a DVR or Tivo?Do you need to have a subscription to be able to use the DVR or can you just use it to record TV shows by connecting it to the TV without the subscription? I know that Tivo is a brand name, so will any brand work?...Show more

Salvador Prchlik: To use a DVR from your cable/satellite provider you will need to pay extra like $10+ .Yes you do need a subscription for tivo.The subscription for tivo is $12.95 .

Manual Burtis: Tivo has monthly subscriptions or a "lifetime" payment which is paid upfront and then there are no monthly fees f! or the life of the Tivo.But you do not to pay for the service to be able to use Tivo. Without service, a Tivo operates just like a VCR, except with no tapes and better quality. You won't have access to any of the cool features that Tivo is famous for (season pass, Youtube, Amazon downloads, etc) but you will be able to tell it to record a certain channel at a certain time and it will do it. You will also be able to pause and rewind live TV. ...Show more

Jon Bergmeier: For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/axJF7The problem is not buying a DVR . You can buy a DVR at any major electronics store, Best Buy, Sears, etc. BUT the DVR company WILL require a subscription for the TV guide service the product offers. It will NOT require any change in the cable or require her to upgrade the cable. You can when you buy the DVR get a lifetime subscription to the cable guide, and set it up. BUT!!!!!!!! Since she has digital cable, the cable company MUST author! ize the DVR to receive digital cable channels or provide a cab! le card of some type. A DVR acts as a digital converter box. Only then will the digital portion record the programs. Digital cable from the cable company is scrambled and ONLY a receiver authorized by them will pick up the digital cable signal. She could of course use the DVR to record the output of the the digital converter box from the cable company but that will only output channel 3 or 4 or some type of audio/video output. she would have to manually program the DVR for the recording very similar to the way she does the VCR now, so nothing is gained. I suggest you check with the cable company and see what a DVR from them would cost. It would replace the digital converter box, so the difference in price might not be much. She would not have to upgrade the existing cable although the cable company will TRY and get her to do so....Show more