ancient Phillips Personal TV Recorder w/TiVo

[2 rig Bill]

In 1997 I contracted with "Hughes Network System - Silver Edition" for 4 receivers to be installed in a four-plex - one unit being my personal residence.

In 1998, following DirecTV's purchase of the Hughes Network System, I added a Phillips Personal TV TiVo Recorder (PTV 100) to my personal residence system.

So -- a couple of questions for the knowledgeable folks on this forum :

Now, 10 years later, I am undoubtedly facing eventual replacement of the original Hughes receivers (HIRD - E1) - each of which has a separate access card operating under our TiVo lifetime service. What, if any, replacement units are compatible for taking over for the original receivers when they fail? Will the lifetime sevice be lost when new receivers are needed?

The Phillips recorder is still working okay - but in the event of hard drive failure is there a replacement drive available?

I'll be pleased to provide any info I have not included.

Bill

[WK-Jeff]

I am a little confused.

Your lifetime service is on the TiVo (PTV100), not on the basic DIRECTV receivers, right?

The Hughes boxes all must not have DVRs built in, if they were purchased in 1997.

So when you say "each of which has a separate access card operating under our TiVo lifetime service," I am not sure what you mean.

[WK-Michael]

If the TiVos are PTV 100s, then those have service directly with TiVo, and, given the original purchase timeframe, the lifetime should be transferable over to any new TiVo DVR. The problem is, if you want to go HD, the HD TiVo DVRs that can accept the lifetime, can't do cable.

Were you looking to keep DirecTV? To go HD?

[2 rig Bill]

"Your lifetime service is on the TiVo (PTV100), not on the basic DIRECTV receivers, right?"
Yes

"The Hughes boxes all must not have DVRs built in, if they were purchased in 1997."
Yes - however each Hughes Receiver does have an individual unique access ID card# which DirecTV is using for control purposes

"So when you say "each of which has a separate access card operating under our TiVo lifetime service," I am not sure what you mean."
I was quite unclear here : The lifetime service is only on my personal one and only Phillips PTV recorder which was married to the Hughes receiver about a year after the Hughes was put into service. So is the motherboard on this Phillips likely to have the lifetime ID code imbedded/attached? And, is this hard drive able to be upgraded while retaining the lifetime service?

[2 rig Bill]

"If the TiVos are PTV 100s, then those have service directly with TiVo, and, given the original purchase timeframe, the lifetime should be transferable over to any new TiVo DVR. The problem is, if you want to go HD, the HD TiVo DVRs that can accept the lifetime, can't do cable. We are strictly satellite here.

Were you looking to keep DirecTV? To go HD?"

Just trying to see what my options are for upgrading the three other apartment Hughes Receivers when they die and need to be replaced without going to the expense of also purchasing recorders and being responsible for the monthly service charges.

And, to see if someday I can transfer the lifetime service of my "ancient" Phillips to a new combo TiVo receiver/recorder?

Hope this makes more sense?

[WK-Jeff]

Your PTV100 is in no way "married" to any receiver. You can use it with any receiver just by going through setup again...so that's not an issue.

If you want to update the PTV100 and move the service, you can likely do that if you bought the TiVo far enough in the past...you could call TiVo and confirm that you can move the service.

I think you were given misinformation if someone told you that the PTV100 is somehow tied to a DIRECTV receiver, though.