Question about buying an older Tivo

[JosephB]

I have a question about purchasing an RCA DVR 40 Tivo. Best Buy has one for $60 open box special. It has nothing with it except the Tivo itself (no remote, no card, etc) because it was a display. I want to get it and set it up in my den to watch stuff that is recorded on my bedroom Tivo. In the den is an HDTV with an H10 box, but I'm not interested in getting an HD DVR. I'm also not interested in actually recording on the Tivo in the den.

I've read it is possible with a 6.2 Tivo that has MRV enabled to watch shows even if the Tivo isn't activated, all it requires is a valid card. I have a D10 that is still activated but isn't hooked up (cable got messed up to that TV,b ut we haven't deactivated the box).

I've heard that new cards from DirecTV may not work with older Tivos. My question is: Can I use the card from the unused D10 to watch shows MRV'ed to the den? Will I need to activate the Tivo at least for a little while to get the card swapped over? Is this unethical? (They speak freely about it over at TivoCommunity, so I guess its ok)

 

[HCI]

When you switch a card the reciever is not going to recognize the card if it is not matched up with it. What do you mean by "I want to get it and set it up in my den to watch stuff that is recorded on my bedroom Tivo"?

 

[JosephB]

I plan on putting 6.2 on it and my DVR 80 and running the appropriate scripts to get MRV going on it. I guess this would've been better posted at the TC forums, but my main question was, how hard will it be to get an access card that works in the DVR 40, because I've read that the new cards DirecTV is sending out won't work with Tivos older than the R10. I don't mind activating the box to get the card matched up, but from what I read at the TC forums neither a current subscription nor a satellite signal are required for a DirecTivo to playback a recording that was recorded on a different valid, activated Tivo

 

[ClemSole]

Card will cost $20.00 from DirecTV. Their cards will work, just tell them what you have when you order the card.