Can I get OTA on my DirecTV HR10-250 w/suspended account?

[juxta30]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and need assistance. I recently moved from Chicago to LA and picked my apartment complex and was told I got a south facing apartment. The day I moved in I noticed a walkway that seemed to block my view of the southern sky. I wasn't happy. Sure enough, my greatest fear was realized when the installer came out and told me the bad news as soon as he got out of his truck. I'm currently trying to get a new apartment that will work. In the meantime, I've suspended my account so I don't get charged while I can't use it.

So I thought here's a great idea, I'll plug in my OTA antenna and at least be able to record one HD show from the OTA stations in LA. When I test the off-air signal strength on the HR10-250 it's great so I call DTV and ask what gives. They tell me without a physical dish to plug in to and an active account my TIVO won't work even though the signal is showing up.

I'm curious, is there a work around? Maybe a basic hack I can use so I can access my OTA's and record them with my DVR.

Thanks again.

Patrick

[captain_video]

There is no hack available for any Tivo that will allow you to use it without paying for the service. However, your HDTivo will work fine as an OTA tuner without a subscription. You just won't be able to record anything.

I recently cancelled my DirecTV subscription in favor of Verizon FIOS. I had already reduced my account to the bare minimum requirements prior to cancellation so I only had one HDTivo active when I cancelled. Prior to calling DTV I unplugged the HDTivo, disconnected the sat inputs, and pulled the access card. After the account had been closed I fired up the HDTivo and reinserted the original access card but left the sat inputs disconnected and tuned it to an OTA channel.

I found that as long as I kept the access card out of the stream I could still record OTA programs. I expect that the DVR tier on the card will expire after a while and I will no longer be able to record anything with it but I thought it was an interesting experiment. I swap out the access card with an old card from another receiver and hook it back up to the sats for guide data but that's the only time I connect it to the dish. It's been going for about 10 days now but I know it won't last. I have an HTPC for recording OTA programming now so I don't use it as an active recorder anyway.

[classicsat]

No work around. It needs activated by satellite link.

[jwciv]

<SNIP>It's been going for about 10 days now but I know it won't last. <SNIP>

Are you selling any HD equipment?