Opinion... Transfer lifetime from which TiVo?

[gayste]

I have two TiVo's and need an opinion. I'm not sure which one (or both) to transfer lifetime from. I have a standard Series 2 and a Pioneer DVD recorder.

Pros for transferring the Series 2: it's a featureless machine, there's no reason to keep it since the Series 3 will have two tuners. It is really easy to make a DVD on the Pioneer.

Pros for transferring the Pioneer: don't really need DVD's anymore as TTG is how I watch TiVo files on the road now. The Pioneer will get more money on Ebay (thus helping with the cost of the Series 3.)

Or should I just bit the bullet and get 2 Series 3's and transfer both lifetimes so that I have the latest and greatest and have no regrets down the line when the option is no longer offered?

Thanks for any thoughts you might have!

[Shawn95GT]

I'm in a similar boat. 3x 540 Lifetimed Tivos.

I think at a minimum I'll pick up 2x S3s and I might keep one lifetimed S2 around.

The problem is if I put all my eggs in the S3 and cablecard goes belley up I'll be stuck with 3x high end off-air DVRs. I had accepted that Tivo wouldn't offer a Lifetime transfer and that'd I'd be paying MSD rate forever. I supposed the same goes for the next gen Tivo.

Since they ARE offering the lifetime transfer option, it seems stupid to pass on the opportunity to transfer my Lifetimed S2s to Lifetimed S3s though.

[elrcastor]

do both if you can, if not keep the Pioneer DVD recorder, burning dvd's can always come in handy

[petew]

Transfer the Pioneer, it has Tivo Basic so will still be useful without a sub.

[manielse]

Transfer the Pioneer, it has Tivo Basic so will still be useful without a sub.

OMG!!! I totally forgot that my Pioneer will have Tivo Basic if I transfered my lifetime. This *MAY* change my opinion on switching my two lifetimes... Hmmm...

[classicX]

I have two TiVo's and need an opinion. I'm not sure which one (or both) to transfer lifetime from. I have a standard Series 2 and a Pioneer DVD recorder.

Pros for transferring the Series 2: it's a featureless machine, there's no reason to keep it since the Series 3 will have two tuners. It is really easy to make a DVD on the Pioneer.

Pros for transferring the Pioneer: don't really need DVD's anymore as TTG is how I watch TiVo files on the road now. The Pioneer will get more money on Ebay (thus helping with the cost of the Series 3.)

Or should I just bit the bullet and get 2 Series 3's and transfer both lifetimes so that I have the latest and greatest and have no regrets down the line when the option is no longer offered?

Thanks for any thoughts you might have!

I don't see why you have to transfer lifetime at all, just get an S3 and pay $6.95 per month. But if I had to choose, I'd keep the Pioneer. Remember, TTG is not available on the S3, neither is MRV. Which means any shows that you want to TTG, you will have to record them on the S2.

[classicX]

Transfer the Pioneer, it has Tivo Basic so will still be useful without a sub.

What is Tivo Basic? Does it just turn your Tivo into a VCR? Or do you still get guide data?

[Shawn95GT]

I don't see why you have to transfer lifetime at all, just get an S3 and pay $6.95 per month.
I was thinking the same thing before the S3 arrived. If I'm going to keep 'em all active, then it's silly to pay $200 to x-fer the lifetime just to MSD another unit.

But then, the S3 arrived. Now using my S2s is annoying on the HD set.

I went ahead and xfered LT from one of the 540s and I'm 99% sure I'll do two more before the year is through.

[classicX]

I was thinking the same thing before the S3 arrived. If I'm going to keep 'em all active, then it's silly to pay $200 to x-fer the lifetime just to MSD another unit.

But then, the S3 arrived. Now using my S2s is annoying on the HD set.

I don't understand your argument - you're keeping the S2's active but using them all on the same TV? You're not using the S3 on your HD set?

[retired_guy]

I transferred the lifetime from my 80GB TiVo which I plan to keep for the free twelve months and then probably will replace it with another Series3 if MRV is supported then. Small disk Series 2s should be almost worthless at that point without lifetime support.

The 57H Pioneer DVD recorder TiVo is one I plan to keep indefinitely, since it has 500GB and produces the best image along with writing DVDs, so I'm keeping lifetime on it. TiVo Basic is just too basic for me; the lack of MRV and Season passes would be particularly painful.

The Humax I'll keep for the time being but probably will end up giving it to my kids eventually when I get more storage on the Series 3s. With lifetime support plus 250GB, it should be a useful box for quite a while.

[petew]

What is Tivo Basic? Does it just turn your Tivo into a VCR? Or do you still get guide data?

You get 3 days of guide data and manual record. No season passes, no wishlists, no MRV or TTG. Only available on Toshiba and Pioneer DVD machines.

[Shawn95GT]

I don't understand your argument - you're keeping the S2's active but using them all on the same TV? You're not using the S3 on your HD set?
2 Tivos on one TV. Necessary evil with my 'cable' provider (VDSL). I have to tune via a cat-5 connected STB to get any cable channels.

Pre-S3 I had 3x 540 Tivos doing 16x9 SD (HD downconvert) from ATSC tuners & one of the Tivos was also connected to my Cable STB.

I'll be changing providers before long to let the S3 really do it's thing. This will also eliminate my need for the S2 on my main HD set.

Eventually 3x S3s would/will replace the 3x S2s I'm currently using. 1 down and 2 to go...

[megazone]

What is Tivo Basic? Does it just turn your Tivo into a VCR? Or do you still get guide data?
http://customersupport.tivo.com/knowbase/root/public/tv1199.htm?