Lifetime service transfer is more like $425 than $199

[RickStrobel]

If you've got a TiVo with Lifetime that you're replacing or don't have a real need for otherwise I figure that the Lifetime transfer to the new Series 3 really costs about $425.

You could probably get around $250 on ebay for most Lifetime subbed TiVos. Figure $26 in selling costs and add the $199 for the Series 3 and you get $425. If, like me, you've got more than one TiVo with Lifetime it would take 5 years to break even on that deal.

Yes, I know that Lifetime subs continue to have value. That's why I have it on both of mine. But, my second TiVo doesn't see much use and would see no use if I get an S3. So in my situation it makes the Lifetime sub pretty expensive.

[dswallow]

Don't forget there is also a value to the one year of service TiVo provides to your former-lifetime unit when you transfer it to a series 3.

[RickStrobel]

There is value if you want to keep using the old TiVo -- about $84 (12 x $6.95). During a quick search of ebay last night it appeared that a 12 month subscription with a box didn't add much to the price. Maybe $20.

[tunnelengineer]

Also you are failing to take into account the additional value of a lifetime sub on a S3. I would bet you can fetch a pretty healthy dollar on ebay for a lifetime S3 next week.

[lessd]

If you've got a TiVo with Lifetime that you're replacing or don't have a real need for otherwise I figure that the Lifetime transfer to the new Series 3 really costs about $425.

You could probably get around $250 on ebay for most Lifetime subbed TiVos. Figure $26 in selling costs and add the $199 for the Series 3 and you get $425. If, like me, you've got more than one TiVo with Lifetime it would take 5 years to break even on that deal.

Yes, I know that Lifetime subs continue to have value. That's why I have it on both of mine. But, my second TiVo doesn't see much use and would see no use if I get an S3. So in my situation it makes the Lifetime sub pretty expensive.

To me its more like $600 for the lifetime on a Series 3 if you are xfering it from a series 2 540 TiVo as they go for about $400 more on E-Bay than without lifetime. The only deal is with an old Series 1 which goes for about $260 more with lifetime giving you a cost of $460. The year of extended service can not be Xfered so it would add very little value to that TiVo.

[sealrock]

Assuming the S3 would not "replace" your current the lifetime box and you expect to keep both then it is cheeper to keep the lifetime with your current box sub the new S3 at $6.95. You svae $199 less $84 = $115.

[lessd]

Also you are failing to take into account the additional value of a lifetime sub on a S3. I would bet you can fetch a pretty healthy dollar on ebay for a lifetime S3 next week.

The OP is not talking about the resulting value of the Series 3 only the true up-front cost of getting lifetime on it. If series 3 with lifetime go for $1600 on E-Bay it would be worth spending up to $600 to get it...I just have a feeling that you will not be able to get your money out of a series 3 with lifetime as you could with a Series 2. For me the deal killer (for now) is no MRV at SD or any other resolution. That one of the main reasons I have more that one TiVo and the main reason I was considering changing out my Moto 3412.

[shaown]

I disagree with your 425 number. The actual value would be:

Would
Could have sold on Ebay for 250 -26 in selling costs - 50 in value of keeping HW (what does an unsubbed Tivo go for on eby?) - 84 dollars in 1 year free service + 199 u pay Tivo

= $289

Keep in mind, that for some of us, we have only 1 liftetime subbed Tivo, so if we sold our Tivo on Ebay, we'd be 12.95 ... so I see it two math equations, either
289/12.95 = 22 Months to breakeven or
199/6.95 = 29 months to breakeven

so will I use the Series 3 for at least 29 months ? Gawd, if I pay 800 bucks I better. I've had my HR10-250 for only about 25 months, and I paid 850 for it...
I've had my Series 1 for about 6 years, and I paid 334+199 lifetime for it (though its been sitting at a friends house for about 3 of those years since I got DirectTivos).
-Shaown

[RickStrobel]

Could have sold on Ebay for 250 -26 in selling costs - 50 in value of keeping HW (what does an unsubbed Tivo go for on eby?) - 84 dollars in 1 year free service + 199 u pay Tivo

= $289So you're saying that a TiVo with a Lifetime subscription is worth $90?

[Dennis Wilkinson]

Assuming the S3 would not "replace" your current the lifetime box and you expect to keep both then it is cheeper to keep the lifetime with your current box sub the new S3 at $6.95. You svae $199 less $84 = $115.

Since Lifetime is only valid for the life of the machine, the reason to move it to the new box is presumably that that box has more life left in it than the old one. I still don't know if there's sufficient value to do this, myself, but that would be one reason.

[landrvr1]

Also you are failing to take into account the additional value of a lifetime sub on a S3. I would bet you can fetch a pretty healthy dollar on ebay for a lifetime S3 next week.

Forgive my ignorance on this issue, but what is so special about next week? Is the lifetime special closing this week?

[smak]

I think that no matter what the current ebay price for a series 3 would be whenever you tried to sell it on Ebay, the addition of lifetime to that would add more than $200 to the price.

The longer we go, lifetime will be rarer, and rarer. If lifetime cards sell on ebay now for at least $400, then I have to believe you will get quite a bit more than the $200 you are shelling out now for the transfer.

-smak-

[musicforme]

You're not considering the monthly fees you avoided by having the Lifetime service.

When I bought my S2 in Fall 2003, I believe the monthly cost was around $12 and paid around $299 for lifetime. Take $299 and divide by those 36 months and you get $8.30 a month. Cool, I came out ahead on the deal and Tivo is "paying" me to keep using the box by not charging me for the service.

Now, factor in the $199 to transfer to S3 (not even considering the free year on my S2) with a three year life span, and the service itself will cost $5.52 which is a damn good deal too.

Break the true cost of service for each device, and I'm still coming out ahead.

[Halenstone]

Good deal or no good deal, the fact that they are making this a limited time offer is a tactic to twist your arm into buying new equipment. True, they aren't forcing your to buy, but they are saying, "Buy a S3 now, or buy it later and have no lifetime sub."

The hard pill to swallow for me is, what if these first off the line S3's break after a year or just after the warranty. I'm out $800 and the lifetime.

When I bought my S2 I had done a little research and knew the S2 was pretty durable. I have no way of reasearching what the durability of the S3 will be. Heck, maybe for a limited time Tivo will make crappy S3's so they can finaly rid themselves of their dreaded "lifetime" customers. (ok, ok, that is a little over the top, but I'm sure the bean counters love the idea)

Besides, Media Center PC's have been making some pretty big leaps. I figure by the time I really do "need" an HD-pvr Media Center PC's will fill my need...freely.

Look, if you bought an S2 about a year ago with the lifetime subscription, then it's not a good deal. $800 (tivo) + $199 (tivo xfer service) + $45/mo (cable) + $10/mo (cable cards) = NOT A GOOD DEAL....for me.

I bought my S2 for $25 after rebates and my Lifetime Sub is paid for, my basic cable is paid for by my association dues (which comes to $10/mo. for cable)...for me, and I'm sure for many, many others, Xfering over to the S3 doesn't make much sense.

If you got the money, then by all means, why not do it. (mom always told me that $$ doesn't buy brains...but it sure can buy nice cars!).

Oh, one more thing you guys aren't figuring into the equation is that after 1 year free subscription, Tivo starts charging you a monthly subscription on the S2. Unless you cancel, which if you do, then you can only sell that Tivo on ebay for $40, but that's now, by then you might fetch much less. Now if you keep using that S2, you're shelling out about $13 a month or whatever Tivo's monthly subscription is.

Hmm, so buy an S3 and transfer lifetime, after a year you have 2 machines, 1 lifetime, and still paying the monthly fee, plus the $199 to transfer.

Buy a S3 and DON'T transfer, pay a monthly fee for a year, after the year, you have 2 machines, 1 lifetime, and still paying the monthly fee, but no $199 to transfer.

Looking at it this way the deal only looks sweet if you quit using your S2 after a year.

[smak]

Series 2 after a year will have a MSD of $6.95/month.

You get a free year before that. You can either use that free year, where otherwise you'd have to pay $6.95. You can sell that tivo with 1 year service for more than you could without 1 year service, or you can give it away as a nice gift with 1 year service.

If you are just swapping boxes, you can probably easy get at least 1/2 the $200 transfer for the Tivo and 1 year service.

This is a win all around.

-smak-

[btwyx]

The hard pill to swallow for me is, what if these first off the line S3's break after a year or just after the warranty. I'm out $800 and the lifetime.That would be pretty atypical. Electronics either breaks immediatly, within the warranty period, or it carries on forever (which is 6 years or more).

The exception is the hard drive, which is pretty easy to replace, and maybe under a separate manufacturer's warranty.

Anyway, I'm not worried.

[dswallow]

The exception is the hard drive, which is pretty easy to replace, and maybe under a separate manufacturer's warranty.
I wouldn't even call it an exception. The hard drive is a mechanical device with controlling electronics. It's the mechanical parts that are usually the failure point.