Transfer Lifetime or not to transfer...

[russwong]

With the 15% coupon and the expiration of the lifetime transfer offer to S3, do you guys think there will be another opportunity to transfer lifetime again? I have a Series 2, which has lifetime, but I don't really use it, because I record HD and analog on a PC, but I sort of don't want my lifetime to die....

Is it worth it to spend $900 to keep the lifetime transfered to a S3 and going?

What's the thoughts out there?

Thanks!

Russ

[Deacon West]

I think it is worth it, even if you don't use CableCards, you will always be able to hook up an antenna to the S3 and dual tune and record. Also, the value of the S3 with lifetime will always bring a premium, even if TiVo reinstated a lifetime subscription, which many believe they will not do again. Just MHO.

[FrogGremlin]

Personally, I transferred one lifetime to a 15%-off Series 3 ... and was so delighted that I bought two more and transferred my remaining lifetimes to them. The only risks I can see are that they might not ever activate the eSATA port, might not activate multi-room viewing, and might have a Series 4 next year that works with two-way cable cards and would allow for lifetime transfers.

I consider all three unlikely enough - and sufficiently unimportant, although opinions may differ - that I took the shot. :)

[hansende]

I have
1) Series 2 80 hr Tivo (2 years old)
2) Series 2 80 hr Tivo (2 years old)
3)1 Toshiba RX-TX 20 with 120 GB drive and built in DVD recorder (1 years old)

All 3 have Lifetime Service.

If I bought a new Series 3 and transferred the Lifetime Service where is the best place to sell the old Tivo? Ebay?

And what do you think each would bring?

Thanks in advance!

[jfh3]

I have
1) Series 2 80 hr Tivo (2 years old)
2) Series 2 80 hr Tivo (2 years old)
3)1 Toshiba RX-TX 20 with 120 GB drive and built in DVD recorder (1 years old)

All 3 have Lifetime Service.

If I bought a new Series 3 and transferred the Lifetime Service where is the best place to sell the old Tivo? Ebay?

And what do you think each would bring?

Thanks in advance!

If you transfer the lifetime from box 1 or 2, they will pretty much be worth $0.

[ah30k]

There will never be another opportunity to transfer lifetime again. But then again, I said the exact same thing 6 month ago and was proven embarrassingly wrong.

[Forcelite]

Where do you get a 15% off coupon for the tivo 3?

[TydalForce]

store.tivocommunity.com had one, but it seems to have vanished

However it was replaced with a new line of promotions, which works better if you're gonna buy accessories with it

http://www.tivocommunity.com as soon as I hit this URL this morning, I was greeted with promo codes...

$120 off a Series3 = the 15% promotion they had before, plus the extra goodies

[bidger]

I'm sorry, but I can't grasp this deadline deal. If the transfer were free, I could see it, but the fact is @ $200 for the transfer, it's just $100 less than what people pay for the 3 year prepay plan. If TiVo the company really needs revenue, why should it matter when the customer chooses to make the transfer?

[jfh3]

I'm sorry, but I can't grasp this deadline deal. If the transfer were free, I could see it, but the fact is @ $200 for the transfer, it's just $100 less than what people pay for the 3 year prepay plan. If TiVo the company really needs revenue, why should it matter when the customer chooses to make the transfer?

Because it's a special offer - the lifetime deal (for all but a few) was for the lifetime of the box it was applied to; you could not transfer it to another box.

What you are looking for is lifetime of the subscriber and that hasn't been available for about 6 years (and technically never was available).

[jltx]

I am horribly conflicted. I have been waiting so long for HD Tivo and it's finally here, plus I can transfer lifetime! Sounds great, but I have been reading terrible things about the S3, especially here in Austin with TW. I am very concerned that I will regret the S3 (cable cards not working, bad tuners, long bug list, my channels go SDV, obsoleted by S4, etc). Plus the warranty on this complex beast is only 90 days! So I thought I would just get it at Costco due to their return policy. But then I realized once I transfer the lifetime over there is no way I would just return it. In other words, I could be stuck with a $1000 lemon. I checked ebay and it looks like the lifetime S3 units are asking a big premium but are not really selling. Anyway I don't want to sell it and lose my lifetime. I wish they hadn't put a time limit on the transfer so I could wait and see how things settle out. Will TW get their act together? Will a software update fix most of the problems? I'm sure I won't know by Dec 31st. What do I do? Help!!!

[kido]

jltx,

no one can say with any certainty what will happen with regards to the S3, especially as the window for lifetime closes. my original plan was to wait until late december for the prices to come down, but demand for the S3 seemed pretty strong and it didn't look like TiVo was going to lower MSRP before the window closed. when TCS offered the 15% off free shipping deal, i jumped, as that was probably going to be one of the better deals i would find. they initially warned it would be a limited offer, but they have been running the same offer in various forms for the past month; however, this does not mean it will be around come dec. 31, or that better deals won't show up before then as well. i would really doubt that you get your hands on a S3 for less than $600 this year. all this being said, once the window closes, it probably won't open again.

taken all together, the good news is that lifetime S3's will retain most if not all of their value. so assuming everything goes wrong, and you cannot use the S3, you will most likely be able to fetch a decent price on ebay as supply will go towards zero once the window closes and demand will likely increase. i would not be surprised if you get most if not all of your money back. again, no one can say for sure, and there is obviously some risk whenever you decide to purchase any major item, but at least those who buy the S3 and eventually get it to work, seem quite happy with the purchase. i certainly am.

[russwong]

I'm struggling too. Even with the discounted Series 3, that comes out to about $870 to get a Series 3 and transfer my lifetime.... Seems like a lot. I think I would have done it already if it wasn't for the $199 transfer fee. I did it when they offered it for the Series 2 lifetime transfer, just buy the Series 2 and they would transfer from Series 1. Now Tivo wants more money from their lifetime people, cuz they aren't making anymore, so let's hit them for another $199....

Torn... so torn!!



I am horribly conflicted. I have been waiting so long for HD Tivo and it's finally here, plus I can transfer lifetime! Sounds great, but I have been reading terrible things about the S3, especially here in Austin with TW. I am very concerned that I will regret the S3 (cable cards not working, bad tuners, long bug list, my channels go SDV, obsoleted by S4, etc). Plus the warranty on this complex beast is only 90 days! So I thought I would just get it at Costco due to their return policy. But then I realized once I transfer the lifetime over there is no way I would just return it. In other words, I could be stuck with a $1000 lemon. I checked ebay and it looks like the lifetime S3 units are asking a big premium but are not really selling. Anyway I don't want to sell it and lose my lifetime. I wish they hadn't put a time limit on the transfer so I could wait and see how things settle out. Will TW get their act together? Will a software update fix most of the problems? I'm sure I won't know by Dec 31st. What do I do? Help!!!

[GregComeLately]

amen, brother! I've spent about 12 hours reading up on the S3 in the last week, struggling mightily as to whether or not to make the leap of faith. So many variable lingering questions up in the air. Will Tivo go under before I recoup my expense? If I will be using it primarily for OTA and later decide to sell without ever having tried cablecards, will the eventual buyer end up discovering something that doesn't work properly that had been a problem all along, but I had never known about it given my limited usage profile.. will I suffer resale value carnage? Will HTPC computers come down enough in price and with such improved usability that I regret committing $800+ to Tivo, especially if either of the two previously mentioned scenarios come true? What if my house burns down and my Tivo explodes.. will I be compensated properly? What if over time, my retinas get fried from staring too closely at the dancing orange lights of my S3? Who will pay for my seeing eye dog?

ok, maybe I'm getting slightly carried away here. Panic in Tivoland.

[bidger]

Because it's a special offer - the lifetime deal (for all but a few) was for the lifetime of the box it was applied to; you could not transfer it to another box.

What you are looking for is lifetime of the subscriber and that hasn't been available for about 6 years (and technically never was available).

Actually what you refer to in the last paragraph I have from D* on the Lifetime sub I bought 5 and a half years ago. I don't expect the same deal from TiVo because DVR is their only business.

And there is a difference between the transfer offered the Jan. 20(?) 2000 customers and the limited time offer made to transfer Lifetime from S1 to S2, there's a cost involved. Again, I have no problem with that.

It's just like others have said here, I'm not fully convinced yet on the S3 after seeing some of the horror stories here. I know they don't happen to everyone and that a lot of times it's not TiVo's fault, but interruption of service is a b*tch.

I know for a lot of folks this was a no-brainer, they'd been waiting on the S3. But, for some of us HD OTA or through cable doesn't offer us what we can get through our current provider. I would lose both CBS and FOX in HD and the NFL Network if I went back to Time-Warner and there's only one HD Network available OTA in my area right now.

I hear about and see stories on the escalation of FIOS, but I know that Verizon is less than thrilled with cable card. My primary reason for getting a S3 is as protection if I should ever choose to leave D*. I could treat it like a PS3 situation and hawk it on ebay, but that's not my primary motivation for getting one.

There have been and will be much harder/worse decisions I've had to make, but what some fail to recognize, it's not cut and dry for everyone.

[jltx]

Normally I'm on the bleeding edge of this kind of stuff. I have a Series 1 from 2000. In this case however, there is more than just a few dollars at risk. Sure I can sell it on ebay. The main sticking point is that I might lose something I can never get back, lifetime service. I don't really sweat it over just a consumer electronics device, but the lifetime service is important to me. Think of it like a 200% restocking fee since a lifetime goes for about what an S3 does.

That said, I am probably going to do it. I'm just nervous as heck. I only have 30 days to decide after I switch. I've been reading the TW thread and some people are still having problems after 30 days and 12 tech visits. Plus they just moved more channels to SDV. The reason I want CC is because I can't record those channels otherwise. I have a myth box for OTA now. But my S1 is getting long in the tooth and I've been missing all the S2 features you people have been enjoying for years so I guess I'm more motivated.

[TAsunder]

How easy is it to switch the lifetime back afterwards? Does it require just a phone call?

[ah30k]

How easy is it to switch the lifetime back afterwards? Does it require just a phone call?Maybe I missed some posts, switch back after what? The VIP program allows a transfer of lifetime but the process takes 60 days to complete to cover the case where someone returns their unit during the 30 day window. For the duration of the 60 day period, the new S3 has a prepaid-1-yr status. There is no switching back. Like I said, I may have totally missed the topic here.

[TAsunder]

Maybe I missed some posts, switch back after what? The VIP program allows a transfer of lifetime but the process takes 60 days to complete to cover the case where someone returns their unit during the 30 day window. For the duration of the 60 day period, the new S3 has a prepaid-1-yr status. There is no switching back. Like I said, I may have totally missed the topic here.

Right... so you return it during the 30 day window, then what? You call them and cancel the transfer? Submit it in writing? What's that process like?

[ah30k]

I would guess (and this is just a guess) a simple call to cancel the transaction would work but I'm not sure. The lifetime would not yet have been transferred due to the 60 day so they probably just cancel the future dated transfer trouble ticket and refund your $199.

[VanGoghLikesTivo]

I am in the same boat. I watch non-HD OTA TV on my Lifetimed S2. I like the dual-tuners that the S3 has. I will likely buy a S3 and transfer the Lifetime under the TiVo VIP program, but have been waiting hoping prices would drop more before Christmas. I wish TiVo offered a longer warranty on the S3 unit.

[TAsunder]

I am in the same boat. I watch non-HD OTA TV on my Lifetimed S2. I like the dual-tuners that the S3 has. I will likely buy a S3 and transfer the Lifetime under the TiVo VIP program, but have been waiting hoping prices would drop more before Christmas. I wish TiVo offered a longer warranty on the S3 unit.

That is one of the reasons I got it from a local retailer... the 4 year warranty option. The other being that I could get 0% interest for 18 months on it. I ended up paying about $250 more in total (including the warranty) than from the TC store but the peace of mind, no hassle returns, and financing seemed worth it to me.

[GregComeLately]

My sentiments exactly, VanGogh.

I'm purchasing a HD panel very soon, one that won't have a tuner of any kind built in, and along with that, I have somewhat limited component space available for a/v equipment. Thus, the all-in-one box dual "receives everything" tuners is very appealing, and this appeal is only heightened by the general impression I've gotten that these tuners are a step above the norm in terms of signal power. Both of these benefits are a powerful draw for me.

Doom & Gloom Question:

Should something extreme happen, i.e., Tivo goes under, or, my S3 crash 'n burns without the possibility of repair (ex. it's a problem beyond a simple hard drive or power supply issue) yet the tuners remain viable.. will I at least always have the benefit of using the S3 simply for it's dual tuner capability?

[jltx]

Well, after reading more horror stories about the S3 I think I'm going to bail. My S1 records every show I ask it to reliably. But I have a question about lifetime transfers. Do they only allow one? If you transferred from an S1 to S2 way back when, can you now transfer that to an S3? So if I did transfer to an S3 and, by some miracle, they allow transfers again to S4, do you think I would be able? I'm just trying to figure out the best course of action.

But honestly, I think the S3 is DOA. The cable companies are fighting it tooth and nail and they are way more powerful than Tivo Inc. I think they would support an S4 (two-way CC) because really all they want is to sell you more services, like VOD/PPV. I know S3 works fine with OTA, but I suspect most buyers are cable customers.

[dugbug]

to me its all about the S3 integrating with S2s over multi-room viewing. Im already loosing a DVD burner if I go this route.

If they had MRV I would have bitten. The bugs will be worked out, those don't bother me.

-d

[GregComeLately]

to me its all about the S3 integrating with S2s over multi-room viewing. Im already loosing a DVD burner if I go this route.


-d

Are you saying if they work the MRV issues out, you can then (happily) lose your dvd burner because you will no longer have to burn discs for viewing content in other rooms? Just trying to understand your point, as the way you phrased it left me confused. thanks.

[chedlin]

I just bought a series 3 from the TC store. I have been going back and forth, considering the Dish DVR, TiVo, staying with standard defintion on my series 2 DirecTivos (with MRV enabled), etc.

I looked at ebay, and while a lot of units didn't sell, enough did and with a considerable premium. I also feel my 6.5 year old series 1 has to be on the tail end of its lifetime (despite the HD replacement 2 years ago).

I could sell the series 3 and make enough money to pay Tivo monthly on the series 1 for a long time. Of course I will be without a lifetime sub should the series 4 with 2 way cable card or a similar technology offer a transfer.

I am on Time Warner in Austin, so my biggest concern is SDV.

[russwong]

I think I'm going to hold off. Maybe there will be another opportunity to transfer lifetime in the future. Right now, with all the open issues on the S3, I'm not ready to jump in. I don't want to have to cablecard, because adding comcast to the mix just creates more complications. I only have limited basic and current record HD via my HTPC and the unencrypted QAM channels. I'm happy with it and it works.

Maybe Tivo will add that feature down the road. Untill then, I'll stick to my home built HD DVR that's worked decently so far.

Thanks for everyones opinion.

Oh one last question, if I have a lifetime series 2 and get a Series 3, what is the discounted montly rate for additional dvrs? Is it still $6.95?

Russ

[Jeff_W]

to me its all about the S3 integrating with S2s over multi-room viewing. Im already loosing a DVD burner if I go this route.

This is a big one for me as well. Ideally I would like to transfer the lifetime sub on my HT room S2 to a S3 so I can get HD in the HT room but I still want to be able to use MRV with the S2 downstairs in the family room.

It's hard to justify the big S3 investment if I may lose MRV forever.