$200 to Keep Lifetime on an Old Series 2: Worth It?

[aindik]

I just bought a TiVoHD under the lifetime transfer option that just expired. So, I can transfer lifetime from my Series 2 (the old 140 series) to the TiVoHD for $199. This also gives a year of service on the old Series 2.

Or, alternatively, I can take advantage of the return of lifetime service and buy a full lifetime package for the TiVoHD for $399, keeping lifetime on the old Series 2.

I'm in my TiVoHD trial period, so I have however long that is before I need to decide.

So, I'm soliciting any and all opinions on whether it's worth $200 to keep the lifetime service on my 140-series Series 2?

[ZeoTiVo]

not to me. I have a 3 1/2 year old lifetime on a single tuner S2 and also two DT boxes. I would gladly pay the 199$ for a transfer to an HD. Since I can not, I will transfer a month to month 6.95 MSD I have on a ToshiVo box to an HD instead.

[MikeMar]

Can you just keep the series 2 and get MSD on the series 3?

the breakeven point on a lifetime when compared to a MSD rate is LONG

[DrewTivo]

Can you just keep the series 2 and get MSD on the series 3?

the breakeven point on a lifetime when compared to a MSD rate is LONG

Yeah, between the one free year and even at $10/mo. for MSD, it will be three years before it's worth it. By that point you'll probably have a second HD unit.

[aindik]

Yeah, between the one free year and even at $10/mo. for MSD, it will be three years before it's worth it. By that point you'll probably have a second HD unit.

MikeMar was suggesting paying monthly on the new HD unit. Are you suggesting doing the $199 transfer and then paying monthly on the Series 2 after a year? I think that makes more sense. Essentially, it's the same as paying $100 to transfer lifetime and $99 for the one year of service on the old box. I think it's worth $100 to have lifetime on the new box instead of the one that's 5+ years old. But I'm still deciding whether it's worth another $200 to have it on both.

[Stephen Tu]

I think that totally depends on your setup. How many TVs do you have, are all of them HD, how many DVRs you already have & how much you like to record, whether you can tolerate analog recording, etc. If you have only these DVRs, have 3 way conflicts, and one of them tends to be on an analog channel or you don't mind watching 3rd show in analog, then keep the S2 IMO.

OTOH for my setup, I have only 1 TV, and with the increasing # of HD channels + shows I am finally this year starting to run into 3+ HD shows I want to see being aired simultaneously, and kind of hate watching shows off analog channel when they are available in HD. I decided in the long run I want a quad-tuner HD DVR setup (either by getting a 2nd TivoHD or keeping my cable company DVR, haven't decided yet), which means ditching the S2.

[bilbo]

IMHO, I would pay the extra $200 if you plan on using the S2 at all in 2009 (you plan on using it after the free year is up). Personally, I transfered LT from a S2 of your vintage (I think it was/is a 140) in January to an S3 for $199, but I will cancel the S2 before the end of the year.

A lifetimed Tivo is worth $200 (at least if you look on EBay it is), so if you get any use out of your LT S2 in 2009 it is just money in the bank IMHO.

[RonDawg]

Can you just keep the series 2 and get MSD on the series 3?

the breakeven point on a lifetime when compared to a MSD rate is LONG

I would say it would be better to spend the money and put the lifetime on the new box, and just pay MSD on the old once the year expires should he still want to keep it at that point.

While it seems like "six of one, half dozen of the other" a S3 or THD with Lifetime is worth far more than an older TiVo with it, should the OP ever want or need to sell. That will especially be true after the February 2009 digital OTA cutover.

[gthassell]

Or, if you have a good friend (or family member) who is TiVo-less, think of the value / enjoyment / etc. that a Christmas (or choose your favorite holiday) gift of a lifetime S2 tivo would be....:):):)

[Doh]

Or, if you have a good friend (or family member) who is TiVo-less, think of the value / enjoyment / etc. that a Christmas (or choose your favorite holiday) gift of a lifetime S2 tivo would be....:):):)

This is actually what we are considering doing (and because of it, I am kicking myself, since I bought the Tivo HD from tivo, not from Amazon).

Anyone know how long the trial period is?

It's actually more complicated than I was realizing to coordinate switching from a full series 2 to a tivo HD, with the CC installation and not losing tv shows. Can I just transfer shows on the S2 to my pc and then transfer them all to the HD once it HD is set up?

[loquiter]

Are you absolutely sure that you want to spend more money on a lifetime subscription? There is every possibility that cable in your area will switch to SDV (Switched Digital Video - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched_digital_video ) in an attempt to deal with bandwidth limitations. Since there is no standard for two-way communication with third-party devices, this could leave you with a lifetime subscription for service on a device that can't receive any channels. It's something to consider, and the reason I haven't jumped on the HD bandwagon...

[pdhenry]

The present-day value of Lifetime on an S2 in the aftermarket is above $200, isn't it?

No guarantees it will remain that high, but for the time being it would be worth it, IMO

[Mike232]

just had verizon fios installed to go with my tivo (toshiba DMS RS-TX20). used this tivo box for three years with comcast no problem.
all cables seems to be connected per instructions from fios set top box to tivo and then to tv but problems are:
1). can't record one show and watch a different show at the same time.
2). if a show is set to record from say channel 7 but set top box is set to channel 50, it will say that tivo is recording from channel 7 but when you play back it recorded what was on channel 50.
help, tivo and fios tech support pointing fingers at one another.
mike232

[aindik]

I decided not to do it. I didn't think a 7 year old TiVo with lifetime would sell for $200 in a year. And I'd probably not end up selling it anyway. I never do that.

I did the $199 lifetime transfer to the TiVoHD.

[steve614]

I currently have a lifetime S2 that was too new for the lifetime xfer options that were recently offered.
I think I'm going to bite the bullet and just get an HD Tivo with lifetime.
The appeal to me is not having to pay a subscription rate every month.

[pdhenry]

just had verizon fios installed to go with my tivo (toshiba DMS RS-TX20). used this tivo box for three years with comcast no problem.
all cables seems to be connected per instructions from fios set top box to tivo and then to tv but problems are:
1). can't record one show and watch a different show at the same time.
2). if a show is set to record from say channel 7 but set top box is set to channel 50, it will say that tivo is recording from channel 7 but when you play back it recorded what was on channel 50.
help, tivo and fios tech support pointing fingers at one another.
mike232

Re: 1) If the only way you get FIOS TV is through the box you'll only get what's on the box. This means only recording one program at a time (the S2DT can't control two boxes). You were able to record on two channels with Comcast because at least one of the channels you recorded was from the coax that went directly into the TiVo, bypassing any cable box..

Re: 2) You can never use the box remote to change the box channel, with a cable box or a FIOS box. You must use the TiVo remote and let the TiVo change the box channel. The TiVo usually changes the box channel before it begins recording (or at least it used to) whether or not it was on that channel to begin with, but if you're changing the channel without "telling" the TiVo what you're doing there's no way for the TiVo to figure this out on its own.

Or you have an IR control problem.

Or there's something weird with how the FIOS box changes channels sometimes (as is the case for Comcast Channel 1).

[scandia101]

And I'd probably not end up selling it anyway. I never do that.

Obviously not or you wouldn't still have a 140 ;)

[kb7oeb]

I'd say no, you will probably want another HD unit before you break even.