Which TiVo service plan?

Eptiger · 01-16-2009, 01:30 PM

Hey guys,

I ordered my TiVo HD a few days ago and it's arriving today, so I'm new to these forums

I'm terribly sorry if this question has already been asked, but I did a search and could not find an existing thread. Please close and re-direct me if it already exists.

Which TiVo service plan (https://www3.tivo.com/store/plans.do) is best? I'm thinking of doing the 3-year plan, but the lifetime option is so very tempting! I'm just concerned that I'll want to upgrade to the latest and greatest within the next 4 years, but that's less likely in 3 years. Any thoughts? What plans do you guys have?

Thanks,

Elton

fred2 · 01-16-2009, 01:43 PM

There are probably any number of threads on this issue although zeroing in on any one in particular can be hard. AND as I'm sure you will realize, there are a wide variety of opinions. Amortization of lifetime over the years of use is one way to look at it. Not having any additional monthly charges is another way. As you mentioned - will you move on to other equipment in a short or shorter period of time and one that always comes up - will Tivo be around for "LIFETIME!"

I went with lifetime on my first unit an S2. When I went HD, Tivo had a limited window to transfer Lifetme to a new unit and while the window had supposedly closed, I was able to do it for a charge and they gave me a "free" year on the older S2. It seemed worth it to me.

So, sometimes Tivo will allow you to transfer Lifetime to a new unit but don't count on it. Also lifetime may be sold with the unit so it retains a residual value. For some, it is the big gulp of having to shell out for the new tivo and then the price of lifetime - hard to swallow. I don't know the payment schedule if you opt in for 3 years now.

Good luck making the decision. I really like getting no bills on a monthly basis. (Seattle, here, too, with only an Antenna)

wizzle · 01-16-2009, 01:46 PM

I'm not an early adopter of the new stuff due to cost, so I bought into the S2 late. Thing is, the Tivo HD was priced well and I picked it up barely a year afterwards.

So with the HD, I decided to just go with the 1-year plan. This way if something even better comes out (tivo or not)...I won't be stuck w/ such a long commitment.

If you are merely stuck between the 3-yr and lifetime, so with the lifetime. It's not much more and it adds more than the difference in the resale of the unit.

Overall, I'll stick w/ the 1-year being the best value weighed w/ the risk.

chris1088c · 01-16-2009, 01:48 PM

It really all depends on the individual. I just bought a Tivo HD and went for the monthly service plan. I really couldn't afford to go for the lifetime or I would have. Plus I used the promo code to get the first 3 months free. If they offer me some sort of discount on the lifetime plan when my year is up, I'll probably go for it.

Eptiger · 01-16-2009, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fred2

I don't know the payment schedule if you opt in for 3 years now.

I'm pretty sure you pay the $300 up front, which would theoretically be about $8.30 a month.

Thanks for your feedback!

Elton

ThAbtO · 01-16-2009, 03:28 PM

Whether its a monthly, 1 yr, 3 yr, or lifetime, it all is the same Tivo Service, just a different payment plan, except for lifetime which is pay once and that's all for the life of that Tivo box.

Just a J0e · 01-16-2009, 03:54 PM

I've been a fan of the "Life Time" plan.
Got it on my Series 2 and have never regretted it. It was nice to just pay it once and be done with it. After I realized I had passed that 3rd year of ownership it felt great to know that every month ... it was cheaper to own.

As for upgrading -
After 4 years I decided I had outgrown my original TiVo ... so I bought a bigger hard drive from Weaknees and that took care of things.

However ... if you ever did want to get rid of it ... look on Ebay. You will see that ANY working TiVo with a lifetime service plan will easily recoup a major portion of the initial cost of that plan.

My 2nd TiVo (Humax) was purchased from Ebay. The previous owners LIFETIME service plan transferred like a charm!

Get the lifetime service and have one less thing in your life to have to keep up with!

Eptiger · 01-16-2009, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just a J0e

I've been a fan of the "Life Time" plan.
Got it on my Series 2 and have never regretted it. It was nice to just pay it once and be done with it. After I realized I had passed that 3rd year of ownership it felt great to know that every month ... it was cheaper to own.

As for upgrading -
After 4 years I decided I had outgrown my original TiVo ... so I bought a bigger hard drive from Weaknees and that took care of things.

However ... if you ever did want to get rid of it ... look on Ebay. You will see that ANY working TiVo with a lifetime service plan will easily recoup a major portion of the initial cost of that plan.

My 2nd TiVo (Humax) was purchased from Ebay. The previous owners LIFETIME service plan transferred like a charm!

You actually make a pretty convincing argument

And as much as I hate cable companies, I've never really been tempted by the lure of satellite so it is pretty likely that I'll have this for a long time, and I guess I can always just re-sell if I don't. Now I may be closer to just taking the $400 plunge

I can put more into my savings account for the next couple of months to compensate for it.

Elton

baatz · 01-16-2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fred2

"...When I went HD, Tivo had a limited window to transfer Lifetme to a new unit and while the window had supposedly closed, I was able to do it for a charge and they gave me a "free" year on the older S2. It seemed worth it to me..."

"...So, sometimes Tivo will allow you to transfer Lifetime to a new unit but don't count on it..."

I have two old DirecTiVo's and I paid lifetime subscriptions on both. I'm considering making a switch from D* to FiOs and just realized that I could opt to use a TiVo HD unit, which would be fantastic. The D* HD DVRs are awful. I've really missed TiVO!

My question is, where can I find out if I could possibly transfer my old TiVo subscriptions when buying the new TiVo?

moonscape · 01-16-2009, 05:57 PM

i got lifetime on my series 2, and when i got a S3/HD i went with lifetime again. the thing i wouldn't have anticipated when i first got tivo was that i'd like having a second one. so although i don't use it often, i hung on to my S2 vs sell it.

i use the S2 in cases (few granted) when i just gotta record 3 things, and also for talking head shows. there are several of the later that repeat and i don't have to worry about taking extra space on the S3 - and i let it suggest programs to its heart's content and have discovered some new programs that way.

so when you upgrade, you might be glad to have the lifetimed second box.

and really - being a tivo addict - i gotta have a backup!

mattack · 01-16-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baatz

I have two old DirecTiVo's and I paid lifetime subscriptions on both. I'm considering making a switch from D* to FiOs and just realized that I could opt to use a TiVo HD unit, which would be fantastic. The D* HD DVRs are awful. I've really missed TiVO!

My question is, where can I find out if I could possibly transfer my old TiVo subscriptions when buying the new TiVo?

You can't, there are no subscription transfers available nowadays.

Also, unlike with standalone Tivos, *most* of the DirecTivo lifetime subscriptions were
tied to the *account*. (I believe very very very early DirecTivo lifetime subscriptions may be grandfathered.. or maybe I have this backwards, since having it tied to the account is better, since you _can_ change hardware and transfer subscriptions.)

Eptiger · 01-17-2009, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattack

You can't, there are no subscription transfers available nowadays.

You can't transfer a lifetime subscription (unless you're under warranty and the TiVo box has hardware issues), but you can transfer any other subscriptions.

Elton

NowPlaying · 01-17-2009, 06:09 PM

I'm a big fan of Lifetime. I paid $250 for Lifetime on my first Series 2. Used Series 2 Tivos with Lifetime sell for around $200 on Ebay, those without are almost worthless. So I could get most of what I paid for Lifetime service back.

The only downside is that I have had a couple of drives fail during the time I've had the Tivo. Hinsdales guide and a trip to Fry's fixed me up but others might be left with an expensive dead Tivo.