[somename]

What is the best strategy to end up getting an All In discount?

I am about to receive one of the 1tb bolts with the first year free and am tryignt of igure out the ebst timing to get a lifetime discount out of them

They are VERY overpriced. I used that discount code years ago on my xl4 to get it for $400 and that was STILL too much, having to pay close to $1000 back then. And if they offer it to me on this one for $400, I would still turn it down, as the first year is a $150 value, so I would really still have $550 invested.

 

[socrplyr]

For my provider, DVRs are $24/$32 per month depending on the model (2/6 tuner). CableCards are $5 per month. That means the cost difference is $19/$27 per month (other provider in my area is $19.5/$26.5). A 1TB Bolt with All-in is $850 direct from TiVo (without any discounts applied, $300 for box $550 for All-in). That means that the payback time is 45/32 months. Seems like a reasonable time for an investment. Although with the possibility of breaking the box, or selling the box the end, and other things taken into account, it is probably a wash monetarily.

Now that we have established that it isn't overpriced (features and prices being roughly equivalent). Maybe it is more than you want to spend. To that I say go for trying to negotiate some price. If they don't offer you anything that makes you happen then return the box and either keep your XL4 or go with your provider's box. Another thing that might ease some of your money pain is to sell the XL4. I don't know if they are worth a whole lot, but you could probably get a couple of hundred for it.

 

[Mikeguy]

TiVo often will look at your number of TiVo boxes over time, your years of paid subscription(s), and similar other factors which indicate how embedded (and profitable) a TiVo customer you are. Speak with someone at TiVo live (on the phone), chat him or her up, and emphasize those factors. Being pleasant and nice, and non-derogatory, can be a good thing. It also can help to note that you are ready to clinch a deal right then if you can get an acceptable/nice term. And I have read that mentioning that you might just have to leave the TiVo ecosphere instead can lead to a TiVo rep. doing what he or she can.

 

[somename]

socrplyr, it is overpriced. Even at your listed rates, you'd take years to break even and then a newer model would be out. Plus they're getting out of having to support the device, as well.

 

[ajwees41]

What is the best strategy to end up getting an All In discount?

I am about to receive one of the 1tb bolts with the first year free and am tryignt of igure out the ebst timing to get a lifetime discount out of them

They are VERY overpriced. I used that discount code years ago on my xl4 to get it for $400 and that was STILL too much, having to pay close to $1000 back then. And if they offer it to me on this one for $400, I would still turn it down, as the first year is a $150 value, so I would really still have $550 invested.

you would need to have been paying monthly for awhile to have them even consider a reduced all in price with the first year being included I don't think they will offer discount right offer the year is up.

 

[jrtroo]

socrplyr, it is overpriced. Even at your listed rates, you'd take years to break even and then a newer model would be out. Plus they're getting out of having to support the device, as well.

Break even compared with a Tivo default, yes, but the break even compared with the cableco is still there.

 

[sharkster]

I agree that Lifetime is now massively overpriced. Ah, the days of a $300 Lifetime on a new product.

When I bought my Bolt it was $600 for a Lifetime, so I have just hung with the annual. But my year is coming up and I need to decide what to do in a couple of months. Last I saw, Lifetime would still be $550 and that's just too high.

If there is a way to get a better price on a fairly new one I'd like to hear it, too. When I replaced my Series 2 units for Premieres the guy I was talking to at Tivo offered me the $100 Lifetime on one of my Series 2 machines. His sales point was that I could use it for storage. Alas, you can't use that machine for HD content, so I paid the $100 for nothing. I called and talked to somebody about that, because I was sold a bill of goods, but it was basically 'too bad, so sad'. It still sits somewhere upstairs in my office in a box because it's worthless.

 

[socrplyr]

socrplyr, it is overpriced. Even at your listed rates, you'd take years to break even and then a newer model would be out. Plus they're getting out of having to support the device, as well.

I think you are getting overpriced confused here. It is really hard to call something overpriced when there really isn't anything cheaper out there. 3-4 years is a reasonable return time for an investment of this type (basically you expect it to last that long). If you are worried about getting the newer box when that comes out, then sell the old one. It has residual value. There are pros and cons to purchasing vs leasing. It is pretty similar to buying a house vs renting. By buying you take on additional risks, maintenance, and responsibilities. If all goes right you can save a bunch of money by staying in it past when it is paid off. If the house no longer meets your needs, you can sell it and buy one that does. Renting is easier and a lot of things are taken care of for you. It also costs less monthly, but at the end of your lease, you have no residual value.

I do like my Tivo and I find it a great deal, but not because of the price vs the cable company's box. I have saved a ton of money over the years, because I was able to seamlessly switch providers. By swapping back and forth I have saved ~$500 per year. I wouldn't be so willing if I would lose all my recording or have to learn a new system constantly.

You were willing to pay ~$1000 for your XL4, but now you aren't willing to pay $850 for a Bolt (which does more). It is several years later, the price has gone down by roughly $200 when you account for inflation. You can sell your XL4 for a decent amount to help pay for the Bolt as well.

All that being said. Call them up and see what they will do for you. Hopefully they give you a deal. I personally wouldn't expect to pay less than $750 total for the box with All-in. They may not give you any deal and you wind up paying $850 total. If so, then you have a choice to make whether it is worth it to you. If it isn't return during the return period.

 

[socrplyr]

I agree that Lifetime is now massively overpriced. Ah, the days of a $300 Lifetime on a new product.

When I bought my Bolt it was $600 for a Lifetime, so I have just hung with the annual. But my year is coming up and I need to decide what to do in a couple of months. Last I saw, Lifetime would still be $550 and that's just too high.

You have to remember that TiVo has reduced the box cost to offset the All-in cost increases. I agree that they haven't done a great job for those who don't choose All-in when the box is purchased. I think they could do something giving some credit for the number of paid years, but they don't seem to do that directly. In then end, I think it only makes sens to get All-in when purchasing a new box, not after the fact. Unless, of course, you happen to be offered a good deal when you call in.

 

[sharkster]

You have to remember that TiVo has reduced the box cost to offset the All-in cost increases. I agree that they haven't done a great job for those who don't choose All-in when the box is purchased. I think they could do something giving some credit for the number of paid years, but they don't seem to do that directly. In then end, I think it only makes sens to get All-in when purchasing a new box, not after the fact. Unless, of course, you happen to be offered a good deal when you call in.

Yeah, that's a good point. I don't remember now what I paid for my Bolt, with one-year, last year but I do recall that it was not much AT ALL. I would have gotten the Lifetime at that time but $600 just sounded too much - maybe if it included the box.

 

[somename]

socrplyr, to be fair, you have to include cost of the TiVo in your comparison vs. the rental fees from the cable company. You're not spending $550 vs. those fees, you're spending a whopping $1,050, if you get the latest TiVo model.

So at your example rate above it would take you 4 years to break even vs. the cable company charges. And that's requiring you to pay that huge chunk all at once, instead of spreading it out over 4 years, which would not even be noticeable that you're paying the money.

And simply look on ebay at prices for tivos with lifetime on models from 4 years ago to see that you would not get much back if you were to wait that long. That would be like a series 3! Even some of the series 4 ones are going for $200-$300 on there and that's it.

I was out around $1000 for an xl4 with lifetime a few years ago and I think when I sold it I got $400 or less back, so for 1 year of use I wasted $500-$600.

 

[HerronScott]

And simply look on ebay at prices for tivos with lifetime on models from 4 years ago to see that you would not get much back if you were to wait that long. That would be like a series 3! Even some of the series 4 ones are going for $200-$300 on there and that's it.

I was out around $1000 for an xl4 with lifetime a few years ago and I think when I sold it I got $400 or less back, so for 1 year of use I wasted $500-$600.

Your time frames are pretty far off. The Premiere (S4) was released in April 2010 so the latest S3/HD would be almost 7 years old at this point (mine are 10 years old). The Roamio (S5) was released in August 2013 so it's almost 3 1/2 years old (coming up on that 4 years you mention!).

Why did you only keep the XL4 for only a year? We paid $1000 for each of our S3 OLED ($800 with $199 lifetime transfer from our S1's) and I'm happy as we got 10 years of use out of them.

Scott

 

[fcfc2]

Back in 2014 I bought a Roamio Plus and 2 minis for a total of 582.42 and at that time added lifetime ($400) with a code to the Roamio for a total of $982.42. The items were purchased on Amazon. Verizon had there comparable VMS system (similar to Tivo) the VMS service was $22, and the DVR itself and each small satellite box, were $12 each. The total rental for comparable Verizon equipment was $58 per month. Even removing the $5 cable card rental, we are talking a savings of $53 a month with the Tivos. The payback for my equipment was a little over 18 months, not 36 or 48.
You do have to know how to shop and take advantage of good deals when you see them. Tivo made a conscious move to discourage LTS/All in by substantially raising the price. Frankly I think it was a dumb move especially with the buggie Bolt and this Rovi fiasco.
Right now recently sold Roamio Plus units with LTS have gone for $500+ and minis are around $70 each. The smart value purchase right now is on these older Roamio series units with lifetime. These units are pretty reliable and have very good payoff times. The real value in the Tivos are by adding minis to the package because they are relatively cheap compared to renting cable company boxes and often pay for themselves in one year.

 

[Mikeguy]

And, of course, the sweet spot still remains as the Roamio OTA with its included lifetime subscription, if one does OTA.

 

[socrplyr]

socrplyr, to be fair, you have to include cost of the TiVo in your comparison vs. the rental fees from the cable company. You're not spending $550 vs. those fees, you're spending a whopping $1,050, if you get the latest TiVo model.

So at your example rate above it would take you 4 years to break even vs. the cable company charges. And that's requiring you to pay that huge chunk all at once, instead of spreading it out over 4 years, which would not even be noticeable that you're paying the money.

And simply look on ebay at prices for tivos with lifetime on models from 4 years ago to see that you would not get much back if you were to wait that long. That would be like a series 3! Even some of the series 4 ones are going for $200-$300 on there and that's it.

I was out around $1000 for an xl4 with lifetime a few years ago and I think when I sold it I got $400 or less back, so for 1 year of use I wasted $500-$600.

I used the 1TB model, since that is what the OP said they had purchased. It is the appropriate comparable for them. An XL4 seems to be selling for between $250-$350 on eBay recently. After eBay fees, that is $200 on the low end. Not too bad for a 4+ year old model. Right now you should be able to bank (after fees, shipping, etc.) $400 for a Roamio Plus with All-in. Again, I just looked up sold ones in the last month on eBay.

Your comment about the not noticing the cable box payment is a good one. I don't operate that way. If I have any recurring purchase of more than $10 a month ($100 a year), I evaluate it. This isn't just for things you get billed for, but grocery and household purchases as well. I look at and and make sure it is necessary/wanted and if there is a cheaper alternative. I also such that if I can't pay for something up-front, I really question whether I should be getting it. I encourage anyone to evaluate their own finances in the same way. You might find that you can save $1000 a year with little change in lifestyle. For example, it drives me nuts when some of my family doesn't bother to make the yearly call to the cable company to save $30/$40/$50 a month. I don't however expect all to operate that way.

In general, a Tivo is not an amazing deal compared to a cable company's box, when it comes to direct cash outlay. It isn't really any more expensive on average either.

While I agree that it doesn't always work out in your favor (some investments do and some don't), you did choose to sell yours when you chose to sell it. You could have kept it and still probably be using it today. I presume you upgraded due to some value that the newer model had for you. Most of my family are still on TivoHDs. Why? They are paid off and they fit their needs. I did upgrade storage on a couple of them, so we did put some extra money into them. I currently am using a Roamio Pro. That I did overpay for, as I could have upgraded a Plus for $100 less (and I probably didn't even need the upgrade). That was a choice I made at the time.

 

[somename]

Why did you only keep the XL4 for only a year?

Scott

Because I was constantly having it not record shows it was set to record. Probably because Comcast's internet service is pathetic and drops out.

So I moved my recordings to my computer, sold the TiVo, moved back to directv and saved a lot of money. And lost all of my recordings due to a mishap.

However, NOW directv refused to lower my $100 bill for their next to lowest tv package, and with Comcast I am only out $20-$30 above what I was already paying them for internet.

So bottom line, it's to save money. So to then throw out $550 would defeat the purpose. Plus it would mean I wasted money getting a TiVo with 1 year on it if I am going to still spend the full $550. it would be like I paid for a wasted year, as I could have saved probably $130 or so by getting one without the year included.

In general, a Tivo is not an amazing deal compared to a cable company's box, when it comes to direct cash outlay. It isn't really any more expensive on average either.

But it's "is" more expensive, on average, unless you're mighty sure you're going to use it for 4 years. If you do, well by the time 4 years comes along you don't notice you even saved anything, and for the first day of payment, you had to feel in the hole a large sum of money.

 

[sushikitten]

I can't imagine using a TiVo for less than four years. Maybe we're just lucky.

We currently have three And I'd have to look at my records but I think these are tivos number 7-8-9 (and every one has had lifetime). But now I want to go through my records and check for sure as I'm curious how many we've had in the last 16 years.

 

[somename]

Back in 2014 I bought a Roamio Plus and 2 minis for a total of 582.42 and at that time added lifetime ($400) with a code to the Roamio for a total of $982.42. The items were purchased on Amazon. Verizon had there comparable VMS system (similar to Tivo) the VMS service was $22, and the DVR itself and each small satellite box, were $12 each. The total rental for comparable Verizon equipment was $58 per month. Even removing the $5 cable card rental, we are talking a savings of $53 a month with the Tivos. The payback for my equipment was a little over 18 months, not 36 or 48.
You do have to know how to shop and take advantage of good deals when you see them. Tivo made a conscious move to discourage LTS/All in by substantially raising the price. Frankly I think it was a dumb move especially with the buggie Bolt and this Rovi fiasco.
Right now recently sold Roamio Plus units with LTS have gone for $500+ and minis are around $70 each. The smart value purchase right now is on these older Roamio series units with lifetime. These units are pretty reliable and have very good payoff times. The real value in the Tivos are by adding minis to the package because they are relatively cheap compared to renting cable company boxes and often pay for themselves in one year.

Glad to hear the bolt is buggy.... Another reason I got tired of the xl4. it was buggy. So now I am out a lot of money to have more headaches, it sounds like.

Also, your example is not the same, at all, as mine, because had I not bought this, I would be using ONLY 1 dvr, which is $10 per month. I also took hd off because I "think" my area still lets me get hd channels with TiVo, without the hd fee to Comcast. But if I am wrong, then that's only $10 I save each month instead of $20.

But if I DO save that $20, well I spent almost $300 for this bolt, due to the year included. If I dumbly wait out that year and then add lifetime for the full $550, I am out $850, which takes MORE than 4 years to break even on, or would take a whopping EIGHT years to break even on, if I still have to pay Comcast the hd fee.

Plus I might as well have bought a TiVo bolt with no year included if I a going to turn right back around and pay them $550 full.

 

[somename]

I can't imagine using a TiVo for less than four years. Maybe we're just lucky.

We currently have three And I'd have to look at my records but I think these are tivos number 7-8-9 (and every one has had lifetime). But now I want to go through my records and check for sure as I'm curious how many we've had in the last 16 years.

As long as I don't switch back to satellite, I would use it 4+ years. Or unless I decide to switch to only OTA, but of course I got a 1tb bolt, which could be used for OTA.

ps I know technically you can't record from cable AND OTA at once, but is it easy to switch between the two modes and I wouldn't lose recordings to do so?

 

[HerronScott]

Also, your example is not the same, at all, as mine, because had I not bought this, I would be using ONLY 1 dvr, which is $10 per month. I also took hd off because I "think" my area still lets me get hd channels with TiVo, without the hd fee to Comcast. But if I am wrong, then that's only $10 I save each month instead of $20.

You should not need the HD technology fee so yes it should be $19.95 plus the $2.50 COE credit you'll receive so you should save $22.45 per month. That takes you down to a total of 3 years 2 months total to break even if you buy lifetime after the first year.

You could go ahead and pay for another year and then hope that after 2 years that TiVo may offer you a discount on lifetime at that point. I believe a number of Roamio owners have gotten a discount after 2 years of annual/monthly fees.

Scott