[lish]

I've been slumming it with Cox’s HD DVR for a while now, and with the release of the new Tivo HD I am chomping at the bit to get back to the Tivo I loved in my pre-hd days.

I would like to buy a new Tivo HD from a retailer and then at or around the same time resurrect my old Series 2 from the garage and re-activate it for use on a secondary TV. Both TV's are HD, but I'm not ready to plop down 6 bills for 2 Tivo HD's right now.

My questions are these:

1. Does it matter in terms of service pricing what order I activate the Tivos in? For example, should I go ahead and activate my old Series 2 with a 2 or 3 year commitment and then get the MSD for the Tivo HD when I get it up and running?

2. If I re-activate my Series 2 and plop down $299 for 3 years pre-paid and then a couple of months down the road I decide I can't live without HD will I be able to transfer that 3 years to a new Tivo HD? If not, I probably won't re-activate the Series 2.

Thanks.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

I've been slumming it with Cox’s HD DVR for a while now, and with the release of the new Tivo HD I am chomping at the bit to get back to the Tivo I loved in my pre-hd days.

I would like to buy a new Tivo HD from a retailer and then at or around the same time resurrect my old Series 2 from the garage and re-activate it for use on a secondary TV. Both TV's are HD, but I'm not ready to plop down 6 bills for 2 Tivo HD's right now.

My questions are these:

1. Does it matter in terms of service pricing what order I activate the Tivos in? For example, should I go ahead and activate my old Series 2 with a 2 or 3 year commitment and then get the MSD for the Tivo HD when I get it up and running?

2. If I re-activate my Series 2 and plop down $299 for 3 years pre-paid and then a couple of months down the road I decide I can't live without HD will I be able to transfer that 3 years to a new Tivo HD? If not, I probably won't re-activate the Series 2.

Thanks.

do a prepay on the new tiVo HD first for 3 years and pay euivalent of 8.31 a month. After the prepay is in then start a new subscription on the S2 and get MSD at whatever rate you commit for.

You do need to do the preapy first as their is osme clause now about a prepay not allowing MSd for already subbed units

 

[Mikeyis4dcats]

do a prepay on the new tiVo HD first for 3 years and pay euivalent of 8.31 a month. After the prepay is in then start a new subscription on the S2 and get MSD at whatever rate you commit for.

You do need to do the preapy first as their is osme clause now about a prepay not allowing MSd for already subbed units

as I understand the new MSD rules, MSD can only be applied to new subscriptions. Will activating an old box apply? Long term, if you have 2 boxes, I think you are better to qualify for MSD then to get prepaid pricing.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

as I understand the new MSD rules, MSD can only be applied to new subscriptions. Will activating an old box apply? Long term, if you have 2 boxes, I think you are better to qualify for MSD then to get prepaid pricing.

well I would find the clause and read it carefully. I am assuming the old S2 does not have a sub at the moment. Plus I am assuming 3 yrs prepaid on the S2 is not all that attractive to the OP.

My assumption is that since it is a new sub being activated on the old S2 that it gets the MSD rate

 

[lish]

well I would find the clause and read it carefully. I am assuming the old S2 does not have a sub at the moment. Plus I am assuming 3 yrs prepaid on the S2 is not all that attractive to the OP.

My assumption is that since it is a new sub being activated on the old S2 that it gets the MSD rate

The S2 has been dormant for about 2 years and does not have a current sub. I might be willing to go 3 year prepaid on the S2 if I can transfer it to a new HD box when I get around to it...

My thinking is this. Because I am an impatient SOB... I would like to trash both of my POS Cox DVRs immediately and re-activate my Tivo S2 immediately for the bedroom, possibly with a 3 year pre-payed sub (again only if I can transfer it to a new HD box when the time comes). Then order 1 Tivo HD for the main TV and as soon as I know how soon it will arrive I can schedule Cox to install the cablecards and then get an MSD sub for the new Tivo HD.

Will it work?

 

[GoHokies!]

Yes.

The key thing seems to be buy the 3 year first ($8.31/month equivalent) , then activate the next box on monthly to get the $6.95 monthly MSD.

 

[lish]

Yes.

The key thing seems to be buy the 3 year first ($8.31/month equivalent) , then activate the next box on monthly to get the $6.95 monthly MSD.

Sorry, still confused... Will the 3 year on the old S2 be transferable to a new HD down the line, and at what cost if any?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

I am not sure you can transfer a pre-paid or not. I went lifetime on my first TiVo so have never done a prepaid. A cursory look on the web site did not find anything one way or the other. I would definitely verify that before proceeding. A call to a cSR should get the answer if nothing else.

 

[lish]

Ok, just got off the phone with Tivo customer service... Now I am really confused.

The customer service rep told me that yes I can transfer the prepaid subscription to another box... which is good.

But he also told me that I cannot get the MSD in combination with a prepaid rate... It's one or the other. This policy effectively negates the MSD as I see it. Can this be correct?

Box #1 with 3 year pre-paid $299... $8.31/month
Box #2 with 3 year monthly... $12.95/month
Total effective monthly is $21.26

or

Box #1 with 3 year monthly... $12.95/month
Box #2 with 3 year MSD... $6.95/month
Total monthly is $19.90

Now, I do realize that there is a 6% difference there, but that's hardly something to get excited about... Do they really not offer the MSD in combination with a pre-paid??? Or did I just speak with the wrong person???

Seems like I should be able to do the combination that would give me an effective monthly of $15.26... No?

 

[GoHokies!]

Time to review the new stuff:

For purposes of clarity, this means, for example, that if you have an existing full-priced Monthly Subscription to the TiVo service and then purchase a Prepaid Subscription to the TiVo service, the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT cannot be applied to your existing full-priced Monthly Subscription, only future new eligible TiVo service subscriptions (defined below).

However, in accordance with the Initial Qualification and General Eligibility requirements set forth above, paid Prepaid TiVo Packages, Annual, Prepaid, and Product Lifetime Subscriptions may serve as the Qualifying Subscription.

The way I read that, you can do the 3 year prepay as the qualifying subscription, then any new activations would be eligible for the MSD.

 

[lish]

The way I read that, you can do the 3 year prepay as the qualifying subscription, then any new activations would be eligible for the MSD.

That's the way I read it as well... But customer service seems to contradict this.

Anybody out there have actual experience with this scenario? A pre-paid contract and then adding a monthly with the MSD?

 

[ZeoTiVo]

But he also told me that I cannot get the MSD in combination with a prepaid rate... It's one or the other. This policy effectively negates the MSD as I see it. Can this be correct?

you misunderstood what CSR said or CSR misunderstood what you asked

the statement I quoted from your post is saying you can not get a prepaid for less that 299$ (or 8.21 a month). The CSR is saying you can not pay less for the prepaid contract even if the unit would qualify for MSD.

so since you can taransfer a prepaid then
go ahead and do the prepaid on the S2 TiVo and get it fired back up.
Then get a TiVo HD and do a 3 yr contract at the MSD rate

later get a TiVoHD and transfer the prepaid over.

 

[lish]

you misunderstood what CSR said or CSR misunderstood what you asked

the statement I quoted from your post is saying you can not get a prepaid for less that 299$ (or 8.21 a month). The CSR is saying you can not pay less for the prepaid contract even if the unit would qualify for MSD.

so since you can taransfer a prepaid then
go ahead and do the prepaid on the S2 TiVo and get it fired back up.
Then get a TiVo HD and do a 3 yr contract at the MSD rate

later get a TiVoHD and transfer the prepaid over.

Cool... I'm on it. Thanks for all the advice.

It's gonna be sweet back in the lovin' arms of my good ol Tivo. Can't believe I ever switched.