DVRs, TiVo offers lifetime service transfers to the HD... if you've got $199
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Oct 11th 2007 5:17PM
posted Oct 11th 2007 5:17PM
DVRs, posted Oct 11th 2007 5:17PM
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I just don't get it...why would you pay $12.95 every month for something you can get for free with MCE? Not to mention, MCE offers a ton more functionality than TIVO, which more recently is barely catching up.
Because it is not 'free'. To get CableCARD support you need to purchase a ready made Vista MCE box, and all of those are quite expensive. And if you want something that isn't ugly in your entertainment center you spend a LOT more on a nice looking box. Great, now your PC is acting as your DVR - are you going to do other things with it? Well, having it in the entertainment center is a pain in the ass then. OK, so maybe you put it where you work on the PC - now you need to buy a new Media Center Extender to bring the content to the TV, which is going to cost you about what the TiVo HD costs.
So now you're relying on a Windows box to be your DVR - are you going to game? Gaming while the box is recording means slowing your game response down, and potentially glitching your recordings as the box is taxed. Oops. It is Windows, of course, so what happens if some app crashes and you need to reboot - hope you're not recording something.
Oh, and this all avoids the big, big issue - more and more people are buying laptops as their PC, not desktop machines. The whole point of a laptop is having something you can pick up and move around, take with you when you travel, etc. So if your laptop is with you on vacation or that business trip - what is home recording your shows? Are you going to buy *two* full featured PCs - one to be a DVR and one to take with you? Ouch, that's expensive.
In the end TiVo is actually quite cost effective compared to getting a Media Center PC. Especially if you take the $299 pre-paid option instead of $12.95 monthly. And you can still access your digital music and photos over a network, transfer video to/from the TiVo (coming next month for the S3/HD), use Amazon Unbox, Home Media Engine applications, etc. So you can still benefit from content on your PC - even a laptop.
i know this is off topic, but i'd appreciate anyone's input. i'm trying to decide between a TiVo Series3 or TiVo HD. the Series3 has a higher storage capacity and other little niceties, while the TiVo HD is stripped of the glitz, but has newer components, such as Multi-Stream Cable Card support. i've also heard that the TiVo HD interface is "slow" and the box is generally less reliable. there's about a $100 difference between the two (after rebates), so price is relatively negligible. is anyone able to offer any advice as to which one to get (especially if you've used both)? thanks...
When you consider transferring the lifetime service to a new box means you're starting over with a new box's "lifetime," I do think it's worth the $200! You're also getting a year of free service on the old box, potentially worth a couple hundred dollars by itself. More useful for your own needs, more valuable for resale.
Important fine-print and discussion going on here, including the requirement that the old lifetime box has to have been activated before October 1, 2003.
Oops, link didn't show up.
http://community.livejournal.com/tivolovers/537925.html
I have a TiVo HD box, and I notice no issues with interface slowness. I use the M-Stream card and it works like a charm (but really, it's just a convenience, and not really an issue). What kind of reliability reports have you heard? So far my box has been solid. The software on it is pretty much the same as Series3 AFAIK (a close friend has the S3). If you want THX certified sound, the programmable glitzier remote, and the extra disk space, and the clock on the display on the front, go ahead and get the Series3. If none of that really matters, TiVoHD is a pretty solid product IMO. I might even get another one.
thanks for your input... maybe reliability wasn't exactly the right word. i had read that the TiVo HD used newer components (such as M-Stream Card), and those newer components may be better in the long run, but that it was also suffering from issues related to the hardware being so new and relatively untested. i would probably get the HD if it had the same capacity, but i really like the extra 12 hours of HD recording you get with the S3. the remote/oled display are definitely perks, but they're not as big of factor when i'm trying to weigh newer components vs excess capacity.
Craig, it's a tough choice, especially with the hot rebates available on the Series3. I think I would quickly find the 20 hours of HD inadequate, since most of my usual shows would be recorded in HD from the network affiliates, and you can't tell the TiVo to record an HD show at a lower quality. (Though you can probably get it to record from the SD version of your local affiliate.)
The external e-SATA drive port on the TiVo HD and Series3, which isn't yet officially supported, ought to help, since you can add expanded storage. Same is true of buying the expanded units from Weaknees and similar vendors.
Is 32 hours of stock HD space on the S3 enough more than the 20 hours on the TiVo HD? Not sure. But it does seem like a better value if you can get a good deal. I personally don't care about the glowing remote or the text displays on the faceplate, so those factors really don't affect me. The multi-stream CableCARD support in the newer TiVo HD might, though.
Raj, how's the CableCard support for MCE? That's pretty new from what I remember. Also, can I get MCE in a form-factor that fits under my TV (i.e. typical component size), or am I stuck with a PC in my living room? Plus, how much does that PC cost to begin with? The 12.95 (cheaper if you pick a different payment plan) is nothing compared to the cost of purchasing a media PC for my living room. If I am a college student who already has a PC and watches TV on it, then MCE seems reasonable, otherwise it's not the right solution IMO. If there's more to this that I don't know, please enlighten me (since I've not used MCE). I used to be a MythTV guy but that actually gets expensive re: hardware and can't do CableCard, which is critical for a lot of content.
What do I do with my Series 2 box in 12 months?
Trash it, sell it, give it away, or subscribe it with the MSD discount to keep using it.
I just don't understand how forking over $200 equates to anything about "lifetime" when these boxes will be replaced in a year or two anyway (larger HD, better connectivity).
TiVo needs to find more equitable solutions.
Tivo HD $249 @ Amazon.
Western Digital 1TB SATA HD was $259 at Best Buy.
Use MFSLive boot disk or WinMFS(mfslive.org) to format the new drive for 144 hours of HD capacity.
Easy as can be.
I wish they would go back to offering lifetime on new boxes--I would probably buy another box if they did--I just refuse to pay another monthly fee.
Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew, that since it says on the offer details
"Only registered account owners of a Product Lifetime Subscription may transfer such Product Lifetime Subscription to the Qualifying DVR specified above in conjunction with this offer."
Does that mean, if I buy an old Series 1 with lifetime service on craigslist, can I change who the registered account owner is to myself and then transfer it to a new TivoHD? If so how do I do this? Do i need the person I buy it from to do it for me? Any help would be great!
Thanks!
No, you can't buy a Series 1 and transfer the Lifetime service. It has to be a Series 2 TiVO to apply. I called them yesterday and they said I was eligible to transfer. I don't remember when I bought my Series 2 TiVO, but I guess it was before Oct 1.
I loved the TiVO Interface, but it was always kind of a buggy unit. It would hang and screw up programs occasionally. But it beats the tar out of the Moxie unit I'm using now. Can anyone tell me what's going to be so great about the new Moxie unit they're going to sell like the TiVO to individuals? Why would I not want to go with a TiVO HD instead and transfer my Lifetime Service?
BTW, there is one company selling the TiVO HD for $433. Google it and you'll find it. :-D
Series1 units are fine. *Any* standalone TiVo with lifetime purchased before October 1, 2003 - modulo the other requirements, of course.
Oops, I mean $233!
Well, the web page for this promotion verified that the service number of my Series 1 is eligible for transfer to an HD unit. Also, you may want to check the T's & C's of this offer... it appears only Tivo HDs purchased through a specific site (at full price, of course) qualify for the transfer.
http://www3.tivo.com/buytivo/hdservicetransferterms.html