DVRs, TiVo temporarily reinstates $400 lifetime subscription for Series3, HD
By Ryan Block 
posted Nov 8th 2007 7:30AM
posted Nov 8th 2007 7:30AM
Call it a quick holiday cash-in targeted at current TiVo owners if you must, but you're not about to kill our buzz about the fact that TiVo's resurrecting the greatly missed Product Lifetime Service (aka lifetime subscription) for Series3 and HD owners -- temporarily, anyway, and for realsies this time. As of today -- but only through January 2nd, 2008 -- current TiVo owners can upgrade their Series2 to a Series3 or HD with lifetime, or simply upgrade the service on their current S3 / HD -- equipment aside, the service will set you back $399. Sorry though, you can't transfer service between boxes, and if you're buying a new TiVo for the lifetime you have to use it under the same account. In other words, it doesn't look like they're leaving any loopholes open on this one. Pricing details after the break. Current service pricing
- 1yr (monthly) - $16.95/month
- 2yr (monthly) - $14.95/month
- 3yr (monthly) - $12.95/month
- 1yr (prepay) - $179 (one time)
- 2yr (prepay) - $279 (one time)
- 3yr (prepay) - $299 (one time)
- 1yr (monthly) - $12.95/month
- 1yr (prepay) - $129 (one time)
- 2yr (prepay) - $249 (one time)
- 3yr (prepay) - $299 (one time)
- Web Special - 1yr monthly - $12.95/month
- Web Special - 1yr prepay - $129 (one time)
- Multi-service discount - 1yr monthly - $9.95/month
- Multi-service discount - 1yr prepay - $99 (one time)
- Multi-service discount - lifetime service - $399 (one time)
- Web Special MSD - 1yr monthly - $9.95/month
- Web Special MSD - 1yr prepay - $99 (one time)
I think for new TiVo buyers, this is a great deal. For only $100 more than a 3yr prepay, you get lifetime service, which is pretty sweet.
Since I'm only 1/3rd through my 3yr prepay, I'd have to justify holding onto this box for another 6 years (@ $100/year) before I broke even. Tech just moves too fast for me to think there won't be something better in that timeframe. If TiVo was alowing transfers to a new TiVo or that the lifetime sat on your account, I'd jump, because I really think TiVo is tops in DVR-dom.
Im curious what other people think...
I think Lifetime is great. I bought it back in 02 when I bought my Tivo 80GB Series 2.
I'm dying to jump on the HD Tivo, but if I have to buy lifetime all over again, then it's kind of stupid.
I'm sure at some point they'll get desperate enough and allow old lifetime subscribers to jump to HD and take their lifetime with them, at a minimal cost. That last deal was $200 on top of a $300 Tivo. That's $500 bucks. Doesn't seem very fair.
Too bad you didn't see the Lifetime Update for Series 2 TiVO owners. That ends today. It was $199 to move the Series 2 Lifetime to your Series 3. If you call them today (and buy one in the store) you can save major bucks. But like I said, it ends today.
I am not a fan of TIVO's guessing game as to whether they will sell a lifetime subscription or not. No matter how good there service is, it seems like their business model is a game of gotcha. For this reason I am not one of their customers. I am pleased that I found a second Sony DHG-HDD250 at a sony outlet as a refurb unit. Its not clear these units will get guide data after the 2009 analog shutoff (see the avsforum thread for details), but for the price, it is worth the risk. If Tivo had just adjusted the price on lifetime, and not got into the now-you-see-it game, I probably would have bought their product instead.
Is this for 'realsies'? I can't find any information on the TiVo site about it. Some sort of link would be awesome. :)
I haven't played with a TIVO before but at only $7 per month for my cable company supplied DVR it would take over 10 years to make up the cost of a Tivo and the lifetime service.
@Ryan Comparing cable DVR to Tivo is truly an apples to orange comparison. The functionality is limited as if you were playing back something on tape, as opposed to digital media. Next time you fast forward to the middle of a movie, count the time and subtract two seconds. That's how much time you wasted by not having a Tivo, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
That's great ryan. Some of us pay ~$25 per month for a HD DVR (phoenix metro area) and it actually works out as a cost savings, even with a cable card. Personally, I have used both and I can't imagine going back to the cable company dvr. The network features alone make it worth any extra money. Moving shows between tv's and offloading them to my computer is priceless, for me anyway.
Chris
This is great but I would probably wait for Comcast to start doing Tivos instead of their basic DVRs.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/10/comcast-customers-to-get-tivo-any-day-now/
Kiran
Founder of http://www.viddu.com
I have no doubt Tivo is better and I suppose I should try one before I say it isn't worth the money. You could say I am speaking ignorantly. :(
Ok, questions.
1. So is the lifetime service only an option if you have multiple Tivo's? It's only listed in the Multi-service pricing above.
2. If I were to get a TivoHD or series 3, would that lifetime subscription only apply to that box and not any Tivo box I were to get in the future?
Ryan,
To answer your first question, it appears that you must already be a tivo owner in order to get the lifetime sub. You actually can't even see the lifetime sub on their website unless you log into your Tivo account. I would call to double check, however.
To answer the second question, lifetime subs have always been linked to the box, not to the owner (do an Ebay search for Tivo lifetime). During cyclical upgrades (as happened with the Series 3 and newer HD box), they have allowed for lifetime subs to be transferred for a limited time in exchange for a "hardware upgrade fee".
I don't see anything on the Tivo website about this either. This is my question I don't have Tivo right now but if I could get lifetime service I would think about getting it. Is this just for current owners? Can I buy either HD Box and get lifetime service, for the price of the box and the $399?
Quote from the TiVo website:
"You must be an existing registered account holder with a "Qualifying Subscription" persuant to TiVo's Multi-Service Discount Agreement to be eligible for purchase a Product Lifetime Subscription"
Yeah, they have a typo toward the end. Bottom line is I can't upgrade my single box subscription. Everyone has to continue to pay for at least one box, but they can get lifetime on the next 4. Unless they already have some lifetime agreement.