# 500GB now available



## JaybirdUK (Apr 9, 2005)

Ive just managed to order the 500GB VM TiVo for £49.99 activation and £40 install.

Despite it showing available for existing customers on their website it took a couple of attempts with VM India before they would believe me the 500GB is out!

Would have preferred the 1TB box but the jump in price is a step too far for me considering the cost of component differences.

Existing customers can have 500GB now, new customers from July according to this link


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## Karnak (Jan 13, 2003)

At first I felt a bit annoyed that this one was going to be so much cheaper and that I could have done fine with 500GB but I'm not convinced now.

Ok, I'm only showing as having used ~15% of my 1TB but... that doesn't include suggestions. I can well imagine if I had the 500GB box, after a while I wouldn't have enough space for suggestions.


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## smokie (Dec 27, 2002)

Is there any additional monthly fee for this? Do you have to be on XL?

Or can I order it as a straight swap for V+, with just initial costs?


EDIT: Just read the link, £3 pm. Don't see that you have to be on XL.

EDIT EDIT: XL £3 pm, others £8 pm.

Just ignore me


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Yeah. To clarify:

M: Not avail
M+/L: £8 pm
XL: £3 pm


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Does M even exist anymore?


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Only as a legacy package and possibly a last resort 'special offer'.


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## william44 (Feb 25, 2011)

Anyone tried asking VM if they can downgrade from 1TB XL for 500GB M+ before the end of the contract?
That's the one I would have taken had it been available at the time I signed up.


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## JaybirdUK (Apr 9, 2005)

william44 said:


> Anyone tried asking VM if they can downgrade from 1TB XL for 500GB M+ before the end of the contract?
> That's the one I would have taken had it been available at the time I signed up.


Why would you do that? I don't see them refunding you any of the 'activation fee' and the monthly subs are the same. Unless of course you want to drop to a M+/L package?

Be content and feel superior with your 1TB box


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## Ernie_C (Feb 20, 2011)

JaybirdUK said:


> *Why would you do that?* I don't see them refunding you any of the 'activation fee' and the monthly subs are the same. Unless of course you want to drop to a M+/L package?
> 
> Be content and feel superior with your 1TB box


Only one reason - you can't afford the TV XL charges.


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## william44 (Feb 25, 2011)

JaybirdUK said:


> Why would you do that? I don't see them refunding you any of the 'activation fee' and the monthly subs are the same. Unless of course you want to drop to a M+/L package?
> 
> Be content and feel superior with your 1TB box


It would be cheaper to take the smaller TV pkg. I only went to XL to get Tivo. I wouldn't miss the extra channels.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

If I were able to receive VM digital cable, I'd opt for two 500GB TiVos on the M+ package.

6 Tuners
1TB of space
50 quid saving on the activation fee
£18 a month saving on the TV package
less £16 a month for the two TiVos
(as opposed to £3 for one on the XL package).

Result:- a saving of a fiver a month, great flexibility and fewer channels to wade through.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Moving down to M+ would actually make many of my wishlists actually work again,
since we have no way of restricting channels they operate on (no channels I receive menu).

IMO *VM wishlists are currently broken* as any non specific keyword or genre wishlist will be swamped with kids programmes at the expense of others.

XL has 21 kids channels, M+ only has 3


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## william44 (Feb 25, 2011)

mikerr said:


> Moving down to M+ would actually make many of my wishlists actually work again,
> since we have no way of restricting channels they operate on (no channels I receive menu).


Will you be able to keep the 1TB TIVO but move down to M+ at the end of the initial contract? Anyone actually had that confirmed?


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## Cableguy1927 (Oct 12, 2010)

mikerr said:


> IMO *VM wishlists are currently broken* as any non specific keyword or genre wishlist will be swamped with kids programmes at the expense of others.


Can you expand more on this? Would help to know what you have set. Perhaps you can create a new topic as this thread is for the 500Gb box.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

There's been at least one thread on it:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=8383434


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## amarkr (Mar 14, 2011)

http://shop.virginmedia.com/existing-customers/customer-offers/tivo-box-upgrade.html

from small print at bottom

TiVo: 1TB TiVo box: you must take, or upgrade to, TV XL to be eligible. If you cease to be an XL TV customer, we reserve the right to charge you the then applicable monthly TiVo charge (currently £8 for TV L or M+). TiVo is not available on TV M.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Yes. That's the 1TB box, not the 500GB


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## amarkr (Mar 14, 2011)

cwaring said:


> Yes. That's the 1TB box, not the 500GB


Sorry, was just answering William44 question about downgrading package at end of contract if they have 1TB box.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

No problem. You could have quoted him though, to avoid confusion


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## william44 (Feb 25, 2011)

amarkr said:


> http://shop.virginmedia.com/existing-customers/customer-offers/tivo-box-upgrade.html
> 
> from small print at bottom
> 
> TiVo: 1TB TiVo box: you must take, or upgrade to, TV XL to be eligible. If you cease to be an XL TV customer, we reserve the right to charge you the then applicable monthly TiVo charge (currently £8 for TV L or M+). TiVo is not available on TV M.


Thanks for that. Just called them. Now on M+ with my 1TB TIVO and saving £13 a month. Only went to XL to get the TIVO in the first place.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

I'd have thought you were tied to XL for 12 months from signup?

That said, I have found VM to be quite flexible in the past for any package changes.

It's probably only when cancelling all services totally that they'll enforce the contract.


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## Karnak (Jan 13, 2003)

Pity that I enjoy all of the random US shows on my XL package channels


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## JaybirdUK (Apr 9, 2005)

TiVo installed this afternoon and its just as I remembered my Series1 being. Record from iPhone even works for me and I know that's been an issue for some.

My next problem is we're thinking of moving house next year, I need to plan house viewing in Virgin areas only


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## william44 (Feb 25, 2011)

mikerr said:


> I'd have thought you were tied to XL for 12 months from signup?
> 
> That said, I have found VM to be quite flexible in the past for any package changes.
> 
> It's probably only when cancelling all services totally that they'll enforce the contract.


They said it was fine because i'd had it for more than 30 days.


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## deshepherd (Nov 30, 2000)

william44 said:


> They said it was fine because i'd had it for more than 30 days.


Think that's the usual rule that if you change package you can't change back within 30 days. Way back when the cablecos that became VM first started and in Bristol we had UnitedArtists then you could opt in and out of extra packages at will (I think they made a feature of this in the sales spiel) ... I certainly remember then spotting that my football team (Carlisle United!) we being shown live on Sky on night so I phoned to upgrade to SkySports the day before and a couple of days afterwards phoned up to drop it again!

That said, I suspect you may have struck lucky with someone who didn't spot you were meant to be tied to XL for 12 months!


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## deshepherd (Nov 30, 2000)

ericd121 said:


> If I were able to receive VM digital cable, I'd opt for two 500GB TiVos on the M+ package.
> ...
> Result:- a saving of a fiver a month, great flexibility and fewer channels to wade through.


Think you'd have to "wade" through the same number of channels ... just most of them would be grey!


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## deshepherd (Nov 30, 2000)

Karnak said:


> At first I felt a bit annoyed that this one was going to be so much cheaper and that I could have done fine with 500GB but I'm not convinced now.
> 
> Ok, I'm only showing as having used ~15% of my 1TB but... that doesn't include suggestions. I can well imagine if I had the 500GB box, after a while I wouldn't have enough space for suggestions.


I'm happy with the 1TB TiVo but as we're hovering around the 40-45% full mark most of the time I do have a nagging feeling that 500MB would have been fine! As for suggestions ... I'm sure the rest of the space is full of suggestions but given the way suggestions can now appear inside folders anywhere in the main list of programs which can sometimes make it difficult to remember which programs you actually asked it to record then I'm increasingly tempted to turn them off!


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Yep suggestions get everywhere - there really should be a "show/hide" suggestions button,
sometimes its handy to have then, other times its just clutter.

[edit] added to features wishlst thread


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## Major dude (Oct 28, 2002)

william44 said:


> Thanks for that. Just called them. Now on M+ with my 1TB TIVO and saving £13 a month. Only went to XL to get the TIVO in the first place.


Which number did you call?
Did you get a name for who you spoke to?
£[email protected] saving here I come.


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## big_dirk (Feb 17, 2006)

Dunno about anyone else, but I'm really annoyed about this tbh.  I would much prefer a 500GB one for cheaper.


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