# Help Me Spend My Money!



## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Morning all - I'm in a bit of a pickle...

To cut a long story short, I've got an unexpected £200 from working overtime and SWMBO has graciously allowed me to spend it on toys with flashing lights and remote controls.

My first thought was "Finally! Now I can get a lifetime subscription for TiVo"

I've been paying monthly for around 5 years. I know... I know... but when I got TiVo I was sure a new model would be out within 20 months - 24 at the tops...

So, do I go down the lifetime route now? Has anyone had any sucess asking TiVo for a discount on lifetime service after yonks of monthly subscriptions?

Of course, if I do, will the lifetime sub carry on to the Series 4 boxes which will, no doubt, be released mere seconds after I hand over my credit card? What's TiVo USA's policy on this?

Is it better for TiVo's viability (worldwide and in the UK) to have monthly or lifetime customers?

On the other hand, what else can I spend my cash on? I've got a 250GB HDD which isn't even close to full and a cachecard with 512MB. FreeView does me fine - although there's a satelite dish screwed to me home - is freesat any better?

For £150 one can buy a 160GB dual FreeView DVR - http://svp.co.uk/products-solo.php?pid=1376
Sure, there's no season passes nor wish lists nor TiVo web (ahhh how I love thee) - but there would be no clashes nor MPEG degradation.

There's no cable near me and I'm loath to give Murdoch any of my cash.

Yes... I'm rambling now... I'm off to the US next week. I may just buy a Series 3 over there, bring it back, gut it and put my old series 1 inside it so I can at least pretend to have a new TiVo....

So, any advice other than to spend the money on booze?

T


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## Gavin (Jan 1, 2003)

Nothing Tivo related so off topic I guess but what about a Radio controlled Model Airplane. Fun and gadgety.

Mind you my latest one has a 2m wingspan and the wife was a little non plussed when I brought it home 

Seriously they are fun, but you seek a local club (www.bmfa.org will help) otherwise it will be a bag of bits after the first takeoff, Taking off is easy, controlling it in the air and landing it are hard. Also you'll end up spending more than the £200!! 

Alternatively a Nintendo DS, thats a great toy and Mario Cart in wifi against other players worldwide is a blast.


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## The Obo (Feb 22, 2005)

How about one of these:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...goBlobs&blobwhere=1130766362185&ssbinary=true

If you have TivoWeb running then why not keep an eye on your house while you're at it!!


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## barbrook2 (Jun 7, 2006)

So what about terryeden's questions on lifetime subscription?

I'm in the same position, been paying monthly since TIVO day1.


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## The Obo (Feb 22, 2005)

I'm always amazed that anyone who has had a TiVo more than a few months hasn't gone for a lifetime sub! I've been lifetime from day 1 (6 years and counting) and those of you who have been paying a tenner a month for 5+ years must be gutted.

Surely it's a no-brainer!

TiVos on eBay with a lifetime sub usually sell for about £150+ more than one without it, so you only need to use it for another 5 or so months to break even!!


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

The Obo said:


> I'm always amazed that anyone who has had a TiVo more than a few months hasn't gone for a lifetime sub! I've been lifetime from day 1 (6 years and counting) and those of you who have been paying a tenner a month for 5+ years must be gutted.


I would agree - but I was a penniless student when I got TiVo and £200 was too much. And, every time I've thought about taking out lifetime - I've thought "They'll release a new model within 2 years - what's the point".

Does anyone know if, in the US, a lifetime sub is transferable to an upgraded box - ie Series 1 to Series 2?

T


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

I believe that when they launched series 2 in the US they offered incentives to series 1 lifetimers to upgrade and pass on the boxes - like the mobile phone operators used to do by offering you a pay as you go SIM when you upgraded so you'd pass the old phone on to a relative.
BUT
IIRC Tivo's pricing models in the states have changed and they now no longer offer a lifetime sub - just a variety of prepaid or pay as you go options with different subsidies on the hardware depending on your commitment.

My personal feeling is that you will either see a long term return on a lifetime sub even now vs. a monthly sub. 

If your Tivo lasts 21 months and we don't get another model you will see a net benefit - the extra month covers the interest on keeping the £200 in a savings account.

If a new model is launched in the mean time I expect there will still be a healthy second user market for lifetime subbed series 1 machines which are essentially free to own and operate. I would buy a series 3/4/5 tivo...but my hacked, upgraded and cachecarded series 1 would still find a place in my house.


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## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

Just a thought in passing, on a good day you can get an upgraded TiVo with life time subscription on e-bay for around the £200 mark. For example > 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Thomson-Tivo-...3QQihZ012QQcategoryZ11725QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 
(mods etc. please note, this ebay link is for a completed item)

I would be tempted to do that rather than buying a 'new' subscription.


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## rwtomkins (Jul 14, 2003)

pgogborn said:


> Just a thought in passing, on a good day you can get an upgraded TiVo with life time subscription on e-bay for around the £200 mark. For example >
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Thomson-Tivo-...3QQihZ012QQcategoryZ11725QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
> (mods etc. please note, this ebay link is for a completed item)
> 
> I would be tempted to do that rather than buying a 'new' subscription.


I don't understand, with a winning bid of £205, the market is pricing a fully functioning, upgraded TiVo machine at just £6! Is that really all they're worth these days?


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## iankb (Oct 9, 2000)

It's more likely that potential buyers are yet to be so committed to TiVo that they would consider a lifetime subscription to be worth that much. It's easier to cut your losses with a cheap machine and a monthly sub.


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## mccg (Jun 18, 2002)

Possibly.... 
I just bought a lifetime subbed one for £100 (off the notice board at work)
so I have a spare unsubbed one now for "tinkering" with!


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## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

rwtomkins said:


> I don't understand, with a winning bid of £205, the market is pricing a fully functioning, upgraded TiVo machine at just £6! Is that really all they're worth these days?


If terryeden sold his unsubbed TiVo on e-bay he would probably get £60+.

I think what the market is doing is discounting the value of the life time subscription, saying that it is only worth about £150.

This is for several reasons, but I reckon within 15 months such things as the TV-Anytime EPG, the Freeview 'Playback' EPG, boxes with things such as HDTV and/or IPTV, will make even many a hard core TiVo fan wonder if their Series 1 TiVo is worth the top spot in their recording array.


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

Good point about a 2nd Tivo with a Lifetime - probably a better bet than subbing your box.

My dad recently picked one up that wasn't clearly advertised as a life time box but had for just over £200.

You have to bear in mind that someone who's had a Tivo for 5 years and seen a big return on their LT sib may not realise it still has some value to a second user.
Or may have forgotten about the £10 a month cost...


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Most people just don't understand why a 6-year-old linux box with a 54mhz processor and 16mb of RAM has any value at all


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Well, I've just bought a lifetime subbed box from a well known online auction bay for the princly sum of £215.

Un-subbed boxen still sell above £100.

So, I'll plug my cachecard and hdd into the new box and fleabay the old one.

Or, can I ring TiVo - tell them the box with the sub is going wobbly and ask them to transfer the sub to my existing box?


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## KiNeL (Feb 6, 2006)

From experience I can tell you that if the LT sub is not in your name they won't (can't) do anything. Neither will they give you any clue as to whom the sub is registered to quoting the universal cop out "The Data Protection Act". 

Thankfully I've made sure both my LT TiVo's are in my name.

Also, even if a sub is in your name I'm pretty sure they will not transfer it to another box, but I stand to be corrected on this if anyone knows differently.

This may be because they have no way of knowing that you are telling the truth...!!!


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## benallenuk (Aug 1, 2005)

so....say ive bought a tivo from ebay with a lifetime subscription, whats the process to get it in your name then possibly transfer to your current box?

I have also been paying a tenner a month for 2years. Ive never had the spare cash to buy it straight out or buy one from ebay, although Iim thinking of doin it again now

Cheers

Ben


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## KiNeL (Feb 6, 2006)

If the LT Tivo was registered in the sellers name then he and only he can phone up and transfer the registration to you, you cannot do it, they just won't talk to you.

If it was not registered to the seller then you have no chance of getting it transferred to you.

As I said previously, even if a LT sub is in your name I'm pretty sure they will not transfer it to another box, but I still stand to be corrected on this if anyone knows differently.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

KiNeL said:


> As I said previously, even if a LT sub is in your name I'm pretty sure they will not transfer it to another box, but I still stand to be corrected on this if anyone knows differently.


I have heard it said that it depends on which CS rep you talk to, and how nice you are to them, but as I understand it, it can/has been done in the past.


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

If you transfer an existing LT sub from a healthy box and then ebay it as 'unsubscribed' the next owner may have real difficulty subscribing it if Tivo have flagged it as 'dead'.

I can see you ending up with neither box LT subbed and Tivo being forced to clamp down on sub transfers for people with genuinely dead LT boxes.

Can't you simply move your drives and network card to the new box - give it a month to make sure the replacement is OK then ebay your old box?
There is nothing on the board you need except the magic serial number - all your settings, recordings etc. are on the drives.


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## benallenuk (Aug 1, 2005)

VERY good point!


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Hmmm - looks like the power supply in the new box is a bit flakey (it had 30G and 15G drives so must have been fairly old).

Any one got a spare PS and instruction on how to fit it?

Thanks

T


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## KiNeL (Feb 6, 2006)

Sounds like a very early 601E.

Ebay has PSU's, search for TiVo Remote and you'll find one seller is offering 2x remotes + FREE PSU for about £16.

PSU is just a plug in affair.


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