# Maybe coming back to tivo



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

Been a direct tv customer for yrs. live in a condo and decks being redone so I need to take my satellite dish down. Wanted to reinstall dish but may not be able to secure it to deck on tripod like before because of new bylaws. My dish is on a 10-'foot pool to clear roof line. So may have to go with cable. Saw the new TiVo boxes and like what I see vs cable dvr. My question is about overall cost. I would need one box for the living room then a mini for bedroom. So I need to buy both then pay a monthly fee for each. Also may need to set up Moca for streaming to mini. So what's that run per month. I know I save on rental fee from cable box over time but isn't it a lot more expensive. Have to go with cablevision in my area which I hate to do but have to choice. fios not an option.


----------



## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

We just made the same change in June.  The Roamio DVRs compare very favorably to the DirecTV Genie DVRs (with one additional tuner and the option of 3x the storage, plus very easy upgrade of the internal drive).

Cost wise, if you plan to stay with cable for 3 years buying Product Lifetime Service for your TiVo DVR is the most cost effective and costs $400 (using code PLS when you place your order, $500 otherwise). There is also an annual service option for $149, which averages out to $12.50 per month, or month to month service for $14.99. The Minis are currently sold with lifetime service bundled in. Of course, you have to also factor in the cost of the DVR and the Mini themselves.


----------



## MrDell (Jul 8, 2012)

If you can afford the upfront cost, lifetime is the way to go. Also a good option is going with the three year protection plan. I think it is only $39 and if anything goes wrong they will replace or fix your TiVo and lifetime continues on your box! Most people that own Tivos are very happy.


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

You may already be aware of this, but right now TiVo is offering a special deal to people who were TiVo customers at least 10 years ago. You can get a base Roamio with lifetime for $400, a Roamio Plus with lifetime for $500, or a Roamio Pro with lifetime for $700.

As stated above, all Minis now get free lifetime service. So if you bought a Plus and a Mini, your total cost (assuming you qualify for the deal) would be ~$630. 

I don't know what cable company you are with, but just using mine (TWC) as an example, they charge $24/month for their crappy 2-tuner DVR and another $12 for a second crappy cable box. So, using my example, the TiVos would pay for themselves in less than 18 months.


----------



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

cablevision would be the cable company if i switch. will have to check rates on there DVR. Does tivo ever offer deals to new customers. Havent had a tivo since direct tv first had them in 2003.


----------



## MrDell (Jul 8, 2012)

andrew64 said:


> cablevision would be the cable company if i switch. will have to check rates on there DVR. Does tivo ever offer deals to new customers. Havent had a tivo since direct tv first had them in 2003.


With the PLS code you can receive a $100 discount off of lifetime service. Also, you may find a cheaper price on Amazon for the TiVo box....


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

There is also the ebay discount codes you can buy that will get you a Roamio for $450, a Plus for $600 and a Pro for $700.


----------



## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

andrew64 said:


> cablevision would be the cable company if i switch. will have to check rates on there DVR. Does tivo ever offer deals to new customers. Havent had a tivo since direct tv first had them in 2003.


TiVo is more likely to offer "deals" to their long time customers than to new ones. Unfortunately, DirecTiVos don't count for the longevity deal since those units were supported by DirecTV and had no TiVo account.

The best deal that is generally available for a new customer is the discount codes available for a small fee on eBay. We used them to buy our 2 Roamio Pros and 5 Minis and saved over $1000.

Cablevision charges $12.95 for their "multi-room" DVR (in addition to whatever outlet or other STB charges you incur) but that is a cloud based solution that, while it can record 15 programs at once, will only allow you to store up to 75 hours of HD programming. From friends that have used it, I hear that trick-play is very frustrating on the cloud DVR due to lag between when you press a button and when it is reflected on screen.

Cablevision uses Switched Digital Video for some content (foreign language and out of market sports packages mostly), so you will need both a CableCard ($2 per month) and a Tuning Adapter if you subscribe to any of that programming. You will not need to pay other outlet or STB fees with a TiVo Roamio and a Mini. You will also not get access to Cablevision On-Demand or PPV content (but will have access to Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Vudu through both the Roamio and Mini).


----------



## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

andrew64 said:


> Been a direct tv customer for yrs. live in a condo and decks being redone so I need to take my satellite dish down. Wanted to reinstall dish but may not be able to secure it to deck on tripod like before because of new bylaws.


I'd be checking to make sure those bylaws aren't violating federal regulations regarding satellite dish placement/use.

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule


----------



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

I am checking the rules. Even put an email into the FCC. To me it's a safety issue. Don't want it to sway in wind or break if have bad storm like sandy. My dish had no issues then.


----------



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

My other questions are how much material can be downloaded to an iPad or streamed outside home network due to copyright laws. Also why would anyone pay monthly if going to keep TiVo for more than 3 yrs. Would go over what a lifetime service would be. Wish they would credit you foe lifetime service if pay yearly for 3 yrs then decide to go lifetime


----------



## Pacomartin (Jun 11, 2013)

andrew64 said:


> I know I save on rental fee from cable box over time but isn't it a lot more expensive.


While you will always pay the least amount of money overall if you pay lifetime up front, there are other options where you pay not much more. If you pay annually $150 for the first three years, then they will give you lifetime for $99. 
That total is 3*$150+$99=$549 which is only $49 over the upfront lifetime. That could be considered a reasonable interest payment, and you have something to sell on e-bay.

In contrast if you just pay $15/month for 36 months (=$540) then stop paying, you are left with just a machine that is close to worthless for resale.


----------



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

I chatted with a rep yesterday and they said if paid year
Y and then decided to do lifetime would still have to pay full 499. Wonder if he misunderstood me


----------



## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Nope- you don't get to buy down lifetime by using a shorter term service plan. There could be an offer in the future, but don't bank on it.


----------



## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Pacomartin said:


> While you will always pay the least amount of money overall if you pay lifetime up front, there are other options where you pay not much more. If you pay annually $150 for the first three years, then they will give you lifetime for $99.
> That total is 3*$150+$99=$549 which is only $49 over the upfront lifetime. That could be considered a reasonable interest payment, and you have something to sell on e-bay.
> 
> In contrast if you just pay $15/month for 36 months (=$540) then stop paying, you are left with just a machine that is close to worthless for resale.


There is no written policy or guarantee that anyone will get a discount for lifetime after paying by some other method for an extended period of time. TiVo currently appears have an unadvertised retention policy of offering $99 lifetime if someone asks/attempts to cancel who has been paying monthly for over 3 years - but that could all change in a second.



andrew64 said:


> I chatted with a rep yesterday and they said if paid year
> Y and then decided to do lifetime would still have to pay full 499. Wonder if he misunderstood me


That is the written policy and TiVo will never commit to anything else.

Bottom line is no one can be assured of what TiVo's policy will be in the future. Right now anyone can get lifetime for $400 by using the discount code and buying their TiVo from someplace other than TiVo. My advise is don't plan on being able to get a $99 lifetime offer in the future if someone wants lifetime get it when they buy their TiVo.


----------



## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

andrew64 said:


> Also why would anyone pay monthly if going to keep TiVo for more than 3 yrs.


Everyone isn't as fortunate as you.


----------



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

I'm not saying I can drop 500 dollars down easily it's just simple math. Why pay 150 a yr for over 3 years. At some point it's more miner than lifetime


----------



## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

andrew64 said:


> I'm not saying I can drop 500 dollars down easily it's just simple math. Why pay 150 a yr for over 3 years. At some point it's more miner than lifetime


Everyone isn't as fortunate as you. 
Do you seriously not understand that some people just can't possibly come up with a $500 lump sum but can come up with $15/mo? The math is not relevant to someone who can not afford the $500. Is the concept really that difficult?


----------



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

No further comment. If you keep paying 15 a month for 10 years your well over the 500 lifetime so you just spent more. It's about being smart with money and long term.


----------



## andrew64 (Sep 12, 2003)

No further comment. If you keep paying 15 a month for 10 years your well over the 500 lifetime so you just spent more. It's about being smart with money and long term. It's not that I don't get it.


----------



## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

andrew64 said:


> No further comment. If you keep paying 15 a month for 10 years your well over the 500 lifetime so you just spent more. It's about being smart with money and long term.



I'm not disagreeing that it can cost a helluva lot more. You can say it cost more and that it's not smart to do all you want, and you are right. But when someone does not have $500 what do you expect them to do? I'm serious about that question, it's not rhetorical. What do you expect them to do?



andrew64 said:


> No further comment. If you keep paying 15 a month for 10 years your well over the 500 lifetime so you just spent more. It's about being smart with money and long term. It's not that I don't get it.


Really? once wasn't enough?


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

andrew64 said:


> I'm not saying I can drop 500 dollars down easily it's just simple math. Why pay 150 a yr for over 3 years. At some point it's more miner than lifetime


The vast vast vast vast majority of people apparently don't understand the time value of money, and would rather pay a little bit now, rather than "a lot" now that will end up being much less in the long run.. (I even had one Tivo die at approx the break even point, and I still would only ever buy lifetime, unless the monthly fee went WAY WAY WAY down.. Lifetime has gone _way up_, even more than the monthly fee, over the years, and I still prefer it in the long run.)


----------



## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

mattack said:


> The vast vast vast vast majority of people apparently don't understand the time value of money, and would rather pay a little bit now, rather than "a lot" now that will end up being much less in the long run.. (I even had one Tivo die at approx the break even point, and I still would only ever buy lifetime, unless the monthly fee went WAY WAY WAY down.. Lifetime has gone _way up_, even more than the monthly fee, over the years, and I still prefer it in the long run.)


And consider the people that have too much taken out for their taxes so they can get a big refund after filing their taxes. People do what people want, you can lead a horse to water but well you know the rest.


----------



## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

mattack said:


> The vast vast vast vast majority of people apparently don't understand the time value of money, and would rather pay a little bit now, rather than "a lot" now that will end up being much less in the long run.. (I even had one Tivo die at approx the break even point, and I still would only ever buy lifetime, unless the monthly fee went WAY WAY WAY down.. Lifetime has gone _way up_, even more than the monthly fee, over the years, and I still prefer it in the long run.)





lessd said:


> And consider the people that have too much taken out for their taxes so they can get a big refund after filing their taxes. People do what people want, you can lead a horse to water but well you know the rest.


The reality is that some people can manage money better than others. Those that can manage their money benefit from those that have money management issues. Those that can manage money better believe everyone could and those that don't mange their money as well believe they have issues other than their own spending patterns that cause their money issues. It is likely that both points of view are true for most people at some point in their lives. I personally have been both lucky and careful in how I spent money through my life. I have had credit cards for over 30 years never paid a penny to use them and have been paid several thousands of dollars to use them, also never paid a bank a penny for bank accounts, and have been debt free for years, all while never making any large amounts of money. I know others with incomes 20-30% higher than mine that are "broke" all the time and deep in dept, of course they always had bigger houses, fancier cars, and more "stuff" than I did so each to his own.


----------



## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

mattack said:


> the time value of money


The time value if money is close to zero these days, maybe 1%. Has been for a while.

I have been perfectly happy only "invest" in fdic insured bank accounts, no stocks ever. And I am perfectly happy to pay $15/mth so I can chuck my Roamio Basic when something better comes along.

Not everyone looks at risk the same way. I am super risk averse. There is no accounting for taste.


----------



## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

jth tv said:


> The time value if money is close to zero these days, maybe 1%. Has been for a while.
> 
> I have been perfectly happy only "invest" in fdic insured bank accounts, no stocks ever. And I am perfectly happy to pay $15/mth so I can chuck my Roamio Basic when something better comes along.
> 
> Not everyone looks at risk the same way. I am super risk averse. There is no accounting for taste.


That the great thing about the USA, we have the freedom to what makes us most comfortable with our use of money, and many other things.


----------



## MikeWren (May 15, 2002)

Had an original 14 hour Series 1 purchased in late 1999 and through a series of bad decisions ended up with XP Media Center a few years later, then no DVR the past few years.

Fast forward to now, and it's great to see what TiVo has grown into, while maintaining its familiar sounds and user experience. The Roamio OTA and Mini are a perfect combo for our use case (livingroom and bedroom TV's).

After over 12 years of being away, it's fantastic to be back! What's even more amazing is that I somehow remembered my old forums password!


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

MikeWren said:


> Had an original 14 hour Series 1 purchased in late 1999 and through a series of bad decisions ended up with XP Media Center a few years later, then no DVR the past few years. Fast forward to now, and it's great to see what TiVo has grown into, while maintaining its familiar sounds and user experience. The Roamio OTA and Mini are a perfect combo for our use case (livingroom and bedroom TV's). After over 12 years of being away, it's fantastic to be back! What's even more amazing is that I somehow remembered my old forums password!


Welcome back!

So you originally joined in 2002 and this is your first post?!?!?!


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

HarperVision said:


> Welcome back!
> 
> So you originally joined in 2002 and this is your first post?!?!?!


Better late than never.


----------



## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

tarheelblue32 said:


> Better late than never.


I'll say!


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

MikeWren said:


> Had an original 14 hour Series 1 purchased in late 1999 and through a series of bad decisions ended up with XP Media Center a few years later, then no DVR the past few years.


How did you ever survive without a DVR! 

And what did you do with the Series 1?

Scott


----------



## tootal2 (Oct 14, 2005)

I guess I will be going back to TiVo after I get my tax refund. then I can start doing to upgrades to my powerful gaming pc. and save power


----------



## MikeWren (May 15, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> How did you ever survive without a DVR!
> 
> And what did you do with the Series 1?
> 
> Scott


It's still sitting in the basement on a shelf. Seeing your sig, it never occurred to me that a lifetime subscription might be transferred to new hardware, although there's even less wiggleroom or bargaining they'll do with a Roamio OTA, as the monthly service fee helps to subsidize the hardware cost.


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

MikeWren said:


> It's still sitting in my basement in the boneyard. Now that I see your sig, it never occurred to me that I could transfer lifetime service to another unit!


Well lifetime transfers only have/had a few special cases. If you bought your S1 on or before January 21, 2000 you can get a grandfather transfer to a new TiVo. In my case the S1's were newer than that though but I was able to take advantage of a limited lifetime transfer offer for $199 back at the end of 2006/beginning of 2007 to the S3's (they were not offering lifetime at all during this time for new TiVo's).

Scott


----------



## tootal2 (Oct 14, 2005)

MikeWren said:


> It's still sitting in the basement on a shelf. Seeing your sig, it never occurred to me that a lifetime subscription might be transferred to new hardware, although there's even less wiggleroom or bargaining they'll do with a Roamio OTA, as the monthly service fee helps to subsidize the hardware cost.


you can transferor a lifetime subscription to a new TiVo? I got a lifetime TiVo hd and TiVo s2


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

tootal2 said:


> you can transferor a lifetime subscription to a new TiVo? I got a lifetime TiVo hd and TiVo s2


For your HD and S2 no (see my post right above yours).

Scott


----------



## catperson (Dec 21, 2001)

I just noticed that I have been a member for 13+ years and have only posted 7 messages total. The reason I noticed that is because I tried to PM or email someone and was informed that I only have 7 messages but need 3 more to do those things. Make that 2 now.


----------

