TiVo To Offer Lifetime Subscription Transfer to Series 3?
Update (09/07/06 @ 6:36 AM EST): TiVoCommunity is going wild with people talking about the same offer. I guess it wasn’t just a rumor. Damn, I wish I had bought the lifetime subscription when I had a chance. $199 doesn’t seem like a bad deal (Thanks MegaZone).
According to a submission on Digg.com, TiVo has said that they will allow you to transfer your lifetime subscription to a Series 3 TiVo for only $199. Until my TiVo receives the message that the author mentioned, I am going to chalk this one up as a rumor.
If this rumor is true, it would definitely be good news. I don’t own a lifetime subscription but I’m sure a lot of people would be happy with this news. Stay tuned for any updates (if there are any).
It is all over TiVoCommunity.com too. Several people saw the Teleworld broadcast this morning.
It’s certianly interesting though I’m not sure if I’d qualify it as a “great deal”.
$199 is as much as many people paid for lifetime on their original TiVo’s (I lifetimed my first TiVo @ $249).
If you already owned a lifetime TiVo you can just get the multi service discount on your shiny new Series3 , if that stays at $7 per month for the Series3 that’s a 28 month break-even timeline if you transfer the lifetime to the Series2.
If you are a hardcore enough early adopter that you are willing to spend $800 for the Series3 to begin with (and I’m sure many of you are) you are sure as heck going to upgrade in less than 28 months. Heck how long was the original Series2 (110xxx) models offered before it was replaced by the second gen (240xxx)? Certianly less than 28 months.
Personally since I’m a satellite subscriber it’s a moot point but even if there was a Series3 option for me I’d have to pass on it and this offer.
This certainly seems like a good deal, although I agree that most of the early adopters will more than likely upgrade before they hit the break even point.
What would be really nice is if they would let you move a lifetime subscription from a Series 2 to a Series 3. The old unit would no longer be active. This would be great for people who would truly be upgrading and no longer using their old unit.
Or Just sell your existing series 2 lifetime box on ebay and pick up the new one. It’s probably worth more then the 199 for the old one. I’ve been a pretty hard core Tivo early adoptor, first series 1, first series 2, then the DVD burner version. I must admit that I really want the series 3, but the $800 price tag is too much for me to swallow.