[ApK]

Now that we have a DTivo, we are seriously considering cancelling our SA Tivo service to save money. It's big step. We love our Tivo and it's always been good to us. $13 a month just to have THIRD DVR tuner is hard to justify though.

My biggest fear, however, is that as soon as I cancel my SA Tivo, D* will announce that they are going to shut off support for DTivos. That would just suck!

Do any of you have any info or informed opinions on how long DTV will keep DTivo DVRs working?

Thanks!

ApK

 

[Earl Bonovich]

DTivos are not being "shutoff"... not any time soon, possible never.

There is no $$ benefit to them "shutting" them off.

Now they are done with software updates, unless something critical has happened. And they don't have any to replace broken units under the protection plan.

But bottom line... SA-DTivos will work as they are pretty much until the physical hardware it self fails.

The UTV units are still running, and they where "ended" over 4 years ago.

 

[harsh]

My biggest fear, however, is that as soon as I cancel my SA Tivo, D* will announce that they are going to shut off support for DTivos. That would just suck!

Do any of you have any info or informed opinions on how long DTV will keep DTivo DVRs working?

The end of the SA TiVo may well come before the end of the DirecTiVo. DirecTV has an agreement of sorts to cooperate with TiVo through the middle of 2009. Here's the thread: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=56320

As for the SA TiVo (Series 1 and Series 2), the end of the line is probably somewhere around Q1 2009 when most of the NTSC TiVo units have died of old age and will no longer be able to use the built-in tuners to record programs.

Of course there is always that the chance that without the full support of DirecTV, TiVo will fold up its tent and be assimilated by somebody like Cisco.

 

[harsh]

Now they are done with software updates, unless something critical has happened.

You shouldn't have brought this up. Many HR10 owners have yet to receive the 6.3x update.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

You shouldn't have brought this up. Many HR10 owners have yet to receive the 6.3x update.

They are still going to get their 6.3x
And TiVo is still on the hook for fixing the issues they introduced with 6.3x

 

[ApK]

The end of the SA TiVo may well come before the end of the DirecTiVo. DirecTV has an agreement of sorts to cooperate with TiVo through the middle of 2009. Here's the thread: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=56320

Thanks for the link. That was comforting.

I'd be suprised if the analog broadcast cutoff was tightly linked to the end of SA Tivos. I'd bet only a small percentage of Tivo users get programming over the air, and of those that do, some large number will likely switch to digital by using an STB with RF and composite outs, so SA Tivos will chug merrily along.

 

[captain_video]

And TiVo is still on the hook for fixing the issues they introduced with 6.3x

Which is why I'm rolling all of my HDTivos back to 3.1.5f until it happens.:sure:

 

[ApK]

Hey! We called to cancel our SA Tivo service, and they offered to let me keep it at $6.95 instead of $12.95. I couldn't resist. So we're still a 2-Tivo family.
Man, I love good retention efforts.

ApK

 

[kay]

Do any of you have any info or informed opinions on how long DTV will keep DTivo DVRs working?

dunno, I hope a while - i love my tivo

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Considering they still allow UltimateTV service, which was what, nearly a decade ago? I seriously doubt they will drop Tivo boxes.

about half a decade.

DirecTV has only been publicly available for little more then a decade.

 

[captain_video]

Ultimate TV was introduced just prior to the release of the S2 DTivos. I believe they were brought to market sometime in the 2002-2003 timeframe, IIRC.

 

[TheRatPatrol]

Ultimate TV was introduced just prior to the release of the S2 DTivos. I believe they were brought to market sometime in the 2002-2003 timeframe, IIRC.

I still have mine. Its never had any of the problems that the HR20 is having, but we won't go there.

 

[Herdfan]

They are still going to get their 6.3x
And TiVo is still on the hook for fixing the issues they introduced with 6.3x

WHAT ISSUES?

Oh sorry, slipped into D* CSR mode there for a second.

 

[Herdfan]

about half a decade.

DirecTV has only been publicly available for little more then a decade.

Just passing 12 years as a customer this month.

 

[Vinny]

They are still going to get their 6.3x
And TiVo is still on the hook for fixing the issues they introduced with 6.3x

Earl, (please see below).....I'm thinking that my problem may have been caused by the new 6.3 release. Is it possible I received the new software and the box got stuck between resolutions when restarting?

I turned on my HR10-250 this morning and found the following:
Green bars and black lines covering my entire screen making everything unwatchable; all though, I can hear the audio. The system is also locked, where I can't change channels or use the menu function. But when I hit the menu, I can hear the beeps and boops, but can't view.

I unplugged the unit and I could see the startup screens normally. When it finished the startup, back were the green bars described above.

Is there something I could do other than the reset? Has this happened to anyone else.

By the way, I have not recevied the 6.3 upgrade as of yet.

 

[tstarn]

Now that we have a DTivo, we are seriously considering cancelling our SA Tivo service to save money. It's big step. We love our Tivo and it's always been good to us. $13 a month just to have THIRD DVR tuner is hard to justify though.

My biggest fear, however, is that as soon as I cancel my SA Tivo, D* will announce that they are going to shut off support for DTivos. That would just suck!

Do any of you have any info or informed opinions on how long DTV will keep DTivo DVRs working?

Thanks!

ApK

Just as an FYI, I sold my original Philips Tivo (standalone, 30 hours) on ebay for $320, but that included a lifetime contract I bought way back in 2001 (at $199). Apparently, you can transfer your service contract to a new Tivo S3 for $99, avoiding monthly charges.

Also, my wife loves Tivo so much that I bought two R10s (Directivos) and an older Hughes model (40 hours). We are using two of the R10s now, but there are two sitting in my storage cabinet just in case. They go for about $90 on ebay, used. This way, as long as they are functional (the hardware, that is), you can avoid moving to an R15 and stay with Tivo, as long as you remain a D* customer.

 

[tstarn]

Hey! We called to cancel our SA Tivo service, and they offered to let me keep it at $6.95 instead of $12.95. I couldn't resist. So we're still a 2-Tivo family.
Man, I love good retention efforts.

ApK

Oops, missed this post. But the ebay is an option if you need a replacement. And you pay $4.99 a month, not $12.95. You pay nothing if you have Premium level programming.

 

[UTVLamented]

Ultimate TV was introduced just prior to the release of the S2 DTivos. I believe they were brought to market sometime in the 2002-2003 timeframe, IIRC.

I bought my UTV July 2001. Still going strong and supported by D*. It is now my backup to the HR20 for key recordings, both connected to the same TV.

 

[ApK]

Oops, missed this post. But the ebay is an option if you need a replacement. And you pay $4.99 a month, not $12.95. You pay nothing if you have Premium level programming.

We're keeping our SA tivo at $6.95 for the moment because, one, we already have it, and two, for the supported networking features (as opposed to unsupported hacks.)

When the euphoria of the discounted rate wears off, we will come to our financial senses and cancel the SA unit. At that time, we'll decide:
1. Do we give the R15 another shot? We already own it and a 'major' upgrade is in the pipe....says Earl.
2. Do we buy another DTV? We do love our Tivos. But we just don't need to spend another $100 or so.
3. Do we REALLY need another DVR at all? Ahh...of course we do.

 

[michael reinhart]

Dummy question here..what's SA ?