YMMV 40 HR Series 2 Tivo for $0.00 after $100 Rebate (Best Buy in store only)

[Steve0]

fleshconsumed: That's your opinion. But there are a lot of TiVo devotees out there who would differ. You should give it a try. With free hardware (if this deal pans out) there's little risk. Subscribe for a few months and then decide. I think you will change your mind.

coolred: The TiVo generally dials out in the middle of the night, when the phone is otherwise unoccupied. If you pick up the phone while the TiVo is doing its thing, it relinquishes the line to you immediately.

 

[ObiKwan]

Nice! Just got my store pickup notification after ordering online. Great deal!

 

[Seizure]

deal dead. It shows as $99 after rebate now.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Originally posted by: Steve0
fleshconsumed: That's your opinion. But there are a lot of TiVo devotees out there who would differ. You should give it a try. With free hardware (if this deal pans out) there's little risk. Subscribe for a few months and then decide. I think you will change your mind.

Dunno about that, it just goes against the principle - something like this shouldn't require a service to record TV shows because this is what it's intended to do, this is ridiculous. It's like buying a videocard which will work under windows but will require a subscription to play 3D games. Or think about it this way: this thing shouldn't cost more than $100-120 hardware wise, with the service that I have to buy to get it to work I would have to pay $400 over the course of three years (299 if I decide to do a lifetime activation). 299-400 is three times 100-120 so they are making 200% profit on it...

In other words, if it cost $100-$120 and worked right away, I might have went for it because it's a fair value, but at $299-$400 in hidden costs - never...

 

[TwiceOver]

Originally posted by: Seizure
deal dead. It shows as $99 after rebate now.

Still $99 on their site *Price is shown BEFORE $100 Mail in rebate.

Fleshconsumed: Do you pay for utilites? You should see all the hidden costs in those, yet you probably don't cancel them. If you just want to record shows go get the wal-mart special $2x.00 VCR and a stack of blank tapes.

For me I was able to get rid of my cable box with OSD Guide and all that fun stuff which dropped my bill $10. So I really only pay $3 over my old cable bill.

 

[TechDreamer]

The only Tivo's that can be used without paying the fee are the ones with
dvd players or recorders in them. Do a search for "Toshiba Tivo" and you
will find posts talking about "Tivo basic".

 

[allisolm]

So you're saying this one won't even record shows without subscription? If so than this is IMO stone cold...

That's right, it won't. It isn't a VCR. It's a TiVo. It does much more than record shows. If you want a VCR you'll have to look elsewhere for a deal. Sorry.

 

[yougotdeals]

Originally posted by: TechDreamer
The only Tivo's that can be used without paying the fee are the ones with
dvd players or recorders in them. Do a search for "Toshiba Tivo" and you
will find posts talking about "Tivo basic".

Yes, look for the units where the tivo basic service is free or just buy a hd recorder unit.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Originally posted by: yougotdeals
<blockquote>quote:
<hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>TechDreamer</b></i>
The only Tivo's that can be used without paying the fee are the ones with
dvd players or recorders in them. Do a search for "Toshiba Tivo" and you
will find posts talking about "Tivo basic".<hr></blockquote>

Yes, look for the units where the tivo basic service is free or just buy a hd recorder unit.

Well, this tivo is HD based isn't it? lol Anyway, I'm just new to this TiVo thing, which is why I'm torturing you all guys.

 

[allisolm]

Well, this tivo is HD based isn't it? lol Anyway, I'm just new to this TiVo thing, which is why I'm torturing you all guys.

Go here. Read up on TiVo. Get one! You'll like it!

 

[Albis]

Can TIVO use a wireless internet connection to get the schedules? I don't have a phone line in my apartment. I only have a cell phone.

 

[RedShirt]

Originally posted by: Albis
Can TIVO use a wireless internet connection to get the schedules? I don't have a phone line in my apartment. I only have a cell phone.

I'm in the same boat. I'm gonna try the wireless. I know that once you register your unit you can use wireless all the time, but as TwiceOver said, I believe you have to have it dial out the first time. I'm gonna take the unit over to a place with a land line (sadly, I have to go to a different city for this because all my friends don't use a land line anymore). Have to take it 45 minutes away sometime to my parents house, who still use DIAL UP internet (so of course they have a land line)

Anyways, I just got back from Best Buy.

AMES, IA had 7 units left when I left at about 11:40.

Edit: I should note that the price is the same in store, so it's not online only. This is great for those reward zone cards. Came out to be 106.99 with tax. (So only 6.99 after rebate if you include tax)

 

[Hork]

Awesome!

This will be the second Tivo I've gotten for free... the other I've had for about five years and purchased when the price suddenly dropped to $99 on Amazon and there was a $100 rebate.

I have lifetime on the other, so I'll be able to get the multi-unit discount of $6.95 monthly rate if I decide I don't want to pay the lifetime subscription fee.

Can you still open these up and put a bigger hard drive in them?

Hork

 

[Raiden256]

189.99 now... BB's already charged my card, so hopefully I got in on it in time!

 

[Hork]

I started calling people I knew to tell them about the FAR price, but then checked the BB home page to see that the price was up to $189.99 now!

I bought at $99... hope they honor it!

Hork

 

[allisolm]

Thanks TechDreamer on behalf of all who were able to take advantage of this great deal!

 

[habib89]

dude, i read all this crap, all excited to get a free tivo, just to find out the deal's dead, even before my damn best buy opens!! sucks butt..

 

[MJGunn]

I've got mine waiting for in store pickup at $99 right now, hopefully they honor it

 

[RedShirt]

Go to B&amp;M. Rang up 99 for me.

 

[habib89]

well the best buy just opened, so i guess i'll stop by and check it out.. still debating, cause i really hate monthly fee stuff.. and yes, i pay utilities, yes i have a cell phone.. and yes, i have cable.. but those in my mind are necessities.. i get like.. 7 channels, 3 of which are spanish if i don't get cable..

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Steve0
Only Series 1 TiVo's may be used as digital VCRs without a subscription. It can be done, but the value added by the service is well worth it, IMO.

These are Series 2 TiVo's.

Is this usable only with cable and/or satellite? Can you use it with just OTA tranmissions? And like was already asked, what if you cancel the service after you get your rebate? Is it still functional? Why would you want the "service?"

 

[Steve0]

Dunno about that, it just goes against the principle - something like this shouldn't require a service to record TV shows because this is what it's intended to do, this is ridiculous. It's like buying a videocard which will work under windows but will require a subscription to play 3D games. Or think about it this way: this thing shouldn't cost more than $100-120 hardware wise, with the service that I have to buy to get it to work I would have to pay $400 over the course of three years (299 if I decide to do a lifetime activation). 299-400 is three times 100-120 so they are making 200% profit on it...

In other words, if it cost $100-$120 and worked right away, I might have went for it because it's a fair value, but at $299-$400 in hidden costs - never...

What you're paying for is the provision of TV schedule data that enables the TiVo to function as an automated recording device, which is the real joy about it.

That a Series 2 TiVo is useless without that data, and cannot be used manually, well...so it goes. If telephones were free, they'd be useless without a dial tone.

 

[Steve0]

Originally posted by: Muse:
Is this usable only with cable and/or satellite? Can you use it with just OTA tranmissions? And like was already asked, what if you cancel the service after you get your rebate? Is it still functional? Why would you want the "service?"

Usable with OTA and cable, but for satellite, there's a different TiVo, called DirecTiVo, that's much better for that purpose. I'm not sure those are still being sold; or if they are, will be for much longer.

If you cancel TiVo service after you get your rebate on this deal, you will be left with a boat anchor. At any rate, I don't think, after all that, you will want to cancel the service. There's a reason why TiVo people are such evangelists, and you will see why.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Steve0

Originally posted by: Muse:
Is this usable only with cable and/or satellite? Can you use it with just OTA tranmissions? And like was already asked, what if you cancel the service after you get your rebate? Is it still functional? Why would you want the "service?"

Usable with OTA and cable, but for satellite, there's a different TiVo, called DirecTiVo, that's much better for that purpose. I'm not sure those are still being sold; or if they are, will be for much longer.

If you cancel TiVo service after you get your rebate on this deal, you will be left with a boat anchor. At any rate, I don't think, after all that, you will want to cancel the service. There's a reason why TiVo people are such evangelists, and you will see why.

OK, then I am definitely among the unitiated, the heathen, the philistines. IOW, I've never used Tivo, never seen Tivo, don't know a single soul who has Tivo! No Tivo hawking evangelist has ever knocked on my door.

Now, if I may, I'd like to ask another question or two. Do I need a separate digital TV tuner to make use of this? I have an analog TV that sits in one room with a couple of analog (SVHS) VCR's. I also have a newly acquired digital TV card, the MyHD 120 HDTV card in one of my PC's. I also have a couple of Winfast TV2000XP Deluxe analog TV cards, and I could put one in my other PC. TV from my PC's I watch on my computer monitor or with a front projector. Can I make use of Tivo with this stuff? I know the best option is "HD Tivo," which supports DirectTV and OTA in HDTV, but that costs around $1000 and you have to have or get a DirectTV subscription (at least a year). That's too pricey for me. TIA...

 

[Steve0]

You lost me with that digital stuff. But as I understand it, digital cable requires a digital tuner in front of each receiving device (be it a television, VCR, or PVR). So the answer, I think....is yes.

I'm not sure this answer is on point for what you asked. There is a cable-ready analog TV tuner in the TiVo Series 2. It also has the capability, via infrafred, to control an external cable box, be it digital or analog.