Well I opted for the Lifetime since I got a very good deal on the unit, plus the then Sony $100 rebate. The Lifetime subscription has paid for itself already...

And by "discontinuing" I mean the complete lack of updates as opposed to the Series2. See, the Series2 is currently getting a software update for simple things like show groupings in "Now Playing", serial control of the cable box and "Soft Padding" (which I think means you can pad one show to run overtime, and it will still record then next scheduled recording). TiVo Representatives have claimed they never promised to continue support for the Series1, leaving a lot of people debating the meaning of "Lifetime Subscription". I don't think they are going to drop scheduling information, but then I hadn't foreseen them dropping software updates either.

That, and the highly paranoid realization that my Tivo started acting up at the exact time they announced the Series1 -> Series2 upgrade offer, has left me rather non plused.

TiVo does look really crappy on my 57-KV700... I want to see what HD looks like on it since DVDs look so nice. I could spend money on putting a new hard drive in the TiVo and wait for the HD version, or just concentrate my finances on a nice HTPC with HD support right now and easy hard drive upgrades...

Plus, you can't play video games on the TiVo series1, or music, or photos, or web browse...
(heh... I used to sing the praises of TiVo. Now I feel like a jilted lover...)