TiVo to Drop Lifetime Service Plan 301
Thomas Hawk writes "TiVo held their most recent analyst conference call today and on the call announced that they will be dropping their lifetime subscription option as well as offering three new monthly no upfront fee TiVo plans combining their box and service for one year, two year and three year commitments. Additionally they announced that their highly anticipated Series 3 HDTV standalone model with CableCARD support will not be available until after "mid year," a new retail partnership with Radio Shack and the fact that the company is in solid discussions with other cable operators for deals similar to their previously announced Comcast initiative."
Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:5, Insightful)
Is there?
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:3, Interesting)
Although I'll probably be outcast for this opinion, but I kinda like that more commercials are supporting the thumbs up button. Especially when you can schedule a recording of a show based on the commercial for that show playing, without jumping through any hoops or e
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:4, Funny)
Cue the hordes of homebrew PVR links...
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:3, Insightful)
What they SHOULD have done is offer the listing service for free, as an enticement to buy the hardware. But no, they got greedy and gloomed onto the razor and blade model. "We can get those suckers to pay us FOREVER!"
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:3, Interesting)
I just checked out the links...looks like it was given over to a group in Canada..that plans on taking it down pending Tivo coming in CA officially.
That makes me curious tho....it is against some 'law' to supply your own tivo, YOUR hardware that you bought, to use a different service???? I don't recall ever signing anything committing me to only use Tivo service for the rest of my life?
Hell, I think you only commit these days if you want the discount usually offered
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:2)
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:5, Interesting)
1. The box is only warrantied for 1 year, but you can be under contract for up to 3! If the box dies on you 13 months into your contract, you're stuck either paying for 23 more months of service on a box you can't use, or paying TiVo a fee to swap your box for a refurbished model and move your service to it.
2. Hidden away in the fine print (but mentioned at the TiVoCommunity.com forums) is that the monthly fee you're paying doesn't automatically go down to the $12.95/month "service-only" option once your contract period is up. You have to call TiVo and request that it be lowered to save yourself the extra monthly fee, which is buying you NOTHING, not even warranty coverage. It's a win-win for them, no one had to do the new coding in their billing system, and they get to take advantage of everyone too busy to note exactly what month they purchased their TiVo in.
I've been a huge TiVo fanboy, I've owned 6 boxes since 2000, and have referred enough friends and family to TiVo to earn a 140 hour box, a Nikon digicam, and an iPod Shuffle, but I think my love affair may be coming to an end over this. I'm already suffering through using a Motorola HD DVR on my HDTV, and was planning on getting the HD TiVo later this year when it was introduced, but now I'm sorely tempted to get a Microsoft Media Center box instead, as it'll work with my Xbox 360...
At a minimum, TiVo really needs to warranty the box for as long as the contract is in effect, and swap it out for NO CHARGE when one breaks, they also need to automatically revert the charge to the "service-only" option after the contract has expired.
Fortunately, TiVo breakdowns are pretty rare, but they do happen. I lost a hard drive in my Toshiba DVD/TiVo box after it was only 5 months old, and I lost a modem in my 20 Hour Series 1 box in 2001. The Toshiba was replaced under warranty, and I hacked in an ethernet card to repair the Series 1 box.
I used to easily defend TiVo's monthly fee by pointing out that not only did they have to pay for guide data, but they had to pay for ISP service for the boxes to dial in nighly to retrieve guide data. Now that most of the people I know have their TiVos hooked to their home network, it's a lot harder to defend...
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:3, Insightful)
That was one of my biggest concerns when I picked up my tivo box a year and a half ago. The only reason I was concerned is because Tivo was a experiment for me to see if I would like it(as this is my fi
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:2)
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:4, Insightful)
Once you embrace the advertisers as the people who actually directly pay for your TV, many more doors open, and you might even be able to increase revenue by more directly connecting consumers to the people who pay for it all.
That is the route for a successful PVR company.
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, I know, I've bought two of them. I had to pay, thus I know they aren't free. I also already pay for cable service, so that isn't free either.
ttempts to get TV to be free by commercial-skipping PVRs will be blocked on a large scale by the TV stations themselves under pressure from the advertisers
Uh, how exactly do they plan to do that? They don't have active control over how I play the signal bac
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:3, Informative)
The thing is, TiVO is so easy to set up, even a grandmother can do it. And in business terms, that is extremely valuable.
Also, if you use some other PVR, you miss out on the TiVO experience. TiVO has broadband capabilities. Y
Re:Is Tivo still relevant? (Score:3, Insightful)
I am SO freaking glad I don't own any TiVo stock right now. Buh-bye.
MythTV (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:MythTV (Score:5, Informative)
Re:MythTV (Score:3, Informative)
Re:MythTV (Score:2)
Re:MythTV (Score:5, Interesting)
A MythTV box will cost more than a TiVo, based on their new three-year plan. It will work on your television, not just your computer - the MythTV software is intended to be used on a standalone computer that is dedicated to DVR functions.
The benefit over TiVo for most users is that MythTV doesn't lock you into someone else's content control system. The stories [pvrblog.com] about abuses [boingboing.net] from the makers of the devices or from the studios, abetted [boingboing.net] by the makers, are not hard to find. As Cory Doctorow says, nobody woke up this morning wanting their DVR to do less than it did yesterday. Yet, that's exactly what you are agreeing to allow when you buy a TiVo or use a Windows Media PC - someone else has more rights on your machine than you do.
Now, outside the DRM realm, another important issue that makes MythTV attractive is expandability. Yes, TiVo is hackable, but it's not meant to be hackable easily. My particular MythTV box has two tuners, and room for at least two more (I could actually have eight if I went with dual-tuner cards). TiVo has one tuner. A settop DVR from a cable or satellite company usually has two tuners, but you can't add more.
And if you're reading Slashdot, you're probably willing to play with your toys anyway, right? MythTV is fun. :-)
Re:MythTV (Score:5, Interesting)
Horsepucky!
IF and only if you include the price of a full PC, the costs come out comparable (for $469, you can build a damn fine low-end PC). Tuner cards cost well under $100, and you don't need a monitor (since you would presumeably use this with an existing TV, and if not, you'd need to consider that in the price of a TiVo as well).
Until now, Myth and the like have served a niche audience of people who would tend to have a decent PC in their livingroom anyway, and for an extra $50 could also use it as a PVR. This move has shifted the balance even for people wanting a dedicated DVR in their TV room - You could even go so far as to buy a cheap-ass Dell and throw in a capture card for less than the 3-year plan.
Re:MythTV (Score:2)
Costs and benefits of MythTV (Score:4, Insightful)
You are right, though - a machine comparable to a TiVo can be built for money comparable to what you'd spend on a TiVo. I don't know too many folks who build MythTV machines that are comparable to a TiVo though. The 80 gigabyte harddrive is never enough, the single tuner is rather paltry, etc. So, I suppose I should have been more clear - most MythTV users will spend more on their machine than if they bought a TiVo, but they also have about five times the capacity and much more expandability and more features and no DRM. Better?
Re:MythTV (Score:4, Informative)
Pay 20% more for the tuner card to import it from Canada or the UK or Taiwan or Vanuatu, who will all (in decreasing order of "give a shit what the US says to do") laugh heartily at we stupid Americans that let our Corporate Masters(tm) sell us inferior products simply by labelling them "new and improved".
I keep hearing scary things about encrypted signals, broadcast flags, and other Orweillian bullshit.
Currently, US law doesn't force the broadcast flag on anyone (and no hardware manufacturer will support a "feature" that makes their product less desireable unless forced to).
Don't rest easy on that thought, though, because that particular war hasn't ended quite yet (nor will it ever, most likely). The RIAA just started pushing congress for the same thing for digital audio, and don't think the MPAA won't support and try to extend that proposal...
But as I said, those of us who love freedom, particularly the freedom to use our posessions as we see fit, will always have the option of simply breaking the law and importing hardware that ignores such nonsense.
Re:MythTV (Score:5, Interesting)
The core MythTV documentation is severely lacking. There are lots of good tutorials out there, but since every tutorial focuses on a specific set of hardware you can waste a lot of time if you have slightly different hardware than the tutorial.
Anybody know how to keep my MythTV box from locking up when the disk gets full? I have a separate partition just for recordings, but MythTV can't seem to figure out that it should delete old ones when the partition is full. I never had to configure my Tivo to handle this very obvious issue.
I keep working on my MythTV box because I know that my series 1 Tivo will fail someday, but unless there are some major improvements in the MythTV documentation and code I expect that I'll keep using my Tivo until it dies.
Re:MythTV (Score:3, Informative)
Re:MythTV (Score:5, Insightful)
I've spent a ton of time on it, and even if I get it to work, I still have to train my wife. She gets the TiVo interface just fine, but even I don't understand why Myth does things how it does sometimes.
I'm about ready to just eBay the hardware and get the cable company's HD PVR. Yeah, the interface sucks, but I don't have as much time for this crap anymore.
Re:MythTV (Score:3, Interesting)
If your just interested in using it as a digital VCR and can afford it, then just use the cable company's PVR. If you want to do PVR/photos/music/games etc then an XP based system should fit the bill. XP MCE is very polished and only costs $110 online.
Of course the DIY PVR industry if fucked bigtime within 2-3 years due to Cablecards and DRM, but don't let that stop you from having some fun until then.
Re:MythTV (Score:3, Insightful)
I own a Tivo and thank god it's one device that's been working solid for 2 years without me even as much as looking at it. I hate h
Re:MythTV (Score:3, Informative)
That said, I think the hang on disk full bug was fixed in one of the 0.18 releases. I'm not absolutely sure though.
A retail partnership with Radio Shack? (Score:5, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
Really? How do I record HD channels and display them in HD on my HDTV? How do I attach external storage without having to hack the unit? How do I record 2 channels at the same time?
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
The greatest thing about the DirecTIVO units (SD) is that it records the digital signal and then decodes it when you play back. (and you can record two shows at once while watching a pre-recorded one)
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
Any idea how soon this is likely to be? It seems like we've been talking about the MPEG4 move for years, but it hasn't happened yet...
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
Quote:
"Additionally, DirecTV will start providing local HD channels beginning with twelve of the largest television markets by the end of the year, and expanding to nationwide by 2007. DirecTV's aggressive push to deliver MPEG-4 HD video appears to mirror what Apple has managed to with MPEG-4 audio (AAC)--drive consumer demand and expectations."
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:5, Insightful)
Before saying a company is on it's "last legs" maybe you should do some actual research?
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:4, Informative)
That place is dead, replaced by a cellphone and set-top-box store with a standard retail drone behind the counter whose blank stare glazes over at the merest mention of a Zener diode or anything else that isn't their newest mobile plan.
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:5, Insightful)
I miss my grandfather's horse whip business, but when times changed he got a filling station (all true, and the station went bust in the Depression.) Ratshack couldn't make it on the radios covered in fake fur so they looked like poodles, and the "Battery Club" never brought in THAT many folks, so they had to move on.
Radio Shack is everywhere. Something like 95% of US households are within 10 miles of a Radio Shack. 99% of all US household members wander through a Radio Shack every few years. That makes them closer then the big box stores, just the place to drop into for the odd watch battery, TV cable, or gadget gift.
Radio Shack has that to their advantage. So they went with it. No huge inventory of electronics parts taking up room that turned over every few years. Instead they can make more per square foot with bogus air ionizers, RC cars, and over-over-priced A/V & computer stuff. And now TiVo.
But ya know what? They sell! $45 for a keyboard, the same one as Best Buy for $30 and $10 online, it pays the bills. S-Video cable, hit the local RS for double the cost or go wandering the bowels of Circuit City, past the washing machines, with chirpy kids insisting to 'help' when they wouldn't know an S-Video cable if you flogged 'em with it (yes, thank you, I'm literate, I can read the labels on the store shelves for myself, no need to annoy me with your non-assistance.)
So RS stays in business. Heck, with cellphones they've even prospered. Sure I laughed out loud the day I read on the bottom of an email "Radio Shack: You've got questions - we've got blank stares. And cell phones!" but truth be told they're more convenient then a carrier's store and the staff is better then the kiosk monkeys.
This will be a smart partnership for TiVo. They'll get huge visibility, their products won't be lost in the bowels of BigCo. in the dark areas behind the giant flat panel TVs, instead front & center in every mall & burg in the US. That's what TiVo needs, now they just need to give every RS employee a TiVo for 2 months, then let 'em loose to sell away!
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
Very matronly and it stands out from the usual
Kudos!
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:3, Informative)
And while there is a local electronics shop in this town, they're way on the other side of town, and usually more expensive than Radio Shack. They do have a much better selection however, so they're at least an option if I need something today.
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
New management may be able to turn it around. Best of luck. I do miss the old Radio Shack, and I wish there were a Fry's around here.
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd say it suggests just the opposite. If I think I'll be around for a few years, then offering lifetime service is an expensive offering. First, I have to take on a long term commitment, with no long term cash flow. Second, it allows customers to lock in current subscription rates, preventing me from getting any extra cash if I raise them in the future.
If I think I'll probably be bankrupt next year, then I may as well label my one year subscription as "lifetime". Maybe I'll sell more, and it will delay the bankruptcy.
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
I've been a long time TiVo user and have seen the pros and cons of a lifetime subscription. Pros: No monthly fees and will pay for itself in about 2-years. Cons: The subscription is tied to the TiVo you bought. If for any reason you want to upgrade your tivo you have to get another lifetime/monthly subscription. I always went with the monthly subscription as I didn't think I would keep a TiVo more than 3 years. I probably should've gotten a lifetime subscription for my Series 1 TiVo. I upgraded to a Series
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
Lifetime has been the way to buy (Score:2)
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
As for cost say you purchased a Tivo with lifetime and use it for 3 years, then upgrade to a hopfully newer model vs the new model.
Current cost: $216 for unit, $299 for life
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:5, Insightful)
That's not how I'd expect a capitalist to run their business.
I would expect them to continue selling lifetime subscriptions up to and including the day that they file corporate bankruptcy papers.
I would also expect to see them begin to market the lifetime subscriptions more heavily.
So this, to me, does not indicate that they're going out of business any time sooner. It indicates to me that they want to maximize their revenue, and they feel that they'll be around longer than $250 / $13/month = 19.2 months or under 2 years. By no longer selling lifetime contracts, they will be net positive within two years, on new sales. And, it'll be recurring revenue, instead of a one-time income and then recurring expenses (powering the servers that serve the program guide, paying to have all those phone numbers to dial-in, etc).
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
From what I've seen more and more people are using their internet connections to get updates. Their newest models include ethernet by default don't they?
Re:Foreboding signs (Score:2)
Lifetime support? (Score:3, Funny)
"Web domains in Kibonia (.KB) are available for only fifteen schwas a year. They can be reserved forever, provided that payment of fifteen schwas per year is received in advance."
Replay TV, Bay-Bee! (Score:4, Insightful)
Eventually something will break that I can't fix, or some double-A agency will wise up to the fact that I haven't seen a spot break in seven or eight years, and I'll have to bite the MythTV bullet, but until then, *I* control the Vertical and the Horizontal...
Re:Replay TV, Bay-Bee! (Score:2, Interesting)
My ReplayTV 4504 is the best electronics purchase I've ever made, and the fact that I could upgrade the hard drive in it was icing on the cake. It's been wonderful being able to use DVArchive to store programs on my PC, to be able to send shows to my friend, and vice versa, and last night I discovered www.poopli.com - which is a fantastic way to find people who have recorded a show I missed and have them send it to me!
The only thing I regret is them not ma
Not offering, or discontinuing? (Score:5, Interesting)
Will they just stop offering it and honor existing owners, or do they plan to force everyone to downgrade to a monthly subscription model? And does this include their free "basic" service?
If the latter, and it includes their free basic service, they can expect one hell of a class-action from folks like me who bought an OEM TiVo box (as opposed to rolling their own Myth box) only because of the free lifetime basic service.
Heh... From the article, "According to Rogers, with TiVo's higher monthly fees and one year lock in they have increased the lifetime value of a TiVo customer by over $100."
Do they really want to say things like that in public? It might sound optimistic and fluffy, but just means "we will milk an extra hundred bucks from suckers who use TiVo every 2-3 years". Not the best PR material...
Re:Not offering, or discontinuing? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not offering, or discontinuing? (Score:2)
That said though, since it is "lifetime of the Tivo", you really have to wonder about future updates they might push down....
If subscription = lifetime
then diskexerciser = 150%
Re:Not offering, or discontinuing? (Score:2)
Current lifetime subs just went up in value. (Score:5, Informative)
Remember lifetime sub was for the lifetime of the unit, not your lifetime.
Also. The only thing that has changed is that they have dropped Lifetime subs and added more subscription options.
You'll still be able to go to a store and buy a unit, and get a service only subsription for $12 and change. You'll also be able to buy a second service only subscription and get the multi-service discount of $6 and change on the additional units.
The change is that if you don't want to eat the cost of a unit upfront, there are news subscription options where the cost is amortized for a couple of years.
Poor TiVo (Score:2)
I know that the industry wants to maintain a sustainable income source, but
Re:Poor TiVo (Score:4, Informative)
The payback period for the lifetime subscription has been between 2 and 3 years of product use, well within the expected lifetime of the box. Even in the rare case where the Tivo fails before then, it usually adds something to the salvage value of the unit if sold on ebay. As such, I have advised everyone who purchases a Tivo that they should consider the lifetime subscription part of the purchase price of the unit, and to look at it as a 3 year purchase--after which they would normally expect another couple of years worth of free service before the hard drive fails and they need to spend more money.
Now I'm going to have to tell them something else altogether, as Tivo has just priced itself out of the market. Looks like it's time to get familiar with my local cable provider's DVR box.
So not a big deal... (Score:5, Insightful)
TiVo is actually very smart to offer the new "no money down" plans - that's the #1 complaint I hear from people as to why they don't buy a TiVo; many people do not like buying a product and THEN paying a monthly fee. Conversely, most people thought the idea of paying an additional $300 for something, even if it meant no monthly fees ever, was ridiculous as well - they just couldn't wrap their heads around it.
TiVo does exactly what I need it to do, which is why I have one. PC-based soloutions are at best clunky, and I have an elegant little box in my living room that does it all for me. I transfer shows back and forth from my TiVo to my PC when I want to archive them, and burn them to DVD when I wish.
The biggest complaint about SD TiVo's is that you can't record two programs at once; that's why many people have two TiVo's. Personally, I live very well with that limitation - there is only so much TV one can watch in a day, week, or lifetime and having to make some choices keeps me from getting OD'd on too much unlimited choice. Sure, choice is almost 100% better in any instance, but here I actually like that I personally have to make a choice between some programs (and the DVD recorder is always there if I really, really have a conflict).
DVR's so completely change how you think about your time, especially in relation to TV (obviously) - but I've used some of the "other" ones and nothing does it for me like a TiVo. Simple, elegant, and it does everything I want. I'm also a monthly subscriber, like the vast majority of TiVo owners, so the removal of the program isn't even going to be a blip on most of our radars.
Re:So not a big deal... (Score:2)
Don't you mean "you stop thinking about how your time relates to TV"? Other people I talk to are "disconnected" for 24, Survivor, etc. I don't have the faintest idea when any of these shows are on and that's a good thing.
Re:So not a big deal... (Score:2)
Re:So not a big deal... (Score:3, Insightful)
My parents have a TiVo "hooked up" to a cab
Silver Lining (Score:5, Funny)
Boy if a partnership with "You've got question, we got blank stares" formerly run by someone who lied about his degree doesn't get the investors excited, I don't know what will!
Goodbye TiVo (Score:2, Interesting)
This decision represents TiVo walking off the cli
... *For Series 2 Tivos* (Score:3, Informative)
While it doesn't look like a good sign that they are dropping lifetime for Series 2, it's not yet ruled out for the next generation. Here's hoping...
Complete transcript (Score:4, Informative)
Then later in the Q&A portion:
So it sounds like lifetime for current models could possibly continue to be available at retail (though I can't say I've heard of a retail outlet offering a lifetime priced bundle), and the next gen HD is still yet to be determined.
Re:Complete transcript (Score:2)
This transcript was originally posted by Seeking Alpha [seekingalpha.com]. No, I don't work for them, I'm just doing what their copyright policy requires.
Re:Complete transcript (Score:2)
Re:Complete transcript (Score:2)
Transcript of Conference Call (Score:2, Informative)
Are there any hardware PVRs without subscriptions? (Score:3, Interesting)
Do the newer PVRs with timeshift and DTV supports and without service subscription requirement (e.g., don't need the fancy TV guides, recommendations for other shows, voting, etc.) exist? I do not subscribe to satellite and cable TV services (I am a cheap punk, and I don't watch that many TV shows and movies) since I watch through broadcasts. I know DVD recorders exist, but they are quite limited in how much recordings especially with those HDTV (e.g., 1080i). Plus, they are expensive the last time I checked.
Currently, I use an old fashion VCR (record analog TV shows that don't require high quality picture and audio) and a computer with a HDTV tuner PCI card [www.bbti.us] (acts like a PVR, but it is buggy, unstable, and not reliable like a VCR or a standalone hardware-based PVR; also don't like leaving computers on at home). I would love to replace my VCR before February 2009 before digital TV is enforced in USA.
Are there any types of hardware PVRs out there in local retail stores? I live in Los Angeles, CA, USA area. I would love to get a cheap hardware based PVR (no computers) that is like a digital VCR that can handle high quality recordings and playbacks and use over the air (OTA) broadcasts.
Hardware PVRs (Score:2)
Reg Article on the Surge in IPTV (Score:2)
"IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) [wikipedia.org] describes a system where a digital television service is delivered to sub
Blogs (Score:2, Offtopic)
That said, what do folks think is going to happen to those of us that already have lifetime subscriptions?
Re:Blogs (Score:2)
I'd suggest you read the fine print on your contract. If it gives TiVo a way out, they'll probably take it. If not, you should buy some life insurance.
Those new plans do not look competitive (Score:2)
Subscription Model Tipping Point (Score:2, Interesting)
What is the next subscription model for a service I've gotta have? And when am I going to notice that the cumulative effect is keeping me from saving enough money for the kids college or my retirement?
I did lifetime "memberships" for Tivo Series 1 and 2. Both are still running strong. I like new gear, but I'm not constantly replacing stuff "that just works" in order to satisfy "my geek
Even Windows Media Center pc costs LESS. (Score:2)
***Monthly fees are going up! I have a lifetime sub. I don't use Tivo's dial-up because my moden was dead, so my lifetime didnt pay for that service. Tivo doesnt support my software anymore. My lifetime sub is nothing more than program data. A
TiVo is hurting financially (Score:5, Interesting)
The company has negative earnings per share and its profit margin is almost -25%! Almost 15% of the companies shares on the market are shorted. Thats crazy!
I think that dropping the Lifetime Service Plan is a desperate gimmick to get more revenue. It might work, but who knows.
However, I don't think computer based PVRs are going to make a dent in the market...they are too complicated. Adding a card into a computer is too complicated for Joe Schmo. Watching TV on a computer screen is an alien concept to most people. A friend who was over last night thought that watching TV on my PVR-350 was 'interesting'. "You do realize that this is really weird, right?" she said, "I'm not sure if I really liked the experience." But the idea of not having a monthly fee for TiVo intreaged her.
But...I think that computer based PVRs will make a huge dent in the tech savvy market...because it is flexable...and for now...DRM free.
Re:TiVo is hurting financially (Score:4, Informative)
TiVO also has 4-5 million boxes in service (far far more than number two), each with upgradeable operating systems. They can leverage this in a "google ads" kind of way to link TV content and internet-based advertising, and blow the doors off the competition.
As is often the case, people are missing the forest for the trees. People look at the PVRs as a recorder, or as a mechanism to deliver content on-demand (both of which are true). But the PVR a la TiVO will become a novel advertising stream, with click-through ads during television content that will be worth a mint and have the potential to revolutionize TV-based advertising models. Then TiVO will be giving the boxes away to get your ad revenue.
Missing the point (Score:3, Interesting)
TiVo makes far more money on their standalone boxes than the pittance that they receive on their DirecTV boxes. The reduction in DirecTV business is perhaps one of the most overhyped stories out there on TiVo today.
It may be overhyped from the business side, but there are a lot of customers who really love our DirecTiVo units, and it *is* a big deal to us.
In fact, if some of DirecTV's customers have such bad experiences with DirecTV's generic PVRs it would not surprise me to see these same people buy Series 3 standalone TiVo's due out later this year
Sorry, no. DirecTiVo is both cheaper than stand-alone and better quality, due to the lack of the superfluous digital-to-analog-to-digital conversions. I might be willing to pay an extra $10/month to keep the TiVo interface over DirecTV's new one, but I will always take a DVR that's integrated with satellite or digital cable over a stand-alone.
What I do think might be more of a draw to the DirecTiVo people is the Comcast DVRs with TiVo software that's supposed to come out later this year. As for me, though, I just got an R10 DirecTivo from Weaknees (215 hours!) while I still could, and I expect to use it for the next several years.
HDTV (Score:2)
It's only been, what...3 years since they announced it?
I still love my Tivo (Score:3, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Imagine a world without TiVO or even TV (Score:2)
It's a device that lets couch potatoes watch the shows that were on while they were watching something else.
Re:Imagine a world without TiVO or even TV (Score:4, Funny)
Well, for one thing, it would mean I would go for 12 months without having to be exposed to snide, supercilious and off-topic holier-than-thou commentary like yours on topics you clearly do not understand.
Where do I sign up?
Re:Imagine a world without TiVO or even TV (Score:5, Insightful)
People would be bored? They'd get their deck of cards and play solitaire? They'd become asses who go around criticizing other people's entertainment choices?
Everytime there's a TV related story, people like you feel the need to say how much better off we would all be if we didn't watch TV. People who watch TV almost exclusively as their entertainment wouldn't suddenly want to become productive if they didn't have TV. They'd find something else equally unproductive.
There may be other options out there for entertainment, but we're not talking about them, are we? We're talking about TiVO dropping their lifetime subscription.
wow what a reaction (Score:3, Interesting)
I just wonder what people (slashdot readers specifically) would think would happen if everyone could not watch TV/movies/internet for a year. I am not trying to tell you what to do in your free time. Please, watch TV, movies, use the internet, play music, whatever tickles your fancy - its your life. I just wanted to know what people thought. Mod me off-topic I guess.
Re:Hello people, he's not going to take it away. (Score:2)
Giving up TV must be hard for the first month, after that, I guess that you will find time to do other things.
I do enjoy watching Mythbusters, G4 CinemaTech, Lost and the Science Channel.
Re:Tivo still charges? (Score:2, Insightful)
It's hard enough to get people to stop using their VCR's. You think there would be enough people using MythTV and such to make a dent in Tivo's base?
Re:Tivo still charges? (Score:2)
Don't know how I'd feel about $19.95 a month, even if the hardware was free.
Re:The Comcast Initiative? (Score:2)
Re:None of the news articles are clear on this (Score:2)
Re:Lifetime Subscriptions (Score:2)