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TiVo has brought its lifetime service plan back for the holidays

Anyone who tried to record TV programs before the advent of TiVo knows that programming the VCR was a real crapshoot. TiVo came along and made recording shows so easy it was laughable and now many can’t imagine life without a TiVo DVR.

Many cable companies are now offering TiVo-like DVR’s as an option to cable TV programming plans. However, with reports that some large cable companies are going to implement features that prevent users from skipping commercials recorded onto cable company DVRs, many are looking to TiVo again.

Another big selling point to TiVo over DVR systems provided by cable companies is that you can expand the storage capacity of a TiVo DVR so your digital recording library can continue to grow.

The biggest drawback to TiVo is that it requires a monthly service charge in addition to your cable TV programming. To make the monthly service a bit more palatable to shopper this holiday season TiVo has bought back the life time service plan for existing customers.

Engadget is reporting that for $399 you can get a lifetime of TiVo service. That isn’t a bad deal when a monthly plan costs $16.95 and a three-year pre-paid plan is $299.

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Never saw the need myself
By Lifted on 11/8/2007 5:56:46 PM , Rating: 5
With the quality of shows on TV these days, I just couldn't justify the costs of all these new gadgets. $800 or so for an HDTV, $700+ for tivo with lifetime subscription, $50 - $100/month for cable TV...

It's just too easy to download the few shows I care to watch once in a while. I guess if you enjoy sitting around all weekend watching every college/pro game it's worth it.




RE: Never saw the need myself
By Spuke on 11/8/2007 6:19:08 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
With the quality of shows on TV these days, I just couldn't justify the costs of all these new gadgets.
That's the exact reason I have a DVR. I record only the shows I want to watch.

BTW, I watch HGTV, DIY, Science, TLC, History, Nat'l Geo, SciFi, Speed, and a few others. I hate channel surfing and I really prefer educational stuff.

There's some good stuff on TV, you just won't find it channel surfing.


RE: Never saw the need myself
By 16nm on 11/8/2007 7:36:27 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I guess if you enjoy sitting around all weekend watching every college/pro game it's worth it.


Actually, you are totally missing the point of this invention.

If you enjoy sitting around all weekend watching football then you do not need a digital recorder. However, if you DO NOT enjoy sitting around all weekend in front of the tv then this device allows you to record the games and watch each one in about 45 minutes and/or later when you have some free time.


Nah
By archcommus on 11/8/2007 5:53:27 PM , Rating: 2
Still would rather just build my own HTPC with a dual-tuner HD card and a lot of HDD space in it, than pay TiVo any amount, even for lifetime service, or $15 extra a month to Comcast for their HD DVR.




RE: Nah
By djc208 on 11/8/2007 6:19:01 PM , Rating: 1
I love my HTPC for those reasons, no monthly service fee, as much storage as you can afford, share media with other devices, and as many tuners as you want.

Problem is that outside of the few over the air and unscrambled HD channels, getting HD content onto the computer is very difficult. The media card nVidia tuner is troublesome and only available through OEMs, and the few HD capture methods are equally troublesome or expensive when compared to renting an HD DVR.


RE: Nah
By kkwst2 on 11/8/2007 6:42:50 PM , Rating: 2
You mean the ATI/AMD tuner right? I'm not aware that nVidia makes one.

I've heard mixed reports from it. I think most of the problems stem from the different/improper implementations of cablecard rather than the device design. I think there have been issues with the TivoHD devices wrt cablecard as well. They're expensive too. They add around $250 each to the price of an HTPC, so $500 total for a dual tuner setup. That's more than the lifetime subscription to Tivo.

I must say that a lifetime subscription for Tivo with a TivoHD (that's the newer cheaper one, right?) probably makes more sense than a HTPC for a lot, if not most, people.

Plus, you used to be able to back up Tivo content to your PC. Not sure if that still works with the HD ones. Makes the limited space thing less of an issue.


RE: Nah
By archcommus on 11/8/2007 7:59:49 PM , Rating: 1
How come HD channels are scrambled but analog ones are not? Are other digital but non-HD channels scrambled? Where do they get the right to do that? If I'm paying for the service, I should have the right to use the signal with any hardware I wish. I guess that's where the whole CableCard debate begins.

Well, that significantly diminishes my argument then. Until that is easier and more affordable, I guess HDTV over your own HTPC is a real PITA.


Switched Digital Video
By bplewis24 on 11/8/2007 6:17:35 PM , Rating: 1
But is the Tivo going to be SDV compliant or does it just become obsolete at that point?

Brandon




RE: Switched Digital Video
By Heinrich on 11/8/2007 8:08:10 PM , Rating: 2
TIVO has said that there will be a USB "tuning resolver" module. But there are different manufacturers of SDV equipment, and there are no "guarantees" that this USB "tuning resolver" will come out and/or be compatible with all SDV equipment.

If I saw one and I knew that it would future-proof me I would get the lifetime agreement - but not until then.


RE: Switched Digital Video
By bplewis24 on 11/8/2007 8:58:03 PM , Rating: 3
I completely agree. Back several years ago when this "lifetime agreement" first started, it was a pretty good idea. I know some folks that still use it. But the advancements in HD technology, IPTV and FTTP are pretty rapid. It's hard to predict what's going to happen in the next 6 months, let alone the next 6 years. If there were some standards in place or some assurance it would be compatible, I'd jump on board as well.

Brandon


Amazing to me that Tivo is still in business
By johnbuk on 11/9/2007 9:46:16 AM , Rating: 2
I've owned a ReplayTV for about 5 years-bought it over a Tivo because it didn't have any monthly fees and because I could easily replace it's small hard drive with a larger one myself. ReplayTV doesn't exist as a producer of stand alone DVR boxes anymore- they've switched their focus to HTPC software but still support their old customers with set top boxes.
I don't have an HDTV yet, but when I get one I'll definitely go with renting an HDTV capable DVR from the cable company over buying a Tivo and paying them either monthly payments or $400 for a lifetime agreement.
I really don't understand how Tivo stays in business with all of the competing and cheaper options for similar services out there.




By BPB on 11/9/2007 11:16:12 AM , Rating: 2
This is interesting to me because with TiVo I can share my shows across my home network, I can't do that with my DVR. Also, Cox does not allow me to use the eSATA on my DVR, so I can't add more space, and copying shows with the Firewire out just won't work for me, no matter how many times I try, and even if it did you have to play through the show to copy it.

Beyond that, I pay at least $12 a month to rent the DVR, plus they charge for the remote rental and I believe some other fees. So if I use the TiVo for 3 or 4 years it pays for itself, fee-wise. That and the fact that TiVo functionality blows away what Cox offers. Of course I do have to buy the TiVo device...

I do use Windows Media Center via both XP MCE and Vista, but I can't record scrambled shows without connecting a digital cable ready cable box, and that means another rental fee.

In sum, unless Cox turns on the eSATA and makes copying shows to a network easy, this is interesting to me. Very interesting.


By BMFPitt on 11/11/2007 9:38:48 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I really don't understand how Tivo stays in business with all of the competing and cheaper options for similar services out there.
Comcast changes me $15/mo for DVR. A $300 box and $400 subscription would take ~4 years to pay for, but the TiVo interface is infinitely better than that sadistically designed Comcast box, and you have the knowledge that there's $15 less going to Comcast.

If TiVo worked with DirecTV (which I can't wait to get back when I buy a house) I might pick one up.


Lifetime subscription is really a joke
By happyfirst on 11/8/2007 7:51:47 PM , Rating: 2
It's lifetime for that specific piece of hardware registered in that specific account name.
You can't transfer, if the device breaks or you want to upgrade, you can't transfer it. Complete joke. This is something cooked up hoping for those users that don't read the fine print. What are the chances someone will actually keep using the EXACT SAME hardware 3yrs from now?




By stubeck on 11/9/2007 4:31:14 AM , Rating: 2
If you keep the hardware its a good deal. I still have the same hardware from over three years ago, it works, so why do I need to upgrade?


Links
By R Nilla on 11/8/2007 5:52:11 PM , Rating: 2
Is the Engadget link supposed to point to their article? Right now it's the same as the link before it (Western Digital My DVR Expander).




I admit
By TheDiceman on 11/8/2007 6:06:51 PM , Rating: 2
While I admit that does seem to be a reasonable deal for a lifetime subscription, honestly I only watch about 3-4 shows with any dedication and am perfectly capible of sitting down and watching them or, heaven forbid, actaully break out my old VCR and record them the old fashion way. Honestly I never had probelms setting a VCR and having it work right every time.




I want OCUR!
By feraltoad on 11/8/2007 6:26:02 PM , Rating: 2
It's $2 to rent a cable card from the cable company, and then I could use my pc to record shows like I do now with my computer for analog cable and OTA. If AMD could get around Cable Card and the rest of the industry they would sell millions of these thing; could be a real cash cow which they could use right now. Microsoft should push it too, because then I might have a real reason to buy Vista.




By abhaxus on 11/8/2007 7:23:08 PM , Rating: 2
With as unreliable as my dad's tivo units have been, I couldn't see myself going with a lifetime service deal. I suppose 2 years as a break even point isn't so bad... but if that tivo unit died early I would be PISSED. That coupled with the lack of video on demand leaves tivo as a no-go for me.




A few facts....
By stevel114 on 11/8/2007 9:17:13 PM , Rating: 2
I own a TivoHD series 3. Previous to this I built my own HTPC. Had a Media Center XP and Vista Ultimate. Since there is not a foreseeable solution to the HD recording on your HTPC I opted for the Series 3. If I bought the lifetime package from Tivo it would tranfer with the equipment. It has unlimited storage via external esata drive. I also can watch all shows recorded on the Tivo on any PC in the house. I can also send them to any mobile device I want. You have the capabilty to change your recording schedule via the internet by logging into Tivo and your account. The only problem so far has been the cable company not knowing how to setup cable cards. Once past that you should have no problems. I posted this comment since I saw several other comments that weren't quite accurate. Hope this helps.




And some more facts
By happyfirst on 11/8/2007 11:15:32 PM , Rating: 2
>> If I bought the lifetime package from Tivo it would tranfer with the equipment. <<

For a $199 fee. Is that your idea of a 'lifetime' subscription? If at some point tivo changed their minds and let people transfer for free, then I stand corrected and please post the link proving this. If not, and you had to pay a $199 fee then why did you not mention this with your 'few facts'?

Google 'tivo 3 lifetime transfer' and everything shows $199 fee.




Dont forget TiVo To Go!
By Doormat on 11/8/2007 11:51:30 PM , Rating: 2
TiVo recently added TiVo to Go for the HiDef Tivos (S3, TiVo HD). So now I can take a HD show from my TiVo, edit out the commercials, and use handbrake to convert it down for my iPhone. Take that iTunes TV store and the major networks!




By KeithP on 11/9/2007 12:37:06 AM , Rating: 2
Everything I have read about this says the lifetime plan is back only for existing Tivo customers that have more than one machine, or have one machine and are buying another.

As far as I know, a new customer can't go buy a new Tivo HD and get lifetime service for $399. That person's only option would be one of the monthly plans or the prepay for 1, 2, or 3 year plans.




Irritation
By AlvinCool on 11/9/2007 8:50:34 AM , Rating: 2
Frankly the entire thing just irritates me. I simply want to make my PC act like a DVR but I get stopped at every turn. Sure I can record, but I can't record and watch something else even if I get a two tuner PC card because my cable box can only decode one channel. Then if I get a cablecard I can, BUT I have to not just go to vista on the PC (which is fine for my media PC) but I have to get a special monitor that allows for not HD but COMPLIANCE monitoring. And all I want was a DVR that I run manually without paying a stupid monthly fee. Yeeech




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