TIVO service for $6.95/month for life

[neiname]

I just called TIVO at @ 877-367-8486 to cancel my $12.95 monthly service and they offered to move me to $6.95/month if I stayed. I told them that there were cheaper alternatives from my cable company and price was an issue. Took a total of about 5 minutes.

[ClarkKentKY]

I'm too scared to try it. What if they call my bluff and cancel my service? :)

[ClarkKentKY]

WORKED! Kickass. neiname you are my favorite Dvdtalk member this month :)

"Ussually we just keep this for people who have more than one tivo, but since you've been a member for a while (3 months???) we'll let you in on it"

Told him my cable company started offering DVR and i was just after the cheapest option. Put me on hold for a second and gave me the 6.95. Worked like a charm. Said it was permanent too.

Thanks again for the heads up!

[neiname]

Originally posted by ClarkKentKY
I'm too scared to try it. What if they call my bluff and cancel my service? :)

Then you did what I did 6 months ago. "Oh nevermind I'll just keep it" -click-

Glad to see it worked out for you as well.

[ShawnMercury]

ReplayTV still $0 a month for life..... or until they go bankrupt.

[marty888]

The Cable TV industry is obviously affecting the price structure in a big way. For many people, the service as provided through cable will be sufficient, and they don't have to purchase a seperate item to take advantage of the service.

I think Tivo may be in trouble over the long haul.

[neiname]

Originally posted by marty888
The Cable TV industry is obviously affecting the price structure in a big way. For many people, the service as provided through cable will be sufficient, and they don't have to purchase a seperate item to take advantage of the service.

I think Tivo may be in trouble over the long haul.

Tivo's been in trouble for a while (look at the stock price) but I still think it has the best interface out there.

[rfduncan]

Originally posted by neiname
Tivo's been in trouble for a while (look at the stock price) but I still think it has the best interface out there.
Yeah - I'm happy to pay what I'm paying for what I'm getting!

[kayak99]

Originally posted by ShawnMercury
ReplayTV still $0 a month for life..... or until they go bankrupt.
Free for life?

I thought it was $12.95 per month or $299 for life.

Am I missing something?

[Trelach24]

With my negotiating skills I'd end up paying like $18 a month.

[JLB]

trying right now.....I'll update shortly...

Worked for me...I basically said I have been a customer for 3 years and was wondering if there are any customer loyalty discounts.......

[Chew]

Originally posted by kayak99
Free for life?

I thought it was $12.95 per month or $299 for life.

Am I missing something?

Early ReplayTV models built the price of monthly service into the cost of a unit from the beginning. Once they saw what TiVo was doing and being successful with, they changed. Maybe consumers believed TiVo was "cheaper"? People with early models (like Showstopper) are still getting service "free".

[Head]

Didn't work for me...though I have 2 tivo's (1 at 12.95/mo and 1/6.95)

She said the best they could do is the rewards program ("which is on our web site, blah blah") and the multi room discount which you already have.

I guess this is a good deal if you have 1 tivo...

[namlook]

Thanks so much for posting this. They offered me the $6.95 right away. They also said if I get a new series TIVO at some point I can transfer the $6.95 price to the new machine. Great deal since this is for life as long as you own any TIVO.

[mugwump]

Thanks, worked like a charm. I just said that I was thinking of switching to my cable company's lower cost DVR and they put me on hold for a few seconds and came back the $6.95 offer. Between that and the lower Netflix fees I'm saving $132 a year.

On the downside, this "deal" smells of desperation and I'm worried that the lifespan of the TiVo service can now be counted in months rather than years. Hope I'm wrong.

[kayak99]

Originally posted by Chew
Early ReplayTV models built the price of monthly service into the cost of a unit from the beginning. Once they saw what TiVo was doing and being successful with, they changed. Maybe consumers believed TiVo was "cheaper"? People with early models (like Showstopper) are still getting service "free".

Okay, thanks. I had not heard of that. Looks like some got some great deals! :)

Another question. How would people figure it was cheaper to pay $12.95 per month than $299 for life, or is it because the life of the machine might not make it so?

I am still waiting for my cable company to get their dual drive pvr's out. It will only be a buck a month but they are taking a very long time to get the software from TV Guide. (according to them)

[Ben732]

Originally posted by Chew
Early ReplayTV models built the price of monthly service into the cost of a unit from the beginning. Once they saw what TiVo was doing and being successful with, they changed. Maybe consumers believed TiVo was "cheaper"? People with early models (like Showstopper) are still getting service "free".

DNNA just changed the monthly fee policy, if you have more than one unit, even if one of the units has lifetime service, the 2nd unit gets billed at $6.95/month.

So you can either have 2 monthly subscription units billed at $12.95/mo for the 1st and $6.95/mo for the 2nd, or like me, have a unit with lifetime service (like a showstopper) and have your second unit be billed at $6.95/month

More info at: http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/support/replaytv/multifaq.asp

I love my Replays... don't think I could watch TV without them! :)

[kvrdave]

Originally posted by Trelach24
With my negotiating skills I'd end up paying like $18 a month. :lol:

[Derrich]

Didn't work! damn Tivo rep called my bluff. He said they only give discounts for multiple systems. When I floated the cable company's DVR he came back with the line that Tivo is better than the cable DVR.

Argh. I'll try again later this week and come out and say I want to cancel. But if I lose my Tivo and have to go with Cox's dvr, then I'm, gonna track down the thread starter and make him feel my pain.

D

[fjser]

Called earlier today, asked when my membeship would expire if I cancelled today. Gentlement at first wasn't offering anything, then asked why I was switching to cable. Said cost, and he instantly offered the lower rate.

I've been a member for 3 years, not sure if that had anything to do with the ease of getting the offer.

For those of you worried about trying this, you do realize you could call and sign back up the next day right? I mean, they aren't gonna blacklist the serial number of your tivo or anything.

[Trelach24]

"Hi Tivo? Yeah that cable DVR SUCKS! I'm back"

[namlook]

Originally posted by Derrich
Didn't work! damn Tivo rep called my bluff. He said they only give discounts for multiple systems. When I floated the cable company's DVR he came back with the line that Tivo is better than the cable DVR.

Argh. I'll try again later this week and come out and say I want to cancel. But if I lose my Tivo and have to go with Cox's dvr, then I'm, gonna track down the thread starter and make him feel my pain.

D

What have you got to lose? If they cancel it just call back 10 minutes later and start up the service again.

[Soapstreet]

Called today and told them that I was wanting to cancel and go to my local cable DVR because it was cheaper. The rep immediatly asked if $6.95 would work for me.

Worked like a charm.

Thanks neiname, you rock!

[Red Dog]

Originally posted by kayak99


Another question. How would people figure it was cheaper to pay $12.95 per month than $299 for life, or is it because the life of the machine might not make it so?



That's what I was wondering. The first Replay I bought (in Dec 2001), which I got relatively cheap off ubid.com came with lifetime included. When I bought a 2nd Replay (in March 2003), the lifetime option was a no-brainer.

[dcprules]

Thanks a ton, everyone. It just worked like a charm, and now my bill was practically cut in half. YAY TIVO!

[Michael Corvin]

Originally posted by kayak99

Another question. How would people figure it was cheaper to pay $12.95 per month than $299 for life, or is it because the life of the machine might not make it so?


I still need to try this out. But anyway, some people have their reasons. Me? I pay monthly because I just activated it 3 mos. ago and I am awaiting Vooms HD box or Tivo to drastically drop the price of theirs, once that happens, my current box gets sold in a heartbeat.

So, $100+ for a Tivo box + lifetime $299. So $400+ dollars for a box that doesn't record HD. No thank you. I'll pay my monthly until the HD is viable. At $13 a month you need the tivo 23 months before you break even on the $300 plan. And now at $6.95 that almost doubles to close to 4 years before you even hit the $300 you shell out up front.

But basically it all comes down to HD, $400+ for a non HD Tivo is ridiculous.

[Joem]

Originally posted by Michael Corvin

But basically it all comes down to HD, $400+ for a non HD Tivo is ridiculous.

Isn't the HD DVR like $999 though? How much is the Vooms one going to be?

[Deftones]

Originally posted by Joem
Isn't the HD DVR like $999 though? How much is the Vooms one going to be?

Probably comparably priced, but it has one huge advantage. You will be able to stream content from one room to another.

[Red Dog]

Originally posted by Michael Corvin
I still need to try this out. But anyway, some people have their reasons. Me? I pay monthly because I just activated it 3 mos. ago and I am awaiting Vooms HD box or Tivo to drastically drop the price of theirs, once that happens, my current box gets sold in a heartbeat.

So, $100+ for a Tivo box + lifetime $299. So $400+ dollars for a box that doesn't record HD. No thank you. I'll pay my monthly until the HD is viable. At $13 a month you need the tivo 23 months before you break even on the $300 plan. And now at $6.95 that almost doubles to close to 4 years before you even hit the $300 you shell out up front.

But basically it all comes down to HD, $400+ for a non HD Tivo is ridiculous.


Yeah but even with HD and an HD-DVR, still only a handful a channels broadcast in HD. Surely, you could use a 2nd box for recording non-HD programming (or when you have multiple conflicts).

[Maxwell Smart]

If they go out of business, we'll know why.

[Michael Corvin]

Originally posted by Red Dog
Yeah but even with HD and an HD-DVR, still only a handful a channels broadcast in HD. Surely, you could use a 2nd box for recording non-HD programming (or when you have multiple conflicts).

One word. Voom. 35 HD channels, plus 4 major networks that air mostly HD in prime time now. They should record both HD and standard signals. I'm not sure about the Tivo but the Voom box has two tuners so that you can record 2 shows(HD or otherwise) and watch a third.

Isn't the HD DVR like $999 though? How much is the Vooms one going to be?

But that is my point. Why waste $400+ when an HD box is right around the corner? You would have to use it 3-4 years to even make your money's worth, by then HD is the standard and you have lost out on your $299 investment. Monthly is the way to go, if you are wanting to go HD within the next year or so. Plus, it makes more sense if you can get them to drop your monthly to $6.95.

[Red Dog]

Originally posted by Michael Corvin
One word. Voom. 35 HD channels, plus 4 major networks that air mostly HD in prime time now. They should record both HD and standard signals. I'm not sure about the Tivo but the Voom box has two tuners so that you can record 2 shows(HD or otherwise) and watch a third.



Do they carry the cable networks that do not broadcast in HD?

Regardless, you can never have enough DVRs IMO. :D I currently have 2 Replays and a 2-tuner DVR (which is HD-ready for when I make that jump) from Comcast.

[Michael Corvin]

Originally posted by Red Dog
Do they carry the cable networks that do not broadcast in HD?


oh yeah. They wouldn't be a very successful company w/o those channels. They don't have them all, but I'd say about 90-95% of them. The only one I'm still waiting on is G4:TechTV. They just got Sci-fi a couple weeks ago. They are adding channels all the time.

Plus all the HD channels you pay extra for through the cable co, like ESPN HD, Discovery HD, Bravo HD, etc. are all included with the regular package, no extra cost.

[Joem]

Chalk up another "Yay, it worked for me!!!" story. :)

Just got off the phone with them. I quoted one of the posters on here verbatim and said "I was thinking of switching to my cable company's lower rate DVR". The gentleman said let me check some things here, established that I had been a subscriber since 2001, and said if I could lower the rate for you, would you stay. He then asked me how much my cable company was charging (I said $7.99), and he said let me put you on hold for 3 minutes. Came back on, and offered the $6.95 per month deal.

This ROCKS! :) Thanks again!

[whotony]

just worked for me.
thanks for the idea.

[chemosh6969]

That's funny because it worked. :)

[tasha99]

A no-go for me, and I called twice. It kind of ticks me off since I've been with Tivo almost two years. :(

I actually got so ticked off I cancelled my membership for real. :eek:

I have a tv capture card. Guess I'd better figure out how to use it.

tasha
(I like Tivo, but I did have to wonder if I watch enough tv to justify the expense. I'm a big fan of Lost, Arrested Development and Scrubs and only watch a couple other shows here and there. I think I can handle keeping track of these three.)

[TheR3AP3R]

Worked for me. Said I wanted to check on cancelling my service and the guy asked why. Told him local cable offered similar service for cheaper. He asked what I was going to do with my Tivo box once I cancelled and I said I would probably eBay it or something. He came back a few minutes later and said I had the $6.95 permanately until I terminate the account. Sweet!

[Sloth911]

Does tivo offer some sort of "basic" service that is free? what happens if i buy/install a tv and never subscribe to the service, what would happen?

[Michael Corvin]

jason, yes they do. The machine I have offers it, the Toshiba progressive scan DVD combo unit. It basically works like a VCR. Set days and times. Although they do offer the show search for up to 3 days. With the service you can see what is coming on up to two weeks in advance to record it.

[Sloth911]

Originally posted by Michael Corvin
jason, yes they do. The machine I have offers it, the Toshiba progressive scan DVD combo unit. It basically works like a VCR. Set days and times. Although they do offer the show search for up to 3 days. With the service you can see what is coming on up to two weeks in advance to record it.
is this available on all tivo's? or just select models? i am thinking about getting my parents one for xmas, but they would not want to pay the monthly fee

[Michael Corvin]

Not sure, you might want to do a little research.

Check out the Tivo Forums (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/index.php?s=).

They are all pretty helpful over there. I posted a question in a thread that was a couple months old and had a response within a few hours.

[Sloth911]

i was browsing/searching trough their forum and faq's earlier today, tons of crap... basically, it think you gotta pay or it wont work...

[joeblow69]

Originally posted by jasonr114
is this available on all tivo's? or just select models? i am thinking about getting my parents one for xmas, but they would not want to pay the monthly fee
No, it isn't. You can run the old Series 1 models without the service, and it works just like a VCR. You don't get any show information at all. Most of the new DVR+DVD player models come with Tivo Basic, which allows you to download program information, and gives you some of the basic functionality of Tivo for free (but you don't get the cool features like season passes).

The most popular Tivos (series 2) require you to pay for the service to work at all. If the tivo isn't able to connect to the servers for 30 days to verify your account, it will stop working completely until it can connect.

[Joeboo835]

Just tried this. Didn't work. I got out of the cancelation because my service is paid for till Dec 3rd, so i just said i'd wait till then to cancel.

I thought it was going to work though because she kept asking me why i was switching. I just kept saying because of the price.

Not that this is shocking. Things like this never work for me.

[squi23]

Cool, it worked for me earlier today!

$6.95/month from now on!!

I'm stoked. Thanks all.

[Maxflier]

I find it funny how people are using this "trick" to get the service for very cheap and then stating their concern that TIVO may be in trouble and not make it.What do you expect??

[Deftones]

Originally posted by Maxflier
I find it funny how people are using this "trick" to get the service for very cheap and then stating their concern that TIVO may be in trouble and not make it.What do you expect??

The two aren't exactly mutually exclusive, though. Tivo has been discounting services for a while now b/c of the increased pressure from Cable Tv companies w/ their own DVRs.

[Sloth911]

I think Tivo should be careful and make sure they lower their prices... I am $0/month for my original Dish Network PVR and they only charge a $5/month for the newer PVR's.

[tasha99]

Originally posted by Maxflier
I find it funny how people are using this "trick" to get the service for very cheap and then stating their concern that TIVO may be in trouble and not make it.What do you expect??

How is it a trick? They have a super double secret discount for some people, and the word about it is out. It seems reasonable to me to expect equal treatment on discounts. I've paid almost $650 to Tivo in the last two years--$350 for the recorder and almost $300 in service fees, and I'm ticked that they wouldn't give me the discount. It wouldn't hurt Tivo to give me a discount, but it did hurt them not too since I cancelled my service for real and ordered a Prismiq media server.

[Otto]

I've been a long time Tivo subscriber. Got the 14 hour Philips box way back when. Paid monthly for a while, switched to a lifetime sub many years ago when they still had them. It's gone through 3 hard drives now, I use it for all my watching. Got my parents a DirecTivo before they hit the shelves, through Tivo's friends and family offer. Was the sole moderator for the Tivo Community's Underground forums for 3 years or so before I left there. Anyway, I really like the Tivo, is what I'm trying to say.

But my next box will not be a Tivo. Within a year or two, I'll be selling or giving away the unit, with its subscription. It's too limiting, and Tivo the company shows no signs of actual innovation anymore. Not that I blame them, but their need for revenue is overpowering their ability to develop cool gear nowadays.

Tivo was cool when it came out. It was the best of the new toys. I think it's still the best performer of the PVR mold. However, the trend is tending towards a more universal entertainment device, with more capabilities. The idea of WebTV was fundamentally flawed, but the 'net is now moving towards being a content provider in a way that fits the mold of the entertainment center well. Radio, music, TV, movies, these are fast becoming downloadable items, and standards/methods are finally being developed to make this very easily accessible to black box entertainment devices.

Things like Windows Media Center and such are finally creating the whole house entertainment system, and integrating the internet content with the local content into one solution. Hard drives have advanced to the point to make it feasible to store large amounts of high quality content digitally for pennies.

Tivo isn't moving in this direction. They've lost technogical development momentum, and I think that they will be a footnote within a maximum of 3 years. Oh, the term "Tivo" will still be used to describe digital recording, but the product itself will become dead tech, and the company will probably bought by Microsoft and quietly buried.

So, my next system will be a whole house solution. At this point, my debate is between building a MythTV box or building a Windows Media Edition box. In any case, unless some bright boy comes out with the perfect pre-made PVR-PC (this is a market opportunity, boys and girls... premade MythTV boxes would sell right now), I'll be building my own PVR for my entertainment system. Probably will invest in a widescreen TV of some type while I'm at it.

My advice to you is to start distancing yourself from Tivo now, and looking toward the future. That Tivo box you have will live forever because it's hackable as hell. I expect that someone will make an open-sourced or at least stolen code version of the Tivo OS at some point, hacked to get it's data from a free source, but that will be a few years from now.

[matchpenalty]

Originally posted by Chew
Early ReplayTV models built the price of monthly service into the cost of a unit from the beginning. Once they saw what TiVo was doing and being successful with, they changed. Maybe consumers believed TiVo was "cheaper"? People with early models (like Showstopper) are still getting service "free".

very very true..;)

[beaglestar]

Hi,

I just called Tivo to try. I asked them if they price match. I now receive the service for 6.95 also.

Thanks

[kvrdave]

Originally posted by Otto
Lots of words. See above post.

I agree completely. I bought a windows media PC from Dell and it is definately the future. I don't currently use it to its full potential because my projector has a deinterlacer chip for the s-video and not through the VGA, so the TV looks better when it isn't run through the computer, but I have played with it, and once I upgrade the projector in a few years, it will be the only thing I use.

It is one of the few "intuitive" things Microsoft has come out with.

[wfciii]

good for you, beaglestar!

[BigDave]

I love Tivo and have had one since the 14 hour giveaways years ago. I can't see myself leaving Tivo just yet.

I have DirecTV. Will the Media Center allow me to record SD & HD D* signals? That's about the only way I'll ditch a DirecTivo. I'm also holding off on the HD DirecTivo to see how things develop.

[medavidson]

Worked for me... Thanks!

[tasha99]

I can't remember if it was in this thread or a different one that I was asked about what happens to a Tivo with no service. I've gone past the programming information, and my series 2 Tivo will do manual recordings (so it isn't a paperweight yet). I'll have to see what happens after 30 days with no call in, but I'm hopeful that at least I've got a convenient vcr for all the money I've given Tivo.

[UKingdom]

got it too, awesome

i wanted to add a 2nd dvr under the same account for $6.95 (the special if you add a 2nd dvr), but the problem is they said the 2nd one has to be in the same zip code; i took my parents dvr and live 20 minutes away so we're in separate zip codes but it comes in one bill...

how would they know you're in different zip codes?

[Michael Corvin]

^^ well it is in the settings. To fetch the tv times and listings for your tivo it has to know where you live... zip code. Show airtimes and stations are different across the country it has to have a little info from you to provide you with listings.

[Michael Corvin]

finally called today. Worked like a charm. Thanks OP. :beer:

Told them the cable company was offering one cheap. The rep asked how much, I told him $3. He said they couldn't beat that but he could offer me the $6.95 deal. :up: I'll take it!

[jessecrx]

I'd like to get in on this too!

Someone suggest a good TIVO model to get. I have a Sony 30inch HD monitor.....

I want to get away from Dishnetwork.....

THANKS GUYS!

[tasha99]

Well, going without Tivo was tough, so I ended up getting it again: switched to Directv so I could pay $4.95 a month for two. Plus, I got my two new Directivos for $50 each--and though they were supposed to be 35 hour ones, the installation company got 70 hour ones in the day mine were installed so I got the newer ones for the same price. :)

Not really sure why Tivo was so bitchy to me since I was pretty nice on the phone and had been a long time customer, but I still have my standalone sans service (will never go back now since directv has such a better deal). Since it still does manual recordings, I'm going to let it go in a kid's room for manual broadcast recordings.

Btw, I wrote in another thread about getting a Prismiq media player to use as a Tivo. It works pretty well and I would recommend that route for those who get standard cable and don't watch a lot of tv, but it was a hassle to manually record for 3 people, then broadcast to the tv (my computer has a p4 2.0 ghz chip and 480 mb ram and could not play a show on the tv and record onto the hard drive at the same time without losing lip synch on the recording show.)

[Josh H]

The Cable TV industry is obviously affecting the price structure in a big way. For many people, the service as provided through cable will be sufficient, and they don't have to purchase a seperate item to take advantage of the service.


Partly themselves too. DirectTivo is a superior service with the two tuners allowing you to tape two things at once, and is only $4.99 a month. You still have to buy the box, but it's much cheaper at $99, and currently $49 compared to the stand alone Tivos.

[Josh H]

I'd like to get in on this too!

Someone suggest a good TIVO model to get. I have a Sony 30inch HD monitor.....

I want to get away from Dishnetwork.....

THANKS GUYS!


Switch to DirecTV. You can get a Tivo unit for $49 right now, and the service fee is only $4.99 a month. Plus the DirecTivo unit has two tuners, so you can tape two things at once, or tape one channel and watch another, which the standalones can't do.

[gmal2003]

I got the $7 deal today too! Thanx!

[bothanspy]

I think I just buried my TIVo today. My Cable company, Wide Open West, offerred to upgrade me to digital cable, with an HD package and an HDDVR for about 10 bucks more that I was paying a month for internet with basic analog cable. The HDDVR sold me as is the fact that it can record 2 things simultaneously. I'm not sure what else I need my Tivo for. Even as a second bedroom recorder, what the point since the HDDVR records 2 channels at once.

[PresidentGringo]

If you have a DirecTV Tivo unit, will you still need the receiver?

[Josh H]

No, the receiver is built in to the DirecTivo, and replaces your current receiver.

[Red Dog]

I think I just buried my TIVo today. My Cable company, Wide Open West, offerred to upgrade me to digital cable, with an HD package and an HDDVR for about 10 bucks more that I was paying a month for internet with basic analog cable. The HDDVR sold me as is the fact that it can record 2 things simultaneously. I'm not sure what else I need my Tivo for. Even as a second bedroom recorder, what the point since the HDDVR records 2 channels at once.


What if you need to record 3 things at once? ;)

[Otto]

I think I just buried my TIVo today. My Cable company, Wide Open West, offerred to upgrade me to digital cable, with an HD package and an HDDVR for about 10 bucks more that I was paying a month for internet with basic analog cable. The HDDVR sold me as is the fact that it can record 2 things simultaneously. I'm not sure what else I need my Tivo for. Even as a second bedroom recorder, what the point since the HDDVR records 2 channels at once.
Have you used the HDDVR to any great extent? My cable company gave me a free PVR for a month or so trying to get me to buy it. It sucked, big time. I eventually had them give me a normal cable box and hooked a stand alone Tivo to it.

The HD part would be cool, the rest would be pretty much suck, I think.

[Michael Corvin]

My brother has an HD-DVR from Insight (cable co.). The pic quality is great. He has never had a tivo though. It has the most basic recording features imaginable. Think VCR, circa 1987.

[ClarkKentKY]

I can't beleive i bluffed using the "Cable company has DVR now" line. I actually saw one of Insight's DVRs yesterday and it's a big pile of crap. Incredibly slow menus, impossible to browse the guide data, no season passes, you can only record by time and date, and there's American Express and BowFlex ads all over the screen. It would be good for a backup, in case you had a timeslot conflict, but i wouldn't trade my tivo for it at any price.

[hellmutt]

I have the Toshiba RS-TX60. For those of you out there wondering what your free alternatives are, go with a Toshiba or Humax with Tivo Basic. Granted, it doesn't do some of the advanced features, but if you want a Tivo with great basic features and don't want to pay any subscription fees, this is a pretty sweet device. It also can record your shows from HD to DVD so you can carry them around, and it has jacks on the front to rip output from your MiniDV camcorder directly to DVD.

Edit: I signed up for full Tivo only to qualify for the $100 rebate, after the rebate is approved I will cancel and drop down to basic, the full features just aren't compelling to me.

[sniderock]

called yesterday and the girl told me they couldnt give me a cheaper price. im probably gonna try again today because 7 dollars is way better than 13. has anyone else had a problem?

[mekeez]

called yesterday and the girl told me they couldnt give me a cheaper price. im probably gonna try again today because 7 dollars is way better than 13. has anyone else had a problem?

I just tried and stupidly gave them a contact, so now I have a case number. This really is annoying for asking a question. My tivo is brand new. My cable company actually did send a postcard with a DVR offer. Am rethinking and am thinking about DISH as well.

[kenbuzz]

how would they know you're in different zip codes?
The measure the declination angle of the satellite signals as they hit your dish, to get your longitude, then compare the phase difference between the signals hitting your two LNB outputs to compute your latitude. This is doublechecked by taking the time sync information embedded within the satellite signal (giving current Greenwich time/date info) and compare that against the slant angle of the shadow being cast by your dish (if it's daytime) or by locating the star Polaris (if it's nighttime) to refine any lat/long error incumbent in the original estimate. This is also why it can only be used in the Northern and Western Hemispheres, since day/night (east vs west) and shadow orientation (north vs south) are flip-flopped.

There used to be a third check, which used the pulse-to-pulse amplitude difference in the signals on transponders 0 and 15 and triangluated that using a variation of the 4/3*PI radar horizon equation to estimate range and direction of your dish from the orbital transmitter, but DirecTV learned that installers would accidentally thwart that by coating the coax connections with grease prior to installing the cabling to the house, resulting in an attenuation of the transponder 0 signal that would generate false bearing location information.

The estimated lat/long position is then sent by your reciever over the phone line connection to the US postal service, which responds with the 9-digit zipcode for where the dish is physically located.

Hope this helps.

[MrMeJW]

I just tried calling and they said there was nothing they could do so they would cancel my service for me if I wanted. I said I had to look into my cable's DVR service more.

[bothanspy]

Have you used the HDDVR to any great extent? My cable company gave me a free PVR for a month or so trying to get me to buy it. It sucked, big time. I eventually had them give me a normal cable box and hooked a stand alone Tivo to it.

The HD part would be cool, the rest would be pretty much suck, I think.

Okay, I've been using it for a few weeks and it is fantastic. the only way I would go back to Tivo is their eventual HDDVR, but until then, I am pretty happy. The only drawbacks are that it is not as functional or user-friendly as a Tivo. Other than that, it does its job perfectly. I get a great copy in HD with 5.1 sound. Plus I can record 2 HD programs at once. Now I just need to hack the hard drive for more space.

[Yakuza_vt]

"Hi I just bought your service two months ago, but Comcast is offering us the same service at $9.95 a month. I think we are going to go ahead and do that."

"Well sir I can cancel your account, but we do have a promotion going that would allow you to keep you same service at the low rate of $6.95 a month."

"Oh WOW, thats great. I will take it."

"Thank you sir here is your reference #. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Nope"

"Thank you for using TIVO and have a great day sir."

"Thanks"

*click*

Thanks for the tip. Easy as pie. I spent more time on hold then changining my bill!

[mekeez]

"Hi I just bought your service two months ago, but Comcast is offering us the same service at $9.95 a month. I think we are going to go ahead and do that."

"Well sir I can cancel your account, but we do have a promotion going that would allow you to keep you same service at the low rate of $6.95 a month."

"Oh WOW, thats great. I will take it."

"Thank you sir here is your reference #. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Nope"

"Thank you for using TIVO and have a great day sir."

"Thanks"

*click*

Thanks for the tip. Easy as pie. I spent more time on hold then changining my bill!


Which number actually did you call? I am getting nowhere with this. Do you have more than one box or just the one? The last person seemed sympathetic, but was a no go. I got the comcast offer in the mail right after Christmas.

[Josh H]

They might have been told to stop offering it. It was posted here, and on thus likely on other bargain forums, so they probably got a ton of calls and stopped and/or at Tivo someone found one of the theads and they saw what was up.

[bareva]

will it work for new tivo subscribers?---my brother-in-law wants to get a tivo--I told him about the $6.95 monthly fee-can he be able to get it?

[bareva]

will it work for new tivo subscribers?---my brother-in-law wants to get a tivo--I told him about the $6.95 monthly fee-can he be able to get it?

update--

My cousin decided to buy the tivo--so I guess he will find out whether he gets the $6.95 a month deal-if he doesnt Tivo is going back, so he says.

[movieguru]

If there's anyone out there that only want a Tivo just to pause live tv but are not interested in using it to record programs you can do this without paying a monthly fee at all. It's a little awkward but saves $6.95 a month.

[scott shelton]

Anyone try this deal recently?

[Oleg23]

I have regular cable 70 chanels for $11 a month for life regular price Is $39 a month what a joke. I would of signuped for direct tv or dish network for $39 a month 125 chanels,but hell I'll stick with 70 chanels.

[rassi]

I have had a Series 1 TiVo for a number of years. Got one of the new Humax DVD burner units for Xmas. Disconnected the old Series 1. Have been billed $6.95 each month for the Humax, but haven't gotten a charge for the Series 1 and never cancelled it. Hmmmm

[danadane]

Told them price was an issue and I was considering the DVR my cable company offered. The had me hold a bit and came back and offered it.

[mekeez]

Told them price was an issue and I was considering the DVR my cable company offered. The had me hold a bit and came back and offered it.


What number did you call?

[rupert123]

I called 1-877-367-8486 tonight and received the 6.95 offer.

[ChiTownAbs, Inc]

Tivo is on the brink of bankruptcy. Might want to think twice about locking yourself into a long term prepayment plan.

[Michael Corvin]

Tivo is on the brink of bankruptcy. Might want to think twice about locking yourself into a long term prepayment plan.

If that is the case, I'm betting they will start looking at that offer from Apple.

[scarymike23]

Tivo is on the brink of bankruptcy. Might want to think twice about locking yourself into a long term prepayment plan.

I've been hearing that ever since I got tivo 4 years ago. Litterly, for for years, at least once a month I hear someone speculate that Tivo is going bankrupt.

-SM

[Red Dog]

I've been hearing that ever since I got tivo 4 years ago. Litterly, for for years, at least once a month I hear someone speculate that Tivo is going bankrupt.

-SM


Yep - same thing with Replay, even moreso. 2 years ago, when I bought my 2nd Replay, I got a lifetime subscription and people said 'don't do it - they're in trouble.' Everything worked out fine.

[X]

Losses mounting at TiVo
DVR firm says it's about to reduce rebates, advertising
Benny Evangelista, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, March 11, 2005

TiVo Inc. plunged deeper into the red during the fourth quarter because of an aggressive strategy to lure new subscribers, but executives said Thursday they believe the firm is on track to finally turn a profit by the end of this year.

As part of its plan to reverse its losses, the South Bay digital video recorder maker said it will cut back on the rebates and advertising that helped push its subscriber base over the 3 million mark, a strategy that had analysts questioning its future in a market that is becoming crowded with competitors.

"TiVo's step today probably means they're going to be in business for a while, because they won't run out of cash,'' said Gene Munster, a senior research analyst for Piper Jaffray & Co. "They're going to manage to stay in business, but it's going to be an orphaned business basically, because they don't have a growth strategy.''

For the fourth quarter that ended Jan. 31, TiVo posted a net loss of $33. 7 million (42 cents per share) on revenue of $59.4 million. The results compared with the $12.4 million loss (18 cents) on revenue of $42.6 million the Alviso company posted for the previous fourth quarter.

For fiscal year 2005, TiVo lost $79.8 million (99 cents per share), more than double the net loss of $32 million (48 cents) for fiscal year 2004. Revenues for 2005 were $172 million, a gain from the $141 million posted in 2004.

TiVo, one of the pioneers of digital video recording, has not turned a profit since it was founded in 1997. It is facing increasing competition from cable and satellite TV providers and computer companies offering competing DVR products.

TiVo is also undergoing a management shakeup. In January, co-founder Mike Ramsay announced he would step down from his post as chief executive officer but remain as board chairman. Soon afterward, President Marty Yudkovitz resigned, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

During a conference call with analysts, Ramsay said the search for a new CEO is in its early stages.

TiVo's quarterly loss came mainly from its plan to aggressively pursue new subscribers with an advertising push and by offering a $100 mail-in rebate on its entry-level model.

The strategy succeeded in pulling in 698,000 new subscribers during the fourth quarter, more than twice the number of customers added during the previous fourth quarter. Of those new subscribers, 447,000 came from TiVo service sold through satellite TV provider DirecTV, which has plans to market its own DVR service later this year.

"The resulting stream of recurring revenues sets us up to dramatically improve our profitability this year,'' said Chief Financial Officer David Courtney. The quarterly loss was better than expected, he said.

Courtney said the company expects to add 265,000 to 300,000 subscribers during the first quarter of this year. However, he said about 65,000 to 75,000 of those subscribers are expected to buy the stand-alone TiVo box and service and the rest will come through DirecTV.

But TiVo also plans to cut back on the $101 million it spent during the year to attract those new customers, including $38.4 million during the fourth quarter.

"This year, we're going to shift our focus toward profitability,'' Ramsay said.

April Horace, an analyst with Janco Partners Inc., said the company's plan to turn a profit by the end of the year left her with more questions than answers.

"Their strategy remains unclear to me, because I can't get the math to work,'' Horace said.

[scarymike23]

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the issue better than I could (from somebody who follows the stuff much closer than I do):

"What I find annoying with this 'death watch' bullshit is that TiVo has continued to meet or beat their projections quarter to quarter. They laid out a plan for fiscal 2005 and 2006, and so far they have been able to execute that plan nearly perfectly. 2005 was all about boosting subscriber numbers, and they said right up front that they would be spending a lot of money, and therefore increasing losses, to acquire subscribers. Because TiVo subscribers tend to be very loyal (yes, some people dump TiVo, but not most users), getting them into the 'TiVo family' before they are lured by a cheap cable DVR, etc, helps lock in long term revenue for TiVo. Strike while the iron is hot - build the user base *before* the competition gets intense.

Fiscal 2005 just ended, 2006 is to be about profitability. They will be cutting back on rebates and promotions (so you might want to buy now, before the current rebate program ends). They paid off their long term securities debts at an accelerated pace in 2005, leaving them without that burden for 2006 and beyond. They came out with the 'night light' S2 units in 2005, investing in engineering to reduce production costs of the HW. They also started rolling more features into the standard subscription - HMO, TiVoToGo - and now we're seeing HME in trials and in 2006 we'll see enhancements to send video back to the TiVo from a PC, broadband video distribution, integration with portable media devices, and more. All integrated into the standard service.

TiVo has said they do not intend to compete on price, but on value. So you may get a cable DVR for $10/month - but it is a DVR. For $13/month (or lifetime, which I think is better anyway) you can have a DVR with more capabilities. Yes, TiVo costs more - with a $99 up-front cost and a few more bucks a month. But TiVo is aiming at people looking for more than just a dumb DVR. They're looking for a niche for people who want a DVR and other media features, for less money than it'd cost to acquire separate systems for things like streaming music, etc.

They're also fighting to keep the Cable Card deadline in place so cable companies have a vested interest in improving CC support - which will be good for all users. And they are moving TiVo into higher end machines - focusing more on the growing DVD recording market, as well as HD.

Are there risks? Hell yes. But TiVo has been on a steady course and they keep delivering what they've promised - usually beating the street's estimates too. Most of the death watch stuff I've read is crap. People who don't seem to know what they're talking about just spouting off. Many companies lose money while starting out, in fact, most do - I've seen people say that the fact TiVo loses money means they'll die. Sure, if they can't *stop* it - but they've said, for a while, that if they stopped spending money on acquisitions and just went to operations with their current users, they'd be profitable. They are already turning an operating profit, the losses are caused by the marketing expenditure to grow that user base. If they're willing to slow down growth, they can turn a profit overall.

Then there are people who say that because they don't have a cable HD solution today they're dead. Which is idiotic. The *vast* majority of the TV viewing market do NOT have HDTV. Only recently have sales of *new* televisions tilted to a majority of HD and HD-ready sets. Until then most new sales were still SD sets - and that's just *new* sales, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the installed base. People talk about the millions of HD sets, which is nice - but out of context. In context those millions are a very small percentage of buyers. And most of them are in the higher-end, early adopter segment - which is *not* actually TiVo's target demographic.

Does TiVo need to do something with HDTV - yes, no question. HDTV is here to stay and continues to grow. But they don't need to have it *now*. Notice that there aren't exactly a ton of CableCARD (the only way to do 3rd party HD cable recording) DVRs on the market. CableCARD as had a painful roll out with many issues and delays, most vendors have held back. Right now there are a fair number of CC enabled TVs, and that's about it. Most sets, even most HD sets, aren't CC enabled. The market is still young with a lot of time.

So it is really the early adopters pissing and moaning that because TiVo isn't giving them what they want right away that they must be 'out of touch' and a dying company. Which is just asinine. If TiVo can deliver HD products in fiscal 2006, as they've said, that should be well in time to still catch the market on the start of the growth curve. In the meantime their SD products suit the vast majority of users just fine.

And, of course, people cry doom and gloom over the potential of TiVo losing DirecTV as a channel. First of all, DirecTV has no plans to drop TiVo support. The existing agreement allows them to support users indefinitely, and they'd be stupid to turn off ~2million systems. They're not that dumb. Even if they did stop selling new units, and even that isn't clear - TiVo says that when/if the NDS units ship they will do what is needed to remain a competitor - TiVo gets revenue from the existing users. But even if they did lose that, DTV is less than 10% of their revenue. They may be nearly 2/3 of the total subscriber base, but TiVo gets just over $1 a month per user. They've said they could lose that revenue base and absorb the loss - of course they'd also be free of any expense of supporting DTV.

It seems like predicting doom for TiVo is the latest fad, and it is damned annoying to see people spouting the same old bullshit over and over."
-zonereyrie



From:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/tivolovers/140090.html?#cutid1

[Michael Corvin]

For me they need an HD solution before the fall season starts. If not, they might get dumped by me. And a $1000 box is NOT a solution. I have Voom and they are assumed to be dead come the 31st(so their HD-dvr is officially vaporware), so that means the cable co. is next in line for my business. Their HD box is only a couple more bucks a month than the standard service. Doesn't have the bells and whistles, but when it comes to being able to watch a recording in HD or having a season pass or HMO, HD wins out. Hands down. I'll take the featureless box over a tivo'd show with a grainy image. I was testing the waters this season and I think I'm going the other route come fall.

It pains me to watch shows off the tivo that I usually watch in HD. I am a few weeks behind on Lost just for this reason. :mad: It is frustrating.

[IamHydrogen1]

I talked to two different people, and they were not able to come down on the price.

They have a schpeel they gave (seemed scripted) that the reason they charge more than other DVR services is that Tivo has unique features "that makes Tivo Tivo".

[fujishig]

Maybe this is a major no-no, but has anyone tried arguing that they've been a loyal customer for a long time, and it's ridiculous that their "friends" are getting the service cheaper than they are? Or would that just kill the deal for other people?

Of course, I might just finally take the plunge and do a lifetime, now that they seem more financially stable than before... Lord knows I've already subscribed long enough to pay for a lifetime membership anyway...

[mekeez]

I talked to two different people, and they were not able to come down on the price.

They have a schpeel they gave (seemed scripted) that the reason they charge more than other DVR services is that Tivo has unique features "that makes Tivo Tivo".

Did you finally go to the cancellation people as opposed to the billing people? That is when it finally worked. I have a vague notion that I may have gone there once unsuccessfully but I know the other futile attempts were with the billing people.

[Spyboy]

Tivo has inked a deal with Comcast (the biggest cable company in the country). They will have a joint venture that will bring Tivo to Comcast customers in mid to late 2006. Comcast will start to use Tivo branded DVRs.

[fujishig]

Tivo has inked a deal with Comcast (the biggest cable company in the country). They will have a joint venture that will bring Tivo to Comcast customers in mid to late 2006. Comcast will start to use Tivo branded DVRs.

this is what I was referring to when I said that TIVO was more financially stable now. Thank goodness. They were dying in the water there, with DirecTV obviously bailing out and no deals with any other sat or cable providers, who were always going with their own, crappier, technology. I hope it gives them enough capital to finally get a viable HD solution ready for the masses... I would assume at the very least Comcast would demand it.

[Jtnguyen12]

Mine is $4.99 per month :)

[tasha99]

I tried to put my old Tivo in my son's room (I'd cancelled the service months ago when they didn't give me the cheap price). It had worked on manual record by time before, but now it won't record anything. :(

So I can confirm that without the subscription, they do eventually quit recording even though mine recorded for months after the program data was gone.

[super doppler]

This deal still works. I called to cancel and was completely ready to get rid of TiVo since I have a dual tuner HD DVR from Comcast that works great. He first offered me a free month and when I said no thanks, he put me on hold to allegedly get me a cancellation confirmation number and when he came back, he said he talked to his supervisior and was given the authority to give me the service for 6.99 a month. I went ahead and took it...not a bad deal.

[runner001]

I don't have TiVo so I don't know how it works. You first had to sign a contract for a 1 or 2 years at their regular rate right? (what is their regular rate?)

When it expired, you called to cancel but then they offered you 6.99/month w/o a contract?

[Michael Corvin]

No contracts. It is a month to month plan. $12.95 a month I believe... before the aforementioned discount. :)

[runner001]

if there's no contracts, i'm assuming that if you order their service for say 1 or 3 months but then cancel, they'll call your bluff.

afterall, you did just spend a $200 or so on a machine. i've heard so many great things about TiVo or a similar service but i just don't have the spare income to spend on it. but at $6.99/month, I could pinch somewhere else in the finances and manage it.

[super doppler]

if there's no contracts, i'm assuming that if you order their service for say 1 or 3 months but then cancel, they'll call your bluff.

afterall, you did just spend a $200 or so on a machine. i've heard so many great things about TiVo or a similar service but i just don't have the spare income to spend on it. but at $6.99/month, I could pinch somewhere else in the finances and manage it.

Not necessarily. They have to recoup some of the costs of selling the TiVo box so cheap. I think I read somewhere that you have to remain a subscriber for at least a couple years before they start actually making money off you. I only had my TiVo box for a few months before I called to cancel and they offered me the deal.

[IamHydrogen1]

This deal still works. I called to cancel (this time I meant it), and was given the offer.

[bowsernieb]

I called today after always being afraid that they'd call my bluff...the guy tried to give me the runaround a bit. First I just asked if there was any cheaper rates because I'd seen cheaper alternatives. He said no. Then I said that the reason I was asking because a friend of mine had had their rates dropped down when they had been thinking of cancelling. He still denied it, saying that it was probably because they either have multiple Tivo boxes or had been with them a really long time (I've been with them for about a year and a half, which I think is a fair amount of time). But to his credit, he did say that they could take care of 3 months of service for me, so at least I don't have to pay until December.

Not exactly what I would have hoped for, but I'll take it.

[Zman]

I called to cancel 3 times. The first two times I got a free month out of it. I just called today and said ok, your service is just to much to pay for so go ahead and cancel it and the nice rep said sir, I can offer you 6.95 a month to keep you as a customer. I kindly replied no thanks, cancel it.

This deal still works, its just YMMV like its always been.

[bhauge]

Has anyone gotten a deal on either the monthly price or the lifetime for a NEW subscription? I have a Toshiba RS-TX20 that comes with the TiVo basic service. I'm nearing the end of my 45 day trial for the TiVo Plus service and I think I'd like to continue it. I guess I could do the monthly sub for a few months, then try to get the "retention" price.

[Michael Corvin]

Has anyone gotten a deal on either the monthly price or the lifetime for a NEW subscription? I have a Toshiba RS-TX20 that comes with the TiVo basic service. I'm nearing the end of my 45 day trial for the TiVo Plus service and I think I'd like to continue it. I guess I could do the monthly sub for a few months, then try to get the "retention" price.

I only had mine active for maybe 3-4 months when I called and got the deal.