Merged iggystar's thread into this main one.

Thanks Jadzia, I couldn't find that thread to save my life.

My search technique sucks :(

Thanks guys, I understand.

Okay, I'm not in the market, but I do have a question. Can you buy a one year "contract" and then switch to 12.95/month service? Seems pointless to add the 2/3 - year options if this is the case.

Yes, after your contract is up. See post #27

Ok, I called TiVo - While you can buy TiVo units from a retailer and get the $12.95 plan you cannot buy a package, and switch to the $12.95 plan. Once you get one of the contract packages, you're at that rate from now on.

I thought that was the case from what I read on TiVo's website.

What do you guys think, how are you understanding this?

You are at the contract rate until your contract period is over.

Direct from a TiVo rep at TivoCommunity.com:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=290723

So basically, if you don't call them, they won't lower your rate automatically? I'm also not understanding this...

Ok, one year commitment, 19.95 a month. After the year is up, if you do nothing, you're still billed 19.95, but if you call in, that drops to 12.95?

3 year commitment, you pay a lot of money up front. After three years, if you do nothing, you're billed 16.95, but if you call in, that drops to 12.95?

Or is there something I'm missing? I still don't see the draw of paying up front if you can still drop the price to lower than the 3 year plan...

I was just about to post the same thing!

Quote from TiVo website, "After the end of your monthly or prepaid commitment period, as applicable, your TiVo Package Payment Plan will continue on a monthly basis at the then-applicable rate for a one (1), two (2), or three (3) year monthly TiVo Package based on whether your TiVo Package was for one (1), two (2), or three (3) years. After the end of your monthly or prepaid commitment period, you may also have the option to sign up for a lower monthly TiVo Service Only Payment Plan price for a longer commitment term or purchase a prepaid TiVo Service Only Payment Plan."

This doesn't make sense, why would anyone choose to outright purchase a unit now when they can pay $19.95 for a year and drop down to the Service Only plan? Could the multi-plan discount have anything to do with this? Thoughts?

Heck, my decision is made if that's the case. I'll just get a box from TiVo, pay the $19.95 for a year and switch to Service Only.

Jadzia can I quote their page?

I'm not sure where the confusion is. Cell phone companies do this all the time. You sign a contract, and agree to pay a specific monthly fee during the contract period. Once the contract is over, you continue to pay what you had always been paying unless you take the initiative to ask for a better rate. The company (cell phone, TiVo, whatever) isn't going to be nice and automatically give you a better rate. :shrug:

If you can find a unit for less than $84, which you almost always can, you're better off outright purchasing the unit and going with the $12.95/month.

$19.95 - $12.95 = $7 more a month
$7 x 12 months = $84 to cover the cost of the unit

New TiVo pricing structure
 

Came across this on Tivocommunity --

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=290723

Thoughts? I'm tempted to convert my monthly sub to lifetime by the 4/15/06 deadline.

Looks like they are changing to match cell phone companies. Decent price, unless you want to change or cancel, then a big penalty.

My only real Tivo is a Toshiba that comes with free "basic" tivo. Mainly as I have a full dishnetwork DVR in another room, I never felt the need to pay for the upgrade to full service Tivo.

Everybody and their mother is matching the 'cell phone' pricing structure -- low or no hardware cost, then a monthly fee for a contract term.

They really want to confuse people don't they. :lol:

It's an old marketing trick one of the most famous being Polaroid. Give the camera away and charge $20 for film!

Gillette was before that ... give 'em the razor, sell 'em the blade ;)

Yep, and they are definitely still at it. They keep adding blades and bumping up the cost.

And they keep pushing the lifetime subscription deadline back. Gee, I wonder if it's because there's been a sudden influx of lifetime subscribers? If Tivo really gets rid of the lifetime subscription, it's going to kill their business. Esp with Vista coming up in less than a year with its built in media capabilities and TV tuner cards costing well under $100. Hell, it's justification for me to go invest in either a 24" or 30" LCD monitor. Won't have to actually go buy a new TV then.

Topic already covered here:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...=TiVo+lifetime

Wow....TiVo looks less and less attractive the more I hear about it. Makes my 7$/month, no-committment, no-replacement-fee, HDDVR from the cable company look pretty attractive.

from that thread:
"So even after 3 years of paying for service and the hardware, Tivo is still going to require a further commitment from an existing customer to continue service [for the cheaper price]?"

Hmm....Yes, cell phones use this system..but do satellite companies? And actually my cell phone did continue with the same hardware, same plan, month-to-month; we only had to renew the contract to upgrade hardware [phone].

Yea, cell phones aren't like that..at least not mine. I've been on month-to month forever.

Hmm... this puts me in a dillemma. I have two family members I purchased Tivos for, but for one reason or another they haven't activated them yet (which cost me the rebate both times!). I'm going down to visit them later next month... I wonder if I should just register both boxes for lifetime now, while I still can, instead of make them sign a one year deal at 12 x 12.95 = 155.40. I had hoped to get them started with a couple of months trial, but that's no longer possible... they'll have to have a contract of at least a year.

its almost been 3 years with my series 2 with lifetime, I think i have hit break even. I upgraded the HD to 150 hrs , this thing might be valuable when all is said and done. 150 hours with lifetime service.

I dont see why they are raising prices though.

Hey hahn, do you have a link or discussion somewhere with the Vista specs? That tuner does sound like a nice alternative to Tivo.