Well, I just read that Tivo is changing their pricing structure. This furthers my speculation that Tivo is a dying company. I’ve got Tivo. If you recall, I got my 140 hour Tivo for free. All I had to do was pay the first years subscription. Any way you slice it, this was a good deal. I fully plan to either get them to lower my monthly subscription after the year is up, or I’m going to sell this thing on Ebay. If that doesn’t get me much, I might just keep using it without the schedule information. (You can use a Tivo unit as a recorder, but you just have to pick the time and channel to schedule instead of using their super sexy on screen guide) I love Tivo, but I’m not emotionally attached to it. Basically, I love the idea of recording shows to a hard drive and being able to watch it on my schedule. The only problem for Tivo is that they aren’t the only ones that can do this, and the PVR space is only getting more crowded with each passing day.
Now, before I poopoo on them too much. Let me tell you what I like about Tivo:
I like their interface and menus
I like their remote
I like pausing live TV
I like having LOTS of shows on the Tivo that I can watch “on command”
Now, what I don’t like about them:
While their newest features (streaming internet music, movie listings, tie in’s with Yahoo) are neat, I won’t use them. It’s just not something that I would find myself wanting to use.
I don’t like the slow response when hitting buttons. (They used slow, inexpensive components to run their OS)
Anyway, it is looking like Tivo is frantically trying to tweak their business model to survive. You can’t blame them, but I just don’t think their long term subscription model is going to work.
It doesn’t look so bad, they seem to just be repackaging TiVos to be more like cell phones. Free, with long-term contract. Most importantly, “The changes will not affect TiVo’s current base of subscriptions.”
I agree that TiVo sooner or later will be absorbed by a larger media company. I love my TiVo.
I agree, I think that it is an awful deal now. No reason to even consider getting a TiVo if you can get a DVR from the cable company for $10…with HD support and 2 tuners. In my opinion, they just made themselves irrelevant.
This is coming from a huge TiVo supporter too, I have one with the lifetime subscription and I love it. I will say that their interface is much better than the Cablevision DVR, but that isn’t enough to justify such a high cost per month. What they need to do is license that interface to the cable companies and just make money that way.
About four years ago, one of my coworkers bought a Tivo with a lifetime subscription. We gave him so much crap, saying that Tivo would be out of business before he broke even. Well, he broke even at 22 months and has continued using his Tivo for the two years since, without a subscription fee.
I think Tivo is doing so much needed restructuring of their revenue model, and I think it will allow them to survive, not doom them.
A note on the slowness when hitting buttons that you mentioned…that is a new feature. It didn’t used to be that way. It used to be great, but at some point theysent out an update that killed the response time.
I agree with you on the newer extra features. I don’t have any desire to stream music from my PC…totally useless if you ask me.
Good point on the software RS. What makes Tivo great is their interface. Certainly not their hardware. I think they should license that software everywhere they can and try to reap the benefits of their interface.
After seeing how much Comcast charges for their DVR, I take it back. People who haven’t used any DVR will not know about TiVo’s interface, so they won’t pick TiVo. I’m glad I sold my TiVo stock when I did…