TiVo just made a big move to try and increase its subscriber base. They're now including the price of the TiVo unit in the monthly service fee.

Quote:

New pricing schemes include a one-year plan at $19.95 per month, a two-year $18.95-per-month plan and a three-year $16.95 plan. All plans include an 80GB Series 2 TiVo box, and discounts are available for customers who pre-pay (i.e., a prepaid three-year plan is $469, vs. $610.20 on the monthly plan).

And at the same time they're apparently dropped the lifetime subscription option (which used to be a sort of "buy the box at its true retail price" upgrade)

Quote:

TiVo has also quietly dropped its $299 lifetime service plan, though current users who signed up for that plan won't be affected.

Does anyone else see this as short-sighted? I have a problem believing their lack of customers came from charging $50-200 for a TiVo box to begin with. I think the whole problem with their paradigm is the subscription fee and the concept of the TiVo core features as a service rather than a product.

If this is truly the end of the lifetime option, they have just guaranteed that I will never be a TiVo user/customer in the future. Their recent moves of supporting Canada and announcing dual-tuner stand-alone devices had me waiting with wallet ready.

TiVo is great. But it isn't $20/month great. $449 for three years is more than would feel right for the box and perpetual guide access.

I think TiVo has just done Microsoft and all other PVR/media center vendors a great favor.

Bruno