TiVo clarifies some of the price changes

Posted on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 by MegaZone

Well, the past day has been interesting, with people freaking out all over the blogosphere because TiVo raised a couple of rates, most of them by a trivial amount – oh yeah, and dropped more than twice as many as they raised. But people still think the sky is falling. *sigh* Lots of trying to explain basic math over the past day.

Anyway, TiVoPony posted at TiVoCommunity.com to clarify a couple of points. If you currently have a box at the $6.95 MSD rate, it will remain at the $6.95 MSD rate unless you change the status of the account (like canceling service).

If you transfer lifetime to a Series3, then after the year of free service on the old box expires, it will be eligible for the $6.95 MSD rate.

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging.    MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web.    You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.
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  • anonymous

    “Lots of trying to explain basic math over the past day.”

    TiVo isn’t marketing to you or I, they’re marketing to the average Joe consumer. If the pricing needs explaining, they’ve already failed.

    -DZ

  • megazone

    I don’t think the new pricing itself needs to be explained, it is simpler that it used to be.

    The confusion is only for people who knew the old pricing and see the new pricing and immediately think ‘increase’, when it nets out as mostly a decrease.

    For J. Random Consumer going to buy TiVo, it shouldn’t be confusing. There are less options now than before.

  • anonymous

    The service plans themselves seems fairly straight forward. I think the part that is causing a lot of confusion is what happens at the END of these commitments. What rate will you get after your term is up? After going through and reading the service agreements on Tivo.com, they seem to treat bundled customers and service only customers very differently. If you bought bundled, you get the prevailing monthly rate for a new bundle of the SAME term (1, 2, or 3 years). But if you buy a service only package, you get the prevailing monthly rate for a 1 year term. Now to me that makes buying a unit from retail or used on eBay a LOT less attractive. It seems like Tivo is trying to basically kill off the re-sale market for old units and get everyone to upgrade to new/current hardware at the end of their commitments.

  • megazone

    Yeah, if the price goes up then you may as well just buy a new bundle and get a new box.

  • anonymous

    If you transfer lifetime to a Series3, then after the year of free service on the old box expires, it will be eligible for the $6.95 MSD rate.

    This is the first I have heard this. Is it eligible for this with a three year commitment or can you pay monthly with no commitment?

  • megazone

    You mean on the old box lifetime was transferred from? After the free year it is eligible for $6.95/month with no commitment.