Registered: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 782

quote:

---

Originally posted by sublime
Notice I made an edit (before your post even). What's so hard for you, and others, to comprehend about DirecTV selling off ALL of their non-core assets, not just TiVo? TiVo's current contract with DTV runs through 2007 as it is.

Anyway, back to your prognosticating of doom and gloom. Enjoy.

---

POST #61 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2002
Location: alone in the dark
Posts: 4333

quote:

---

Originally posted by MighTiVo
That is incorrect unless they have chaned it recently.
I can't verify right now though as tco is down:

Our apologies. This page is currently unavailable due to maintenance. For activation or account issues, please call TiVo Customer Support toll-free at 1-877-367-8486, between 8am and 8pm Pacific.

We apologize for the inconvenience. We expect to restore this page at 9:00AM Pacific.

---

__________________
If you can't beat'em... pay someone to do it.

POST #62 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2001
Location:
Posts: 100

My guess is the NDS box for DirecTV. I don't know what directv would need the TIVO stock cash for unless he is planning to launch more satellites, maybe on a different horizon for those w/out a sw/se exposure. Does anyone have any other ideas what they would use the cash for?

POST #63 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Mogo, TX
Posts: 97

quote:

---

Originally posted by terminus303
It could be they are selling off those assets because they are bringing all those services inside. they have the satellites and own a PVR company so maybe they plan to sell satellite music and PVRs themselves and eliminate several of their outside suppliers.

---

POST #64 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 2440

quote:

---

Originally posted by cwoody222
It only searches channels you receive. So there's no hoping involved.

---

I'm wrong.

TCO searches all channels in your lineup. I only have analog basic cable so I receive every channel in my lineup except 1 - HBO. So I never noticed this.

I just did a few searches to test:

"Coupling" - found episodes on my local PBS but not on BBCA since BBCA is not in my lineup

"Sopranos" - did find episodes on HBO but only HBO, not the other flavors of HBO like HBO2. That's because HBO is the only premium channel on my cable providers analog lineup. Even though I do NOT get that channel, TCO searched it

__________________
--Chris

"whenever cwoody222 comes in and comments, it makes everything very clear" - drewman
"cwoody222 is so right-on it isn't funny" - esperantisto

POST #65 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 748

The reason they announce all this stuff simultaneously is to stop the stock from cratering.

The market, by and large, viewed the package of news as, well, non-news.

The market continues to presume that Tivo will be dumped by DirecTV.

The evidence that I see has DirecTV potentially having 25% of their customers on Tivo by the end of next year. They can't roll out an NDS PVR until they have one -- which they don't for DirecTV. In the meantime, they keep signing up people for Tivo.

While News can do whatever it wants, it does not make any sense to have 15-30% of your customers on one DVR and some on another. As time passes, the logic of dumping Tivo passes with it.

If they don't want to pay Tivo $40 million per year, then they ought to renegotiate before the payments get that high. In fact, perhaps they've already done that.

Again, they certainly could do dump Tivo, but given that they are going to a standard UI across the boxes and selling many, many Tivos each day, I'm still unclear how they would.

Mark

Last edited by rogo on 06-09-2004 at 06:34 PM

POST #66 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 748

Another thought....

You have any one box on lifetime, you probably never want to add another one.

"Breakeven" now exceeds 43 months without the time value of money, or is close to 4 years with it. While a box might last longer than that, it's hard to believe too many people will want to risk that it doesn't than gamble that they'll keep it that long.

The Series 1 box with Lifetime that you've had for years becomes a "must keep" because now you can add additional boxes much more cheaply and go with monthly on them....

POST #67 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2002
Location:
Posts: 1882

So does the 6.95 apply to a Series 1 TiVo? My buddy has a Series 1 Sony that I sold him and is paying 12.95/month for. He also has a Series 2 that has lifetime (but not currently connected to his broadband, I think). Will he get the price break?

__________________
Peter :D

listen
get

POST #68 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 96

From TiVo:

"Currently I have more than one monthly subscription on my account. Do I need to do anything to get the Multi-Service Discount?
No, there's nothing you need to do. If you have the monthly billing option, we will automatically change your next billing statement to reflect the new pricing of $6.95 per month. "

POST #69 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2002
Location:
Posts: 1882

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peter000
So does the 6.95 apply to a Series 1 TiVo? My buddy has a Series 1 Sony that I sold him and is paying 12.95/month for. He also has a Series 2 that has lifetime (but not currently connected to his broadband, I think). Will he get the price break?

---

I feel silly quoting myself, but I just called TiVo to ask about this. The discount does apply to a series 1 unit as well. Thanks me.

__________________
Peter :D

listen
get

POST #70 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: CA
Posts: 1009

quote:

---

Originally posted by morac
According to TiVo's MSD FAQ if you have at least one TiVo with a lifetime subscription on your account, other TiVo's will get the $6.95 a month rate.

---

POST #71 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Danbury, CT
Posts: 1308

How will Tivo verify "service address"

__________________
Jeff

POST #72 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 198

I'm sure they will either use your IP or the ANI that your tivo is calling from. Although if it's calling a local number I'm not sure if there would be ANI.

POST #73 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2000
Location:
Posts: 811

I'm not sure Tivo would care that much. This isn't like DirecTV where a $5 mirroring fee gives a receiver to $35-$100+ dollars worth of service. At a mere $6/box discount and with a limit of 5 discounted receivers per account, I don't forsee any heavy trafficking in black market service-discounted Tivos. Tivo might even find the marketing benefit of getting boxes in other homes worth the six bucks.

POST #74 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: CA
Posts: 1009

quote:

---

Originally posted by ellinj
How will Tivo verify "service address"

---

POST #75 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 748

More on DirecTV (excerpted to avoid copyright violations)

TiVo-DirecTV Relationship
Is Secure, TiVo Chief Says

By ELLEN SHENG
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
June 9, 2004 3:23 p.m.

TiVo Inc.'s chief executive tried to reassure investors Wednesday that the digital-video recorder company's ties to DirecTV Group are still secure.

Chief Executive Michael Ramsey said the relationship between DirecTV and TiVo is still strong and there is no talk of changing it. "The reality is, we have a great commercial relationship," Mr. Ramsey said, speaking at an investor conference in New York sponsored by Deutsche Bank.

....

TiVo, which makes digital-video recorders, gets the bulk of its business from a co-marketing agreement with DirecTV, but some have worried that the relationship between the two companies may be loosening since News Corp. took over DirecTV late last year.

Mr. Ramsey emphasized Wednesday that TiVo has gotten strong support from DirecTV, and that the enthusiasm hasn't waned despite recent events. Mr. Ramsey also defended Mr. Hartenstein's resignation from the board, saying "he just didn't have time to do it."

Regarding speculation that DirecTV might be positioning News Corp.-owned NDS to replace TiVo, Mr. Ramsay said, "We're it right now," adding that the relationship won't change "for as long as I can see."

DirecTV is planning on rolling out some new set-top boxes later this year. The boxes, made by Thomson, will incorporate TiVo technology.

POST #76 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 1700

quote:

---

Originally posted by cwoody222
I'm wrong.

TCO searches all channels in your lineup. I only have analog basic cable so I receive every channel in my lineup except 1 - HBO. So I never noticed this.

I just did a few searches to test:

"Coupling" - found episodes on my local PBS but not on BBCA since BBCA is not in my lineup

"Sopranos" - did find episodes on HBO but only HBO, not the other flavors of HBO like HBO2. That's because HBO is the only premium channel on my cable providers analog lineup. Even though I do NOT get that channel, TCO searched it

---

POST #77 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 3292

quote:

---

Originally posted by ZeoTiVo
PS - don't forget RF modulators , etc.. as a way to have one TiVo show up on every TV in the house

---

__________________
Tim
80 hour series 2 TiVo (stand alone, with lifetime sub)
194 hour HDR212 (stand alone, but unsubbed)

Signal source: Time Warner analog cable, no box

POST #78 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2003
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Posts: 7

I would think that the best way for TIVO to handle satisfying the users who have paid for HMO would be to offer a $50 rebate on any FUTURE Tivo unit. Think about it, you already have HMO, and the least expensive TIVO's are running around $199. That would bring the price down to $150, plus you would only have to pay $6.95 for the monthly service! Even if you connect the second unit to STANDARD cable or Antenna you would be able to watch anything that you record with your primary unit.

POST #79 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 3

quote:

---

Originally posted by DrStrange
Here it comes - people who bought at the full price wanting a bone thrown to them apparently believing every price drop should be made retroactive to date "X" where "X' is "the day I bought it". Oddly nobody makes the same request when prices go up.

Prices change. You paid what it cost at the time you bought it. Tomorrow it may cost something else. Life's like that. Deal.

---

This argument doesn't hold water for a couple of reasons.

For one, if I buy something at the store today and it goes on sale in a week, I can go into the store and get the difference refunded to me. I haven't seen TiVo making such concessions. I bought in at the top of the market long ago so I'm not asking for that but some customers were screwed by this.

Second, as mentioned in other posts, this is a service you pay for, not an asset. So, when TiVo devalues it instantly to $0, it's not like when Maxtor lowers the price on my hard drive because something better comes along. I can't resell this service for any value whereas I could recover value for an asset like a hard drive.

TiVo is well within their rights to charge whatever they want for their service. Personally, I think this could have been handled better with a "We recognize you're a loyal customer" email; that would suffice for me. Instead, I find out from the news letter about the "new" feature. That's crap, it's a slap in the face to the early adopters who would help pull along future developments.

As you say, that's life. My response is that for my next pvr, I will build a freevo and have full control over all the features, drives, access and media I want while not waiting for another service to be devalued from under me. As an early adopter, that's both my ability and prerogative, a prerogative that is highly influenced by the lack of tact with which this was handled. That's capitalism and I'm an angry consumer, deal.

POST #80 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged