# TiVo: bring back multi-box discounts



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

I know that I am preaching to the choir, but TiVo _*really*_ should have multi-box discounts for its loyal users (and who are making lots of $ for the Big T), as it had before--such as, lifetime/OnePass at a discount for additional boxes, even decreasing with each additional box. A Mini just doesn't work for many of us (absent TiVo making them wireless . . .).


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

I believe that the existence of the mini without a monthly fee was their pricing trade-off they made. I would not expect that to change, maybe they have another scheme in mind, though I personally prefer the no-fee mini over a discount on another box. Others are open to disagree.

I'm never sure what people mean by the term "Loyal" in terms of revenue to TiVo. Its also unclear how a mini is any different than a full box in terms of a wireless connection- unless you are using them completely independently a wire is needed (either moca or ethernet or even a bridge).


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Well, they do offer service discounts, in another sense... since you can get a Roamio OTA for $400 (or less) that includes All-In/Lifetime service.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

krkaufman said:


> Well, they do offer service discounts, in another sense... since you can get a Roamio OTA for $400 (or less) that includes All-In/Lifetime service.


Yep, did that.  But also thinking the cable folks, left out in the cold apart from Cyber Monday.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

jrtroo said:


> I believe that the existence of the mini without a monthly fee was their pricing trade-off they made. I would not expect that to change, maybe they have another scheme in mind, though I personally prefer the no-fee mini over a discount on another box. Others are open to disagree.


I long ago gave up guessing what TiVo might or might not do. I lived through TiVo's elimination of lifetime, only then to bring it back. 


> I'm never sure what people mean by the term "Loyal" in terms of revenue to TiVo. Its also unclear how a mini is any different than a full box in terms of a wireless connection- unless you are using them completely independently a wire is needed (either moca or ethernet or even a bridge).


Well, I routinely will give my good clients a break on services fees. And actually, TiVo sometimes _will_ give long-term customers a deal, upon informal request or sometimes without (e.g. the earlier 10-year customer anniversary deal, or throwing a premium remote into the purchase of a box). As to the Mini, exactly--sometimes it's just not possible (easily) and 2 standalones are the solution--but that can be a big hit, depending on the circumstances.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Back in the day a TiVo only had one or two tuners at the most, so people needed multiple boxes to record all the channels. Now they have 4-6 tuners an they have Minis for secondary rooms, so multiple boxes are mostly unnecessary. Although they'd be even more so if they offered some sort of user profile system.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> multiple boxes are mostly unnecessary. Although they'd be even more so if they offered some sort of user profile system.


User profiles, you say? Sounds interesting.

TiVo could, of course, counter any possible drift away from multiple DVRs by updating their software to more seemlessly integrate scheduling and playback for multi-DVR setups. e.g. If a Mini can stream live TV over the network via the tuner of a remote DVR, why couldn't a DVR whose tuners are all occupied borrow a tuner from another networked DVR? If TiVo can merge the recorded content of my DVR with that of online streaming services, why can't it also pull-in the content from my other networked DVRs into the same view, rather than having isolated islands of content for each DVR?

I'd prefer that TiVo would simply provide for adding additional tuners via networked or USB add-ons (HDHomeRun, etc), but would welcome either development.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

For this and related reasons the current setup of two roamio pros and four minis will be the last TiVo devices I own. Everything I have is on lifetime and given the inherent unreliability of the TiVo architecture and the increased costs combined with poor guide data, there just isn't any desire on my part to get further tied to TiVo.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

krkaufman said:


> User profiles, you say? Sounds interesting.


I knew you'd be a fan of that idea. 

I agree that OnePass should be able to integrate the content from multiple TiVos into a single My Shows. Unfortunately I don't think it was designed properly to do this. From what I've seen playing with the mind interface all the OnePass stuff comes from a central repository of data, not some individual store of data that is specific to a given user. So they would need a pretty major redesign to make this work. Same with Plex.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> Well, they do offer service discounts, in another sense... since you can get a Roamio OTA for $400 (or less) that includes All-In/Lifetime service.


Where I'm at a roamio ota is a brick. It has absolutely no purpose whatsoever. None. So no - no service discount.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

wmhjr said:


> Where I'm at a roamio ota is a brick. It has absolutely no purpose whatsoever. None. So no - no service discount.


You can hack a CableCARD backet into it and turn it into a regular Roamio.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

Dan203 said:


> You can hack a CableCARD backet into it and turn it into a regular Roamio.


Then it's not a TiVo product. It's a device I built using various hardware.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

wmhjr said:


> Where I'm at a roamio ota is a brick. It has absolutely no purpose whatsoever. None. So no - no service discount.


Bah.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> Bah.


Not bah. Fact. No ota reception due to geography.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> From what I've seen playing with the mind interface all the OnePass stuff comes from a central repository of data, not some individual store of data that is specific to a given user. So they would need a pretty major redesign to make this work. Same with Plex.


Yeah, I'm guessing that if they haven't gotten around to the deeper integration between DVRs by now, 18+ years down the road, it won't be happening.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

wmhjr said:


> For this and related reasons the current setup of two roamio pros and four minis will be the last TiVo devices I own. Everything I have is on lifetime and given the inherent unreliability of the TiVo architecture and the increased costs combined with poor guide data, there just isn't any desire on my part to get further tied to TiVo.


I guess, fortunately, I just haven't seen that level of issue--for me, it's more of a speedbump (which I likely would have noticed less, but for being in this forum--but which, of course, I want handled). In fact, I've been rather enjoying my TiVo's of late, noting and discovering further nice capability. And I've actually been the fortunate beneficiary of TiVo cost benefits, with my current TiVo, with lifetime, having cost less than my first TiVo. 

The biggest question I've had of late is, how long is lifetime in the current state of corporate affairs. Of course, I had that same question when I bought my first TiVo, back in Series 2 days.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

You mean you haven't hit it yet. Try something. Assume you had to replace what you currently have. Then look at the cost.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

wmhjr said:


> You mean you haven't hit it yet. Try something. Assume you had to replace what you currently have. Then look at the cost.


Already have done it. Roamio OTA all the way, baby.  Perhaps one of the best "regular" deals TiVo has ever had.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

Again, a Roamio OTA is an absolutely worthless brick at my location. Based on hills around me in 3 directions, even the ChannelMaster antenna I tried cannot reliably get HD content. I can pretty much get 3 digital channels - but ONLY with a roto-antenna. We're talking azimuth changes of moving for example from 270 degrees to 35 degrees - just to change channels. I suppose if it wasn't in violation of FAA regulations (since I'm located pretty close to a VOR on one of those hills) I could put up a 100 foot antenna...... Yeah, that would really make that Roamio OTA a great value. Not. And again, if I would hack in a cablecard socket, it's no longer a supported Tivo product. 

This, btw, is not a unique situation. Many people are prevented from receiving much in the way of OTA content due to geographic barriers. You can't just look at the online maps. They don't account for local elevation barriers.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

wmhjr said:


> This, btw, is not a unique situation. Many people are prevented from receiving much in the way of OTA content due to geographic barriers. You can't just look at the online maps. They don't account for local elevation barriers.


Not just geo. barriers--my parents moved from a city to a small town area and had no choice but to get cable, as OTA reception just wouldn't work.


> And again, if I would hack in a cablecard socket, it's no longer a supported Tivo product.


Well, it's no longer "supported" (if you mean warranty) after a year regardless. If I didn't do OTA, I can't imagine that I would choose to bear the cost of a Bolt with lifetime, absent a White Sale special, perhaps. And I would be way tempted to buy a Roamio OTA and add a cable card bracket.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

I agree that it's possible to buy a Romio OTA and a bracket. That's not the point. It's no longer a Tivo product then. It's a hacked product based on a Tivo. Tivo warranty is weak to begin with, however it's at least something. Lets' say it died within 2 weeks. You're done. It's all out of your pocket And before you say that isn't likely, my very first HD died within days, and my very first Roamio within a couple months.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

I've wondered how TiVo would react to a warranty claim on a Roamio OTA with added bracket, where the issue doesn't have anything to do with the bracket. As with hard drive mods? But I understand your concern.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

And really, to be honest, I refuse to sink another penny into this crap. I don't see Tivo/Rovi taking care of customers. I actually see customer service getting far worse, and with Rovi? 

Honestly, even before talking about multi-box discount, Tivo had better start thinking about restoring their core brand. Their product is now far less reliable than a Verizon Fios DVR.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Mikeguy said:


> I've wondered how TiVo would react to a warranty claim on a Roamio OTA with added bracket, where the issue doesn't have anything to do with the bracket. As with hard drive mods? But I understand your concern.


For hard drives, if you put the original drive in before calling I have never seen an issue with anyone here. Calling while the mod is in place is what can cause some trouble.


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