[DFranch]

Have they indicated an end to support of the existing TiVo's? Will we still be able to get schedule info for the life of our existing devices? I already told my wife that when our current TiVo dies, we would have to switch to YTTV. I guess there is no going back on that now.

 

[DouglasPHill]

Hope they keep providing guide data.

 

[Larsenv]

I am not worried about guide data being discontinue

 

[bsbd]

Hope they keep providing guide data.

Seems like they wouldn't have kept selling Edge units up until last week if they knew they'd be disabling them by shutting down the flow of guide information anytime soon. As long as guide info was going out for Edges then my Roamio Pro should be along for the ride. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

 

[DFranch]

Seems like they wouldn't have kept selling Edge units up until last week if they knew they'd be disabling them by shutting down the flow of guide information anytime soon. As long as guide info was going out for Edges then my Roamio Pro should be along for the ride. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

🤞

 

[JonAult]

As long as subscription revenue continues to cover the cost of providing the guide data I don't think we need to worry about losing it. (I know most folks here probably have lifetime subs but I doubt that's true for the average TiVo user.)

 

[connie_w]

Recall though, they are also discontinuing annual subscriptions. To me, that means they are readying themselves for eventually shutting that down, too. If things get really bad, really quick, they can shut down in a month. My feeling is we'll still have it for a year or two, perhaps. I doubt any longer.

 

[waynomo]

Recall though, they are also discontinuing annual subscriptions. To me, that means they are readying themselves for eventually shutting that down, too. If things get really bad, really quick, they can shut down in a month. My feeling is we'll still have it for a year or two, perhaps. I doubt any longer.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but it could also be an effort to bring more consistency to their income.

 

[DFranch]

Recall though, they are also discontinuing annual subscriptions. To me, that means they are readying themselves for eventually shutting that down, too. If things get really bad, really quick, they can shut down in a month. My feeling is we'll still have it for a year or two, perhaps. I doubt any longer.

That sounds about right to me. It really depends on the ongoing costs related to providing that information. If it is relatively cheap, it may be worth while if only to garner good will for it's other products with current TiVo users. I know if they cut off guide updates to my working device, I will be less likely to buy their streaming stick.

 

[zalusky]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but it could also be an effort to bring more consistency to their income.

I would say the opposite. They have a year in the bank with annual subscriptions. With Month to Month you could bail at any moment. In the past that may have been more reliable but not now. There is way too much competition. At some point it's more expensive to maintain infrastructure for this ancient technology.

 

[PL1]

I know if they cut off guide updates to my working device, I will be less likely to buy their streaming stick.

TiVo isn't even selling those anymore. TiVo isn't selling any hardware now. It looks like Channel Master is the only retailer for the TS4K. For TiVo DVRs, it is Weaknees. So, it is unlikely TiVo cares who buys what. Most likely, they sold everything off.

 

[DFranch]

TiVo isn't even selling those anymore. TiVo isn't selling any hardware now. It looks like Channel Master is the only retailer for the TS4K. For TiVo DVRs, it is Weaknees. So, it is unlikely TiVo cares who buys what. Most likely, they sold everything off.

I didn't read closely enough to realize they stopped making the streaming stick too. I already have one anyway. Maybe I should get one of the new Chromecasts (I think they are on sale for $85) since TiVo will likely stop supporting the stick soon too.

 

[PL1]

since TiVo will likely stop supporting the stick soon too.

I guess it is possible TiVo could lock us out. I have 4 of them myself. If you factory reset the TS4K, it requires you to activate with TiVo's server. Even if you are only using the Google TV side of the stick. So, your point is valid. I guess we will find out soon enough.

 

[KevTech]

With Month to Month you could bail at any moment

And with no refunds as this has been added to the TiVo Service Plans and Policies: Essentials in the TiVo Service Commitment section.

All paid monthly service fees are non-refundable.

 

[connie_w]

Still kind of upsetting for those people who recently bought an Edge with Lifetime support. That's the only reason I think they could keep supporting the Guide for those people for at least a period of time. I mean the writing is on the wall, IMO. If things go really bad for them, they won't even care about those people. Like I said, I'm betting we will have it for another year, maybe two, at most if things financially for them stay above water.

 

[Bruce24]

Still kind of upsetting for those people who recently bought an Edge with Lifetime support. That's the only reason I think they could keep supporting the Guide for those people for at least a period of time. I mean the writing is on the wall, IMO. If things go really bad for them, they won't even care about those people. Like I said, I'm betting we will have it for another year, maybe two, at most if things financially for them stay above water.

Since they just sold Edges with lifetime, good faith should have them support them for at least 20 months (the breakeven price of lifetime price / the per month price).

 

[CommunityMember]

Since they just sold Edges with lifetime, good faith should have them support them for at least 20 months (the breakeven price of lifetime price / the per month price).

Good faith? There is no such thing in the late stage capitalism environment that which we live in. That said, unless Xperi Inc. divests the commercial STB ecosystem (where someone else is responsible for future support and then that organization could simply end), or itself declares Ch 11 bankruptcy (which allows them to end support for anything that the court allows to be terminated, and such support of legacy devices would be high on the list), Xperi Inc. would be find themselves the target of at least one class action lawsuit from those with lifetime/all-on service, resulting in long term costs while the litigation continues.

If I was an Xperi Inc. executive (and not only am I not, I would never possibly be), who wants to reduce future expenses I would look (with their lawyers figuring out the details to make it happen) to move the Edge to EOL legacy status in a reasonably quick timeframe, wait a year or so (after all past annual subs have expired), and then announce that as all TiVo devices are now EOL, all services will now end. TiVo has previously shown that lifetime/all-in is not what you think (or want to think) it is.

I would be surprised if guide services lasted for the consumer DVRs much beyond the end of the decade. Throw a dart between EOL 2026 and EOL 2030 for when consumer TiVo devices will end up in e-cycle. It was the best of times, it was the worst of time.

 

[Bruce24]

Good faith? There is no such thing in the late stage capitalism environment that which we live in.

Actually there is such a thing in the law.

 

[tivoboy]

It could be that at this oing in the DVR lifecycle and linear vs. streaming etc, that the majority of ACTIVE tivos’ on the platform are mostly LIFETIME sub models where there are no more revenues to receive?

 

[warrenn]

Even if they can legally do something, they need to be concerned about how consumers react. They'd get a lot of bad press if they stopped providing guide data to lifetime units. If they want to market Tivo TVs to consumers, having a bad reputation will cost them sales. They'd need to figure in the cost savings of dropping guide data support with the loss in sales from consumers bad mouthing them over that decision.