[morac]

I've been into my local Best Buy a few times over the past few weeks and they have a TiVo HD setup in a nice looking kiosk in the HDTV section, but every time I go there it's always sitting on the guide setup screen, specifically the dialing screen.

Finally the last time I was there I canceled the guide setup and set it up in demo mode. It's connected to a crappy display where the colors are all screwed up (everything's purple) and there is no sound, but at least now it's playing the demo.

It doesn't seem like Best Buy is making any effort to try and sell TiVo HDs.


On a side note I saw a open box item S3 sitting there for about $540 (which seems kind of expensive for a pre-opened S3). I also saw a returned TiVo HD behind the counter in customer service area.

 

[MickeS]

You're crazy. Tom Rogers says that retailers push the TiVo a lot with great service and great displays. Are you saying he's a liar??

 

[George Webster]

I know what you mean. At my local store they have the Tivo displayed on a shelf, not hooked up to a TV.

The nearest TV was about 30 feet away. Asked the salesman to see it work. He would not even hook it up to a TV. Unbelievable retards.

 

[jrm01]

I've been into my local Best Buy a few times over the past few weeks and they have a TiVo HD setup in a nice looking kiosk in the HDTV section, but every time I go there it's always sitting on the guide setup screen, specifically the dialing screen.

Finally the last time I was there I canceled the guide setup and set it up in demo mode. It's connected to a crappy display where the colors are all screwed up (everything's purple) and there is no sound, but at least now it's playing the demo.

It doesn't seem like Best Buy is making any effort to try and sell TiVo HDs.

On a side note I saw a open box item S3 sitting there for about $540 (which seems kind of expensive for a pre-opened S3). I also saw a returned TiVo HD behind the counter in customer service area.

Is that Roosevelt Blvd store or Mount Laurel?

 

[jrm01]

Best Buy has 3 basic types of stores. The two largest categories are supposed to have the THD on display in the store demo mode. The smaller category does not have a display model and no easy way to display it.

Rogers has begun a new initiative to get the BB (and others) employees familiar with the THD by offerring a reduced price for the employees. It is beginning to have an effect (just started this month) as 3 of the 7 employees here have just ordered one. Hopefully this will help the education process.

The store with the open box tivo is actually violating a tivo policy. They do not permit them to be sold as open box. They must be returned to tivo.

 

[RoyK]

You're crazy. Tom Rogers says that retailers push the TiVo a lot with great service and great displays. Are you saying he's a liar??

 

[HDTiVo]

By now Rogers should be able to give some color on actual TiVo HD sales but he is silent. He mentions only that the box was out early (I say too early based on bugs, but OK that got fixed in 1 month…) retailers love the price, and are focused on it with a new level of support. Just look at the displays he said.

I haven’t been out much lately, but if what I saw at Best Buy Sunday when I went in to replace a busted Netgear router is any indication, apparently a dark, hard to find aisle with no display or demo is the new level of retail support. I need to get out more I guess.

Continuing to avoid any real answer related to actual sales, he babbled about the “service” being important in selling the boxes, which of course it is not; it is features and price/terms in a different way than he perceives “service.”

From my review of Rogers' investor interrogation on Tuesday.

Rogers has begun a new initiative to get the BB (and others) employees familiar with the THD by offerring a reduced price for the employees. It is beginning to have an effect (just started this month) as 3 of the 7 employees here have just ordered one. Hopefully this will help the education process.

What is the offer that is generating those orders?

 

[20TIL6]

I was at my local BestBuy maybe a couple of weeks ago. They had a TiVo HD out on display with a small flat panel behind it. The TiVo looked to be powered on, but the display had a 'no signal' message. I looked at the back of the TiVo and found that the HDMI cable had come loose. So I just pushed it back in, and the display came to life. The TiVo demo was playing. No sound though. I think BestBuy had removed the speakers from the TV.

So I left it with the demo playing, but with no sound. And I really wonder how much interest a display like that would get.

Why couldn't they tether the remote somehow and let people really play with it? I think that would be more valuable. It's all about ease of use and differentiated features afterall. I'm not sure a muted demo brings that across.

Maybe the employee discounts for BestBuy folks will spur interest. I know I have seen vendor employees in retail stores talking directly to customers about their products. Apple comes to mind, and I have even done that myself for the company I work for. What if TiVo worked up a deal where their own TiVo owners/subscribers spent some time in a BestBuy or CircuitCity driving a display unit through actual functions in front of retail traffic? Possible? I'd be willing to do that for maybe discounted service on another TiVo unit. If they offered a lifetime service on another unit for so many hours of demo work, or so many TiVo units sold, I bet they'd have quite the willing army.

Just some thoughts, because I have the feeling that the retail channel is dropping the ball when it comes to new customers.

 

[rainwater]

My closest Best Buy has a THD hooked up to a LCD TV in the middle of the HDTV section. It actually looks very nice and it has always been running in demo mode every time I have seen it.

 

[HDTiVo]

Money spent by TiVo bribing (err, incentivizing) retailers to feature TiVoes will be wasted as long as the disastrous "service" plans Rogers introduced 1.5 yrs ago remain in place stunting sales. The money will only serve to keep SAC excruciatingly high.

There is no justification for commitments or excessive monthly "service" charges on the hi def TiVoes. They are sold at little subsidy on average, and offering the "service" in the same way as an S2 makes no sense. Its a wrong headed approach on top of another wrong headed approach.

Driving volume in the SA business by correcting the flawed "service" strategy will allow for much lower marketing spending and much lower SAC, and generate sufficient numbers of profitable subscribers to significantly improve TiVo's financial results.

 

[HiDefGator]

There is no justification for commitments or excessive monthly "service" charges on the hi def TiVoes. They are sold at little subsidy on average,

The CEO recently said their were no subsidies when a TivoHD was sold for $299 on the Tivo.com website. There are subsidies when they are sold every where else. Amazon and Best Buy don't pay $299 for them and that is what they cost to make.

 

[demon]

The store with the open box tivo is actually violating a tivo policy. They do not permit them to be sold as open box. They must be returned to tivo.

Seriously? I got my first TiVo (Series2 DT - yeah, I know) as an open-box unit from Best Buy. Got a nice deal on it too. Had no idea...

 

[wierdo]

The CEO recently said their were no subsidies when a TivoHD was sold for $299 on the Tivo.com website. There are subsidies when they are sold every where else. Amazon and Best Buy don't pay $299 for them and that is what they cost to make.

Sounds like $12.99/mo with a 1 year commit would be sufficient to overcome that relatively small subsidy, then. No need for the ridiculous pricing.

All of us here on TCF are fully aware of how to get reasonable pricing for the TiVo service. Joe Blow is not. He hears "3 years" or $19.99 a month, throws up a little in his mouth, and returns the box.

While TiVo can keep things going as they stand for several more years, for long term success, they have got to get the price down. Most people just aren't willing to both pay for the box itself and pay a premium for the service relative to what their cable company's monthly fee is.

 

[morac]

Is that Roosevelt Blvd store or Mount Laurel?

The one in the Moorestown Mall shopping center which I guess is Mount Laurel.

Also the TV it's hooked up to is a tiny less than 20 inch, widescreen TV/DVD combo player. It is a HDTV though since it is hooked up via component cables. There's no audio cables hooked up though. The TiVo's remote was just sitting on top of it; someone could walk off with it if they were so inclined to do so.

 

[HDTiVo]

The CEO recently said their were no subsidies when a TivoHD was sold for $299 on the Tivo.com website. There are subsidies when they are sold every where else. Amazon and Best Buy don't pay $299 for them and that is what they cost to make.

If you want to get down to really fine detail, while he said there is no subsidy on TiVo.com sales, he did not say there was no profit or that it costs $299.

Anyway, not justification for contracts.

 

[jsidlosky]

Blossim Hill Best Buy in San Jose, CA:

They have their TivoHD hooked to a tiny 17" widescreen LCD and its all fuzzy (almost like analog snow) even though its hooked up Component, I have no idea how that is happening.

The demo is playing though, with sound, its just a HORRIBLE picture on a tiny display.

It certainly doesn't make me want to buy it.

 

[jrm01]

What is the offer that is generating those orders?

I am not permitted to say, but suffice it to say I had no immediate plans to get a third Tivo, but could not pass up this limited time offer.

 

[jrm01]

The one in the Moorestown Mall shopping center which I guess is Mount Laurel.

Also the TV it's hooked up to is a tiny less than 20 inch, widescreen TV/DVD combo player. It is a HDTV though since it is hooked up via component cables. There's no audio cables hooked up though. The TiVo's remote was just sitting on top of it; someone could walk off with it if they were so inclined to do so.

I have forwarded this info to the HT Supervisor at that store. Let's see if it improves.

 

[Dr_Diablo]

I've been into my local Best Buy a few times over the past few weeks and they have a TiVo HD setup in a nice looking kiosk in the HDTV section, but every time I go there it's always sitting on the guide setup screen, specifically the dialing screen.

Finally the last time I was there I canceled the guide setup and set it up in demo mode. It's connected to a crappy display where the colors are all screwed up (everything's purple) and there is no sound, but at least now it's playing the demo.

It doesn't seem like Best Buy is making any effort to try and sell TiVo HDs.

On a side note I saw a open box item S3 sitting there for about $540 (which seems kind of expensive for a pre-opened S3). I also saw a returned TiVo HD behind the counter in customer service area.

The same applies here in my town at Best Buy...

There are 4 stores here... When at Best Buy, I look to see how many units they have in stock...

They don't keep them on the floor, the Tivo's are stored up on a shelve against the wall...

I asked why they did this... Was told they aren't selling well, mostly because the devices are defective, with a 95 % return rate now... Sounds about right... :down:

 

[HDTiVo]

I am not permitted to say, but suffice it to say I had no immediate plans to get a third Tivo, but could not pass up this limited time offer.

Perhaps TiVo needs to take that as an indication of how to move boxes to the general public if they are going to continue to do what they do with "service."

What can you tell us about TiVo's efforts to get BB to prominently show TiVoes and have their sales people push TiVo?