TiVo's giving away the box

David Katzmaier Editor in Chief

David leads the editorial team at CNET. We create expert reviews, articles and video on every aspect of technology, from AI to Zoox. We are thoroughly, proudly human.

Expertise A 25-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. He created CNET's methodology for testing TVs, streaming services and AI tools. Prior to CNET he wrote for Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. Credentials

Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.

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David Katzmaier

Nov. 14, 2005 11:56 a.m. PT

It took only eight years, but TiVo is finally offering its DVR boxes for free. According to the , you can score a free 40-hour box if you sign up for a year's worth of monthly subscriptions at $16.95 each. That works out to $203.40 for a year of DVR joy. But wait: you can buy the same DVR for $50 after rebate and pay the standard $12.95 for 12 months, which works out to $205.39--a savings of $1.99. Regardless, those yearly totals are still roughly twice what it would cost to rent either a high-def or a standard DVR from your cable company; Time Warner NYC, for example, charges $8.95 per month. Also, remember that while TiVo's interface is better than that of most cable or satellite DVRs, and it can do lots of tricks, it can't record high-def or record two programs at once. That's probably why just about every CNET reader answered yes when we asked the question "Is your cable company's DVR better than TiVo?" While TiVo's offer is a step in the right direction since it brings its prices more in line with the competition's, it's still not enough to really compete with other free DVRs. To do that, TiVo needs a new dual-tuner Digital Cable Ready high-def box that maintains the same pricing structure, and I don't see that happening any time soon.

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