TiVo’s generally known as the retail DVR for digital cable. Yet, the TiVo Premiere is also capable of dual tuning over-the-air (OTA) high definition programming. And I suspect many cord cutters are frugal and find themselves turned off by TiVo’s $20 monthly service fee. Heck, as a full-on cable fanboy, I find TiVo’s fees irksome (and suggest Lifetime Service to anyone planning to hold onto a box at least 2 years). In an inspired moved, TiVo’s sales and marketing team are extending an olive branch to those who shun pay TV.
First, Solid Signal will sell you a TiVo Premiere for the going rate ($100). But instead of being saddled with the traditional $20/mo fee, TiVo’s slashed it in half to just $10. Deal details can be found here. Basically, when you register your TiVo online enter the activation code Antenna for the special OTA rate. Interestingly, it seems as if TiVo will be actively monitoring our connection type to enforce this dealio:
Discount on TiVo Service pricing available for antenna customers only. Use of a CableCARD™ decoder will result in your monthly service fee being raised to the standard rate of $19.99/mo plus tax.
Hm, what about analog cable or unmapped clear QAM without a CableCARD? Also, can this deal be applied to TiVo units purchased elsewhere/anywhere? Which brings us to promotion two…
As of today, Best Buy will sell you a TiVo Premiere with a free $100 (MSRP) Antennas Direct ClearStream 2 long-range HDTV antenna.