I share a lot of Jet Jam's frustration -- I have a HD Tivo, a SD Tivo, and a regular sony box (which always crashed, btw.) I bought the HDTivo last January, knowing it would be obsolete soon, and got a lot of service credits as a result (so that's good).
I paid for a lifetime sub to Tivo when I got the SD tivo in 2000, so I have had no TiVo fees, but that benefit will go away when and if I switch to the NDS HD DVR (when and if it comes out), and the promise of a "swap out" of my HDTivo for one of the MPEG-4 HD DVR boxes looks like it will never happen, now that DTV is going to a lease only model . . . all this, combined with my increasing frustration with HD-lite (I think TNT does not look good at all) and the lack of SV Channels, has me looking hard at my options.
I got out of my commitment in November, so I am a free agent. Comcast is not bad in my area, but at the end of the day, it is more expensive. I am having Verizon FIOS internet service installed next week, and am eagerly awaiting FIOSTV when and if the County gov't grants Verizon a cable franchise. If FIOS TV becomes an option, and the Series 3 TiVo (with Cablecard support) comes out, is reasonably priced, Tivo honors my lifetime subscription, and it works with FIOS, I am gone.
I was very pro-DTV a few months ago, but I think they are making a LOT of bad moves (dragging their heels on SV Stations, abandoning TiVo, weak HD offerings, HD Lite, switching to lease only (which, IMHO, screws those of us who have already made significant investments)) and may be in SERIOUS trouble as the DBS/Cable/FIOS market becomes increasingly competitive in the coming year(s).
I'd love to hear why I should stay with DTV, but it looks like it'll be FIOS for me once it becomes an option. FIOS will be cheaper, better PQ, have VOD, have Tivo support (I hope -- but with the FCC mandate for Cable Card support, I think that is a reasonable expectation), and will have all my local channels -- both DC and Balto.
Anyone who wants to tell me I'm nuts -- I'd love to hear it!