But the Tivo lifetime subscription is in addition buying the hardware. IMO, the Moxi is less espensive to own since they dropped the prices down to $499...with no subscription fees. Of course, just how long a "lifetime" will be for the Moxi is unknown as you mentioned.
Indeed... The fact that the Moxi -- all in -- was more expensive than the TiVo -- all in -- was ridiculous. With the situation now reversed, there is a better match between the price being charged and the value being offered. However, again, it really comes down to whether or not you want to be the guinea pig for something new, or whether you want to pay a little more and latch onto the more well-established bandwagon. Regardless of which choice you make, either way, it absolutely is a risk. Neither company is making money on these units. As such, their future is always in question. Having said that, I tend to doubt that the TiVo, at least, would cease operations -- given its recent legal successes and its firmly-established reputation in the marketplace, at worst, someone stronger will buy it, and so legacy TiVo owners will be supported regardless, in accordance with the current terms and conditions.
That's really a big difference between the two: TiVo has significant IP that offers another company substantial incentive to acquire TiVo intact, rather than waiting for a fire sale. That's the main reason why I suggested, above, that on-going product support for TiVo is really not a significant concern.
The problem with this theory is that the longer the litigation goes on (and I wouldn't use the term "success" in any event), the less likely TiVo will be able to hold on to some of their most important IP. The Patent Office is making some rumbles about the overly broad language of some of the the patents so I can see it going either way.
I think you're giving way too much credit to the concerns. TiVo's legal proceedings have gone in their favor. No question people are upset about that and trying to undercut it -- it would be shocking if that was not the case.
Which means the service is supported. As opposed to just terminating the product line, in which case support would be cut-off.
I cannot account for that misjudgment. It isn't even a matter of your lack of confidence regarding TiVo -- I can understand that -- but rather I cannot account for your over-estimation regarding Moxi.
Not overwhelmingly so. Surely that'll be one significant factor, but TiVo made a lot of money from Comcast, for their efforts to port TiVo software on the Motorola DCT-/DCH-/DCX- platform, even despite its mediocre results. They have other, similar irons in the fire. For example, RCN will soon start deploying "real" TiVo's as their de facto rented DVR. TiVo also is working with Time Warner Cable on a deal similar to the Comcast deal.
I think it is silly to assume that the TiVo service would continue through a buy-out. If it doesn't make money (and clearly the service isn't a profit machine) or the buyer is interested only in brokering (or flushing down the toilet ala Microsoft) the IP, it goes away.
You haven't shown where it is flawed.
I'm not overestimating Moxi. I claim that it is their lack of various attractive attributes that makes them less of a candidate for a change of ownership.
When a company is sold to another company, the acquiring company inherits all of the acquired company's liabilities. The only way to avoid that is to wait for Chapter 7 liquidation, and it is clear that TiVo's IP is worth enough to ensure that it won't get that far.
That's silly. They've already been subject to a change in ownership.
Extraction is free with the tivohd. I can pull any recording off of my two in HD and do WHATEVER I want too with them. Im not talking about simple mickey mouse streaming from the DVR. Im talking about placing the files on computer servers, or BD media etc for playback anytime or anywhere I want. If you have extraction then you never have to mess with Tivo HD size limitations or playing musical chairs with external drives.
