Why do you need a tivo subscription

Sal Prince. Sal Prince is a former Lifewire writer and a video production professional and tech enthusiast who has written extensively about electronics and DVRs. Updated on November 18, Tweet Share Email. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know!

Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Tell us why! But to make the most out of it, you will need a service plan. Here are the five options to choose from:. You can also use it to stream via third-party services such as Netflix. The box is quite capable and it can record up to HD hours of television content or at least four shows all at once.

It also includes 2TB of storage and four tuners. It works with your cable TV service and records up to HD hours of television or at least six hours all at once. It also comes with 2TB of storage and six tuners. The users get to enjoy 1TB of storage. It can record up to hours of HD programming or content and six shows all at once. It comes with 1TB of storage.

Unlike the other set-top boxes, this is a whole-home solution that you can use to extend your TiVo services and capabilities to any additional TVs and displays.

All the set-top boxes mentioned above have a fixed priced. Though, the TiVo service plans require a monthly or annual subscription. The pricing structure of the TiVo service has been changing quite a lot over the years. Initially, there were three options available that included monthly, yearly, and lifetime plans.

More people were attracted to the lifetime plan because it meant you only pay a one-time fee and you get the service for as long as the TiVo device is functional. Though not supported by TiVo, some users might be able to schedule recordings manually while watching television. TiVo Basic provides limited program guide functionality, recording and additional software features at no cost. TiVos purchased directly through TiVo must have a service plan purchased.

Retailers, however, will sell TiVo units without service plans attached. John Arkontaky's first writing assignments came out of covering local news for the "White Plains Times" in