TiVo Changes Pricing. Again.

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Last November, TiVo added new pricing options to its DVR service and hardware, giving users a range of choices on monthly costs and up-front commitments.

Turns out, that was too complicated, so now TiVo is stripping down to just a couple choices for service, Zatz Not Funny reports. Starting May 19, service will cost $20 per month with a one-year commitment, or you can get lifetime service for $500. TiVo Premiere hardware costs $100 for the basic model and $300 for the Premiere XL.

Gone is the option to pay $13 per month and $300 for the basic TiVo Premiere hardware, or $500 for TiVo Premiere XL. The advantage of that plan was for long-term TiVo owners, who would have paid off the extra cost of the hardware and started saving money after 29 months of ownership. Last fall, TiVo also briefly offered a free Premiere box and $20 monthly service with a two-year commitment, but that option is long gone as well.

I’m usually wary of companies who simplify their prices, because that’s often just corporate speak for charging more money (see Sprint’s increased rates for smartphone data). But TiVo’s structure was a bit too complicated. If the customer has to whip out a calculator to determine the best course of action, something’s wrong.

(via Slashgear)