Annual Channels Plus subscription option

Channels DVR Server
#81

The lifetime sub payed off for you, but it wasn't a viable business model for Tivo, so now they are trying to give it a go making an Android TV streaming box that isn't even compatible with their own DVR recordings.

Any comparisons to software companies the size of Microsoft is kind of irrelevant because I'm assuming the Channels developer is a very small team and needs to have a viable revenue stream to keep this a success, given the already mentioned ongoing costs of a product like this.

The one great thing about Channels, is that if you ever decide you don't want to keep paying the sub, the whole library of recordings can easily be imported into some other media library tool. You are only locked into Channels for the time you want to use the service of Guide data, recording, commercial skip, and viewing. The content you'd accumulated is not tied to Channels... which is different from Tivo.

2 Likes
#82

I’m not paying. That’s was the whole point of my post.

#83

MS can afford to provide ongoing support for a one time fee. Their business model involves corporate tie-ins and expected sales of related products. Small companies can not do this. The only viable choices are to sell subscriptions or sell a specific version with no updates and no support beyond a limited period. In the end, the company decides what is in their best interest, and your only choice is to accept what they offer, or find another product.

I personally hate subscription services, but Channels provides the best bang for the buck based on my needs. As long as they continue to provide good service, I'll continue to be a customer.

#84

Sling's own AirTV boxes do this.

#85

This sums it up very well.

#86

Another reason MS can probably do this with a paid-up Office sub is they control the OS updates. Apple updates can break app features so it's a continual cat and mouse. The Channels developers stay on top of this pretty well without any help from Apple.

#87

Forgot about that. I looked at that option but Sling doesn't really work for me with the lineup. I also prefer to use my own hardware. Maybe more options will become available like that. Competition is good for the consumer.

#88

You can actually transfer a lifetime license from one Tablo DVR to another. Again, I don’t know how they can stay in business with lifetime licenses. Also, Channels is just way better.

1 Like
#89

You are correct. I was mainly referring to Tivo's lifetime option.

#90

I agree with you there but why do people keep complaining? The price is more than fair for a high-quality product. Should we discuss whether they are worth their salary for the job they do? The other products are inferior and not worth the money if you ask me.

4 Likes
#91

I waste more than $80/year on coffee. I don't mind paying perpetual subscriptions fees for something that brings great value and works well. I realize that developers needs a perpetual stream of income to make Channels development worth continuing.

6 Likes
#92

To add some of the posts here about some peoples issue with a so called "lifetime License"...

I have been battling to get a few softwares that i have used for years, installed onto 2 new computers i am moving to. Its been a pain. Couple, key no longer works, or, will NOT activate due to some activation limit. Apparently, when they state "lifetime" they mean for that install on that computer only. You have to buy a new "lifetime" license for each install. Or play the contact the company game to see if they will can update or de-activate the previous install...assuming the company still exits or even responds to you.

One specific software, USB Safely Remove I bought "lifetime" back in 2010, I can not find the key for anymore. No idea where it went off to. And no online account that i can log into retrieve it. just a "Retrieve you Key" submission page, that says I have no key, but I know for a fact it is wrong.
Contacted the company, and they refuse to send me a working key. And told me the online key retrieval only works for those bought over the new online store, in the last 5yrs. They require first i send them scanned images of my drivers license and a utility bill with my matching address on it to "verify that I am the one that bought the software". WTF?? How would that even prove anything...all I gave them when i bought the thing in the first place is basic info, and cc number...how would having a picture id prove anything??? Fine...screw them. I'll pirate their software.

Point is....Lifetime option, can very easily be far more open to screwing over the customer/user.
You pay once, there is zero legal obligation for the company to actuly provide support, updates, or bug fixes, or to allow activations much later on, to what you have just bought. They can put whatever fine print clauses in the purchse/license agreements that you of cource agree to when you buy. Or the "we can make any changes to this at anytime with out notice" clause. Even terminate said lifetime license.

Example, Malwarebytes. I used to work for a technology and repair retail store(MicroCenter) and was officially partnered with Malwarebytes even, and I sold many hundreds+ of Lifetime Malwarebytes licenses to customers, even bought them for my self and family members. The company later fully revoked and discontinued that license and all existing and active ones in 2014. The amount of angry calls we got of pissed of customers now saying their "lifetime" pay one, never pay again software,. was now asking them to pay for it...and they demanded we pay for it, since we(the major big box tech store) sold it to them.

You pay per month, ongoing, the company much more has a legal obligation and incentive to actuly keep you as a customer and improve upon their product.

1 Like
#93

As I said before, selling lifetime licenses is a liability on the books of the developer. If they haven't held back enough of the revenue from the lifetime license to cover ongoing support costs (and in the case of Channels, EPG data) for the expected lifetime of the software, then they are running a ponzi scheme that will eventually end like you described. The only thing it really works with is software that can be expected to run without significant support or updates forever... like a text editor for example. DVR software is the opposite end of the spectrum from that because sources are constantly changing, EPG data has an ongoing cost, etc.

1 Like
#94

What a friend of mine just found out about his TiVo lifetime subscription is that it is not HIS lifetime, but the lifetime of the hardware. When the motherboard on his TiVo died, so did his subscription. It can not be transferred to another TiVo.

On the other hand, I am still using several programs that I purchased 15 or 20 years ago.

#95

Their is many ways your can do a lifetime. Some software companies charge you a initial fee for the software and then a maintenance fee so you can get the major updates. Say you buy your server software a revision level 1 you are entitled to all the updates for revision 1 (1.1,1.2,1.3....) but if you don't have a yearly maintenance you don't get revision 2. Now if you don't get maintenance for more than a year you pay extra reactivating fee and then you continue with a maintenance . But revision 1 would keep on working until operating system might not support anymore.
Reality is the yearly charge is the way to go since the cost of guide data but the price could be a little lower. We are cutting the cord to save money and Channels DVR is just what we needed.

#96

Tivo has always been that way, and probably the only reason they offered Lifetime... because hard drives die, and even though its fairly easy to replace the hard drive, I'm guessing that a lot of their customers don't bother to do it. What they probably didn't count on was people selling old used Tivos with Lifetime for big bucks and competing with them... thus extending how long they have to support it with EPG data.

#97

I have no problem paying a monthly or yearly fee, but I hope channels does not sell our email. After signing up for channels, I notice im getting a lot more junk mail then normal.

#98

I have about 10 different email addresses I use for different categories of things. I have zero spam on the email address I have used with Channels.

1 Like
#99

I've been subscribed for 2 years and got no spam emails.

#100

My Channels DVR email gets no Spam.

1 Like