Editing TiVo (section)

===Subscription service===
The information that a TiVo DVR downloads regarding television schedules, as well as software updates and any other relevant information is available through a monthly service subscription in the United States. A different model applies in Australia, where the TiVo media device is bought for a one-off fee, without further subscription costs.

;Lifetime subscription
There are multiple types of Product Lifetime Service. For satellite-enabled TiVo DVRs, the lifetime subscription remains as long as the account is active; the subscription does not follow a specific piece of hardware. This satellite lifetime subscription cannot be transferred to another person. Toshiba and Pioneer TiVo DVD recording equipped units include a "Basic Lifetime Subscription", which is very similar to Full Lifetime, except only three days of the program guide are viewable; and search and Internet capabilities are not available, or at least are limited. All units (except satellite but including DVD units) can have "Product Lifetime Subscription" added to the TiVo service, which covers the life of the TiVo DVR, not the life of the subscriber. The Product Lifetime Subscription accompanies the TiVo DVR in case of ownership-transfer. TiVo makes no warranties or representations as to the expected lifetime of the TiVo DVR (aside from the manufacturer's Limited Warranty). In the past TiVo has offered multiple "Trade Up" programs where you could transfer the Product Lifetime Subscription from an old unit to a newer model with a fee. A TiVo can be used without a service-agreement, but it will act more like a VCR in that you can only perform manual recordings and the TiVo can't be connected to the TiVo service for local time, program guide data, software updates, etc. or TiVo will shut down the recording function.

====Service availability====
The TiVo service is available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Spain and Taiwan at present. Over the years since its initial release in the United States, TiVo Series1 and Series2 DVRs have also been modified by end users to work in Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and South Africa.

TiVo went on sale in New Zealand in the first week of November 2009.<ref name="Sticking point for TiVo"/>

The TiVo Service came to an end in Australia on 31 October 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mytivo.com.au/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101105346/https://www.mytivo.com.au/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-11-01|title=TiVo Service closed in Australia|website=Mytivo.vom.au}}</ref> The electronic programming guide and TiVo recording features are no longer available, thus making all TiVo machines in Australia virtually useless.

=====United Kingdom=====
The TiVo service was launched in the United Kingdom in the autumn of 2000. It sold only 35,000 units over the next 18 months. Thomson, makers of the only UK TiVo box, abandoned it in early 2002 after [[BSkyB]] launched its [[Sky+]] integrated "set-top" decoder and DVR, which dominated the market for DVRs in homes subscribing to BSkyB's paid-for satellite television service. Many manufacturers, including Thomson<ref>[http://www.pvruk.co.uk/article.cfm?attributes.article=596 ''Freeview/Freeview Playback/Satellite/Cable'', PVR UK website, Undated] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528233824/http://www.pvruk.co.uk/article.cfm?attributes.article=596 |date=May 28, 2008 }}.Accessed: 04-30-2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.freeview.co.uk/products/dtrrange-page ''Latest Range'' Freeview website, Undated] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508045853/http://www.freeview.co.uk/products/dtrrange-page |date=May 8, 2008 }}.Accessed:04-30-2008.</ref> have launched integrated decoder boxes/DVRs in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] for other digital platforms, including [[Freesat|free satellite]], [[Freeview (UK)|terrestrial]], [[Virgin Media|cable]] and [[Tiscali TV (UK)|IPTV]].

A technical issue caused TiVo Suggestions to stop recording for S1 UK TiVo customers in late September 2008, but this was fixed in late January 2009.<ref>[http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=406543 ''TiVo Suggestions in the UK&nbsp;— Update'', TiVo Community Forum, 09-29-2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002183904/http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=406543 |date=October 2, 2008 }}.Accessed: 1 November 2008.</ref>

Since December 2010, UK TiVo units that were not already on an active monthly subscription or lifetime subscription could no longer be re-activated. BSkyB who were operating the support for TiVo no longer had full access to the TiVo systems to activate accounts.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}

The TiVo S1 subscription service was maintained for both lifetime and monthly subscriptions until 1 June 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.tivo.com/2011/02/1123/|title=''TiVo Blog''|website=Blog.tivo.com|access-date=February 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218063931/http://blog.tivo.com/2011/02/1123/|archive-date=February 18, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> A community project known as AltEPG was established in March 2011 with the aim of providing a replacement for the discontinued subscription service. This project now provides programme guide data and software upgrades for S1 TiVos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altepg.com/|title=AltEPG - Home Page|website=Altepg.com|access-date=February 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205044042/http://www.altepg.com/|archive-date=February 5, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 24 November 2009, cable television provider [[Virgin Media]] entered into a strategic partnership with TiVo.<ref name="Virgin Media Selects Tivo">{{cite web|url=http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=205406&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1359213&highlight=|title=Virgin Media Selects Tivo For Next Generation Tv Platform|publisher=Virgin Media|date=24 November 2009}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Under the mutually exclusive agreement, TiVo developed a converged television and broadband interactive interface to power Virgin Media's next generation, high definition set top boxes. TiVo will become the exclusive provider of middleware and user interface software for Virgin Media's next generation set top boxes. Virgin Media will be the exclusive distributor of TiVo services and technology in the United Kingdom. Virgin Media released its first TiVo co-branded product in December 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/news/a290840/virgin-medias-tivo-platform-to-go-live.html|title=Virgin Media's TiVo platform to go live|website=Digital Spy|date=1 December 2010|access-date=March 21, 2011|archive-date=September 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904032903/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/news/a290840/virgin-medias-tivo-platform-to-go-live.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 17 March 2011, Virgin Media enabled access to a third tuner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/news/a309547/virgin-media-unlocks-third-tivo-tuner.html|title=Virgin Media unlocks third TiVo tuner|website=Digital Spy|date=17 March 2011|access-date=March 21, 2011|archive-date=March 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320032528/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/news/a309547/virgin-media-unlocks-third-tivo-tuner.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of 12 February 2015, Virgin Media has 2 million TiVo customers, 50% of their TV customers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10631449/Virgin-Media-announces-two-millionth-TiVo-customer.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10631449/Virgin-Media-announces-two-millionth-TiVo-customer.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Virgin Media announces two millionth TiVo customer|first=Matthew|last=Sparkes|date=February 12, 2014|website=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}</ref>