TiVo Inc., the television recording technology company that is facing increasing competition, Monday said it is considering giving away TiVo set-top boxes as part of plans to win subscribers.
Chief Executive Tom Rogers said the company, whose name has become synonymous with the ability to pause live television and skip commercials, was close to offering a range of pricing options, including one plan that would include a free set-top box.
"We're continuing to pursue the prospects of zero upfront and all upfront" pricing, Rogers told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in New York.
The company is likely to begin the test to offer free boxes, possibly in exchange for higher priced and longer term plans, fairly soon, said Rogers, who was named chief executive last July.
TiVo currently serves about 4 million subscribers, including about a two-thirds from partner DirecTV Group Inc. It is under pressure from Wall Street to expand its customer base as DirecTV is readying its own digital video recorders.
TiVo also faces competition from far bigger cable and satellite TV providers and consumer electronics makers, all of whom are offering rival digital video recorders to consumers. Many of the devices are more powerful than TiVo's and are offered at lower prices — sometimes for free.
The company says its service, which costs most users about $13 a month, is superior, thanks to options such as a system that is easy for consumers to use.
