Here’s a question that I think most people ask themselves when they purchase a TiVo. Should I purchase the lifetime subscription fee ($299) or should I go ahead and pay the $12.95 monthly subscription fee.

To make this decision a little easier, I’ve decided to put together the pros and cons of each decision. Without any further a due, here they are:

Monthly Service Fee ($12.95)

Pros
• Paid on monthly basis, obviously not as much upfront cost.
• If your TiVo breaks, you can stop paying the fee.
• If you decided that you really don’t need a TiVo (I don’t know how that is possible) then, you can get rid of it and not have to worry about all the money you spent upfront.
• If TiVo decides to lower their monthly service fee or lifetime subscription fee, you may be able to take advantage of some great prices (This happened the multi-TiVo service fee).

Cons
• You have a monthly bill, does anybody really need another bill?
• If the monthly service fee goes up, you are going to have to pay the higher price or get rid of your TiVo

Wait….why am I going to do the pros/cons of the lifetime subscription fee! It’s basically the exact opposite of the monthly fee. The only thing to point out is that the lifetime fee only covers the life of the TiVo and not the life of the subscriber. If you’re at all lucky, you will out last your TiVo. TiVo says it best when they say:

Of course, hardware products don’t last forever and their lifespan will vary among individual products. TiVo makes no representations or warranties as to the expected lifetime of the product aside from the manufacturer’s warranty.

I hoped the above set of pros and cons help you decide which subscription plan is right for you. One thing to keep in mind is that you should probably make your decision early on so that you get the best return if you decide to go with a lifetime subscription.