While I love my Tivo, and would actually love to get a second one, I don't think free Tivos is the answer. That's not to say I wouldn't get a second one if they did start offering free ones, but they would still have to let me have the option to purchase a lifetime subscription.

If they offer them for free, I doubt that you would be able to get the lifetime subscription. Will they still have a model that can be purchased along with the lifetime service? And if so, how much will they jack up the price for people who want to be free from monthly fees?

What they might want to consider is partnering up with some of the smaller cable companies. The main reason I purchased my Tivo is because I moved outside of the Comcast area, and I now have Ygnition (a Dish Network reseller) as my "cable" provider. Dish Network only provides Ygnition with the bare bones satelitte receiver. Maybe if Tivo started partnering up with companies like like Ygnition, it would be win-win for both companies. I know plenty of people in my apartment complex that would not only pay the monthly fee for the satelitte box, but also a monthly fee for a DVR including the monthly service.

If they are going to offer them for free, they should start offering them to the smaller cable companies first, and the splitting the monthly fees with the company. Only as a last resort should they start offering them for free to the general public.