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TiVo to yank free version of its PC software on June 5

The ouster of the free version means users will have to buy a $15.99 edition of TiVo's PC desktop software.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

TiVo users who want to install the company's PC software have until June 5 to grab it for free.

The TiVo Desktop for PC program lets you listen to your music and view your photos on your TV. You can also transfer shows recorded on your TiVo box to your PC. But in less than a month, that version will be no more.

Starting June 6, TiVo users will have to pony up $15.99 (down from $24.95) to buy the TiVo Desktop Plus software. The Plus edition offers all of the features of the free version. But it's also compatible with Windows 8 and lets you transfer shows to portable devices and view Web videos on your TiVo box.

TiVo owners who download the free software will still be able to use it after June 5, but it won't support Windows 8. The free version is available at TiVo's Web site for Windows PCs and the Mac, while the Plus version appears to be available just for Windows at this point.