Canadian television hardware company Nuvyyo raised the price of its lifetime guide data subscription for its line of Tablo over-the-air digital video recorders (DVRs) on Tuesday.
The price increase followed several notices issued by Nuvyyo over the last few months warning new and existing customers that the price of its lifetime guide data subscription would increase to a one-time payment of $180. Previously, Nuvyyo offered a lifetime guide data subscription for $150.
ICYMI – Pricing for NEW Lifetime TV Guide Data Service subscriptions increases tomorrow. Learn more: https://t.co/VXxf4zgVtg pic.twitter.com/TKIdXDqyTz
— TabloTV (@TabloTV) April 5, 2021
Tablo boxes capture free, over-the-air broadcast stations and converts them into a signal that can be viewed on streaming devices like smartphones, tablets, computers, streaming TV devices and some smart TV sets. Users are able to stream live television and record programs for later playback, with the amount of content they’re able to watch and record simultaneously depending largely on the type of Tablo device a person buys and the size of the hard drive that is connected to the gadget.
While broadcast stations typically offer a limited amount of television guide data, Nuvyyo instead purchases premium television listing data from a third party. That data is then sent to Tablo boxes over the Internet, which uses a small amount of data.
In the past, representatives of the company told The Desk that Nuvyyo buys television guide data because it considers that data to be more reliable than program information sent from television stations themselves. That premium guide data tends to include more information, including thumbnail images for programs.
All Tablo devices automatically receive one full day of television guide data free of charge, with Nuvyyo covering the cost of that data. The company also offers a premium guide data subscription, which includes a 14-day television guide, special menus with listings for movies and sports, and the ability to stream live and recorded content away from home using the Tablo Connect feature.
Nuvyyo offers three premium subscription tiers for Tablo users who want to upgrade their listings and unlock other features:
- A monthly subscription at $5 per month ($6 in Canada)
- A yearly subscription at $50 per year ($60 in Canada)
- A lifetime subscription for a one-time fee of $180 ($240 in Canada)
In a statement, a Nuvyyo representative said the company needed to adjust the price of the lifetime subscription because the cost of purchasing the data had increased over time. The price hike is not retroactive — customers who purchased a lifetime data subscription before the increase took effect will not have to suddenly pay the difference. Nuvyyo says the price of its monthly and yearly plans will remain the same.
A lifetime subscription to Tablo’s premium guide data is still a good value for people who move away from cable and satellite for broadcast and streaming options, and who want the flexibility of watching live and recorded programs on something other than a TV set. That’s especially true when compared to Nuvyyo’s closest competitors, Silicon Dust ($35 a year for premium data on HDHomeRun devices, with no annual subscription plan offered) and TiVo (One-time $250 payment for DVRs that receive broadcast data or $550 for DVRs that work with cable TV).
Unlike other companies, Nuvyyo ties the lifetime subscription to the person who bought it, not the device itself, which means a subscription is transferable to another Tablo device if a customer decides to replace or upgrade their existing one.
