[passingbat]

When VM offered both Tivo and V+, there wasn't a problem. People who had to have red button and reminders could have a V+ and those that these features weren't a must have item, could choose the advanced functionality of Tivo.

Both groups were happy and delaying Tivo until everything was there, served no purpose. It would only have frustrated people who wanted tivo functionality and weren't fussed over lack of red button etc. but wouldn't have brought a fully functioning Tivo to the other people any sooner.

We're now in a greyer area as V+ is no longer a box option for new customers. From one perspective, that makes sense, because the sooner the old boxes are gone, the sooner VM can move to Mpeg4, giving us more recording capacity and presumably other advantages. But it also brings frustration to those who have to have tivo if they join VM and probably expect red button as a given.