DVR Chatter

Frank · 03-02-2005 7:26:57 AM

A pretty interesting article about Comcast (and others) striking at the heart of TiVo...

PHILADELPHIA -- Comcast Corp. is installing a new cable box with the potential to change the way people watch TV.

[...]

Does all this sound a lot like a product called TiVo? Well, it is a lot like TiVo.

And now some Wall Street observers are wondering if the arrival of these new digital video recorders, or DVRs, means that TiVo is toast -- or at least destined to a niche role along the lines of Apple's Macintosh computer.

"TiVo has branded this idea, but ... that doesn't mean they get to win," said Josh Bernoff, an analyst at market research firm Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass.

In the world of DVRs, Bernoff said, "2004 was the year of TiVo," but "2005 will be the year of the cable DVR."

[...]

By the end of 2004, Forrester estimated, there were TiVos and other DVRs in 6.5 million U.S. households, up from 3.5 million the year before.

Forrester estimated the number will climb to 11 million by the end of this year and to nearly 50 million -- 41 percent of U.S. households -- in 2009.

[...]

On Jan. 12, TiVo chief executive officer and cofounder Mike Ramsay announced that he would step down as soon as a successor can be named.

In mid-January it was reported that his decision followed TiVo board unhappiness over failed talks to set up a DVR partnership with Comcast.

A Comcast official confirmed that the talks occurred but declined to characterize them.

TiVo's Wisk said that while partnerships with cable systems would be "icing on the cake ... we can't build our entire business around the potential of having those partnerships."

Jones · 03-02-2005 8:13:03 AM

Good read.............Thx

JNox · 03-02-2005 10:59:22 AM

Good stuff. I liked the Apple comparison, it fits very well.

DTV TiVo Dealer · 03-03-2005 6:23:22 PM

Comcast is an excellent cable provider and the DVR is a very good product, but I hope this does not make anyone think that Comcast's DVR is as good or better than a DIRECTV DVR with TiVo services? To me the article says that TiVo is the innovator of the DVR and cable companies capitalized on its invention.

I understand and agree that cable companies did not want to pay TiVo licensing fees and therefore developed their own DVR so TiVo never got into the mainstream of cable customer homes as they never got a cable carriers partnership. But, if you ever operated a TiVo DVR and especially a DIRECTV DVR with TiVo you would appreciate the TiVo interface and reliability advantages.

-Robert

maverick · 03-03-2005 7:31:16 PM

I have never had a Tivo but I find the 6412 easy to use with high reliabilty.
How more easier do we really need it to be? I can't recall missing an episode either in the 4 months I had the 6208 and the 2 months I have had the 6412.
If Comcast offered a choice of a Tivo or 6412 (for 10 bucks a month) then I would take the Tivo out of curiousity, but they don't so it's a mute point.

Frank · 03-03-2005 8:46:33 PM

DTV TiVo Dealer wrote:
I understand and agree that cable companies did not want to pay TiVo licensing fees and therefore developed their own DVR so TiVo never got into the mainstream of cable customer homes as they never got a cable carriers partnership. But, if you ever operated a TiVo DVR and especially a DIRECTV DVR with TiVo you would appreciate the TiVo interface and reliability advantages.

-Robert

I love my TiVo, but it doesn't do what I wanted and that is record HD. I wasn't going to spend a grand to do it. Now it's relegated to basic cable recordings and backups of what's on the 6412 in HD.

TiVo is a lousy company with a great product. Comcast is a strong, well managed company with a so so product with a bunch of quirks. Guess who is going to win out.

Tivo screwed the proverbial pooch when they hardballed that Comcast deal.

Georgia Guy · 03-04-2005 10:32:16 AM

Frank wrote:
Now it's relegated to basic cable recordings and backups of what's on the 6412 in HD.

Exactly what has happened to my 3 Tivos. Their main use is now for backups, and for rooms in my house without HDTVs. Also handy for the music and transferring shows around.

90% of our tv watching (besides DVDs) is now in HD, thanks to the 6412. I still love my Tivos, and its sad to see them relegated to such secondary uses.

DTV TiVo Dealer · 03-04-2005 5:12:14 PM

Thanks Frank, we agree 100%. DIRECTV manages the DIRETV TiVo-DVR and just licenses the TiVo interface that's integrated into our DVR.

We offer forum members the DIRECTV HD DVR, HR10-250 for $850., delivered with our 5 yr. warranty and very nice HD DVR T-shirt. Of course, additional basic receivers, dish and pro-installation are supplied at no additional cost. We also have a 6-months free finance offer.

New subscribers get an additional $50. rebate and upgraded for 3 months to TOTAL CHOICE PREMIER (DIRECTV's largest programming package) and the HD package at no charge.

DIRECTV is launching several new satellites with MPEG-4 compression so we will be adding about 1500 new HD channels by this summer.

-Robert

Georgia Guy · 03-04-2005 5:30:28 PM

DTV TiVo Dealer wrote:
DIRECTV is launching several new satellites with MPEG-4 compression so we will be adding about 1500 new HD channels by this summer.

-Robert

1500 New HD Channels ...YIKES! Now if only there was a way to get Directv thru the trees on my lot.

The 1500 hundred must include local affiliates showing networks, right? I can't imagine that there are even 1500 channels availble to put up.

Frank · 03-04-2005 5:33:35 PM

Forum members should note that by "We offer..." he is referring to his ad at the upper-left of each page. As he has put his money where his mouth is, I have allowed him some leeway as far as post content that I would probably not offer others. Some leeway. Some. Please check out his site by following the ad link.

To get back on topic, what I would love to see is a bidding war between DirecTV and Comcast for the patents of TiVo once they go by the wayside. I would love to see Comcast win, of course, as I'm about to totally nix my DirecTV subscription. Believe it or not, analog cable on my stand-alone TiVo is better looking than compressed DirecTV getting uncompressed, sent to the TiVo and recompressed and then viewed.

rrg · 03-04-2005 9:18:17 PM

Frank wrote:
Believe it or not, analog cable on my stand-alone TiVo is better looking than compressed DirecTV getting uncompressed, sent to the TiVo and recompressed and then viewed.

Perhaps, but what you really want to compare it to is bitstream recording on one of the DirecTiVo boxes.

Frank · 03-04-2005 9:40:00 PM

I'll compare HD recordings on my $10 a month comcast box and analog cable recordings on my 4 year old TiVo because that's the solution that's not going to cost me a grand. A directivo will do me no good once I free myself from the contant needed and costly equipment upgrades of DirecTV.

rkkeller · 05-02-2005 1:00:58 PM

I dont know why so many are all ga ga over TiVo's. I have 2 DirecTiVo's (704 and R-10) and 1 6412 and find the 6412 superior in just about every way. Its 100 times faster looking at the guides no clunky filling in line by line even with the new R-10, a couple hundred million times faster reorganizing SP's seconds vs tens of minutes, no "please wait" screens anywhere with the 6412, ability to change the screen colors, size and fonts with the 6412, picture in the guide and other menu screens so your not sitting there in silence while your changing settings or looking through the guide, etc.... I cant think of anything I will miss about my 2 DirecTiVos.

Rich

DVR Chatter

#1 03-02-2005 7:26:57 AM

News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#2 03-02-2005 8:13:03 AM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#3 03-02-2005 10:59:22 AM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#4 03-03-2005 6:23:22 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#5 03-03-2005 7:31:16 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#6 03-03-2005 8:46:33 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

DTV TiVo Dealer wrote:

#7 03-04-2005 10:32:16 AM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

Frank wrote:

#8 03-04-2005 5:12:14 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#9 03-04-2005 5:30:28 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

DTV TiVo Dealer wrote:

#10 03-04-2005 5:33:35 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#11 03-04-2005 9:18:17 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

Frank wrote:

#12 03-04-2005 9:40:00 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

#13 05-02-2005 1:00:58 PM

Re: News Article: Comcast (and others) vs. TiVo

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