User 369727

Will TiVo's Partnerships with Comcast and Cox Pay Off?

It's no coincidence that when cable companies started using new SDV (Switched Digital Video) channels, it left Tivo HD owners stranded in the water. Users have had dozens of digital channels disappear. Add the clueless cable customer support reps (many of whom to this day claim to not have even heard of SDV), you are left with lots of angry Tivo HD owners.

The FCC had to get involved and basically order cable companies to come up with a solution to make their cable systems compatible with TIvo (that shows you how big of a household name the Tivo is). Only now are cable outfits SLOWLY offering SDV converters albeit in some markets.

Whether or not this was a malicious plot by the cable companies to keep customers renting their own box to get more money is another question. If so, it will backfire and the cable industry will be left with thousands of angry subscribers switching to satellite or new phone company TV services. Most cable companies are currently using flawed HD boxes, the very reason for attempting to use a Tivo in the first place.

So now that we are hearing about loss of subscribers and stagnant Tivo HD DVR sales, it doesn't seem surprising at all. The ever mounting number of disappointments adds up after a while.

Will TiVo's Partnerships with Comcast and Cox Pay Off?

On Mar 04 10:15 AM Sekar wrote:

> TiVo is on bare life support and all set-top box vendors like Vudu,
> Roku, AppleTV are fighting for a small slice of savy American consumers
> who can afford multiple boxes in their living room and juggle with
> complex user interfaces. With a souring economy, TiVo will not even
> get a buyer unless Telcos like AT&T and Verizon (FiOS) are interested.
> There are no compelling reasons for anyone to invest $140 to $200
> on a device and then continue to pay $20 every month. TiVO should
> look at European, Japanese and Korean markets where there are much
> better DVRs and set-top boxes.

You mentioned DVRs in overseas markets. I'm very curious as to what the differences are. Sounds like you may have seen them first hand. I'm guessing VOD from the cable co is one. Perhaps less restrictions on copying HD from a DVR are another.