DirecTV getting ready to drop TiVo?
Ok, now we think TiVo might be in trouble: is their biggest partner (and the source of the majority of their customers), DirecTV, getting ready to drop them? Right now DirecTV integrates TiVo's digital video recorder technology into their satellite television receivers (as DirecTiVo), but it looks like they've been taking some pretty clear steps to disentangle themselves from the company. First they sold off their share in TiVo. Then their chairman resigned from TiVo's board of directors. Not exactly the most encouraging signs, but then to make matters worse they've just announced that they'll be turning to NDS, a sibling subsidiary of News Corp., to supply them with digital video recorder technology, and will be offering consumers a choice between using this or getting DirecTiVo (guess which one will end up costing more). Why do we have this funny feeling that DirecTV won't be renewing their contract with TiVo when it expires in 2007? It might time for TiVo to take advantage of that free advice we we gave them back in May.
[Via PVRblog]
