TivoPremiereQ
Latest
TiVo Q4 results bring first sub growth in years, DirecTiVo is imminent
While many consumers are still waiting for something new from TiVo -- finally enabling the second processor core on Premieres this weekend is a nice step, but how about more HD menus? -- said company has found growth for the first time in four years by turning to a more traditional way to sell set-top boxes in the US. Yes, the growth is mostly thanks to six months of success with Virgin Media and other provider deals like the one with RCN. TiVo netted an additional 117,000 this quarter, bringing the total to just over 2 million and even more growth is expect in the coming months -- despite the continuous drop in retail subscribers -- thanks to the expected limited release of the DirecTiVo in December, with a more widespread release next year. This helped TiVo realize a 25 percent year-over-year growth in revenues, but still wasn't enough to hold off a net loss, which came in at a cool 24.5 million for the quarter. You have to stop going down before you can go up, but more TiVos in more homes is a good thing for just about everyone involved.
TiVo Premiere Q and Preview multiroom DVR setup finally debuts from RCN
The new "whole home solution" from TiVo consisting of the four tuner Premiere Q DVR and Preview extender is finally available for the first time, from RCN. The initial rollout is taking place in the Washington D.C. area, marketed as the Whole Home Bundle consisting of one Premiere Q and one Preview for $29.99 monthly. Additional Preview extenders, which lack tuners and hard drives entirely, can be added for $9.99 per month. While DVR features like pausing live TV aren't currently available, Gizmo Lovers points out a DSLReports post by an RCN rep indicating that early next year it will gain the ability to start recordings on the Q remotely, so users can press record, then pause, rewind, or fast forward freely. The Preview box still has yet to hit retail, but those who need four tuners in their TiVo can always pick up the Premiere Elite which features a bigger hard drive than the Q. A press release with all the details is after the break, or you can check the forum post for more Q&A.
TiVo talks cable, satellite deals in Q2 results; DirecTiVo exposed! (video)
TiVo's results for the second quarter are here and there were a few tidbits that let us know where its products are going in the future. Despite reporting a net loss for the quarter, its cash position was up after receiving the first $300 million payment from its settlement with Dish Network. Things appear to be going well with Virgin Media in the UK where it reported 50,000 TiVo's live by the end of July and ONO is closing in on a launch in Spain, while closer to home RCN is almost ready to officially offer a whole-home DVR setup based on the quad-tuner TiVo Premiere Q. Charter and DirecTV are mentioned as "progressing towards launch", but the company seems particularly excited to see the current state of patent warfare going on, trumpeting its 210 issued patents and 389 applications. Speaking of the DirecTivo, an apparent training video has leaked. ZatzNotFunny has more information, but it reveals the hardware and UI, which disappointingly harken back to the days of older Series3 hardware instead of the updated HD menus on the new Premiere boxes. Check out the video and Q2 press release after the break.
TiVo Premiere Elite quad-tuner DVR detailed, doesn't support OTA broadcasts
Earlier this summer, we got wind of TiVo's plans to release its Premiere Elite DVR -- a retail version of the company's quad-tuner Premiere Q, which is only available directly through service providers. We knew to expect four tuners on the Elite as well, letting you record content from up to four channels at once. A leaked FCC document sheds a bit more light on the Elite, revealing two terabytes of recording capacity (for a whopping 300 hours of HD), digital cable compatibility (read: no OTA), and support for Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), for networking with other MoCA-enabled devices in your home. Still missing, however, are a price tag and release date, though Zatz Not Funny predicts pricing to land in the $600-800 range, with a release this fall. $499 seems to be more on target, though, considering the Premiere XL's $299 price tag -- but even at $500, you better really love television if you're gunning to spend that much on a DVR.
TiVo's retail plans for quad-tuner Premiere DVR revealed in FCC filing
If your TiVo-loving heart was crushed last week when we found out the new Premiere Q DVR was only for cable companies with no plans for retail sales, allow us to put the pieces back together. Zatz Not Funny has dug up an FCC filing, dated June 7th, indicating TiVo will bring the quad tuner Premiere Elite DVR with 2TB of hard drive space to retail. The purpose of the filing? To get the FCC to waive requirements that the Elite -- which is designed for digital cable reception only -- contain an analog tuner that it claims would increase costs by $80 - $100. There's no word on price or timing but it's clearly intended as a high end product that TiVo plans to offer online, through custom installers or specialty outlets like Best Buy's Magnolia stores. If it gets approved we could still see the Elite set-top box this year, assuming the FCC has its approval stamp ready and inked.
TiVo Premiere Q and Preview make an appearance at the Cable Show
Just in case the PR glamour shots weren't enough for you, Zatz Not Funny has posted these raw & in-person pics of the two new TiVo set-top boxes from The Cable Show. Unfortunately the bad news is there's still no word on whether these will ever be made available for end users to purchase on their own. Unless you have a Suddenlink or RCN subscription in your future, this may be the only way to see the TiVo Premiere Q and TiVo Preview for a while, so hit the source link for an eyeful.
TiVo Premiere Q and Preview boxes are official along with an updated iPad app
An early release over the weekend took any surprise out of the news, but now TiVo has officially announced its plans for the new TiVo Premiere Q and TiVo Preview set-top boxes and an update for its iPad app at the 2011 NCTA Cable Show. Both boxes are firsts for TiVo, the Premiere Q (pictured above) because it has four tuners and can stream video to up to three other boxes in the home, and the Preview because it lacks a hard drive or any DVR capabilities entirely. The Preview can function on its own or as a multiroom thin client streaming from TiVo DVRs, and both promise full integration with video on-demand and other cable-provided services. There's no word on any retail plans and as expected RCN and Suddenlink will be the first to offer the boxes. The TiVo iPad app is also getting a cable-friendly makeover with a new version that can browse video on-demand offerings and flick them to any available TiVos for viewing, just like it does for internet video. We complained about the slow pace of updates for the existing Premiere DVR yesterday, so we'll try to have a fresh outlook on the official announcements (PR and more pictures are after the break) and consider a future where TiVo isn't tied to DVRs or being offered at retail. Update: @BrennokBob points out a post on DSLReports revealing the Premiere Q will ship (at least for RCN) with a 500GB hard drive, up from 320GB on the standard Premiere but less than the 1TB of the XL model or Virgin's TiVo in the UK.
TiVo Premiere Q, Preview boxes bring quad-tuner or non-DVR options to the lineup
In an early preview of TiVo's plans for The Cable Show this week in Chicago, TMCNet has posted information on two new set-top boxes that will be offered by cable operators RCN and Suddenlink. As suggested by recent surveys and forum posts, the Premiere Q is a quad-tuner DVR with multiroom streaming of up to three HD feeds via MoCA or Ethernet, while the Preview is TiVo's first box without a hard drive and serves as a client to the main box. Another revelation is news that an updated version of TiVo's iPad app will include be able to browse cable VOD, allowing users to select it on the tablet and then "flick" it to their box where it starts playing. If the information holds up the new hardware seems competitive and modern enough, but we're wondering if TiVo will continue to serve end users who prefer to buy equipment instead of lease and are waiting for things like the new DirecTiVo or software updates that enhance performance on the Premiere and finish off its HD menu system. [Thanks, @BrennokBob]
