TiVo to score big deal with either Google or Yahoo?
It sounds like they're still a long away from finalizing anything, but CNET reports that TiVo is in discussions with both Google and Yahoo about cutting some sort deal that would let people search for video content online and then watch what they've found on their TV (by downloading or streaming to their TiVo, natch). Both companies are also said to be talking to TiVo about either investing in them or buying them.
Makes sense on some level, since both Yahoo and Google are trying hard to get into video (both have at least some form of video search and Google recently started accepting submissions for its online video archive). Working with either would be a huge score for TiVo, who have definitely been on the rebound lately, but they're walking a tightrope. On one hand they're trying hard to convince cable and satellite TV companies to put TiVo's DVR software on set-top boxes, and on the other they're trying to work with companies like Netflix (and apparently now either Yahoo or Google) to create on-demand, online, IPTV services that would effectively constitute an end run around the cable and satellite providers. Seems doubtful that they'll be able to have it both ways, and sooner or later they're going to have to choose what kind of company they want to be.
