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TiVo projects larger than expected losses, still taking the patent fight to AT&T and Verizon
We'll let the analysts make sense of TiVo's new projection that it will lose $8 to $10 million in the third quarter, larger than Wall Street expectations while projected revenues are lower -- we're too busy adding Verizon and AT&T to the patent battlemap. Today it filed complaints against both for violating three of its DVR-related patents -- Nos. 6,233,389 B1 ("Multimedia Time Warping System"), 7,529,465 B2 ("System for Time Shifting Multimedia Content Streams"), and 7,493,015 B1 ("Automatic Playback Overshoot Correction System") if you must know -- seeking damages for past infringement and a permanent injunction. We'd assumed it would wait until settling things with DISH to push forward against other companies, but it looks like we're not the only ones getting impatient. Beyond the legal slapfight there's a few nuggets for the bleep bloop faithful, with the Comcast TiVo on-line scheduler beginning to roll out in Boston plus further expansions on the way and the due-in-2010 DirecTV HD TiVo still on track -- we'll need a few seasons of Law & Order queued up before this mess ever gets resolved.Read - TiVo Swings to Loss, Files Infringement SuitsRead - TiVo Reports Results for the Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2010 Ended July 31, 2009Read - TiVo Files Complaints for Patent Infringement Against AT&T and Verizon Communications in United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas; Seeking Damages and Injunction
TiVo earnings call reveals Comcast Tivo, Stop||Watch expansions on the way
Among the financial details (net loss of $4.1 million, yawn) of today's earnings call, TiVo had big news about its Comcast TiVo product, announcing that remote scheduling will be available this summer in the New England area, the planned Chicago launch is "close," that the cable company will soon offer customers in areas switching to all digital the option of a TiVo HD retail box instead of a digital terminal adapter and in one yet-to-be-named tru2way market, will make TiVo its primary DVR option. That's the word from CEO Tom Rogers, who also said Comcast is going to aggressively roll TiVo out, while its still looking for the "best path" of distribution. Non-Comcast interesting developments? The SeaChange partnership has lead to one independent cable operator, Comporium, offering its service, while the Stop||Watch ratings service is expanding to 300,000 subscribers, 75 times the size of Nielsen's DVR sample. Check the read link for the (.PDF) press release or listen in on TiVo's website for all the info, we're busy pondering a bleep & bloop enabled future for our boring old cable DVR boxes.Update: The transcript of the call is available on Seeking Alpha [Via Davis Freeberg]
Comcast TiVo headed to Chicago next
By way of Dave Zatz comes news from Comcast's Q3 earnings call that Chicago will soon be home to not only tru2way, but also the Comcast TiVo option. Less optimistically mentioned is a CNET writer already choosing to abandon the service after finding TiVo's software slower and less reliable than Comcast's native DVR software, a possibility many would consider impossible. Hopefully a dash of tru2way (or a new advertisement, embedded after the break) could be just what it needs to improve the user experience -- and speed up this agonizingly slow rollout.[Via Zatz Not Funny]
Comcast TiVo headed to Portland, Oregon?
Along with gigantic patches of FiOS availability, New England is also basking in the glory of having Comcast TiVo all to itself. Thankfully, all that could be changing. According to a report from a Comcast user in the Portland, Oregon area, two different installers informed him that Comcast TiVo would be making its way into the area in the not-too-distant future (read: summertime). Of course, we kinda sorta knew the technology would eventually spread from the Northeast, but we're eager to see if in fact it'll hit up any more states on its (hopeful) trip west.[Thanks, Justin]
Cox already testing Tivo DVRs in New England
Tivo had a few more tricks up its sleeves during its recent earnings call, with its Tivo-loaded DVR finally on the way to Cox Communications. Just like the Comcast version, the initial trial is going on in the New England area, and it looks like Rhode Island will likely be first to experience market launch on Motorola hardware. As for how that Comcast box is doing, CEO Tom Rogers says its not contributing much but expects things to ramp up with increased marketing and the ability to deliver the Tivo upgrade automatically, without requiring an all-new box. Check out the rest of the details from the call and -- if you're willing to overlook the missing features -- get ready for an upgrade to the old grey box.
30 second skip discovered on Comcast TiVos
If you love TiVo, then there is no substitute, but at $300 many find HD TiVos too rich for their blood, when compared to the price of their provider's DVR. The Comcast TiVo offers a good compromise of price and experience, but there are some key TiVo features missing. Well it appears now that at least one of the most useful features of a stand-alone TiVo is now available for the Comcast TiVo: 30 second skip. So instead of hitting; select, play, 3, 0, select like you do on a stand-alone, you hit; Rewind, Slow, Fast Forward, Play, 3, 0, Advance and you now have a 30 second skip button.[Via TVSquad.com]
Comcast TiVo in pictures
Sure, TiVo on Comcast has been available in the New England area for a short while now, but for most of the nation, they've no idea just how Comcastic (or not) the new setup is. Fret not, as a kindhearted Bostonian has gone well above the call of duty and provided us with no fewer than 46 snapshots of the interface and remote. Granted, there aren't too many surprises or anything, but do yourself a favor and check out the gallery below while you wait for the service to finally bleed out from the Northeast.[Thanks, Chad] %Gallery-14753%
Comcast TiVo hamstringed in the worst places?
Just a week after we saw one particular Bostonian get his Comcast TiVo installed, we're now seeing reports claiming that the service simply isn't up to snuff even after the excruciating wait. Beyond the fact that users are forced to pay a monthly surcharge for what is effectively a one-time software update, it seems that customers aren't actually getting the traditional TiVo OS; rather, they're getting a TiVo-inspired overlay on the Motorola DVR OS. Potentially more disheartening, however, is the purported lack of the advanced TiVo features that were put in place to differentiate it from all the other DVRs. There's no TiVoToGo, no media sharing, no eSATA port utility, no Amazon Unbox and no Rhapsody. 'Course, hardcore TiVo lovers may find a way to rationalize the omissions, but if you're still wondering if the upgrade is for you, we'd strongly recommend hitting up the read link before pulling the trigger.[Image courtesy of Steve Garfield CC BY-NC-SA]
Comcast TiVo installed, in the wild in Boston
It'd be simple to say we knew this day was coming, but historically speaking, we really weren't ever too sure this would all come together. Nevertheless, a certain Bostonian has become "the first" in the city to get his DVR upgraded with TiVo's interface, though it was far from an easy process. To read about the journey and see a few snapshots of the new setup in action, follow the read link below.[Via TiVoLovers]
Comcast TiVo ready for the public at large?
We're not getting too stirred up just yet -- after all, we've learned to be instantly disappointed when hearing "Comcast" and "TiVo" in the same breath -- but it seems as though the provider could finally be rolling out TiVo service to the general public. After seeing the technology in the wild and hearing of it being available to select employees, a certain commenter over at ZatzNotFunny has posted a fresh e-mail that seems to suggest that some Comcast customers can get their TiVo on right away. According to the note, exchanging a vanilla HD set-top-box (read: no DVR functionality) for a TiVo DVR will result in a $10.95 charge over and above what the HD box was costing or $2.95 more than a traditional HD DVR. For whatever it's worth, Comcast will also be issuing an $18 "service visit" for this particular installation, but there's no telling if that's universal. Go on -- hit the read link to catch the message in full, and then get on the horn with Comcast and let us know if this stuff is available outside of New England.[Via TiVo Lovers]
Comcast TiVo makes it into the wild
Not that it comes as a huge surprise, but it looks like those Comcast TiVos have now started to make their way into the homes of a select few New Englanders, as evidenced by the shot above courtesy of Dave Zatz. As Dave points out, however, there are still plenty of unanswered questions, including any word on a price for the service, any indication of a time frame for deployment, and any firm word as to exactly what hardware it'll work on. In the meantime, those looking for a taste of things to come can find plenty of more pics by hitting up the read link below, including a few shots of the Comcast-branded hardware.
Comcast customers to get TiVo any day now?
We know, it's been a long (long) time coming, but for Comcast users in New England waiting intently for their TiVo, the wait "could be" almost up. Okay, so maybe you will be forced to exercise your patience for yet another undisclosed amount of time, but at this point, are you really surprised? According to TiVo's chief executive Tom Rogers, he's "waiting for word any time now that the first non-Comcast employee will begin to get the service," which could be seen as shifting the blame to Comcast. Regardless, none of it does much to instill confidence in us.[Via Zatz Not Funny]
