Flat Screen Tvs - Plasma Tvs - LCD Displays and HDTV

Research and Markets has announced the addition of The Changing Face of Studio Video Sales: Grow New Markets, Push High Definition, Get Interactive to their offering.

The major Hollywood studios are facing a changing landscape for the consumption of their home video products.

Sony Corporation is "betting the farm" on High Definition TV and HDTV products, including the next-generation Blu-Ray disc format. Sony's strategy may be strong enough to drive them into a dominating position for the future of digital home entertainment, and the other major Hollywood studios may simply be along for the ride.

Microsoft and Intel are also lobbying strongly to play a part, with their Connected Digital Home solutions. Microsoft and Intel have voiced strong support for HD-DVD.

Nobody can be sure how it is all going to play out. By 2009, the forecast model predicts a worldwide retail value of US$ 50 Billion, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 5.4% for annual sales value of Hollywood Video Content sold at retail. The DVD value will hold its own but much of the growth will be due to:

- Portable Player products

- Next-Generation optical discs

- Movie & TV Downloads

It is expected that the three alternative delivery formats to gain momentum in 2006, and continue growing through 2009. The coming few years will be very interesting ones for the Hollywood studios.

The Changing Face of Studio Video Sales: Grow New Markets, Push High Definition, Get Interactive found the following:

By 2009, a worldwide retail value of US$50 Billion is forecasted for annual sales of Hollywood video content sold at retail.

By 2009, 41% of US TV Households will be watching movies on HDTV displays.

DVD players that support HDMI deliver High Definition quality today, so next-generation High Definition optical products will need to provide "something more".

Over 40% of Japanese households will have wide-screen HDTV sets by 2009, and Europe and other Asian markets are already seeing robust sales of HDTV displays.

Portable player products and online download services are likely to lead industry growth, especially in Europe and Asia.

The bulk of the Hollywood movie and TV show DVD market value comes from just six countries: Japan, the United States, Canada, the UK, France and Germany.

The intense media interest in next-generation optical disc formats is selling lots of magazines, but will not have much impact on the Hollywood "packaged goods" business until late in the decade.

The Changing Face of Studio Video Sales: Grow New Markets, Push High Definition, Get Interactive covers the market for movie studio video sales. It includes analysis of technology and market trends for the number of TV Households, by region, that have at least one wide-screen HDTV-capable video display. The report also forecasts annual retail sales of Hollywood video products by category and by region through 2009. Profiles of major players in the home video industry are also provided.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c29289

Posted by Nana at 06:09 PM | DVD Disc Sales Value Slows, But New Technologies Will Spur International Growth | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New Application Will Give Television Viewers More Control and Choice When it Comes to Their Favorite Entertainment

TiVo Inc., creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders, announced that it is working with Intel to develop functionality in a TiVo application that will enable it to work with Intel Viiv technology to pave the way for a dramatic change in the way entertainment is consumed at home or on the go .

This new application will further extend TiVo's groundbreaking TiVoToGo™ features. It will allow existing TiVo subscribers to securely transfer their favorite television programs from their TiVo® Series2™ DVR to an Intel Viiv technology based PC using only the remote control. The application will also allow any content downloaded from a TiVo DVR to an Intel Viiv technology enabled device to be securely played back on certain compliant media adapters, which will be supported in a future planned release of the application. This application will be available in the first half of next year.

"Combining Intel's breakthrough technology with TiVo's award-winning user experience will give consumers more of the control they are looking for," said Tom Rogers , CEO, TiVo Inc. "When it comes to digital entertainment in the living room and beyond, consumers deserve the ease of use they've come to expect from TiVo. We're thrilled to be working on this important initiative with Intel."

"We are excited to be working with TiVo on the application for the Intel Viiv technology platform," said Kevin Corbett , vice president and general manager, Content Services Group, Intel Digital Home Group. "Together with companies like TiVo, Intel is working to bring powerful new connected entertainment experiences to the home where consumers can more easily personalize, manage and enjoy their entertainment experience with Intel Viiv technology."

"Today's announcement with Intel is another example of our commitment to continually enhance and update our service and extend the TiVo experience throughout the home," said Jim Denney , Vice President of Product Marketing at TiVo. "This new application will allow our users to control their favorite TiVo recordings even more easily so they can watch what they want, where they want."

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its full set of DVR service features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo's DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass™ recordings and WishList® searches, has elevated its popularity among consumers and has created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo's DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features such as, TiVoToGo™ and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing "TiVo, TV your way." The TiVo® service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 02:19 PM | TiVo And Intel Work Together On Digital Home Initiatives | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Discover New Music, Buy Movie Tickets, Enjoy Podcasts, and View Shared Photos from Your TV

TiVo Inc., the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), announced the rollout of a host of new online services that deliver timely entertainment and information directly to the television set. Now, TiVo subscribers with a TiVo® Series2™ DVR connected to their home network will find accessing local movie listings and tickets, discovering music, listening to podcasts, and even viewing shared Yahoo! Photos plus their local traffic and weather as convenient and easy as using their TiVo® remote.

"TiVo forever changed the way people watch TV, making it easy to find and record your favorite programs," said Tom Rogers, President and CEO, TiVo Inc. "Now we're extending that ease-of-use to enable our subscribers to easily discover and enjoy online services directly on their television sets."

"We are excited to partner with TiVo to bring Yahoo!'s leading Internet services to consumers on their TVs," said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of the connected life business unit, Yahoo!. "Yahoo! is dedicated to extending our services beyond the desktop to give our millions of users access to their content and information, whenever and however they want it."

Starting today TiVo will begin the rollout to subscribers with a broadband-connected Series2™ DVR. The new features are included as part of the standard TiVo® service.

TiVo has partnered with leaders in broadband services, like Yahoo!, Fandango, and Live365 to ensure the best content as well as the ease and convenience subscribers expect from the TiVo® service. With the initial set of services, subscribers will enjoy all this right from their TV:

View both their own photo slideshows and those shared by friends with Yahoo! Photos, the world's most popular online photo service.
Check local weather and traffic from Yahoo!
Browse movie information in the living room to discover what's playing at local theaters and buy advance tickets from Fandango, the nation's largest movie ticketing service.
Discover great new music on Live365, the largest Internet radio network, offering hundreds of stations in every genre and format, new and old, from all over the world.
Listen to thought-provoking and entertaining talk shows with the new Podcast feature.
"We're thrilled to be working with TiVo," says Art Levitt, President and CEO of Fandango. "With this exciting new collaboration, consumers can make their moviegoing decisions from the comfort of their living room s . This alliance furthers our goal of ubiquitous consumer access and to help make the moviegoing experience as easy and convenient as possible."
"TiVo and Live365 represent a great combination," added David Porter, GM of Business Development for Live365. "Both services give people the ability to take control of their media, tuning into what they want and even discovering something new. We're pleased to be part of this inaugural online services rollout."

Subscribers can learn more about these features and sign up for the priority list found at www.tivo.com/online to ensure the features are delivered to their boxes as soon as possible.
For more information, including information on where TiVo can be purchased, please visit www.tivo.com.

About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. Yahoo! provides online products and services essential to consumers' lives, and offers a full range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with Internet users around the world. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale , Calif.

About Fandango
Fandango, the nation's largest movie ticketing service, sells tickets to approximately 13,000 screens and 1,100 theaters (nearly 70 percent of theaters in the U.S. enabled for remote ticketing) and to four out of the five largest U.S. theater circuits (according to National Association of Theater Owners, June 2005). A consortium of the nation's largest theater chains (including Regal Entertainment Group, Carmike Cinemas, Cinemark, Loews Cineplex Entertainment and Century Theatres, among others), Fandango sells tickets to more screens than all of its competitors combined. One of the Web's top movie destinations (according to Nielsen//NetRatings), Fandango allows moviegoers to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, read reviews, view trailers and buy tickets up to 45 days in advance. Fandango is available at www.fandango.com, 1-800-FANDANGO and via your wireless device at mobile.fandango.com.

About Live365
With thousands of stations and 3m monthly listeners, Live365 is the largest internet radio network, offering listeners an unparalleled choice in music and other audio content. Live365 differs from other music and radio services in that it allows people to create a playlist from their own music collection and share it with others through free, radio-style streaming. Live365 also provides best-of-class steaming and advertising services for a wide range of professional clients. Stations can be accessed on live365.com, Apple iTunes, Windows Media Player and a growing number of home and mobile devices. Launched in July 1999, Live365 is the winner of the People's Voice at the Webby Awards for Best Music Site (2001, 2002) and Best Radio Site (2004).

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its full set of DVR service features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo's DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass™ recordings and WishList® searches, has elevated its popularity among consumers and has created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo's DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features such as, TiVoToGo™ and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing "TiVo, TV your way." The TiVo® service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 01:19 PM | TiVo Begins Rollout Of Online Services Now Accessible Directly On The TV | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo, the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), and Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet company, today announced that they will collaborate to offer TiVo's online scheduling features on Yahoo! TV (http://tv.yahoo.com).

This offering from the two companies enables Yahoo! TV users to request, via TiVo's scheduling technology, recordings of their favorite TV shows on their TiVo® Series2™ devices from anywhere they access Yahoo!. Subscribers with a TiVo Series2 box and a standard Yahoo! user ID may use the service starting today.

"Working with Yahoo! is another way for us to deliver the best way to watch television and give viewers control of the television experience," said Tom Rogers , CEO of TiVo Inc. "Beginning today, we're giving Yahoo! users — whether they're at the office or away from home — the ability to easily schedule recordings for later viewing."

"Yahoo! is the leading entertainment destination on the Internet with millions of monthly visitors seeking relevant information about their favorite television programs," said David Katz, head of sports and entertainment for Yahoo!. "We are excited to further our mission of delivering what consumers want, when, how and where they want it."

Yahoo! TV offers a variety of entertainment information, such as show times, program descriptions and cast photographs, as well as exclusive content from partners like "Entertainment Tonight" and Mark Burnett Productions, which produces "The Apprentice," all in one convenient location. Now, consumers using Yahoo! TV can easily program their TiVo devices remotely to record that new show they read about or catch their favorite show they discovered is being re-aired. In the coming months, TiVo and Yahoo! will also make some Yahoo! services, including photos, traffic, and weather available as part of the TiVo service.

About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. Yahoo! provides online products and services essential to consumers' lives, and offers a full range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with Internet users around the world. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale , Calif.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its full set of DVR service features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo's DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass™ recordings and WishList® searches, has elevated its popularity among consumers and has created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo's DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features such as, TiVoToGo™ and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing "TiVo, TV your way." The TiVo® service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 01:54 PM | TiVo & Yahoo! To Offer Online scheduling via Yahoo! TV | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While reading the PVR Blog today, a post titled "TiVo 7.2 OS adds content protection, blocks transfers, and auto-deletes some shows" caught my eye. It seems like what I've been expecting would happen with DVR/PVR recorded show is finally coming true, such as TiVo exerting excessive control over what you can and can't do with your recorded TV shows, and basically eliminating one of the major benefits of the TiVo.

However, it turns out that TiVo's new DRM feature is a bit buggy and goes a bit overboard when it experiences noise in the signal.

TechBolg's Dwight Silverman has more details on how this happened and makes a point that I think is on a lot of TiVo owner's minds.

I'm a TiVo user, and while I'm a fan of the machine, I'll bolt as soon as this new "feature" kills out a show I'd been saving. There are alternatives that don't do this, including Windows XP Media Center Edition and my cable company's DVR....more

As Dwight mentions, there are alternatives. One option he didn't mention was to build your own DVR. Phillip Torrone at the Make:Blog says

It might be time to build that MythTV box... more

In fact, there are instructions on how to do this on the site. It doesn't look too difficult

Posted by Nana at 07:42 AM | TiVo bug wrongly activates DRM copy protection feature | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

There's a post at Hacking Netflix's web site that seems to indicate that a possible new Netflix download service for TiVo, or other PVRs, is about to be launched. Someone has noticed a section on the account info page for "Netflix Player" that links to "Register Player".

This could be a sign of the results of the Netflix and TiVo partnership announcement from September of last year, when they said they would "... jointly develop a product to download movies over the Internet that could mark a revolution in home entertainment". The following is another quote from the story when it broke last year.

TiVo Chief Executive Mike Ramsay said that Netflix would arrange movie licensing from Hollywood studios and TiVo would focus on the product technology. He said the product would not be available this year, but provided no details on an expected launch date.

I see engadget is also talking about this.

Posted by Nana at 10:05 AM | Possible Netflix download service for TiVo | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Media veteran selected to head DVR pioneer and brand leader to drive TiVo expansion to the mass media market

TiVo announced today the appointment of veteran media executive Tom Rogers as President and CEO, effective July 1, 2005. Rogers succeeds Mike Ramsay, co-founder of TiVo, who announced his intention to step down as CEO in January after seven years in the position. Rogers served as Vice Chairman of TiVo's Board, on which he has served since September, 2003.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for me. Having been at the nexus of where media, technology, advertising and public policy collide for more than two decades, I am firmly convinced that TiVo can extend its strong brand identity and technology platform to the mass market through broader distribution by various carriers, and through growing its value as an advertising medium. After pioneering the digital video (DVR) category, TiVo is now uniquely positioned to help multi-channel carriers, networks and advertisers grow their businesses in an environment that presents new realities for how TV is watched" said Tom Rogers.

"I'm excited to be able to work with the incredible team in place at TiVo to take advantage of the opportunities the company has, as well as tackle the challenges it faces. I could not be more honored by the Board's request that I take on this role", Rogers said.

"While we closely considered an array of highly qualified and prominent candidates for the position, as we entered our final deliberations in selecting a new CEO, we as a Board came to Tom and asked him to take on the role. We could not be more thrilled that we got our top choice to take on this leadership position," said Randy Komisar, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a founding TiVo board member, and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee that led the CEO search.

"The Board felt that Tom's vast experience in running media and internet companies, his proven track record in creating innovative business models and setting a strategic direction for companies facing the opportunities new technologies present, along with his leadership in securing the Comcast deal for TiVo a few months ago, made him the perfect person to lead TiVo forward," said Geoffrey Yang, general partner at Redpoint Venture Partners, and a founding TiVo director.

Having recognized early the potential of TiVo, Tom first joined the TiVo board in 1999, spearheading NBC's original investment in the Company. He then rejoined the Board in 2003, and took on the role of Vice Chairman of the Board in October, 2004. At TiVo he has led several initiatives for the company, most notably the successful negotiation of a mass deployment deal with Comcast, the world's largest cable company. In addition to his work for TiVo, Tom was Senior Operating Executive at Cerberus Capital Management, a large private equity firm. He also serves as Chairman of Teleglobe (NASD: TLGB), a global telecommunications, mobile telephony and VOIP provider, and Chairman of TRget Media, a media investment and advisory firm.

Previously, Tom was Chairman and CEO of Primedia, (NYSE: PRM) the nation's largest targeted media company. Prior to that, he was President of NBC Cable, and Executive Vice President of NBC (a subsidiary of the General Electric Corporation, where he led the creation of CNBC and the formation of the MSNBC partnership with Microsoft). Before joining NBC, Tom was Senior Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance. He began his career as an attorney at a Wall Street law firm.

"I've enjoyed watching Tom's passion for TiVo grow from his earliest involvement in the Company through his more recent tenure on the Board. This, coupled with his contributions to many facets of our business during that time, give me real confidence that he will be successful in taking the Company to the next level", said Mike Ramsay. While resigning as Chairman, Ramsay will continue to serve on TiVo's Board, chairing the Technology Committee, providing the Board with a perspective on the key technologies and innovations important to TiVo's success. Mike Ramsay and Jim Barton, Chief Technology Officer, co-founded TiVo in 1997.

"I have gotten to know a large number of the TiVo team through my board service. It is remarkable to me what this talented group of people has produced - enabling consumers to control their television viewing experience to fit into their individual lifestyles. Mike Ramsay deserves enormous credit for all that TiVo is and has achieved", said Tom Rogers.

"We are all very grateful for Mike's patience in the search process, his willingness to continue to serve on the board and help us maintain TiVo's leadership technology position with continuing innovation and differentiation," said Randy Komisar.

Howard Fischer Associates conducted the search that brought Tom Roger's to TiVo's board.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo, a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the Company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The Company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 07:42 PM | TiVo Inc Names Tom Rogers as President and CEO | TrackBacks (0)

It looks like you can get the 40 hour TiVo Series2 at Circuit City for free after two $100 mail in rebates. I haven't been able to verify that this will work so do your research first.

Rebate 1

Rebate 2

Features of the TiVo® Series2™ Digital Video Recorder (TCD540040)

Digital video recorder: Watch TV when and how you want by recording up to 40 hours of programming without the hassle of videotape.

Convenience features: Pause, rewind or instantly replay live TV, so you never miss a minute of the action.

On-screen program guide: Check TV listings up to 14 days in advance.

Season Pass™: Enjoy the convenience of scheduling your favorite programs to be recorded whenever they're on.

Intelligent recording: Use the WishList™ function to search programs and schedule recording for shows with your favorite actors, directors or keywords.

Digital media capability: The latest Series2™ DVR offers far more than just recording features. Use the USB port to connect to your computer and enjoy digital photos and music directly from your TV.

Note: TiVo® service is required and sold separately.

Posted by Nana at 08:13 AM | TiVo Series2 40 hour Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Free after $200 Rebate | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you've tried out Google Maps, you'll agreem that it's one of the best mapping implementations on the web. My current favorite feature is the Satellite photo feature that was just added, I've been virtually travelling the country and siteseeing from computer.

Now you can view Google Maps on your TiVo equpped TV with this cool TiVo HME application.

Posted by Nana at 08:04 AM | TiVo interface to GoogleMaps using HME. | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

EchoStar Communications Corporation will host its first quarter 2005 earnings conference call on Thursday, May 5, 2005, at noon ET.

The call will be broadcast live from EchoStar's website, www.echostar.com. The dial-in number is 800-616-6729.

To access the webcast of this event, you will need a multimedia computer with speakers and Microsoft's Windows Media Player(TM). If you would like to run a test to determine whether Microsoft's Windows Media Player(TM) is installed on your computer, please access the Pre-Event System Test on the website prior to the live event.

EchoStar's earnings press release will be distributed via Business Wire prior to the conference call. The press release will be available on the EchoStar website, www.echostar.com.

About EchoStar Communications

EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) serves more than 11 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM), and is a leading U.S. provider of advanced digital television services. DISH Network's services include hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. EchoStar has been a leader for 25 years in satellite TV equipment sales and support worldwide. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 500 company. Get Dish Networt at www.buymydish.com or call (800) 765-7283 with
Promo Code: 1007

Posted by Nana at 09:25 AM | EchoStar Announces First Quarter 2005 Earnings Conference Call | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

EchoStar Communications Corporation announced that its DISH Network(TM) satellite TV service has unveiled a plan allowing frustrated New York-area cable customers to save money while watching Mets baseball games.

Eligible customers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and the Wilkes Barre, Pa., area who want to watch the Mets can subscribe to DISH Network for only $19.99 a month plus an extra $5 for Fox Sports Net New York and/or Madison Square Garden Network. That's a savings of $144 off the regular price over the course of a year.

DISH Network's Digital Home Advantage, which includes America's Top 60 programming package with local channels plus free installation and no hardware to buy, will cost $19.99 per month in the New York area. The plan, available through June 30, 2005, includes a one-year commitment and will appeal most to those who reject the high cost of cable and resent the extra fee for the YES Network.

DISH Network's AT 60 Plus programming package includes the channels carrying the Mets games, which are unavailable to many cable customers. The package gives DISH Network customers access to more than 90 Mets games. Additionally, subscribers will receive up to 33 Yankees games at no additional cost during the 2005 regular season on ESPN, FOX and WWOR-TV.

For more information on DISH Network, visit www.buymydish.com, call 1(800) 765-7283 Promo Code: 1007, or contact your local DISH Network retailer. For downloadable, print quality images of DISH Network equipment, installations or the DISH Network logo, visit .

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 11 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM), the fastest growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services in the last five years. DISH Network offers hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. DISH Network ranks No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction among Cable/Satellite TV Subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates. Visit DISH Network at www.buymydish.com or call (800) 765-7283
Promo Code: 1007

Posted by Nana at 10:49 AM | DISH Network Offers Chance to Watch Mets, Save Money; Non-Baseball Fans Save Even More | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that the company has signed a new advertising services agreement with DIRECTV, extending the companies' prior services agreement. Under the new agreement, each company may sell and distribute TiVo's advanced advertising capabilities on DIRECTV DVRs with TiVo® service. Both TiVo and DIRECTV will each retain their respective revenues generated from such sales. DIRECTV is the nation's largest satellite television provider with approximately 13.9 million subscribers.
Other terms were not disclosed.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 08:27 PM | TiVo Signs a New Advertising Services Agreement with DIRECTV | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Multi-Year Agreement to Make the TiVo Service Available to Comcast Customers

Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, and TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that the companies have reached an agreement to make the TiVo® service and advertising capability widely available to Comcast customers in the majority of its markets around the country.

Under the terms of the agreement, Comcast and TiVo will work together to develop a version of the TiVo service that will be made available on Comcast's current primary DVR platform. New software will be developed by TiVo and will be incorporated into Comcast's existing network platforms. The new service will be marketed with the TiVo brand, and is expected to be available on Comcast's DVR products in a majority of Comcast markets in mid-to-late 2006.

This long-term, non-exclusive partnership will provide millions of Comcast customers with the opportunity to choose the TiVo service, including TiVo's award-winning user interface and features like Season Pass(TM) and WishList(TM), as an additional option. In addition, the service will showcase TiVo's home networking, multimedia, and broadband capabilities.

"We are focused on providing our customers with a 21st Century television experience. TiVo has revolutionized the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. By partnering with TiVo, we are continuing to deliver technology that enables our customers to watch what they want when they want on TV. This agreement also reflects our commitment to work with leading technology providers to offer customers more value and choice in their home entertainment experience," said Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation. "Customers love the ease and convenience of our current DVR service, and we look forward to working with TiVo to enhance that service and offer customers the best-in-class DVR experience."

"We are very excited that we will be able to offer TiVo to our customers along with our Video On Demand, High Definition and other premium services that add such great entertainment value. The strong TiVo brand, the clear track record of customer loyalty it has and its cutting edge features make this a terrific partnership and exciting new product for Comcast," added Steve Burke, president of Comcast Cable and COO of Comcast.

"The chance to combine TiVo's unmatched DVR features and innovative advertising capabilities with the power of Comcast's advanced digital television services presents tremendous opportunities," said Mike Ramsay, Chairman and CEO of TiVo. "Broad deployment to millions of Comcast homes nationwide will enhance TiVo's recurring revenues. Together, both companies will work to offer customers the best and most convenient premium television service."

"It is very important that TiVo has found a way to work with the nation's largest cable operator on a cooperative basis to develop a state-of-the-art TiVo Service, fully integrated with a cable set-top box, that will make TiVo available to millions of cable viewers. By making TiVo available, Comcast once again shows that it is leading the way in providing advanced digital services, such as video-on-demand, to television viewers. This is a real milestone for TiVo and for the cable industry, but most importantly it is a milestone for television viewers," said Tom Rogers, vice chairman of TiVo.

As an extension of the relationship, TiVo and Comcast will make TiVo's interactive advertising platform available across Comcast's customer base without interrupting the award-winning TiVo subscriber experience.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 21.5 million cable customers and 7 million high-speed Internet customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.

The Company's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, Outdoor Life Network, G4, International Channel Networks, TV One and four Comcast SportsNets. The Company also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo, a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, TiVo continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo DVR the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. TiVo is based in Alviso, California.

Posted by Nana at 07:58 AM | Comcast and TiVo Announce a Strategic Partnership | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's the latest news on the TiVo, EchoStar Communications patent infringement lawsuit.

Jury selection in the TiVo, EchoStar Communications patent infringement lawsuit will begin on Oct. 4 giving observers some sense of the time frame for the case. TiVo brought the suit against EchoStar in January of last year. The digital video recording company said Wednesday the federal district court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, denied EchoStar's motion to transfer the case outside Texas. via cNet

Posted by Nana at 09:51 AM | TiVo, EchoStar patent infringement case update | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Patents Demonstrate Breadth of TiVo's Patent Portfolio, Commitment to Developing & Protecting its Intellectual Property

TiVo Inc., the creator of and a leader in digital video recorder (DVR) technology and services, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued TiVo new patents covering important aspects of DVR software and hardware design. TiVo also announced that it has obtained an exclusive license to an early DVR-related patent and has been granted Japanese and Chinese patents. Today's announcement brings TiVo's patent portfolio to 70 granted patents (domestic and foreign). In addition, TiVo has 106 domestic and foreign patent applications pending.

TiVo® brand products and services incorporate significant inventions that were described in patent applications filed by TiVo long before consumers benefited from them. "From the inception of TiVo, we have placed great emphasis on developing, licensing, and protecting our intellectual property, including our patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets," said Jim Barton, co-founder and chief technology officer of TiVo. "As our patent portfolio continues to grow, it will continue to be a strategic asset for the Company."

Barton added, "We are pleased that TiVo continues to receive formal recognition both domestically and internationally for its invention of technologies that have made the TiVo service what it is today – the best, easiest-to-use digital video recording experience available."

DOMESTIC PATENTS ISSUED

The USPTO recently issued patent number 6,850,691 entitled Automatic Playback Overshoot Correction System to TiVo. Among other things, the patent describes a system that compensates for a user's reaction time when the user stops fast-forwarding or rewinding through program material.

The USPTO also issued patent number 6,847,778 entitled Multimedia Visual Progress Indication System to TiVo. This patent describes, among other things, methods for displaying a trick play bar to a user which visually indicates the amount of stored program material or the length of a recording session as well as the user's current position within the stored program material.

Additionally, the USPTO issued patent number 6,792,195 entitled Method and Apparatus Implementing Random Access and Time-Based Functions on a Continuous Stream of Formatted Digital Data, which is a continuation of an earlier TiVo patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,327,418). This patent describes methods of controlling streaming media in a digital device, including the functions that enable DVRs to pause live TV as well as rewind, fast-forward, play, play faster, play slower, and play in reverse television signals cached by the DVR.

The USPTO also recently issued patent number 6,757,906 entitled Television Viewer Interface System to TiVo that describes several aspects of the intuitive TiVo user interface.

TiVo has also acquired the exclusive right to license and enforce U.S. patent number 5,241,428 entitled Variable-Delay Video Recorder known in the industry as the Goldwasser Patent. Filed in March 1991, the Goldwasser Patent is one of the earliest patents regarding digital video recorders of which TiVo is aware. This patent covers devices that permit the simultaneous recording and playback of video material with a variable time delay between recording and playback of a given video program segment.

FOREIGN PATENTS GRANTED

TiVo also obtained new foreign patents. The Japanese patent office granted to TiVo patent number 3615486 entitled Multimedia Time Warping System describing many of the key inventions associated with DVR software and hardware design. Key inventions claimed in the patent include methods for: the efficient and low-cost processing and synchronizing of various multimedia streams in a television signal; a storage format that easily supports advanced TrickPlay capabilities (i.e., pausing live TV, fast-forwarding, rewinding, instant replays, and slow motion); automatically determining the start and end times of a program; creating custom video sequences; and transferring programs to a VCR or DVD recorder.

The Chinese patent office also granted to TiVo patent number ZL 99804757.0 entitled Method and Apparatus Implementing Random Access and Time-Based Functions on a Continuous Stream of Formatted Digital Data, which corresponds to U.S. Patent No. 6,327,418, as well as patent number ZL 00805987.X entitled Data Storage Management and Scheduling System, which describes methods for scheduling and determining conflicts for the recording of programming.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, TiVo continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo DVR the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. TiVo is based in Alviso, California.

Posted by Nana at 09:33 PM | TiVo Inc Granted 8 New Domestic and Foreign Patents | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo stock rose over 18% today on rumors that Apple is interested in a possible purchase of the DVR maker.

"What we hear on the street is that Apple is interested in their business and that they are a takeout target," said analyst Steven Kroll Jr. of Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. Reuters

I'm looking forward to see how Apple may redesign the TiVo Box. I'd expect a new white iPod inspired design would be in the near future.

Get more news Coverage at PVR Blog, TVPredictions and Engadget

Posted by Nana at 03:39 PM | TiVo a take over target for Apple. Stock soars over 18% | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Subscription Base Doubles During Year

TiVo Inc. , the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), announced that as of January 31, 2005, its subscription base exceeded 3 million. TiVo added approximately 698,000 total net subscriptions during its fourth quarter ended January 31, 2005, including approximately 251,000 TiVo-Owned subscriptions and 447,000 DIRECTV with TiVo subscriptions.

"Last year, we launched an aggressive growth plan that included increasing our subscription acquisition spending to grow our base, strengthen our market position, and fuel our recurring revenue model," said Mike Ramsay, TiVo's Chairman and CEO. "We accomplished our goal of doubling our sub base to over 3 million subscriptions."

Posted by Nana at 09:28 PM | TiVo Surpasses 3 Million Subscription Mark | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

McCartney's Tamer Halftime Show Keeps More Viewers Tuned In Compared to Last Year's Halftime and TiVo said this year's Super Bowl and the commercials within it got the typical huge global audience as in years past. But despite efforts to scale back tastelessness and sex in the game and advertising, the commercials that pushed the envelope the furthest still drew the most enthusiastic viewership, according to TiVo’s annual audience measurement of the big game.

"The Super Bowl is a totally different viewing experience for families that have the command and control of TiVo to pause and replay the most favorite parts of the game," said Matt Wisk, TiVo Chief Marketing Officer. "This year's big game once again drew what will probably be the largest global television audience of the year, and Super Bowl advertisers benefited once again from this visibility. But marketers who walked the finest line on taste still had the most success in getting viewers to sit up and take notice."

The highest spike in commercial replay activity during the entire game was recorded during the one commercial that aired during the game that most resembled some of the most criticized spots from last year. The first few seconds of the commercial from GoDaddy.com, which featured a “wardrobe malfunction” of its own were the most replayed moments of any commercial in the game, according to TiVo.

On the other hand, the "tamer" halftime performance actually retained more viewers than the heavily promoted hip hop halftime from last year’s big game. Former Beatle Paul McCartney’s halftime show on the whole had about 5 percent more viewers compared to last year’s halftime show.

A fourth quarter interception by Patriot’s linebacker Ted Bruschi that sealed the game for the defending world champions was the most viewed play of the game, according to TiVo.

The highest replayed moments of the game didn’t take place during a commercial or during the game. Thousands of TiVo subscribers replayed the moment when a phone number was displayed on screen that viewers could use to cast their own votes for the Super Bowl MVP.

TiVo’s audience measurement analysis is based on aggregated data from a sample of 10,000 anonymous TiVo households. TiVo viewership information gauges the interest in programming content by measuring the percentage of the TiVo Super Bowl audience watching in “play” speed.

TiVo Top Ten Super Bowl Commercials

1. Emerald Nuts – Unicorn
2. Anheuser Busch - Designated Driver
3. GoDaddy.com - Censorship Hearing
4. Diet Pepsi - Cindy Crawford Eye Catcher
5. Ameriquest – Robbery
6. Careerbuilder.com - Monkey Brown-Nosing
7. Tabasco – Burn
8. Fed Ex - Super Bowl Commercial Formula
9. Paramount Pictures - War of the Worlds
10. Anheuser Busch - Thank You to Troops

For more information from TiVo on Super Bowl viewership, please visit www.tivo.com/biggame

Posted by Nana at 10:59 AM | TiVo Report Shows Super Bowl, Ads Got Huge Audience; Sexy, Funny Ads Still Drew Most Enthusiastic Viewership | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo Opens its Platform to Developers; Offers Tool Kit ( TiVo HME SDK ) for Development of Third Party Applications

TiVo Inc. , the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), today announced the availability of an early-access software development kit (SDK) that allows third parties to create entertainment and information applications that extend the TiVo service. Today's announcement supports TiVo's new service strategy Tahiti, announced earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show. This SDK gives broadcasters and developers an easy, flexible way to deploy media rich broadband applications to TiVo subscribers, making this one of the largest open platforms to exist in the living room.

TiVo subscribers will soon be able to access new applications from their broadband-connected TiVo® Series2™ DVR, whether they're hosted by TiVo servers or running locally on their home PC. TiVo expects a wide variety of applications will be created, such as rich music and photo services, advanced program and movie guides, sports applications, local weather info, and multiplayer social games.

"This is a unique opportunity for software developers and companies to extend the TiVo experience which millions of people already love," said Arthur van Hoff, principal engineer at TiVo. "TiVo's open platform is the quickest way to deliver a TV experience around broadband applications, making TiVo much more than a basic DVR."

As part of the launch of the early-access SDK, TiVo is also announcing a developers contest. Developers are encouraged to submit their applications to be judged by a panel of industry luminaries that includes James Gosling, CTO of Sun Microsystems' developer products group, and Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of WIRED magazine. Complete contest rules and prizes can be found online at www.tivo.com/challenge. Contest winners will be announced this summer at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco.

The Java-based SDK is subject to the Common Public License and is available for download starting today on Sourceforge.net, the world's largest Open Source software development website. With over 94,000 active projects and close to one million registered users building Open Source projects worldwide, SourceForge.net is the most influential site for Open Source development today. The site attracts over 10.5 million unique visitors per month, its dramatic 67% year-over-year traffic growth represents the increasing adoption of Open Source applications in every size organization.

To download the TiVo SDK, please visit http://tivohme.sourceforge.net/.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

About OSTG
OSTG, is the cornerstone of the Open Source movement and the leading online network for IT managers and development professionals. OSTG's technology-focused sites include Slashdot.org, SourceForge.net, ITManagersJournal.com, NewsForge.com, Linux.com and freshmeat.net. OSTG also owns ThinkGeek.com, the leading retailer for innovative technology products, and AnimationFactory.com, a leading online-image content provider. The network serves more than 270 million page views and nearly 18 million unique visitors a month. OSTG is owned by VA Software (NASDAQ: LNUX). For more information, visit www.ostg.com.

Posted by Nana at 09:08 AM | New TiVo Application Platform Opens Its Doors to Third Party Developers | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), announced today that Marty Yudkovitz has resigned as president of the company. He will remain with TiVo in a consulting capacity on certain continuing matters for a period of time. Marty has been president of the company since May of 2003.

"When I joined TiVo I planned to move my family to California, but as the demands of my role grew, the need to spend even more time on both coasts grew as well, requiring a heavy commute no matter where I lived," Yudkovitz said. "I've chosen instead to find the most logical time to resign as president and re-acquaint myself with my wife and kids."

"I'm sorry to see Marty leave TiVo," stated Mike Ramsay, chairman and CEO of TiVo. "Marty has achieved a tremendous amount in his time with the company, particularly with the television and advertising industries. Given how far we've come, we agreed that now seemed a good time if Marty wanted to transition out of his full-time role as president."

Yudkovitz's resignation was effective Monday, January 31, 2005.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 09:01 AM | TiVo Announces Resignation of Marty Yudkovitz, President | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now that the Google Video Search is in beta, someone(hint for the people at TiVo, Inc and Google Inc) needs to figure out a way to integrate that with TiVo content already recorded.

It would be really cool to be able to search recorded video files on TiVo based on the spoken content. Imagine being able to find an episode of a show you like based on lines you remember hearing on that episode.

For all we know, it's already in the works.

Posted by Nana at 05:15 PM | Google Video search on TiVo | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Competition intense as DVR market takes off.
TiVo has been synonymous with digital video recording since it pioneered the industry five years ago, controlling an estimated one-third of the market in 2004.

That lofty perch is now beginning to crumble.

Competition in the growing and lucrative industry is intensifying as cable providers, satellite operators and consumer electronics companies push ahead with models of their own, giving consumers more choices while threatening to significantly blunt TiVo Inc.'s (TIVO) edge.

"They're facing a very, very difficult year this year. It'll be increasingly difficult for them to sign up new subscribers," said Josh Bernoff, an analyst at Forrester Research. "Why do you need a TiVo when there's a cable DVR (digital video recorder) for free?" more...

Posted by Nana at 11:24 PM | TiVo under attack! | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ramsay to Remain Chairman of the Board

TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO - News), the creator of and leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), announced today that its Chairman and CEO, Michael Ramsay, has initiated a succession process to identify a new CEO for the company. Ramsay will retain his role as Chairman of the Board going forward, and will remain in his current role as CEO until a successor is identified.

Ramsay, who has served as TiVo's CEO since its founding in 1997, has successfully led the company as it introduced the industry's first digital video recorder to the marketplace, revolutionizing the way people watch TV today. Under his leadership, TiVo has become a household brand, while also offering the media industry a platform for advertising, content delivery and audience research. As of October 31, 2004, there were over 2.3 million subscriptions to the TiVo service.

"Founding TiVo with Jim Barton and growing the company into a major consumer brand has been the thrill of a lifetime," noted Ramsay. "We have achieved a tremendous amount since we started the company. We have had a fundamental impact on television viewing and believe strongly that the company has huge upside potential, in a massive market, going forward. I believe it is a natural evolution of any company to have a transition of leadership as the company grows and matures. The time is right for me, personally and professionally, to bring in an outstanding Chief Executive Officer to lead the company so that I can focus on future strategy. I feel this is a great opportunity for the right person to run one of the industry's most exciting companies, and I look forward to recruiting a new CEO who will help the company realize its full potential."

Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, Geoff Yang, Managing Director of Redpoint Ventures and a founding investor in TiVo, noted that "Mike Ramsay has led TiVo to an exceptional level of technology innovation, business performance and consumer satisfaction. As Co-founder of TiVo, he has helped create a truly big idea and executed on its delivery into the market place with great skill. We plan to hire another exceptional leader in the months ahead."

Howard Fischer Associates of Philadelphia, Silicon Valley and Boston have been selected by TiVo's Board of Directors to conduct the search process.

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo, a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the Company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The Company is based in Alviso, California.

Posted by Nana at 05:49 PM | TiVo CEO Mike Ramsay to Step Down | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Service to Integrate Broadcast and Broadband Content Delivery so Subscribers can Watch What They Want, Anytime, Anywhere

January 6, 2005 - CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, Las Vegas, NV – TiVo unveiled its next generation service strategy, code-named "Tahiti," once again setting the standard for the best consumer entertainment experience. With Tahiti, consumers will have an easy way to find and control content from any broadcast or broadband source. TiVo's product and service platform will offer consumers broader choice in programming and the convenience to take their favorite shows with them to enjoy anywhere they choose.

Tahiti features an open software platform which will enable third parties to develop applications and distribute content to the TiVo subscriber base. TiVo intends to roll out components of Tahiti throughout this year and into 2006.

"As with digital music, we expect to see a continued shift in the control of TV entertainment towards consumers," said Mike Ramsay, Chairman & CEO, TiVo. "This means consumers will expect the increased choice in ala carte programming that Internet-based TV will offer, fair and reasonable use of the TV they pay for, and the ability to take their shows with them on business travel or family road trips. In short, consumers tell us that they want entertainment to fit into their busy lives, not the other way around."

Tahiti will further differentiate TiVo from generic cable and satellite DVRs. The next generation TiVo® service will offer consumers unprecedented choice, bringing together music, home videos and digital photos, broadband and broadcast content on their own "Personal Entertainment Network." The elements of Tahiti build upon the award winning user experience and convenience that TiVo introduced five years ago, when it first launched DVR.

THE TAHITI SEVEN POINT PLAN

1. Content Delivery Service. To provide consumers even more convenience and control over their entertainment experience, TiVo is developing a new content delivery service that will enable TiVo® Series2™ subscribers to search and access broadband content. In conjunction with this effort, TiVo is also developing television commerce capabilities allowing subscribers to purchase products with a push of a button on the TiVo remote control.
2. Entertainment Applications Platform. TiVo's position in the living room, connectivity and usability make it an attractive platform for third party innovation and services. TiVo's Entertainment Applications Platform will facilitate the development of innovative new services in the living room. These services could range from music services to network promotions to on-line video stores and more.
3. TiVo HD Digital Cable Ready DVR. This box will fully integrate an HD digital cable receiver and TiVo DVR in a single set top box. CableCARD technology will be built-in, giving consumers access to digital cable programming and other features of the TiVo service. With TiVo's new digital ready DVR and access to broadband content, consumers will have more choice, including ala carte programming options via the Internet versus paying for premium bundled packages from cable providers. The TiVo HD Digital Cable ready DVR is expected to be available in early 2006.
4. Portability. With the TiVo service, consumers can watch what they want, when they want, and, now, where they want. The Humax and Toshiba DVD recorders with TiVo service let consumers record their favorite shows and then easily burn them to DVD for playback anywhere they have a DVD player. With TiVoToGo ™, consumers can securely transfer their favorite shows from a TiVo box to a laptop or portable media player in their home so that they can take their favorite shows with them on business travel or family road trips. More information is available at www.tivo.com/togo. Alternately, they can use the DVD recorder they may already have on their PC to save a show to DVD. The TiVoToGo service enhancement is available now as a service update and is included in the TiVo service at no additional charge.
5. PC and Online Integration. TiVo desktop software 2.0 allows consumers to integrate music, photos and video into their TiVo experience. Online Scheduling lets subscribers schedule a recording on their TiVo box from anywhere they have internet access. This will be extended to make it easy to record broadband content as well.
6. Personalization. Exclusive TiVo personalization features like WishList ™ searches and Season Pass ™ recordings will be extended for broadband use, helping subscribers personalize their searches to find their favorite broadband content.
7. TiVo Series2 box. Is the only combination broadcast and broadband platform which easily connects to your home network to bring together all your entertainment: personal content, such as music and photos, your favorite television programs and later this year, with TiVo’s content delivery service, broadband content as well.

TAHITI INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Industry partnerships will be instrumental in the execution of the Tahiti Strategy. They include:

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT):

Microsoft's Chairman, Bill Gates, in his CES keynote address announced an alliance with TiVo and demonstrated how TiVoToGo integrates with Microsoft's mobility strategy. TiVo Series2 subscribers can transfer their recorded television to a Windows XP-based PC for easy transfer and playback on Windows Mobile devices, including Portable Media Centers, Pocket PCs and Smartphones.

Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC)

Sonic Solutions’software package includes its MyDVD Studio 6.1 and CinePlayer software that work with TiVoToGo to enable burning programs to a DVD and replaying them on any device. The Sonic Solutions software package is expected to retail for less than $50 and will be available to TiVo subscribers next month.

AMD (NYSE:AMD)

AMD, a leading semiconductor company, also announced plans to integrate TiVoToGo functionality in its reference design for portable media devices.

"The seven components of Tahiti, combined with the collective strength of our partners will culminate in the delivery of the next generation TiVo service. The integration of broadband and broadcast content in the TiVo platform, will deliver the ultimate entertainment experience that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere," said Ramsay.

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the Company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The Company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 03:31 PM | TiVo Unveils Tahiti: Next Generation Service Strategy at CES | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo® DVR with CableCARD Will Offer Flexible, Fully Featured Platform for Accessing HD Broadcast and Broadband Content

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, Las Vegas, NV – TiVo today will demonstrate a high definition, digital cable ready DVR that will enable TiVo subscribers to access the growing number of high definition broadcasts available over the air or through their cable provider without a separate set-top box. The DVR will support CableCARD technology, enabling consumers to access their favorite premium and HD cable channels with the ease of use and powerful search capabilities of the TiVo® service. Moreover, as part of the "Tahiti" strategy announced at CES today, the new DVR will also allow consumers to access, download, and manage broadband content.

"We believe that the deployment of CableCARD technology is an essential development for the future of digital television. By eliminating the need for a separate set top box, consumers will enjoy more choice and flexibility over their entertainment delivery," said Mike Ramsay, chairman and chief executive officer, TiVo. "TiVo will play a key role in driving this technology forward to bring it to the masses."

TiVo's HD CableCARD DVR will be a premium product marketed toward consumers that want the very best in home entertainment. Consumers will be able to record their favorite entertainment from many different sources – high-definition channels, premium cable channels, and video content available via broadband.

CableCARDs free consumers from needing a cable set top box and offer consumers choice in how they get their digital entertainment. By providing consumer choice, companies like TiVo can provide an alternative to the traditional cable set top box and offer innovative services and content that address the consumer's personal interests.

The new HD CableCARD DVR is in development and TiVo plans to launch the product early next year.

For more information about any of the announcements made by TiVo at the Consumer Electronics Show, please visit www.tivo.com/ces.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 03:27 PM | TiVo Developing High-Definition, Digital Cable Ready DVR | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo Partnerships Enable Portability of Entertainment That Can't Be Found on Generic DVRs

TiVo said today that it is collaborating with leaders in technology to extend the innovative TiVoToGo ( TiVo To Go ) service enhancement to enable portability to multiple devices. The company began rolling out the TiVoToGo service enhancement to subscribers this week and will work with Microsoft , Sonic, and AMD respectively, to enable consumers to take their entertainment with them wherever they go, to watch whenever they want.

"Now that millions of consumers are enjoying the TiVo service in their living rooms, we found that many of them had a desire to take that entertainment experience with them. By rallying other industry leaders around this opportunity, we can bring consumers that extended TiVo experience to a broad range of devices in a quick and powerful way," said Matt Wisk, chief marketing officer, TiVo.

Microsoft Chairman and Founder Bill Gates announced during his keynote address tonight at the Consumer Electronics Show that the two companies have embarked on a collaborative effort designed to allow consumers to take digital entertainment with them on portable devices.

Gates demonstrated how television programs stored on a TiVo® box can be transferred to a Windows XP PC for playback on Windows Mobile devices, including Portable Media Centers, and media-capable Pocket PCs and Smart phones.

"TiVoToGo is going to be an important element in our efforts to help consumers get content from the TiVo box to a growing number of Windows Mobile-based devices that make portable digital entertainment a reality," said Todd Warren, Corporate VP of Microsoft's Devices, Services and Experience Division.

Sonic Solutions has also introduced the latest version of its MyDVD Studio line (version 6.1), a comprehensive suite of software that enables users to record TiVo programming to DVD for playback on any of the millions of DVD players and DVD-equipped PCs worldwide. Starting mid-January, a MyDVD Studio 6.1 free 15-day trial and complete product software download will be available to TiVo subscribers on www.tivo.com/togo. The complete product software download will be offered to TiVo subscribers at a discounted rate of $49.99 ($20 off MSRP).

"Sonic is extremely pleased to collaborate with TiVo, the leading innovator in the DVR space, to make the TiVo experience portable," said Mark Ely, senior vice-president of strategic planning at Sonic Solutions. "With Sonic MyDVD Studio 6 and TiVoToGo, users can transfer their favorite programs over a home network and burn them onto DVDs that can be watched on TVs and DVD-equipped PCs anywhere they chose."

TiVo also announced that leading processor developer AMD has released a new embedded multimedia solution, the AMD Alchemy(TM) Au1200(TM) processor, that enables the transfer of programming from TiVo boxes to portable devices built on that platform.

For more information on the TiVoToGo service enhancement please visit www.tivo.com/togo. For more information about any of the announcements made by TiVo at the Consumer Electronics Show, please visit www.tivo.com/ces.

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo, a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the Company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The Company is based in Alviso, Calif.

NOTE: TiVo and the TiVo Logo are registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. Series2 and TiVoToGo are trademarks of TiVo Inc. All rights reserved.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About AMD

AMD designs and produces innovative microprocessors, Flash memory devices and low-power processor solutions for the computer, communications and consumer electronics industries. AMD is dedicated to delivering standards-based, customer-focused solutions for technology users, ranging from enterprises and governments to individual consumers. For more information visit www.amd.com.

Posted by Nana at 10:17 PM | TiVo Partners With Microsoft, Sonic, and AMD to Offer Solutions That Extend the TiVoToGo(TM) Experience | TrackBacks (0)

This information is coming directly from Bill Gate's Keynote with Conan. I'll be getting more info on this later. But it loosk like TiVo DVR owners can download some free software that will let them send recorded shows to PCs and Portable Media Center devices. More details on this later.

Posted by Nana at 10:03 PM | TiVo and Microsoft working together | TrackBacks (0)

With the announcement of the 500GB hard drive from Hitachi, it shouldn't be too long until we see DVRs and PVRs like TiVo, ReplayTV and the Motorola Single/Dual-Tuner DVR High-Definition Set-Top offering 500 hour units.

Hitachi, the world's No. 2 maker of hard drives, is looking to propel its 3.5-in. line of drives commonly used to store desktop computer files into new markets for storing massive quantities of data captured by personal video recorders. But instead of the 40 hours of video, on average, that a standard 80GB hard drive might store in a Tivo-type digital video recorder, the new drives can hold 200 hours -- a half-terabyte, or more than 500GB of data. via ComputerWorld

The article talks about 200 hours of video, but unless I'm wrong it seems like TiVo DVRs can fit 1hr of video on 1GB of space. So the 200 hour number in the article above should be more like 500 hours.

For all you TV lovers, you'd have over 20 days of continious TV before you'd get through all your recordings.

Posted by Nana at 12:25 PM | Will we see a 500 hour TiVo DVR soon? | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo Inc has a lot of new information on their site about TiVo to go. It looks like you can sign up for their priority list to get the software updates that will enable the TiVoToGo feature. If you have TiVo service update, version 7.1-X then you already have the software you need.

You can fill out a priority sign up form at http://research.tivo.com/tivotogo/ This should get you the software earlier. But according to the web site, "it will take several weeks for you to receive the software after you put in your request."

Right now the option to burn your shows to DVD with Sonic MyDVD is not yet available. You can sign up to be notified of the availability of the software on the TiVo site. It looks like it will be ready sometime in mid-January.

It would be interesting to hear from anyone who's actually using the TiVoToGo service right now.

UPDATE: Here's the official press realease from TiVo

TiVoToGo™ Service Enhancement Allows Subscribers to Enjoy Their Favorite Shows Anytime, Anywhere

January 3, 2005 - ALVISO, CA – TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) announced today its new TiVoToGo™ service enhancement is now available and has begun to roll out the software update to standalone TiVo® Series2™ boxes. The TiVoToGo service enhancement allows subscribers to transfer programs from their TiVo box to a laptop to enjoy their favorite shows anywhere, anytime. The TiVoToGo service enhancement is available at no extra charge as part of the TiVo service. TiVoToGo adds to a growing list of exclusive features found only on the TiVo service and not available on generic cable or satellite DVR. These include, Online Scheduling, Season Pass™ recordings, WishList™ searches, and home networked music and photos.

"We're all about delivering lifestyle benefits to our subscribers. Consumers don't want to be tied to their living room to watch their favorite entertainment. Other generic DVRs confine your entertainment experience to the living room, but with TiVoToGo, subscribers can take their favorite shows with them to enjoy on business trips or family vacations," said Matt Wisk, chief marketing officer, TiVo.

How the TiVoToGo™ Service Enhancement Works

TiVo Series2 standalone subscribers, except those with DVD recorders, will automatically receive the new TiVoToGo feature when their DVRs make their routine connection to the TiVo service. TiVo boxes will automatically retrieve the software update necessary to enable the new capability and subscribers will receive a message on their TiVo boxes after they have received the update. TiVo plans to roll out the TiVoToGo feature to DVD recorder subscribers of the TiVo service later this year.

It's easy to transfer programs from a TiVo Series2 box to your laptop. Just connect your TiVo box to your home network, go to www.tivo.com/togo to download and install the free TiVo Desktop software to your laptop computer. The TiVoToGo service enhancement securely encrypts programming during the transfer to the laptop. Once transferred, subscribers enter a password they created during software installation that will allow decryption of the file and playback.

TiVo has carefully designed the TiVoToGo service enhancement to respect the copyrights of copy-protected content while offering flexibility to its subscribers. Programming that is protected with Macrovision copy protection including, PPV, VOD and commercial DVDs, will not be transferable to a laptop.

The TiVoToGo service enhancement will be distributed automatically to TiVo Series2 standalone subscribers through a scheduled rollout process. To sign up for priority distribution, go to www.tivo.com/priority. The TiVo Desktop software for TiVoToGo supports only Windows XP and 2000 operating systems at this time.

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show, TiVo plans to announce a number of new partnerships with technology leaders who are developing new technologies and products that will work with TiVoToGo.

Posted by Nana at 11:28 PM | TivoToGo from TiVo is here? | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Entropic Communications will be at CES (Booth 26815) to show of their home networking for digital entertainment technologies. Their c.LINK technology enables the networking of digital entertainment media from PCs, set-top boxes, digital video recorders such as TiVo, and other consumer electronics over the standard coaxial cable already installed in virtually all U.S. households.

See their Press Release Below:

Video-on-demand movie services are expanding from the familiar pay-per-view model, as companies such as Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) have begun offering subscription packages featuring web-based downloads of popular entertainment directly by broadband to the PC with STARZ! Ticket on Real Movies.

Initially offered for viewing only on the PC, consumers with heavy investments in plasma screens and HDTVs are looking for display options beyond the desktop, and that's where Entropic comes in. Entropic's technology permits networking of digital entertainment from PCs, set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and other consumer electronics over the standard coaxial cable already installed in virtually all U.S. households.

A demonstration of downloaded high-definition movie content from Starz Entertainment Group, stored on a PC hard drive, and transmitted over the in-home coax to a HDTV screen in another room, will take place at next month's CES in Las Vegas in Entropic's Booth 26815.

"We're interested in expanding the horizons of people who want to download high-quality content from the web onto their PCs," said Bob Greene, SEG senior vice president, advanced services. "Partnering with Entropic on this demo shows what a powerful model this can be, as STARZ! movies stored on a PC's hard drive can be accessed and shown on any set connected to the cable jack in the wall."

Entropic's c.LINK-270 chipset, when built into a variety of consumer electronics such as set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and televisions permits seamless networking over the existing coaxial cable infrastructure at speeds as high as 270Mbps. The high speed and reliability of coax make it the ideal medium for networking high-bandwidth applications such as video.

"We believe that traditional service providers such as cable MSO will continue to offer VOD for hundreds of titles, many of which will be available in HDTV format," said Patrick Henry, Entropic's president and CEO. "However, there will be tens of thousands of titles of more niche content, including old-run TV programs and movies, that will be available over the web. STARZ! Ticket on Real Movies reliably delivers this content to the home in a very secure way, and Entropic's technology moves the content around the home in a very reliable and secure way using the in-home coax."

Entropic is a founding member of the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA(TM)), formed to standardize technologies for linking consumer entertainment devices over existing coax cabling. Other members include Cisco Systems, Comcast, EchoStar, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), Motorola, RadioShack Corporation, and Toshiba. For more information: www.mocalliance.com.

About Starz Entertainment Group

Starz Entertainment Group (SEG) is the largest provider of premium movie services in the United States with approximately 167 million pay units. SEG offerings include the Starz Super Pak(R), with up to 13 digital movie channels and more than 750 movies per month, Starz On Demand(R), the only on-demand pay TV subscription service available on the cable and satellite platforms, and its broadband equivalent, STARZ! Ticket(SM). SEG also offers a suite of advanced video offerings, including STARZ! HD(SM), Encore HD(SM), and Starz On Demand HD(SM). Starz Entertainment Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L, LMCb), www.starz.com.

About Entropic Communications

Entropic Communications is a privately held semiconductor company based in San Diego, Calif., enabling home networking for digital entertainment. Entropic's products allow consumers to easily share digital entertainment throughout the home by leveraging the existing coax infrastructure to fundamentally change the way content such as movies, music, and images are stored and networked by the average user. For more information: www.entropic.com.

Posted by Nana at 02:20 PM | Entropic to Demonstrate Sharing of HDTV Movie Downloads From Starz Entertainment Group Over In-Home Coax Network at CES | TrackBacks (0)

When TiVo, Inc announced TiVo To Go earlier this year, it was initially planned for launch in the fall of 2004.

January 8, 2004 - LAS VEGAS – INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW – TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) announced today it intends to deliver a new service release in the Fall of 2004 called “ TiVoToGo TM.” For the first time, TiVo subscribers with Home Media Option(TM) will be able to move their favorite programs stored on a TiVo DVR to a laptop for viewing on the road, or to any PC. For those who have a PC equipped with a DVD burner, programs can then be burned to DVD so users can take the TiVo experience with them wherever they go.

Now that we're officially in winter, I wonder if the launch will be moved back a bit. TiVo has already missed the Christmas shopping deadlines since, at this point in time, anyone who planed to purchase a TiVo DVR for Christmas has most likely bought one. I think TiVo may have decided that Launching TiVo To Go now may not be worth it.

So I'm proposing that the next logical date to announce TiVo To Go would be January 7th. That's when TiVo's Chairman, CEO and Founder, Mike Ramsay will be speaking at anIndustry Insider session at CES next year. Think about it, the date is not too far away, it's just a little over 2 weeks. Finally I think waiting till CES will also give them extra media and consumer attention. I know I'm not the only one who looks forward to new product launches at CES.

UPDATE: Looks like TiVo will launch TiVoToGo, on Monday January 3rd. Two days earlier than I thought

Posted by Nana at 03:50 PM | Will TiVo launch TiVo To Go at CES? | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

ATI Technologies Inc. announced that in 2004 ATI’s Digital Television division shipped more than 5 million chips for HD (high-definition) TVs and HD cable and terrestrial set-top boxes. In addition, ATI announced market leadership in ATSC/OpenCable™ silicon solutions with an ATI-estimated 85% market share for THEATER™ and NXT demodulators and a 40% market share for XILLEON™ MPEG decoders and display processors.

ATI’s NXT, THEATER and XILLEON chips enable consumer electronics manufacturers to create a wide variety of products that feature exceptional reception and video display performance. Manufacturers also have access to ATI’s extensive software support and reference designs to help them bring to market unique products that conform to worldwide industry standards.

Leading manufacturers of HD TVs and HD set-top boxes using ATI chips include:

“ATI is providing consumer electronics manufacturers with the industry’s best performing DTV and set-top chipsets,” said Daniel Eiref, director of marketing for DTV Products, ATI Technologies Inc. “ATI’s corporate commitment to research and development in digital television technologies is enabling our customers to deliver brilliant products while at the same time meeting the United States Federal Communications Commission mandated conversion to integrated digital reception.”

ATI’s product family for digital TVs and set-top boxes includes:

• NXT2003™/NXT2004™/NXT2005™ - cost-effective VSB/QAM/OpenCable reception
• THEATER™ 310/THEATER 313™ - the world’s best performing VSB/QAM/OpenCable reception
• XILLEON™ 210VC – the only ATSC/OpenCable™ system-on-chip with integrated VSB and MPEG
• XILLEON™ 226 - the world’s most popular and best performing dual high-definition MPEG decoder with integrated display processor

ATI Technologies will be exhibiting its DTV solutions at International CES 2005 at booth 3/30342 at the South Hall, Upper Level, Las Vegas Convention Center, January 6 to 9, 2005.

Posted by Nana at 03:51 PM | ATI Ships More than 5 Million Chips for High Definition TVs and Set-top Boxes in 2004 | TrackBacks (0)

CopperGate and Ucentric are offering a joint IP network solution for using existing coaxial cable and phone lines that will enable service providers to cut consumer premises equipment and installation costs.

CopperGate and Ucentric Team Up for Home IP Network Entertainment Applications Solution

Two companies to showcase joint home networking solution at the industry’s largest consumer electronics show

CopperGate Communications, a leading developer of chipset solutions for home networking, and Ucentric Systems, a leading provider of home media networking software for the digital home, today announced a joint Internet Protocol (IP) network solution for delivering whole-home entertainment applications using existing coaxial cable and phone lines. CopperGate’s CopperStream™ technology, in production today, has been integrated with Ucentric’s Whole-Home Media™ Software Suite to enable a highly reliable IP network capable of distributing high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) broadcast quality video sessions. The resulting system is ideally suited to Ucentric’s highly popular Whole-Home DVR™ (digital video recording) application, Whole- Home Music™, and distribution of photos to multiple display devices throughout the home. The integrated solution, which enables telco and satellite service providers to significantly cut consumer premises equipment and installation costs while increasing entertainment service offerings, will be featured at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas, January 6-9.

“Ucentric has built a home entertainment platform that greatly enhances the consumer’s digital home entertainment experience, and at a cost that operators and manufacturers can easily adopt,” said Gabi Hilevitz, CopperGate CEO. “We are pleased to work with them to deliver a flexible system that uses a high speed IP backbone in the house to deliver high quality video, data and voice services on a secure and dependable network.”

CopperGate`s CopperStream products can carry 128 megabits per second of data over both coaxial cables and phone lines with up to 90% user data throughput. Guaranteed QoS provided by Automatic Bandwidth Allocation (ABATM) ensures delivery of data streams with predefined bandwidth, latency and jitter. These products are the first to comply with the HomePNA 3.0 specification, an extension of HomePNA 2, an ITU Standard.

“CopperGate’s industry-leading home networking products allow the distribution of multiple broadcast quality HD video streams – the essential and most difficult challenge for physical layer technologies to meet – over combined phoneline/coax networks. The availability of a mature, cost-efficient technology to support multi-session HD is a significant enabler for the New Digital Home,” said Michael Collette, Ucentric chief executive officer. “Our combined IP-based system for the Digital Home can now deliver a future-proof solution that meets today’s requirement and is built to expand to allow providers to support growing consumer demand for applications and services in the home that require this sort of bandwidth.”

Ucentric’s Whole-Home DVR™ application creates a single recording library, shared among multiple television sets that allows users to independently record, pause, play, rewind and fast forward live or recorded programming from any TV in the network. Additional applications available from Ucentric include Whole-Home Music™ and Whole-Home Photo™ applications that allow users to access, share, and transfer their complete digital music and photo collections to any connected device in the home.

About Ucentric Systems
Ucentric is a leading provider of networked media server software and applications for the new digital home. Its patented technology enables the secure, high quality digital distribution of HD and SD video signals from broadcast, satellite or cable sources to all connected rooms in the home. The Ucentric solution is uniquely capable of unifying networked television, including whole-home DVR with networked personal media (music, photos, home movies) and networked communications (broadband internet access and telephony) – all on a standards-based, cost efficient, interoperable IP networking platform that can easily scale to support any array of applications.

Ucentric is committed to supporting industry standards and is a member of the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Forum and actively supports CableLab’s Open Cable initiative. Based in Maynard, Massachusetts, Ucentric is backed by Polaris Venture Partners. For more information, please visit www.ucentric.com.

About CopperGate Communications
CopperGate Communications develops chipsets which are designed to transform home networking. CopperGate’s technology uses existing coax and phoneline wiring in the home to create a multimedia network for distributing services such as HDTV, video-on-demand, home-theater, browsing, online gaming, and toll-quality IP phone service. CopperGate offers Telcos and Satellite Providers a sustainable competitive advantage allowing providers to get services to market faster, with cost savings, and with better coverage in real homes. The third generation technology is based on a worldwide standard and features dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA™) providing guaranteed quality of service. Founded in 2000, CopperGate is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with offices in Newark California and Tokyo. For more information, please visit www.copper-gate.com.

Posted by Nana at 03:23 PM | Coppergate and Ucentric team up for home IP network entertainment applications solution | TrackBacks (0)

By Phillip Swann

Cable and satellite TV providers will offer free Digital Video Recording services to win new subscribers

TiVo last week was the subject of buzz -- as usual -- when it offered free Digital Video Recorders to Comcast subscribers in the San Francisco area. The promotional stunt was designed to highlight the cable operator's failure to install its non-TiVo DVRs on the date it had promised. (Comcast blamed several reasons for the delay, including that old favorite, miscommunication.)

The announcement that TiVo was providing the free DVRs sparked a slew of stories in the media. After all, it's not every day that a company offers free DVRs. However, that's because this is 2004. In 2005, the free DVR will cease to be a news story.

Yes, I predict that in 2005 that both satellite and cable operators will offer free Digital Video Recording services as part of their overall programming packages. The free service will likely be launched during the fourth quarter of the year in anticipation of the holidays.

DIRECTV, which is now owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., will likely kick off the free DVR campaign. The satcaster, which now sells a TiVo-DIRECTV set-top, is expected to add a no-frills DVR service called NDS, which is also owned by News Corp. This will permit DIRECTV to offer their customers two DVR options:

1. TiVo (The full-service DVR, which will require a monthly subscription fee.)
2. NDS (The basic DVR, which will not require a monthly fee. However, DIRECTV will likely require NDS customers to purchase a one-year programming package to get the free service -- and they will still need to buy the DIRECTV-NDS receiver.)

Both services will offer basic DVR tasks, such as pause, fast-forward, rewind and, of course, record. But the subscription-based TiVo service will have more bells and whistles, such as searching upcoming shows by actor and genre.

DIRECTV will try to use the free DVR option to slow down the growth of cable's DVRs -- and that of rival satellite TV service, EchoStar's Dish Network. Consequently, in short order, both cable and EchoStar will likely offer their own version of a free DVR service.

The TV providers will incur significant costs to subsidize free DVRs. However, as DVRs become more popular among consumers, the costs will be seen as a necessary evil. The free DVR will be an important weapon in the war between cable and satellite.

Phillip Swann is President & Publisher of TVPredictions.com.

Posted by Nana at 01:29 PM | Free DVRs in 2005! | TrackBacks (0)

As expected, the free TiVo offer was overwhelming successful. So much so, they run out of TiVo DVRs. So the TiVo "We Love Our Customers" Team has a special offer till 11:59:59pm PST today.

You can get the 40-hour Series2 TiVo box for only $49 after a $50 instant rebate and a $100 mail in rebate.

Get full details at: http://www.tivo.com/weloveourcustomers.asp

I'm seriously considering getting one.

Posted by Nana at 10:42 PM | If you missed the free TiVo offer, here's some good news | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo Inc. , creator of and a leader in digital video recording services (DVRs) announced that it is one of the providers joining Dr. Phil McGraw in honoring America's soldiers and their families in a three-part series of his nationally syndicated show on December 15, 16 and 17. Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw will be hosting the shows, which will honor military families who currently have relatives overseas. TiVo has donated TiVo® Series2(TM) DVRs with product lifetime TiVo service* for Dr. Phil to distribute to military families featured on the broadcast. (For more information on these special holiday Dr. Phil episodes, go to www.DrPhil.com.)

We're honored to participate in this program," said Matt Wisk, chief marketing officer, TiVo Inc. "We hope that this token of our appreciation will make the holidays a little brighter for the soldiers and their courageous families back home."

"By providing TiVo to family members of those that are away in the service, we hope to make it an easier transition for their loved ones when they return home and begin to catch up on their life, including the favorite programs that they missed while on duty," said Dr. Phil McGraw.

The TiVo boxes include the highly acclaimed, exclusive set of TiVo service features including Season Pass(TM) and WishList(TM), as well as the home media capabilities that allow broadband subscribers to connect to all the content they love, including digital music and photos, as well as schedule recordings online from any Internet connection. TiVo Series2 boxes work with any TV setup including antenna, cable, digital cable and satellite, and allow subscribers to record up to 140 hours of their favorite shows without the hassles of videotape.

TiVo DVRs are available at national retail stores and online at www.tivo.com for as low as $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. The TiVo service is required and sold separately for $12.95 per month, or a one-time fee of $299 for product lifetime service. For more information about TiVo or the TiVo service, please visit www.tivo.com.

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo, a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the Company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The Company is based in Alviso, Calif.

A product lifetime subscription to the TiVo service covers the life of the TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR) -- not the life of the subscriber.

Posted by Nana at 01:20 PM | TiVo Joins Dr. Phil in Honoring America's Soldiers and Their Families This Holiday Season | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier this evening Kelly Perdew, a software executive, was chosen as Donald Trumps new Apprentice. I'm sure it must have been a great episode, unfortunately I missed it. Looking back, I'm sure if I had a TiVo, it would have been one of my Season Pass recordings list. The widely popular show is #2 on the top 25 Season Pass recordings list; second only to Desperate Housewives.

Maybe TiVo should have done their TiVo Giveaway today, so Comcast customers could use their free TiVo DVRs to record the Apprentice.

Posted by Nana at 11:28 PM | The Apprentice finale and TiVo | TrackBacks (0)

If you are one of the unlucky Bay Area Comcast Customers that have to wait for DVR service, TiVo, Inc has some good news for you.

This Friday, December 17, from 11 AM to 1 PM you can get a TiVo Series2 DVR Box for Free. You still have to pay for the service.

The give away will be at TiVo's headquarters in Alviso. Just make sure you arrive early, I'm sure there's going to be a huge line. You'll need a current(within the last 60 days) original Comcast cable bill with a matching photo id, and a new toy or piece of clothing to donate to The Family Giving Tree charity.

Make sure you check TiVo's website for full details.

Posted by Nana at 11:50 PM | Free TiVo DVR for Comcast Subscribers | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Humax USA, the "Easy-Digital" company, today announced that its new DRT800 DVD Recorder with TiVo service has received a Top Choice Award by the editors of DVD ETC. Magazine for its outstanding value in combining an 80-hour digital video recorder (DVR) with the TiVo service, a DVD recorder, and a progressive scan DVD player, all for a price of $399.

The Humax DRT800's 3-in-1 functionality coupled with TiVo's best-of-breed service and intuitive user-interface allows consumers to easily find, record and burn their favorite TV programs and movies to DVD and play them back, all within the same unit. Ideal for capturing and recording celebration activities this holiday season, home movies can also be easily transferred to DVD via the camcorder audio and video connections located on the unit's front-panel, which includes a Digital Video (DV) Input.

DVD ETC. Magazine editor-in-chief Clint Walker said, "We awarded the DRT800 with our Top Choice Award because it represents the pinnacle of value product in digital video recorders and finally welcomes the mainstream consumer in cost effective components that make living in the digital domain easier."

Humax USA Business Development and Strategic Marketing VP Tony Goncalves said, "We are honored to have been recognized by DVD ETC. Magazine for this award. Just recently hitting retailer's shelves and already receiving accolades from the press, retailers and consumers, the DRT800 is quickly proving to be a must-have for anyone interested in watching and recording their favorite TV programs and movies, making it this holiday season's ultimate consumer electronics gift choice."

For $399 after a $100 TiVo service activation rebate, the Humax DRT800 is available at retailers nationwide including Amazon.Com , Buy.com!,Good Guys, Humaxusa.com, J&R Music, Sam's Club, Best Buy, Circuit City, and TiVo.com.

TiVo Service
For only $12.95 per month for the first box and $6.95 per month for additional boxes, the TiVo service included with the Humax DVD Recorder offers the same intuitive user-interface from TiVo that consumers love, and the popular service features only available from TiVo, such as Season Pass(TM), WishList(TM), Online Scheduling, and Home Media Features that provide the ability to connect a TiVo box to a home network, view digital music and photos through a home theater system, and access multi-room viewing. Furthermore, with the advanced search capabilities of the TiVo service, not available from other DVD recorders, consumers can quickly find and record specific shows that can be burned to DVD, making it ideal for traveling or archiving to watch when and where they want.

• 3-in-1 Humax offers easy-to-use interface for recording, playback and burning TV programming to DVD.
• 80 hours of recording capacity on Hard Disk Drive.
• Broadband connection allows you to connect to your home network to enjoy the Home Media Features that enable consumers to access digital photos and music from their PC, schedule recordings online, and access programming from multiple TiVo boxes.
• Only the TiVo service burns DVDs in background; you can still record and watch live TV.
• Only the TiVo service allows you to manage what's stored on the hard disc. You never have to worry about a program getting deleted.
• Now Playing menu makes it easy to find the shows you recorded onto DVD.
• Only the TiVo service works with any programming source including cable, digital cable, satellite, and antenna.
• Includes DV input for camcorder transfers directly to DVD and a set of Front AV inputs for easy access to analog video transfers.

About Humax
Founded in 1989, Humax Co. Ltd of Korea is one of the world's leading digital satellite set-top box manufacturers, exporting its products to more than 90 countries across the globe. Listed on the Korean stock exchange (KOSDAQ), the company's international headquarters and R&D facility are based in Korea with offices in Dubai, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. In 1997, the company opened a manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland that won a Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2002. Further production facilities are located in Korea, India and China. Humax recorded revenues exceeded US $300 million in 2003 and has announced plans to increase this figure to $1 billion by 2006. Humax's US headquarters are located in Irvine, CA. For additional information please visit http://www.humaxusa.com or phone toll free - 1-866-HUMAXUSA.

About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO), a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

Posted by Nana at 07:38 PM | Humax USA DRT800 DVD Recorder With TiVo(R) Service Receives DVD ETC. Magazine's Top Choice Award, Scoring a Rating of 95! | TrackBacks (0)

X2 Corporation, a global manufacturer and direct marketer of digital lifestyle products, today announces the MEGA 865 Media Center PC. The system is designed to be the heart of a far-reaching, next generation digital convergence system by combing full Personal Video Recorder (PVR) capability to record up to 1,600 hours of broadcast television or video- with no monthly program update fees - with a variety of other complementary features. The MEGA 865 uses up-to-date technologies and features to provide consumers with a unit that can function as the center of their digital entertainment universe, along with the ability to share pictures, download and listen to music, link to mobile devices, watch movies and programs, play games, connect to home theater components and systems, access all media/data types, connect to other PC's, and more.

Unlike most Media Center PCs which are really converted PCs, the MEGA 865 was designed from the ground up as a "true" Media Center PC. As a result, the MEGA 865's digital features are seamlessly integrated making them more functional and interactive. This integration is exemplified by the advanced front color control panel display, which displays info such as current mode, CD and/or DVD playback status (chapter/time/track info), audio and video info/settings and volume plus PC environment data such as internal PC temperature and HD status. The included remote controller is designed to work seamlessly with all of the MEGA 865's various functions without the need for a keyboard . The MEGA 865 also features X2's Instant Play technology that allows the MEGA 865 to turn on almost instantly, like more traditional electronics components, to play movies, videos and music or view photos without the need to boot up to Windows, saving power and boot-up time.

Looking almost nothing like a PC, the MEGA 865 is equipped with a powerful Intel Pentium 4 processor with hyper-threading. The MEGA 865 small, cube shaped footprint makes it the ideal size to put on a bookshelf and even has optional matching bookshelf speakers. The core of the center contains up to 2GB of DDR400 memory and up to a 400GB hard drive. The MEGA 865 also has a built-in 802.11b+g Wi-Fi Wireless LAN and 10/100 fast Ethernet LAN networking connectivity for the sharing of digital video, sound, and data with other computers in the network or around the world via Internet. Plus, with the MEGA 865's many ports including IEEE 1394 Firewire ports and USB 2.0 connectivity it is easy to link to all of the various digital toys and gadgets including digital cameras , webcams, scanners, printers and more.

Posted by Nana at 07:02 PM | X2 Unveils MEGA 865 Media Center PC | TrackBacks (0)

You can't "TiVo your favorite tv show" anymore. According to TiVo, Inc, TiVo® is a registered trademark. That means it's not a noun, or a verb. It's also not possessive, so "TiVo's anything" is also not correct. Oh, and one last thing, it can't be plural either. The folks over at TiVo, Inc would rather have you "purchase two TiVo DVRs" instead of "two TiVos".

It's all quite complicated to remember, and I'm sure most people are going to keep on referring to TiVo "incorrectly". I don't think there's much that can be done about that. But, the company is aggressively going after the media to make sure they use the correct terms when they talk about TiVo. Maybe if TiVo is used correctly in the media, the rest of us will get it. Let's see how long it takes to get it right.

Posted by Nana at 11:51 AM | TiVo: It's not a Noun or a Verb | TrackBacks (0)

New, User-Friendly Features Including Title Search, Extended Channel Banner, Enhanced Graphics & Headend-Configurable Services Menu

Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of interactive program guides for multiple cable platforms, today announced that its Passport DCT(TM) 2.5 software navigation system with new feature upgrades has received Motorola's Horizon Program Acadia validation for Motorola digital set-tops. This latest Passport DCT edition introduces a variety of product improvements and new user-friendly features including intelligent title search, QuickInfo(TM) extended channel banner, enhanced graphics and a headend-configurable services menu. The new look and feel of Passport DCT 2.5 takes on a similar look to Pioneer's recently released Passport Echo product for DVR set-tops.

"We are continuously working with our customers to create navigation user
interfaces that provide our customers with the most value from the deployment
of advanced services while leveraging their current installed base of legacy
set-tops," said Neil Jones, senior vice president, Pioneer Digital
Technologies, Inc. "With this latest release of Passport DCT, operators can
provide additional functionality to their customers and give them easy access
to all of their service offerings."

Passport DCT 2.5 unique feature upgrades include:

• Title Search delivers a virtual keyboard interface allowing for easy
  title entry and seamless program searches with a remote control.
  
• Quick Info allows viewers to use quick clicks of the 'Info' button on
  the remote to see an extended channel banner, enabling full-screen
  video viewing while also providing instant access to complete
  information available for any program listing in the channel lineup.
  
• Enhanced Graphics introduces a sleek graphical interface with new rich
  color scheme and dimensional detail.
  
• Scaled Video Support enables the display of "Picture-in-Graphics" in
  the IPG Time, Theme and Title views on DCT 700, 2500, 5100, 6200
  set-tops.
  
• Enhanced HD Output Format Controls allow viewers to select the aspect
  ratio and video output format from the settings menu for HD capable
  Motorola set-tops such as the DCT5100 and DCT6200.
  
• Subtitle Support within the guide enables the consumer to easily
  select from a variety of languages to enable broadcasted subtitles
  including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
  
• Secondary Audio Programming is user-configurable support of secondary
  audio soundtracks that enables subscribers to watch particular
  programs in an alternate broadcasted language, such as Spanish when
  available.
  
• Closed Captioning allows viewers to enable or disable the display of
  closed captions; select an analog and a digital closed caption
  service; and customize the text style appearance of digital closed
  captions.
  
• Latin American Markets supports an operator-configurable setting used
  to force the display of on-screen subtitles; offers a configurable
  parental control for Latin American ratings; and allows for the
  modification of pricing information fields to support the display of
  non-U.S. currencies.
  

For cable operators, Passport DCT 2.5 introduces its new QuickMenu(TM) feature, a headend-configurable menu of any of the operator's services including premium and interactive services or Passport menus which can be launched quickly by the subscriber with the remote. Cable operators can add value to and differentiate their service by customizing the QuickMenu into categories of their choice to help subscribers navigate a broad offering of programming and drive interest for key services including Video-On-Demand, Pay-Per-View, Premium channels and Music. Passport DCT 2.5 also supports Broadcast Messaging, a feature that allows messages to be sent from the cable headend to set-tops in the field, supporting cable operator marketing and communications efforts.

For more information on Passport DCT 2.5, visit: www.pioneerdigital.com.

About the Motorola Horizon Program

Motorola created the Horizon Program to facilitate independent software vendor (ISV) partners in the development and implementation of interactive TV solutions, including IPGs, VOD, personal video recording (PVR), Internet access, gaming, targeted advertising, e-mail, and commerce applications. These applications enable broadband network operators to create additional cash flow and decrease customer churn. ACADIA validation is used as a benchmark for broadband network operators as they choose the software, content, and applications to deliver to their subscribers. The ACADIA Application Integration Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola Broadband, is the supporting facility for the Horizon Program. It provides resources and expertise to take applications and other software solutions from prototype to commercial deployment. ACADIA is an independent development and integration entity, with a staff completely dedicated to supporting the Motorola Horizon Program.

About Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc.

Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of interactive navigation software to the cable television industry. More than 7 million copies of its Passport(TM), Passport DCT(TM), and Passport Echo(TM) navigation and application suites are deployed nationwide to cable systems on a variety of digital cable set-top platforms, from basic standard definition digital set-tops to advanced high-definition digital video recorder set-tops. Today it is the only company with guides in both of the major headend platforms, compatible with virtually every deployed digital cable set-top box in the Americas. For more information, visit www.pioneerdigital.com.

Pioneer Corporation, the parent company of Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc., is a leader in optical disc technology and a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio, video, computer and cable equipment for the home, car and business markets. The company focuses on four core business domains including DVD, display technologies, Digital Network Entertainment(TM) and components. Founded in 1938 in Tokyo, Pioneer Corporation (NYSE: PIO - News) employs more than 36,000 people worldwide. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Posted by Nana at 10:53 AM | Pioneer Digital Technologies' Passport DCT(TM) Navigation Software Achieves Motorola Acadia Validation for New Product Release | TrackBacks (0)

Momentum Continues as BendBroadband Becomes 5th U.S. Cable Operator to Select Powerful, Emmy(R) Award-Winning Moxi HDTV, DVR Platform

Digeo, Inc., the developer of the Moxi(TM) Media Center software platform, today announced that BendBroadband, a leading independent cable operator serving central Oregon, has begun commercial deployment of the Motorola Broadband Media Center (BMC) with Moxi(TM).

The Motorola BMC with Moxi, an advanced digital set-top that integrates high-definition television (HDTV) with a dual-tuner digital video recorder (DVR), enables subscribers to watch one channel while recording another. This innovative product will give consumers single-device access to their digital content from television programs and movies to music, games, photos and information on demand (i.e. weather, news and sports).

BendBroadband joins industry leading cable providers Adelphia Cable, Charter Communications, Comcast Corporation, and Sunflower Broadband in agreeing to commercially deploy the Motorola BMC with Moxi to its subscribers. The product is currently available in more than 25 markets across the nation.

"The Motorola BMC with Moxi provides a much more compelling home entertainment experience," said John Farwell, Director of Finance, Marketing and Sales for BendBroadband. "This product delivers on the promise of digital cable -- it's easy-to-use, packed with fun, profitable features and is designed to grow with us, providing enjoyment for years to come."

Leveraging the advanced capabilities of the Motorola Broadband Media Center, Moxi is one of the first software platforms designed specifically to support cable's expanding menu of content and services. Utilizing the powerful processor, internal hard drive, and built-in cable modem of the Motorola BMC, the Moxi service offers a competitive choice for delivering digital home entertainment. Designed for casual browsing and rapid search, the Emmy® award-winning Moxi Menu allows viewers instant access to current and future program listings whether they originate from live broadcast, on-demand programming, or local DVR recordings. The Moxi interface is both easy-to-learn and fun-to-use, giving viewers a much higher level of choice, convenience and control.

"We're thrilled that BendBroadband has joined our growing roster of cable customers," said Jim Billmaier, chief executive of Digeo. "This deployment demonstrates how well suited the BMC with Moxi is for regional cable operators. We remain committed to helping cable operators of all sizes deliver services that will forever change consumers' home entertainment experience."

BendBroadband also plans to continue its partnership with Digeo early next year by deploying the Moxi two-TV solution that delivers the industry's lowest-cost, multi-room media center.

Key features of the Motorola BMC with Moxi include:

• Pause and instant replay live TV
  
• Single program or series recordings by titles
  
• Two weeks of guide data to help consumers plan viewings and set
  recordings
  
• Rapid and responsive menu browsing
  
• Smart search using title or keywords
  
• Option to record first-run episodes only and avoid repeats
  
• Favorite Channels menu which provides consumers quick access to their
  most-watched channels
  
• Easy-to-browse categories for movies, sports, kids, news and music
  
• An interactive Ticker that provides instant updates on weather, sports
  and news regardless of what channel the consumer is watching
  
• Fun, family-friendly games that can be played using the remote control
  
• Digital photography features allowing consumers to watch slideshows on
  their TV
  

About Digeo, Inc.

Digeo, Inc., provides media center software and services that inspire consumer loyalty, generate new incremental revenue, and position cable as the leading source for home entertainment. The Moxi(TM) platform from Digeo powers a new generation of media centers through which cable operators can deliver high-revenue services and applications-such as digital video recording (DVR), high-definition TV, and on-demand and pay-per-view content-to the whole home at competitive cost per TV. The multi-TV architecture and breakthrough Emmy® award-winning user interface of the Moxi platform provide all Moxi applications including DVR, DVD, information on demand, jukebox, photos, games, and more from any cable access point in the home using existing wiring. Digeo has also developed an innovative chipset that integrates essential media-center functionality and can substantially reduce future set-top box production costs.

Additionally, Digeo offers the Digeo(TM) iTV service to over one million subscribers, which is the most widely deployed cable iTV service in North America. With Digeo iTV, cable operators can increase the value of their existing digital set-tops by offering field-tested services that have demonstrated increased customer satisfaction and churn reduction, and effective cross-selling of video-on-demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) offerings.

Moxi(TM) Media Center customers include Comcast, Charter, Adelphia, Sunflower Broadband and BendBroadband. Digeo is primarily backed by Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. The company has offices in Kirkland, Wash., Palo Alto, Calif. and Longmont, Colo. For more information, please visit www.digeo.com.

About BendBroadband

BendBroadband is the dba (doing business as) for Bend Cable Communications LLC, a privately owned, Oregon-based company serving Central Oregon since 1955 with a variety of services including: basic and digital cable, HDTV, high speed Internet service and local programming. The company is dedicated to providing quality communication, entertainment and customer service to Central Oregonians. For further information, please contact BendBroadband's customer service department or visit their website at www.bendbroadband.com.

About Motorola Broadband Communications Sector

The Motorola Broadband Communications Sector provides a scalable, integrated end-to-end system for the delivery of broadband services that keeps consumers informed, entertained and connected. Its technology enables network operators and retailers to create and execute on new business opportunities by providing innovative products and services to the home.

Customer-responsive design and manufacturing expertise further contribute to the company's position as the world's leading supplier of digital cable set-tops and cable modems. For more information about the Motorola Broadband Communications Sector, visit www.motorola.com/broadband.

About Motorola

Motorola, Inc. is a global leader in wireless, broadband and automotive communications technologies that help make life smarter, safer, simpler, synchronized and fun. Sales in 2003 were U.S. $27.1 billion. Motorola creates innovative technological solutions that benefit people at home, at work and on the move. The company also is a progressive corporate citizen dedicated to operating ethically, protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which it does business. For more information: www.motorola.com.

Posted by Nana at 10:45 AM | BendBroadband Deploys Moxi(TM)-Powered Motorola Broadband Media Centers | TrackBacks (0)

Home Media Networks` Next Generation Home Entertainment Software Includes Weekly TV Data

Home Media Networks Ltd, Europe's leading developer of media center software, today announces the release of ShowShifter 3.10, the latest version of its popular home entertainment software that replaces the TV, VCR, DVD and CD player in the home.

One of the highlights of the latest version is ShowGuide, which has been comprehensively updated and enhanced with new features. ShowShifter's ShowGuide is automatically populated with data retrieved either direct through the DVB signal or via the Internet, and shows up to seven days worth of upcoming programming.

Other updates to ShowShifter 3.10 include a simplified front end interface, an improved MPEG2 writer to produce a more DVD-compliant stream, an in-built MPEG Demux to aid viewing quality and the support of the BDA DVB cable and satellite standards.

Now boasting over 700,000 users worldwide, ShowShifter allows users to watch, record and time-shift (pause) TV, play DVDs, CDs and MP3 music files all through one interface. The ability to control ShowShifter with a remote control and its unique Farview interface enables the consumer to use the product from anywhere in the room with a simple, unified interface for all home entertainment components (DVR, DVD, CD, etc), as with conventional home entertainment products.

'Other PVR products have come and gone, but ShowShifter remains the leader in its class thanks to regular improvements to ensure that our customers get the best entertainment experience that technology allows,' explained Home Media Networks CEO John Croft. 'This release couples new techniques, such as BDA support and in-built Demux, with the EPG functionality requested by our user base.'

Evaluation versions of current English and international versions of ShowShifter can be downloaded from www.showshifter.com.

About Home Media Networks Ltd
Home Media Networks Ltd is a company focused on the fast growing digital entertainment sector, producing software that runs on standard PC platforms to allow the user to watch, record and pause analogue and digital TV, play DVDs, and listen to MP3 music files. Its solution, ShowShifter, allows the user to pause a TV show to be replayed later and can be controlled remotely using a standard infrared remote control. Through unique FarView technology interaction works equally well close up or at a distance from the screen. Showshifter is a replacement for TV, VCR, DVD and CD players in a traditional household, thus introducing numerous cost savings for the consumer. Home Media Networks Ltd is headquartered in Edinburgh, UK. ShowShifter can be downloaded from www.showshifter.com.

Posted by Nana at 10:36 AM | Next Generation Home Entertainment Software: SHOWSHIFTER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY | TrackBacks (0)

ON DEMAND, Digital Video Recorders, HDTV and Comcast High-Speed Internet Available to Many Chicagoland Customers - Just in Time for the Holidays

CHICAGO, Dec. 14 Just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, viewers in Chicagoland will soon have access to unprecedented control of what and when they watch television. Customers will also have the ability to put the Internet to work for them in fun and exciting ways. The future of television and broadband is now, as Comcast today announced the completion of its $350 million broadband network upgrade.

As a result of the upgrade, Comcast customers will have access to ON DEMAND and Digital Video Recorders to control their television viewing like never before, and High Speed Internet with download speeds of up to 4Mbps, plus outstanding online content and features.

"The days of 'appointment television' are over. With ON DEMAND and DVRs, Comcast home entertainment is all about customization, and watching what you want, when you want," said Joseph Stackhouse, Comcast senior vice president for the Greater Chicago Region. "Our DVRs are much more affordable than competitive products, like TiVo -- we don't charge for the box itself, and the monthly service charge is lower. And ON DEMAND is a value-add service that makes Comcast Digital Cable a more attractive, robust service than any satellite company could provide."

Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) will be available to everyone in the Greater Chicago Region in early 2005, allowing customers to digitally record up to 40 hours of programming to watch and re-watch shows on their schedules. DVRs will be available for only $9.95 a month. And Comcast's dual-tuner DVRs make it possible to record one show while you watch another, or record two shows simultaneously.

Comcast Digital Cable customers automatically have access to ON DEMAND, available in many areas currently but with total distribution by early 2005. ON DEMAND offers thousands of programs from a wide variety of cable networks - as well as a growing library of new-release and favorite films - most at no additional cost. Video-on-demand technology is not available from satellite companies.

"People are busier than ever, and television and movies at home are among the best ways to relax -- especially when you can choose your own programming," said Stackhouse.

Also as a result of the upgrade, for the first time, all Greater Chicago Region consumers now have access to a broadband high-speed Internet connection. Comcast High-Speed Internet offers everyone in the region the Internet's richest selection of multimedia content like never before. The lightning-fast Internet connection is 100 percent pure broadband, featuring a host of included services such as Video Mail, that allows the sender to send a 45-second video message without clogging his or the recipient's hard drive with large files, and The Fan(TM) a free multimedia player built in to Comcast High-Speed Internet.

Comcast High-Speed Internet is delivered to customers' homes via our broadband network, and customers can talk on the phone and surf the Internet simultaneously. Customers also can watch cable television while using the service. The service is "always-on"; customers aren't required to dial-up to access the Internet.

"We are proud to be the first to offer broadband high-speed Internet throughout the Greater Chicago Region," said Stackhouse. "The fast broadband connection will allow Comcast customers to enjoy their hobbies -- from gaming and downloading music to online shopping and chatting -- more than ever before."

More than 10,000 miles of upgraded broadband networks and newly constructed routing centers will increase the reliability of all of Comcast services in the Chicagoland area. Most importantly, the upgrade will allow the company the ongoing ability to offer new products and services to almost 4.2 million homes.

"Our employees have worked very hard completing this upgrade over the past two years to ensure that Comcast offers not only fast and reliable service to Chicago, but also the latest in home entertainment technology," Stackhouse said.

ABOUT COMCAST CABLE

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation, a developer, manager and operator of broadband cable networks and provider of programming content. Operating in 17 of the United States' 20 largest metropolitan areas, Comcast is one of the leading communications, media and entertainment companies in the world. Providing basic cable, digital cable, high-speed Internet and telephone services, Comcast Cable is the company to look to first for the communications products and services that connect people to what's important in their lives. The company's 55,000 employees, in six divisions, serve more than 21 million customers.

Comcast Cable serves more than 1.7 million customers in the Greater Chicago region. Comcast, whose regional offices are located in Schaumburg, Ill., employs more than 4,700 people in Illinois, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan.

Posted by Nana at 10:30 AM | Comcast's Completion of Chicago Region's $350-Million Broadband Network Upgrade Puts Viewers in Control | TrackBacks (0)

Reliable, high-speed IP network leverages existing coax to support state of the art Digital Home consumer experience

Ucentric Systems and Entropic Communications are teaming up to deliver whole-home digital entertainment networking using an Internet Protocol (IP) network in the home that leverages existing coaxial cable. Entropic IP networking silicon chipsets combined with Ucentric Whole-Home software platform allow multiple high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) sessions of DVR (digital video recording) functionality and sharing of personal media such as music and photos to multiple display devices throughout the home over a reliable, high- speed (270Mbps) IP network. The combined solution will be showcased at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas, January 6-9.

"We're pleased to work with Ucentric to provide a reliable and engaging platform to move high-quality digital media throughout the home," said Patrick Henry, Entropic president and CEO. "Our combined solution allows CE manufacturers to take full advantage of Entropic's multimedia transport technology and Ucentric's modular and customizable software suite for delivering compelling, broadcast quality applications throughout the home on a robust and low-cost IP network."

"Entropic has been a leader in leveraging existing in-home cable to create secure and dependable multimedia networks that support broadcast quality video, including HDTV, high speed data, Internet, voice, and multi-room gaming," said Michael Collette, Ucentric chief executive officer. "IP networking for Whole-Home entertainment is critical in the mass deployment of home media servers and media sharing in that it overcomes the bandwidth issues of moving HD content around the home and affords the reliability of an IP network at the lowest possible cost to CE manufacturers."

Entropic's c.LINK-270 chipset, when built into a variety of consumer electronics such as set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and televisions permits seamless networking over the existing coaxial cable infrastructure at speeds as high as 270Mbps. The high speed and reliability of coax make it the ideal medium for networking high-bandwidth applications such as video.

Ucentric's Networked Media Center software platform includes a Whole-Home DVR(TM) application featuring a single recording library, shared among multiple television sets that allows users to independently record, pause, play, rewind and fast forward live or recorded programming from any TV in the network. Additional applications available from Ucentric include Whole-Home Music(TM) and Whole-Home Photo(TM) applications that allow users to access, share, and transfer their complete digital music and photo collections to any connected device in the home.

About Ucentric Systems

Ucentric is a leading provider of home media networking software for the new digital home. Its patented technology enables the secure, high quality digital distribution of HD and SD video signals from broadcast, satellite or cable sources to all connected rooms in the home, over low-cost, in-home wired or wireless networks. Ucentric's embedded software platform provides CE manufacturers and operators maximum integration and branding flexibility for enabling multi-TV DVR, whole-home music and other networking applications for advanced set-top boxes, home media servers and entertainment PCs.

Ucentric is a member of the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Forum and actively supports CableLab's Open Cable initiative. Based in Maynard, Massachusetts, Ucentric is backed by Polaris Venture Partners. For more information, please visit www.ucentric.com.

About Entropic Communications

Entropic Communications is a privately held semiconductor company based in San Diego, Calif., enabling home networking for digital entertainment. Entropic's products allow consumers to easily share digital entertainment throughout the home by leveraging the existing coax infrastructure to fundamentally change the way content such as movies, music, and images are stored and networked by the average user. For more information: www.entropic.com.

Posted by Nana at 01:09 PM | Ucentric and Entropic to Show IP Network for Whole-Home Entertainment at CES | TrackBacks (0)

Studio Audience Gets TiVo(R) DVRs as Holiday Gift in On-Air Giveaway
The studio audience on today's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show will have a holiday to remember. The host of the hottest daytime talk show on television will give each member of the studio audience one of her favorite gadgets, a TiVo® Series2(TM) DVR as a holiday gift.

"When you give the gift of TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO - News), you get a uniquely enthusiastic and excited reaction from the gift recipient, and it was great fun helping Ellen capture that moment with her studio audience," said Matt Wisk, Chief Marketing Officer at TiVo. "With a TiVo DVR, fans never have to miss an episode of Ellen because they weren't home in time. Every episode will be recorded and waiting for them."

As part of her "12 Days of Christmas," promotion, DeGeneres arranged for her entire studio audience to receive the 80-hour TiVo Series2 DVR with product lifetime service*. She unveiled the gift during a segment that will air nationally today.

The TiVo boxes include the highly acclaimed, exclusive set of TiVo service features including Season Pass(TM) and WishList(TM), as well as the home media capabilities that allow broadband subscribers to connect to all the content they love, including digital music and photos. TiVo Series2 boxes work with any TV setup including antenna, cable, digital cable and satellite, and allow subscribers to record up to 80 hours of their favorite shows without the hassles of videotape.

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo, a pioneer in home entertainment, created a brand new category of products with the development of the first digital video recorder (DVR). Today, the Company continues to revolutionize the way consumers watch and access home entertainment by making TiVo the focal point of the digital living room, a center for sharing and experiencing television, music, photos and other content. TiVo connects consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it. The Company is based in Alviso, Calif.

A product lifetime subscription to the TiVo service covers the life of the TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR) -- not the life of the subscriber.

Posted by Nana at 01:05 PM | The Ellen DeGeneres Show Gives the 'Gift of TiVo' to Studio Audience | TrackBacks (0)

According to PVRblog, looks like TiVo To Go is coming out soon. Very soon, TiVo users will be able to take their favorite shows with them on the road. It would be nice if this means you can also take your shows with you on a Portable Media Center as well.

If you are not familiar with TiVo To Go, here's a press release from earlier this year:

TiVo announced today it intends to deliver a new service release in the Fall of 2004 called “TiVoToGoTM.” For the first time, TiVo subscribers with Home Media Option(TM) will be able to move their favorite programs stored on a TiVo DVR to a laptop for viewing on the road, or to any PC. For those who have a PC equipped with a DVD burner, programs can then be burned to DVD so users can take the TiVo experience with them wherever they go.
"We’re now giving consumers the freedom and control to determine where they enjoy entertainment, whether it’s at home, in a car, on a plane – or anywhere on the road," said Brodie Keast, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the TiVo Service.

How "TiVoToGo" Works
Accessing “TiVoToGo” requires a TiVo Content Security Key and TiVo-enabled versions of the Sonic Solution MyDVD® and CinePlayer(TM) applications.

Sonic Solutions, the leader in DVD creation software, has teamed with TiVo to develop TiVo-enabled versions of Sonic’s MyDVD and CinePlayer applications. Once this software is installed on the PC, the new TiVo-enabled MyDVD and CinePlayer software from Sonic will make it easy to find the “Now Playing” programs on any networked TiVo DVR in the home.

Once selected, the secure and encrypted TiVo recorded programs are moved to the PC, where the TiVo Content Security Key is used to unlock the files for playback or burning, preventing files from being shared online, outside of the user’s home network.

The TiVo Content Security Key and the TiVo-enabled versions of Sonic Solution’s MyDVD and CinePlayer applications will be sold as a bundle at www.tivo.com.

The "TiVo to Go" service upgrade, TiVo Content Security Key and the Sonic software will all be available in Fall 2004.

The Future of "TiVoToGo"
These new mobile services are just the beginning. TiVo expects that other software and hardware makers will develop additional capabilities in the future designed to work with "TiVoToGo."

BravoBrava! is a technology company that has already developed mobile services that will allow remote programming of the TiVo Series2 DVR from cell phones and demonstrated these new capabilities at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). "TiVoToGo" scheduling from your cell phone or PDA extends remote scheduling beyond the PC keyboard, giving subscribers the ability to schedule recordings while on the go. Just heard about a new episode of the latest reality show? Just grab your cell phone and tell your TiVo Series2 DVR to record it for you.

About TiVo
Founded in 1997 with the mission to dramatically improve consumers' television viewing experiences, TiVo is the creator of television services for digital video recorders (DVRs). TiVo's leadership has defined and inspired the entire category, earning the company patents for pioneering inventions associated with DVR software and hardware design. TiVo was the first to deliver on the promise of consumer choice and control over TV viewing, building a loyal and passionate subscriber base with over 97% of customers surveyed recommending TiVo to a friend. This enthusiasm has contributed to overwhelming growth over the past year, and the total subscriber base exceeds 1 million. TiVo is headquartered in San Jose, CA. Additional information can be found at www.tivo.com.

Posted by Nana at 01:00 PM | TiVo To Go here soon? | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

New Offering will Provide Consumers with Multi-Functional Service and Greater Control Over Their Personalized Digital Entertainment Experience

LONG ISLAND, N.Y., Dec. 8 -- VCinema, Inc., formed in early 2004, today announced its plans to bring a broadband-enabled home entertainment service to the market in mid-2005. The subscriber-based service will allow consumers to legally download and create their own virtual video libraries from a vast array of content -- including feature films, TV shows, children's programming, and a large variety of other video entertainment.

The service will be delivered through VCinema's Digital Theater, a next- generation, multifunctional set-top box that integrates a high speed broadband connection, a DVD/CD player, a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and the ability to download digital video content to rent or own. As a result, VCinema's service seamlessly marries the functions that American's most want in their television entertainment experience -- the ability to sit in their living room and with a single remote, access the high-quality movies, TV shows, children's programs and other content they love -- and watch it whenever they want. This removes the hassle of looking for discs, downloading videos to a PC located in another room from the TV, tuning in to a program after it has already begun, running out to the video store, or waiting days for online rentals to show up in the mail.

"The demand for immediate access to high-quality, main stream content is at the heart of the rapid evolution of the digital home entertainment experience. As this market continues to emerge, it is clear that consumers are challenging service providers to deliver on three key premises -- greater convenience, choice and control," said Adam Zeitsiff, President & CEO, VCinema. "By converging core digital functionality with a secure video download service into a single solution, VCinema has answered this challenge and is prepared to emerge as a leader in the video over broadband home entertainment market."

Based on a recent whitepaper published by Parks Associates in July of 2004, slightly more then 15% of all U.S. households will purchase on-demand movies and other video content via the internet by 2008. This represents a huge opportunity for companies like VCinema to lead the emerging digital home entertainment market.

New Distribution Channel for Digital Content

In addition to directly benefiting consumers, VCinema's solution will also provide a new and secure distribution channel for content providers of all sizes, providing inherent security and digital rights management for their intellectual property, as well as the ability to help them augment their existing home entertainment revenue opportunities. With a significant increase in the industry's concern over the amount of illegal movie distribution and internet downloads, VCinema's service gives content providers the ability to combat this illegal distribution and build a growing base of legal online customers.

As a core part of VCinema's unique customer experience, the company will encode all content using an industry-standard Advanced Video Compression algorithm (AVC), which provides significantly higher video quality (full D-1, 720 x 480 resolution or better) compared to other service offerings in the market today. This, in conjunction with VCinema's progressive play technology, will allow a customer with an average broadband connection to begin watching a full-length feature film less then one minute after choosing to download the program. VCinema will also encrypt video content with its patent-pending Digital Rights Management and revolving licensing technology, as well as provide a secure, conditional-access communications path from its storage servers to its Digital Theater set-top box.

The company is in the final stages of developing its products and licensing a large variety of content from major U.S. film studios, television and cable networks, children's content providers, major sports leagues, and various other content providers around the world. VCinema will be launching its service on a limited test basis in the early summer of 2005, with a full- scale national launch currently planned for September of 2005.

About VCinema

VCinema, Inc., is a broadband-enabled home entertainment service that will allow consumers to legally download and create their own virtual video libraries from a vast array of content -- including feature films, TV shows, children's programming, and a large variety of other video entertainment. The service will be delivered through VCinema's Digital Theater, a next-generation set-top box that integrates a high speed broadband connection, a DVD/CD player, a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and the ability to download digital video content to rent or own. VCinema is a privately held company with headquarters in Long Island, NY and offices in Austin, TX and Los Angeles, CA. For more information, please visit us at http://www.vcinema.com or email us at info@vcinema.com .

Posted by Nana at 05:57 PM | VCinema Enters Video Over Broadband Market with Converged Home Entertainment Service | TrackBacks (0)

• 3-in-1 Humax offers easy-to-use interface for recording, playback and burning TV programming to DVD.
• 80 hours of recording capacity on Hard Disk Drive.
• Broadband connection allows you to connect to your home network to enjoy the Home Media Features that enable consumers to access digital photos and music from their PC, schedule recordings online, and access programming from multiple TiVo boxes.
• Only the TiVo service burns DVDs in background; you can still record and watch live TV.
• Only the TiVo service allows you to manage what’s stored on the hard disc. You never have to worry about a program getting deleted.
• Now Playing menu makes it easy to find the shows you recorded onto DVD.
• Only the TiVo service works with any programming source including cable, digital cable, satellite, and antenna.
• Includes DV input for camcorder transfers directly to DVD and a set of Front AV inputs for easy access to analog video transfers.

Posted by Nana at 01:15 AM | TiVo and Humax Redefine Consumer DVD Recording Experience With New DVD Recorder For Only $399 | TrackBacks (0)

Expects Continued Growth Momentum this Holiday Season

• TiVo subscription base reaches 2.3 million, twice the level of a year ago;
• Service revenues grew 73% over Q3 of last year;
• New DVD recorders, new service offerings, $99 offer, and advertising expected to drive record holiday demand

TiVo, the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), reported that it added approximately 419,000 total subscriptions in the third quarter, over twice the number it added in Q3 of last year. In the past twelve months, the Company’s total installed base has more than doubled to approximately 2.3 million.

Service revenues for the quarter were $27.7 million, a 73% increase over Q3 of last year. Net loss for the quarter was ($26.4) million, or ($0.33) per share, compared to a net loss of ($7.4) million, or ($0.11) per share, for the three months ended October 31, 2003. The increase in net loss and net loss per share for the quarter reflects the Company’s previously announced investment in subscription acquisition activities to accelerate subscription growth during fiscal year 2005.

Q3 Subscription Growth Fueled by TiVo’s Strong Brand Position in Retail
TiVo added approximately 419,000 total net new subscriptions in the quarter. Of this total, approximately 316,000 resulted from TiVo’s relationship with DIRECTV, growth of 111% compared to last year’s Q3. New TiVo-Owned subscription additions in Q3 were 103,000, representing an increase of 75% compared to Q3 of last year.

“The overall subscription growth demonstrates that the demand for TiVo is strong, and the combined retail channel is thriving,” commented Mike Ramsay, Chairman and CEO of TiVo. “Today, TiVo is available in over 4,000 retail stores, and features a broad selection of DVRs at attractive pricing, making TiVo the must-have gift for consumers this holiday season.”

Posted by Nana at 03:51 AM | TiVo Third Quarter Subscription Growth Doubles | TrackBacks (0)

Frey Technologies, LLC., a developer of personal video recorder (PVR) and home media center technology for the PC, has announces their version 2.1 of its SageTV personal video recorder software. It supports the WinTV PVR 150 and WinTV PVR 500 tuner cards from market-leading Hauppauge Computer Works and the Plextor Convertx 402U from Plextor Corp. It also broadens the software's search capabilities to allow users to more readily pinpoint which shows they want to record.

"From its introduction, SageTV has let even the most novice user transform a standard PC into a personal video recorder," said Dan Kardatzke, founder of Frey Technologies. "Version 2.1 adds support for some of the most superior hardware technology available today -- from a number of market-leaders, including Hauppauge Computer Works and Plextor. In addition, SageTV's new search capability aligns even more closely with the way that television viewers actually think to allow them to search and identify the programs that they want to record more readily than ever before."

SageTV gives users the most powerful PVR capabilities imaginable by allowing for the use of multiple tuner cards for simultaneous recording of an unlimited number of shows. In version 2.1, SageTV supports the ability to record multiple formats across multiple tuners (i.e. mixing MPEG-2 and MPEG-4/DivX hardware encoders within a single system). In addition, the software now supports an even broader array of tuner cards, including the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 150/500, the Plextor ConvertX TV-402U/M402U, the Provideo 358T USB, and AverMedia UltraTV PCI 500/550.

"SageTV was the first application to allow users to record multiple channels simultaneously, and this new version of the software does a lot to further enhance the user experience with additional features and capabilities as well as the ability to fully utilize the unique features of our WinTV-PVR-500 card," said Ken Plotkin, CEO of Hauppauge Computer Works. "SageTV makes transforming a PC into a personal video recorder completely simple for the consumer. With these new enhancements they now know that they can simply plug in one of our cards and automatically have excellent PVR capabilities."

Hauppauge's WinTV-PVR-150 is a 125-channel cable ready TV tuner that allows users to readily record TV shows onto a computer's hard disk. The WinTV-PVR-500 is the first TV tuner card to provide dual 125-channel, cable-ready tuners, each with a dbx-TV stereo recorder. The card also features dual high-quality MPEG2 video and audio encoders.

Plextor's The PX-TV402U is the world's first DivX Certified PVR. The PX-TV402U contains an integrated high quality TV tuner and connects to a PC via a USB connection. The unit incorporates a multi-format encoder chip which converts video to the DivX(R), MPEG-4, MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 formats as it is being recorded to the PC.

The software has also been enhanced to allow users greater flexibility when searching and recording television programs. Users can browse upcoming programs by category and record shows based on keywords (i.e. ice skating, French cooking, etc.) in addition to specifying a specific title, actor or program category. In addition, the software has been enhanced with improved file management; plug-in support for on-screen display, inputs and MediaPlayer; and revamped capture and playback systems.

The SageTV software is priced at $79.95. For more information about Frey Technologies or SageTV, visit the company's Web site at http://www.sage.tv

Posted by Nana at 01:39 PM | New Version of SageTV Enhances Program Search Capabilities and Encoding Format Support to Give Users Increased Control | TrackBacks (0)

Plextor has unveiled its ConvertX PVR PX-TV402U personal video recorder, the world’s first real-time DivX Certified PVR (Personal Video Recorder). The PX-TV402U allows connection to a satellite receiver, cable or broadcast TV signal for watching and recording television programmes and home videos to a PC or DVD. As well as for just watching TV, Plextor’s convenient and flexible solution enables the user to either store data on the computer for watching at a later date or burn data direct to DVD, saving hard drive space and time.

The ability to record video in real time and straight into DivX format means the PX-TV402U allows the user store up to three times as much video than normal. This can save hours of time, eliminating the need to use a software-encoding programme to convert video to DivX after capture.

The PX-TV402U is able to record video into resolutions suited for playback on both full size TV’s and monitors, as well as portable and handheld devices and with its integrated high quality TV tuner, there is no compromise on quality. Similar to the ConvertX PX-M402U, a camcorder, VCR or DVD player can be connected to the PX-TV402U enabling the user to transfer home videos to a PC.

Supporting DivX, MPEG-4, MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 formats, the PX-TV402U is an external USB 2.0 device, which connects to a PC running Windows 2000 or XP. It also includes powerful yet easy to use software, including Intervideo WinDVR, to watch and pause live TV and to record programmes, and Intervideo WinDVD Creator software that allows the capturing and editing of home videos and the authoring of interactive DVD’s.

Rudy De Meirsman, Sales and Marketing Manager, Plextor Europe, comments: “Following our successful launch into the digital video conversion market with the ConvertX PX-M402U earlier this year, Plextor is now able to offer a solution for transforming a PC into a complete digital home entertainment centre, at a highly cost effective price. The new PX-TV402U enables an ordinary home PC to perform multiple tasks by incorporating the functionalities of a television, video and DVD player/recorder.”

Posted by Nana at 01:33 PM | Plextor launches ConvertX PVR PX-TV402U | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Amazon has a sweet deal on the TiVo TCD540040 Series 2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder. You can now get it for only $79.14 after rebate.

TiVo's Series2 DVR delivers plenty of recording capacity in addition to offering entertainment services like digital music, digital photos, remote scheduling, and hassle-free favorites recording. All this and the famed luxury of being able to pause and view instant replays of live television, too.

TiVo DVRs record television programming directly to an onboard digital ATA/IDE hard drive, eliminating the hassles of videotape (imprecise tape searching, head cleaning, steadily degrading picture, fuzzy sound, etc.). This Series2 TiVo, model TDC540040, offers 40 GB storage for up to 40 hours of recording time in TiVo's best-looking chassis yet.

The Series2 has 2 USB ports, offering people with home networks the ability to stream photos and music to their TiVo, or send programs from one TiVo to another. This connectivity also lets TiVo subscribers access exciting entertainment services through the TiVo Home Media Features, which consists of the TiVo Digital Music Player, TiVo Digital Photo Viewer, and Multi-Room Viewing.

The TiVo Digital Music Player lets you enjoy your computer's MP3 collection through your home entertainment sound system. Access and control your entire digital music collection via your TV; shuffle your music library by artist, album, or type of music; and create a custom playlist on your computer or use third-party software to develop playlists for every mood.

The TiVo Digital Photo Viewer accesses digital photos stored on your computer and showcases them on your TV. View photo albums and slideshows on your TV screen, easily navigate, search, and view your computer's entire digital photo library, play and control slideshows of photo albums, and use the remote control to select and view individual photos.

Multi-Room Viewing is designed for households with two Series2 DVRs and allows you to record a show on one DVR and send it to another if your kids are watching in the living room, say, and you're watching in the bedroom. You can also start a program on one DVR and pick up where you left off on your other DVR, as well as access the Now Playing list of a connected Series2 DVR at any time.

You can also find and schedule recordings even when you're away from home. With Online Scheduling, you'll have the freedom to schedule programs from anywhere you have a computer with an Internet connection. Just sign in to TiVo Central Online to access the same recording options you have at home.

The Series2 DVR is compatible with virtually every television available. It also works with VCRs, TV antennas, cable systems, and satellite systems. A patented universal remote control simplifies program recording and controls multiple TiVos within the home (2 devices can share your existing phone line). Connections include: 3 video inputs and outputs (S-video, composite-video, and RF coaxial), 1 set of stereo RCA analog audio inputs, and 2 sets of stereo audio outputs.

TiVo subscribers can pay $12.95 per month or a one-time product lifetime fee of $299. Other benefits of TiVo service include but are by no means limited to: Season Pass (TiVo automatically finds and records every episode of a series all season long, even if the network schedule changes), WishList (TiVo finds and records programs that feature your favorite actor, director, team, or even topic), Smart Recording (TiVo detects line-up changes for you and suggests programs to match your interests, if desired), and Showcases (exclusive entertainment plus recording shortcuts from some of the most popular networks on TV). You can even train TiVo to autorecord more shows you'll love when you use the Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down buttons on the supplied remote. Parental controls let you lock channels or set ratings limits based on content.

What's in the Box
TiVo DVR, user's manual, 1 stereo analog audio/video interconnect, 1 RJ-11 phone "Y" splitter, 1 dual IR blaster cable, 1 AC power cord, one 25-foot RJ-11 telephone cable, 2 AA batteries, 1 RG-6 coaxial cable, 1 DB-9 serial cable, a user's manual, and warranty information.

Product Description
TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder: Just like VCRs, but without the hassles and poor quality of videotape. Tell it once and TiVo records an entire season of your favorite shows, even if the schedule changes. Pause live TV and find shows with your favorite actor, team, even topic-easy. Record up to 40-hours of shows, which are saved on a hard drive and listed on-screen for playback in any order. Just buy a TiVo DVR, activate the TiVo service and tell TiVo what you like to watch. It hooks up to your TV and uses your existing phone line. You'll never watch TV the same way again! Record, play, slow motion, replay, pause (both live and pre-recorded TV) * record by channel and time * multibrand remote control * 2 USB ports * 2 sets of A/V outputs (2 composite, 1 S-video) * RF input/output * 15"W x 3-1/4"H x 13-1/2"D * warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor * Note: TiVo recorders make a daily call for programming updates; long distance charges may apply * TiVo service not available in Puerto Rico or Canada

Posted by Nana at 12:59 AM | $79.14 After Rebate - TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By Gina Piccalo Times Staff Writer

When it debuted in 1999, TiVo revolutionized the TV experience by wresting control of screen time from advertisers, allowing viewers to record shows and skip commercials. TiVo's slogan said it all: "TV your way."

Behind the scenes, though, TiVo was courting advertisers, selling inroads to a universe most customers saw as commercial-free. The result is a groundbreaking new business strategy, developed with more than 30 of the nation's largest advertisers, that in key ways circumvents the very technology that made TiVo famous.

By March, TiVo viewers will see "billboards," or small logos, popping up over TV commercials as they fast-forward through them, offering contest entries, giveaways or links to other ads. If a viewer "opts in" to the ad, their contact information will be downloaded to that advertiser — exclusively and by permission only — so even more direct marketing can take place. more...

Posted by Nana at 10:15 AM | TiVo Will No Longer Skip Past Advertisers | TrackBacks (0)

TiVo Inc. ,creator of and leader in digital video recording services (DVRs), announced it received the Television Technology of the Year award announced at the first annual Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards in Los Angeles.

"While our customers often tell us how much they love TiVo, it's always a great honor to be recognized by industry leaders and innovators," said Matt Wisk, chief marketing officer of TiVo. "Awards like these inspire us to continue developing new technologies and services that will revolutionize the way the world watches TV."

TiVo has become the most prominent provider of DVR services, defining the industry and its path for the future. Despite the explosion of competing DVR products introduced since TiVo's inception, TiVo was the only DVR service nominated in the Television Technology category.

The Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards honor innovation, entrepreneurship and brand development in digital entertainment. Twenty-seven awards were given across four major categories: Best Of Show; Games; Music; Film, Television and Video. The Television Technology of the Year award was awarded to the product that has impacted the television industry through a new approach or idea that takes the industry in a new direction. The judges were chosen from corporate executives, journalists, and academics who have provided insight and advanced the digital entertainment industry.

Posted by Nana at 05:19 PM | TiVo Honored in Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Buy a TiVo lately? Sometime in the next few months, your machine will quietly download a patch that makes it respond to a new copy protection scheme from software maker Macrovision. The app puts restrictions on how long your DVR can save certain kinds of shows - so far, just pay-per-view and video-on-demand programs. It's the first time your TiVo won't let you watch whatever you want, whenever you want. We asked TiVo general counsel Matthew Zinn why he thinks Hollywood will settle for an inch when it can take a mile. more...

Posted by Nana at 05:14 PM | Has TiVo Forsaken Us? | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Five years after TiVo introduced the rewind and fast-forward buttons to broadcast television, hackers are pushing its digital video recorder to new heights--and possibly giving the company some ideas about where to go next.

TiVo boxes are in many ways a perfect target for gadget hobbyists, providing both the means and motive to create some high-powered enhancements.

The devices use mostly off-the-shelf computer components and run the open-source Linux operating system, making it easy for curious tinkerers to try out their skills. In addition, TiVo has intentionally left many tantalizing features out of its boxes due to concerns over potential copyright violations. more...

Posted by Nana at 05:11 PM | TiVo hacks flourish | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A new survey by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) finds that over three-fourths of advertising professionals polled feel that DVRs will have at least a significant effect on the rise of alternative TV advertisement methods.

The AAF surveyed 121 advertising leaders regarding the effect they feel DVRs will have on the 30-second spot. A majority of respondents (55%) felt that non-traditional ad formats (such as advertainment, content sponsorship or product placement,) will grow, but that the 30-second ad spot will continue to be the standard for TV advertising. Just over 20% of respondents felt that the growing use of DVRs will lead to a "dramatic" transformation of TV advertising, including the end of the 30-second spot as the basic unit of TV advertising. In all, 76% felt DVRs will lead to some change in the TV advertising market.
more...

Posted by Nana at 05:06 PM | Ad Pros See Bigger DVR Effect | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)