Amazing news for Tivo as they fight back up the stock market… Next year will be a big year for Tivo for sure. They’ll have a dual-tuner HDTV cable card box and installs in Comcast’s vast network. If they can successfully embed the service within the existing dual-tuner hardware as this news notes through a software download, it should be a major home run for consumers as well as for both Tivo and Comcast.
NEW YORK (AP) – TiVo Inc. (TIVO), the struggling pioneer of digital video recorders, will make a customized version for Comcast cable subscribers, the two companies announced Tuesday. TiVo’s share price soared.
The move will increase TiVo’s presence in American homes as it faces competition from generic DVRs offered directly by leading cable companies. Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) expects to begin marketing the new DVRs, which will carry the TiVo brand, by mid- to late 2006.
“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,” Steve Burke, Comcast Cable president, said in a statement.
The deal calls for TiVo to adapt its software to work on Comcast’s existing DVR platform, and it allows TiVo to extend to Comcast subscribers the advertising it sells in the form of interactive video clips that automatically appear in the TiVo menu. [My Way]