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story category TiVo Uses Cable Companies to Turn Profit
Adding subscribers while reducing marketing costs
09:27AM Sunday Mar 23 2008 by KathrynV
tags: Video · business · cable · Comcast · Cox HSI
TiVo expects to turn a decent profit this year and it’s going to ride on the backs of cable companies to do it. The company started working with Comcast earlier this year and has just announced a partnership with Cox. Because the cable companies are marketing the service to their customers, TiVo has been able to significantly decrease the amount of money that it puts towards direct-to-subscriber marketing.
"TiVo will “maintain our more limited spend on marketing while we assess the speed with which consumers recognize the value and importance of broadband distribution of digital video,” CEO Tom Rogers said on a conference call with financial analysts this month."
In addition to working with Cox and Comcast, TiVo is speaking with the heads of smaller cable companies to come up with a solution that would allow them to offer TiVo services to their customers as well. The hope is, of course, that TiVo will take hold through the cable companies, allowing the company to increase its profits while decreasing its marketing budget.

Related:
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  3. The EFF 'Test Your ISP' Project
  4. Comcast To Unveil 'Start Over' In 2009
  5. Comcast Offers VOD Same Day DVD Release
  6. Comcast Gets Investigated While Cox Gets Free Pass
  7. Comcast Joins Others In Ditching Analog
  8. Comcast, Cox, Trot Out Their Worst 'Bandwidth Hogs'
Forums » TiVo Uses Cable Companies to Turn Profit
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Post a:

Jan Janowski

join:2000-06-18
Skokie, IL
·AT&T Midwest

edit:
March 23rd, @09:50AM

Making a profit by eliminating the Competition

Kind of hard to wish them well, when the cable companies are stripping Vertical Interval data off the video signals leaving their boxes intentionally to prevent end users from using existing DVR's that people already own (and work fine) -- By disabling data from getting to the user's DVR's -- Cable Companies can then offer DVR's for rent that do work (Have not been disabled) that the Cable Companies support, and get a profit from!

Gemstar TV Guide is transmitted on line 15, and Comcast is stripping that, along with all other vertical interval signals (Except Closed Captioning) from the video outputs of their boxes. When I contacted a Comcast manager she said they knew they were doing it.... and illuded as to why......

Thanks!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle
permalink · 2008-03-23 09:44:37 · Print · Reply to this

inteller
Sociopaths always win.

join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

Re: Making a profit by eliminating the Competition

combine that with them trying to get rid of cablecards...they are doing their best to get rid of what little independence there was.
permalink · 2008-03-23 10:11:16 · Reply to this

gaforces
United We Stand, Divided We Fall

join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA		 The wolves squabbling over the kill again ...
permalink · 2008-03-23 10:21:07 · Reply to this
CalMark

join:2002-12-11
Fishers, IN

 I am going to cancel my cable subscription. I am a customer, ie. royalty, and I expect much better serice than what I am getting from comcast. (oh, and btw, I am using windows moble to write this, and it is horrible. i wish I would have kept my bberry)
permalink · 2008-03-23 11:22:31 · Reply to this

Skeedatl
Ah, push it - push it real good
Premium
join:2007-12-26
The Cloud

Wow

You would think the 50 zillion ads in their GUI would have made them profitable.
permalink · 2008-03-23 09:55:36 · Reply to this
NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX

Re: Wow

What ad's are you talking about? I've been a tivo user for years and I see no ad's. They have one place for ad's and that's in the small area in the main menu where it asks you to look at a product, movie preview etc. It's not intrusive at all.

Please do not comment about something you do not use.
permalink · 2008-03-23 11:15:28 · Reply to this

Skeedatl
Ah, push it - push it real good
Premium
join:2007-12-26
The Cloud
·Cox HSI
·Verizon FIOS
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·ViaTalk
·Time Warner VOIP
·Cox VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable

edit:
March 23rd, @11:37AM

Re: Wow


My TiVo is FULL of crap like this

Sweet FFD banner ad
Click for full size
Sweet HBO DRM, TiVo HBO's Way
I've had TiVo's since the first Christmas they were out and the ads are getting worse and worse. My SA Series 2 is full of ads. Ads on virtually every page of the UI, lame pulsating thumb banner ads during programming when I'm trying to watch a movie trailer, even ads now when I go to delete items I've watched. Showcases, which used to be about new programs is now just full of Crazyfox and American Express bullcrap. This is in addition to it's weekly recording to lame infomercials, that you can't turn off without go in an canceling the recording manually every week. And those infomercials then get a prominent location on the GUI's home screen.

Lexus, Norton, Crazy Fox, Sony Blu-Ray, AmEx, tons of ads. You don't have Showcases? You've never seen a thumbs up banner during programming? You've never seen an ad on the deletion screen? The only TiVo I had that didn't were my 2 HD-TiVos.

Hell I've even gotten Buy Sheryl Crow CD System Message spam (eg You have an Important System Message). It's ridiculous, especially for $13-$20 a month (depending on TiVo's pricing scheme that month).

And to ADd insult to injury, we're all blessed with awesome TiVo DRM to insure that TiVo is anything BUT TV our way. It is certainly intrusive.
permalink · 2008-03-23 11:23:49 · Print · Reply to this
ciucca

join:2004-05-24

Now they have money for..

So now they can hire experienced programmers to fix their crappy tivohd,s3 software, especially the pixelation.\
permalink · 2008-03-23 10:18:02 · Reply to this
NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX

Re: Now they have money for..

I had that problem with FIOS and it turned out that the signal was too hot. Putting a few attenuators on there fixed that up.
permalink · 2008-03-23 11:16:57 · Reply to this
CurGeorge8

join:2005-05-02
Pittsburgh, PA
·Verizon FIOS

edit:
March 23rd, @01:10PM

Re: Now they have money for..

said by NOCMan See Profile :

I had that problem with FIOS and it turned out that the signal was too hot. Putting a few attenuators on there fixed that up.
Had the same problem with my Fios/Tivo combo. Same fix.
permalink · 2008-03-23 13:07:47 · Reply to this

Toropop

join:2001-11-11
Portland, OR		 That's a FiOS issue that's been pretty well documented on here and other forums.
permalink · 2008-03-24 03:04:19 · Reply to this

jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:

uverse

now only if tivo worked with my uVerse or the dishes like dish network and direct tv.
permalink · 2008-03-23 10:28:15 · Reply to this

Jan Janowski

join:2000-06-18
Skokie, IL
·AT&T Midwest

edit:
March 23rd, @10:33AM

Tivo vs. LG3410a

I'm not having any Pixelation issues with my LG-3410a DVR, on SD or HD recordings!
In Fact, I see no difference in HD DVR playback with my LG, vs. OTA Direct Viewing!

Maybe that's why the blocked the Gemstar TVG Data, becaue the picture & audio quality is so good and they couldn't compete!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle
permalink · 2008-03-23 10:32:13 · Reply to this
Mr Matt

join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
·Comcast

TiVo, TV Our Way. Watch it fast or you won't watch it at all

I expect to receive a notice from my Cable Company that my DVR will be upgraded with TiVo Software and I will be required to pay an additional monthly fee for the DVR plus TiVo Software. Since the TiVo organization and cable companies are kissing up to the copyright holders, TiVo is becoming less and less useful. Subscribers do not expect to have the time they can view a program they have recorded on their DVR limited. Why bother paying a subscription fee for a DVR when the service provider cripples it. TiVo is one of the first products where the manufacturer has removed features that were available when the customer purchased the product. Remember when TiVo removed the automatic commercial skip feature from equipment the customer had already purchased. This might be a good time for those who have purchased a TiVo to file a class action suit against TiVo for fraud. Who does TiVo they think they are, a cellphone service.

It is time our government passes laws limiting the rights of copyright holders. After all the whole concept of copyright is artificial, a right given to a performer or composer by the government to allow them to be paid for their work. If the copyright holders use those rights to abuse their customers, the government should limit the copyright holders rights. The rights that have been given to the copyright holders can be taken away.
permalink · 2008-03-23 10:55:28 · Print · Reply to this
NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX

Re: TiVo, TV Our Way. Watch it fast or you won't watch it at all

Where do you people come from.

I have never seen a limited show from Tivo.

Yes they removed automatic commercial skipping. Guess what, cable makes money from commercials. Falls under some companies injecting ad's into a website's pages without them knowing by intercepting the request at the ISP and rewriting it.

The only limit I have to watching shows is that they get deleted off as new stuff gets recorded.
permalink · 2008-03-23 11:22:05 · Reply to this
redhatnation
Premium
join:2005-06-02
Woodbridge, VA
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL

Re: TiVo, TV Our Way. Watch it fast or you won't watch it at all

said by NOCMan See Profile :

Where do you people come from.

I have never seen a limited show from Tivo.
So because it's never happened to you, it has never happened? That's absurd.

While I can't speak about the OP's original point (am a Comcast DVR user), there was a DRM limit imposed on Tivo users in select markets for HBO's John Adams mini-series. Tivo users were unable to watch their tivo'ed copies of the show more than once.

»consumerist.com/369482/hbo-using···il2=true
permalink · 2008-03-23 11:31:19 · Print · Reply to this

Mactron
el Camino Real
Premium
join:2001-12-16
CM94sv

 At what point is a Tivo no longer a Tivo ? Stripping out, removing what was great about the original Tivo and injecting Ads, Tivo becomes just another controlled crappy DVR.
I'am afraid Tivo has hit that point.
Still loving my DTV series 2 Tivo's, but when they die, what to do then?
--
If only the Verizon CSRs worked this well.
permalink · 2008-03-23 11:58:51 · Print · Reply to this

CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12

Re: TiVo, TV Our Way. Watch it fast or you won't watch it at all

said by Mactron See Profile :

At what point is a Tivo no longer a Tivo ? Stripping out, removing what was great about the original Tivo and injecting Ads, Tivo becomes just another controlled crappy DVR.
I'am afraid Tivo has hit that point.
Still loving my DTV series 2 Tivo's, but when they die, what to do then?
Thats true.. but your love for YOUR tivo isnt paying their bills.
If they need to partner up and lean down to stay a viable profit turning company, then what can you really say bad about them? They are trying to survive. Just like any other company out there.
--
CableTechs.org/"Horrible People with Integrity"
permalink · 2008-03-23 15:41:08 · Print · Reply to this

Mactron
el Camino Real
Premium
join:2001-12-16
CM94sv

Re: TiVo, TV Our Way. Watch it fast or you won't watch it at all

said by CableTool See Profile :

Thats true.. but your love for YOUR tivo isnt paying their bills.
If they need to partner up and lean down to stay a viable profit turning company, then what can you really say bad about them? They are trying to survive. Just like any other company out there.
All true. The question is. When you stop being a "Unique" product and just become another run of the mill product, then what?.. Sadly my "TIVO" days maybe over, and I'll look for the least objectionable product, Not "Tivo".
--
If only the Verizon CSRs worked this well.
permalink · 2008-03-23 15:54:58 · Print · Reply to this

sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Netcong, NJ
said by CableTool See Profile :

Thats true.. but your love for YOUR tivo isnt paying their bills.
Well, I bought the hardware (DirecTivo) twice and I pay $6/month to DTV, which I assume is passed on to Tivo...
permalink · 2008-03-23 17:24:55 · Reply to this

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
said by CableTool See Profile :

said by Mactron See Profile :

At what point is a Tivo no longer a Tivo ? Stripping out, removing what was great about the original Tivo and injecting Ads, Tivo becomes just another controlled crappy DVR.
I'am afraid Tivo has hit that point.
Still loving my DTV series 2 Tivo's, but when they die, what to do then?
Thats true.. but your love for YOUR tivo isnt paying their bills.
OUR love for tivo should END after the box is purchased and NOT be getting nicked for listings every month!
now they're putting ads in[isn't that what people originally bought a tivo for]
DIE TIVO DIE
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth
permalink · 2008-03-23 22:55:19 · Print · Reply to this

inteller
Sociopaths always win.

join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK
·Cingular Wireless

Tivo is getting played and they don't even know it.

I guess those chumps never heard of @home. Cox and Comcast will get the majority of their customer base on their boxes and then they'll play hardball and switch to a different IPG. Tivo will go under overnight and Cox and Comcast will swoop in and pick of the pieces, and after Tivo is gone they'll get the TiVo interface for free.....and still charge customers for it.

what a bunch of idiots.
permalink · 2008-03-24 11:01:14 · Reply to this
Forums » TiVo Uses Cable Companies to Turn Profit

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