Dish Network gives a nice surprise for the Holidays

[Don Landis]

I don't understand what owning content has to do with working to develop the most technologically advanced DVR. TIVO may or may not wish to own content, have an interedt in content, but whether that does or does not happen, will never affect the technical capability of the DVR.

I do say that it's DVR must compete with the companies who also make a DVR, like Echostar, Scientific Atlanta, Phillips etc. DirecTV never made their own DVR's they licensed specs for other companies to make them. Even Dishnetwork licensed Phillips at one time to make their receivers while simultaneously making their own. Not having content in no way restricts a company from building a good DVR and selling it at Radio shack for OTA channels ( what TIVO did) selling it to cable providers, selling it to satellite companies like D* or even DishNetwork.

All those content providers you mentioned TIVO is trying to add is what is called value added in the business. It's not a required raw material for production.

TIVO was never forced to go to the litigation route. They chose to do that because they thought their patents were being infringed and under the law they had that right to protect and be awarded damages if they won. Totally separate issue.

[jacmyoung]

Originally Posted by Don Landis

...TIVO was never forced to go to the litigation route. They chose to do that because they thought their patents were being infringed and under the law they had that right to protect and be awarded damages if they won. Totally separate issue.

If TiVo is also a content provider like DISH and DirecTV, TiVo does not need to sue anyone. DirecTV owns ReplayTV IPs, you do not see DirecTV suing anyone, do you?

I am surprised as savvy an investor as you are, you failed to see my point. TiVo can have the most advanced DVR, but as long as all other content providers also have their good enough DVRs, at no upfront cost and lower monthly fees, no one will care to buy TiVo DVRs.

Because the only reason people are buying DVRs is because they can use them to watch the content they otherwise will not get OTA. People do not call TiVo to get such content because TiVo has none, therefore TiVo does not get the chance to sell people the TiVo DVRs.