Cablevision Signs Deal With Tivo

[hbk409]

MarketWatch
Market Pulse: CORRECT: Cablevision to test run TiVo with wireless router
Wednesday August 24, 5:41 pm ET
By Carla Mozee


SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Cablevision Systems Corp. has agreed to test market TiVo Inc.'s digital video recorder and a wireless router to various satellite customers, the two companies said after Wednesday's closing bell. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Cablevision will run a trial of the TiVo DVR with a wireless router to satellite customers who sign up for its Optimum Triple Play package, which features digital cable, high-speed Internet access and digital voice-over-cable. Cablevision said the wireless router would enable broadband service without the need for a telephone line. (Corrects to reflect that Cablevision does not have satellite customers.)


source
http://biz.yahoo.com/cbsmb/050824/9cedeefd6c7d4b8193d81d7bd4a3b6d8.html?.v=2

 

[Sean Mota]

That's very good. The Tivo DVR is very stable. Is the test starting immediately? Does it apply to HD DVR as well?

 

[hbk409]

sean, i just found this on yahoo, they havent even told the employees about it. Dont know when they are going to start and if they will be hd or not. I would assume they would be hd but you never know with cablevision. Also did you notice that just one part of it dbs customer will also be getting hooked up with wireless internet

 

[Sean Mota]

sean, i just found this on yahoo, they havent even told the employees about it. Dont know when they are going to start and if they will be hd or not. I would assume they would be hd but you never know with cablevision. Also did you notice that just one part of it dbs customer will also be getting hooked up with wireless internet

Yes...

 

[hbk409]

Found out today that they are "supposed" to start with the tivo dvr in october

 

[Sean Mota]

In the yahoo group, some have speculated that this is the standalone tivo and as D* moves to their own dvr, it will be like a promotional 'thing' for those D* subs that still want tivo. This is only supposed to be an SD Tivo. No HD Tivo.

 

[MergaTroy6]

I've been reading a lot of articles and they are all equally confusing. Most of them seem to mention the word "integration" of Tivo into the DVR. I don't really see an advantage to this, as the current DVR integrates the iO Gui (I know its slow), and while slow, I find it more user friendly than the TiVo gui.

What advantages are there to having a TiVo branded box over say an SA8300? They are basically the same, and you don't need the broadband connection to update the SA like you do with the Tivo.

If it is a stand-alone alternative to the SA DVR as Sean says, it seems like a useless partnership. I've had both TiVo and the SA8300. The Tivo was slow in changing channels because of the IR blaster. The SA was made for Cablevision, its one box and its seamless.

The wireless router install will be a nice bonus for OOL users with multiple comps.

What is the advantage to the TiVo partnership?

 

[GadgetRick]

Merga:

Honestly, you're the FIRST person I've EVER heard say they prefer the SA8300 UI over a Tivo UI. That one sort of baffles me. The Tivo UI is WAY easier to figure out than the CV UI and it looks better to boot. Not to mention a slew of features which CV doesn't have and you can see the value of a potential partnership.

I had 2 Tivos in the past and now have a the SA8300. While the SA8300 is functional it is NOT a Tivo nor does it have everything I want in a dvr. The SA8300 STILL does not properly record regular shows. As an example, I have it set up to record the Ultimate Fighter. It starts at 11:05 and goes until 12:05. The SA8300 didn't know this so it recorded the last 5 minutes of wrestling the other night and cut off the last 5 minutes of The Ultimate Fighter. Now, is it easy enough to fix that? Of course. But, with Tivo I've NEVER had to worry about this. It just knows it's starting at an odd time. I haven't had the 8300 long enough to know what will happen when a show changes day/time but I'm worried it'll mess that up.

That's just one example of an inferior UI on the 8300. Give me the Tivo UI!!!

The Rickster

 

[riffjim4069]

I concur with the Rickster. Even my wife, who cares almost nothing about the HDTV or HD DVRs, mentioned how poor the SA8300HD DVR fared compared to our Dish 942 HD DVR. My wife would kill me if me if we ever went back to cable and the SA8300 box.

 

[VinnySem]

I recently switched from DTV with a TiVo to CableVision with 2 8300's, one of which is an HD. The Tivo is in another class compared to the 8300, in terms of features and interface. Not to mention the capability to transfer to PC and archive to DVD.

I called Cablevision yesterday, the CSR had no idea about any Tivo offer, I am hoping it is something I can get into, being a recent sat convert.

 

[MergaTroy6]

I dunno, I just like having only 1 piece of equipment. I did not like my Tivo at all. As for that 5 minute problem, I haven't experienced it. Rescue Me was on from 10:00 to 11:03 the other day and the DVR taped the last 3 minutes because it was in the channel guide as being on from 10:00-11:03. Don't get me wrong, the SA GUI is painfully slow and has terrible clarity, but I like that the DVR is integrated into it.

As for the CV Tivo offer, I have some updates.

• The Triple Bundle/TiVo test offer will be extended to approximately 600,000 likely DBS subscribers via a direct mail campaign in October and November.
• DBS subscribers who sign up for Triple Bundle will be able to order their TiVo box at no charge through the TiVo website.
• The offer will include a discounted TiVo monthly service fee of $6.95 (regularly $12.95).
• Customers will receive a separate monthly billing statement for their TiVo service.

So basically, if you sign up for CV after getting this mail out, you can get free Tivo hardware and a discounted monthly fee.

 

[GadgetRick]

If the Tivo is integrated you don't need the IR blaster. One of my Tivos was a DirecTivo and the channel changes were faster than on the 8300.

And I'm not sure I follow you on the channel guide being integrated with teh 8300. It's 100% integrated on the Tivo as well.

Sorry if I seem to be picking on you. I really don't mean to be.

The Rickster

 

[MergaTroy6]

The Cablevision deal is for a stand-alone TiVo that you would use in conjuction with an SA box.

Just a difference of opinion thats all, no worries.

 

[hbk409]

that doesnt make sense at all, why would the want a stand-alone tivo? Where did you hear that its definatly a stand alone?

 

[MergaTroy6]

In the memo sent to employees.

After a customer signs up, they get a "coupon" good for a tivo box to go online and buy their Tivo box from Tivo.com. On that website they also sign up for a discounted monthly rate of 6.95 and will get a seperate monthly bill from Tivo.

Things could change between now and October. I don't see how field service will be able to install the wireless router so it works with the Tivo, if we can't make sure the customer has the Tivo on the home.

If the Tivo was like the Direct TV Tivos where it it was integrated into a DirectTV box, I'd be singing its praises. Unfortunately, the evidence seems to point to a stand alone unit. That is why I didn't understand why someone wouldn't just stick it out with a SA DVR.

 

[GadgetRick]

Hmm, that doesn't make sense. Why would they do just that? Hopefully, it's just a way of quickly associating themselves with Tivo before they can do a full integration? Let's hope!

The Rickster

 

[VinnySem]

arrgggghhhh I was hoping for an all-in-one unit... maybe once the CableCard 2.0 TiVo is available...

 

[hbk409]

Just thought to update this now that we know the official offer

1. NEW! TiVo Winback Offer - Free 80 hour Series2 TiVo box and discounted service for $6.95/mt for 12 months when customers subscribe to the DBS Double or Triple Bundle Offers