remember....times are gettin tuff out there and in order for direct tv to get some of that hard earned bucks...they are goin to have to be more inventive.....that is why the tivo thing be alive and in stream soon....
DirecTV isn't hurting at all. There is no hurry on their part.
During the Citi call yesterday DirecTV didn't mention Tivo at all and nobody asked a question about it. DirecTV hasn't said a peep about the Tivo deal since it was announced over 6 months ago.
During the same Citi conference Tivo only mentioned the deal once and they they "hoped" it would be out next year. That would be 2010. You can bet if Tivo doesn't show this new box at CES this week that it won't be out until mid 2010 at the earliest.
Meanwhile DirecTV has 5.5 million subs with HD, 99% of them without Tivo, and growing by leaps and bounds every quarter, estimated to be 70% of their sub base in 2 years.
It's great that DirecTV plans to offer a Tivo option. But people need to get it in their head that DirecTV doesn't need Tivo at all. Tivo needs DirecTV in a huge way. And the only reason this deal was even made is because Tivo is going to take most of the risk and DirecTV gets a cut. Note that there will be a surcharge for the Tivo unit above and beyond the DVR fee. Thus that is where most of the cost will go. So even if that's $5 a month *most* people will just take whatever they get from DirecTV, they won't pay extra. All DVRs are Tivo to the general public. Can't tell you how many people I know with a non Tivo DVR that all think they have a Tivo. It's kinda funny actually.
