This can’t be good news for Beyond TV, SageTV, and ReplayTV… TiVo’s entering the PC software DVR market (!) with Nero at an unspecified time and price. A few years ago, perhaps before current CEO Tom Rogers took the helm, PC DVR software was alluded to at a conference call – But I had assumed the idea had long been passed over. If TiVo was doing this on their own, I’d say it was a bone-headed move for a niche market owned by Microsoft’s Media Center these days. However, TiVo’s expense and risk are probably low by partnering with Nero. And as the press release mentions, this is a clever way of pushing the TiVo interface and experience towards an international audience. (Nero, who you may know as a DVD-burning software company, has offices in Germany, Japan, and China in addition to the US.) Some details from the press release:
Under the agreement, Nero will develop a software solution that will bring TiVo features to the personal computer. Capitalizing on the growing PC TV tuner market, it will answer the consumer demand for a trusted PC-based DVR experience […] “This agreement provides TiVo with an opportunity to deliver its interface and differentiated feature set globally via the PC, enabling TiVo to use all avenues of mass distribution — from consumer electronics, to cable and satellite boxes and soon, the PC,” said Tom Rogers.