Beginning in 2010, cable provider RCN will deploy TiVo as their primary DVR. While RCN has a smaller footprint than say a Comcast or Time Warner, this is pretty significant as the cable plant engineering requirements should be minimal… I believe they’re just re-purposing retail TiVo hardware with some RCN UI branding tweaks and charging a typical monthly rental fee. Additionally, cable VOD services will be powered via TiVo’s recent partnership with SeaChange. As in: This ain’t a tru2way play.
According to this article, RCN’s TivoHD will feature a 320GB drive:
http://www.multichannel.com/article/326471-RCN_Expects_To_Offer_TiVo_DVRs_For_3_5_Per_Month.php
Wonder if that’s unique to them or if the THD will be seeing a spec bump. Not a bad idea given the low price of storage and large amount of HD content these days.
Since I posted (and quoted) that link here and on AVS/TCF, it was edited to say 250GB. But it used to say 320GB.
Funny.
This is great news. A custom hybrid Tivo/Cable DVR, not some pseudo tivo software shoehorned into a Motorola DVR like Comcast is doing in .05% of their footprint.
Pretty funny, since RCN in Manhattan seems to have a hell of a time with cable cards in my S3.
On DSLR, a sactioned RCN employee made the following comments:
VOD for retail TivoHD DVRs is “not part of the scope in this launch.”
“It will be available in all markets, and it’s a new DVR. Pricing is still up in the air but this is not a software push to existing hardware in the field.
“It’s a new box with more features than you can shake a stick at.”
“NETFLIX Streaming will be available..”
Hm, that contradicts the press release and what I was told by TiVo. So either he’s wrong, or they forgot to mention the VOD functionality would be a staggered rollout/update.
“Regarding the PPV , We have to do some work to build a PPV application that will allow you to order with your remote. The goal is to have that in place prior to launch.”
When he said VOD capabiility was “not part of the scope of this launch,” he was referring to TivoHD DVRs not deployed by RCN.
Ah, I missed that ‘retail’ modifier in your original citation.
They’re going to have an interesting problem (customer education) on their hands with supporting retail TiVo products and offering their own. Then again, it’s not so different than Comcast in New England I guess – although the hardware is entirely different.
Netflix–one of TiVo’s greatest new features–is noteably missing from RCN’s information about their TiVo deal.
Ich m?chte immer ?ber ein gebrochenes Herz kann so einfach sein wie das