Back at CES, we admired Verizon’s upcoming six-tuner IPTV Media Server (VMS) and thin clients. And while it appears “soon” is off the table, the company has put a stake in the ground at NAB for a September launch. FiOS TV has long offered a whole-home DVR experience, but this evolved solution takes on more of a true hub-and-spoke approach with a central server (and FiOS router) feeding extenders sprinkled about the home. Also revealed at NAB is a VMS recording capacity of 100 hours, equating to perhaps a 750GB or 1TB drive. Along with the new hardware, we expect Verizon to continue layering on OTT content as they’ve done with Twitter and Pandora. Of course, TiVo offers FiOS customers a compelling whole home solution with their Premiere and Mini platform (that I run)… but it requires a certain amount of upfront cash along with a willingness to understand and overcome retail CableCARD shenanigans — representing an ever-shrinking number of customers.
I want .. wonder what it will cost to move to this from the current whole house DVR solution.
I have no intel, but I’d bet something like $25/mo for the hub and maybe $10 for each client. But will they charge an upgrade fee as they have in the past? Hm.
“I’d bet something like $25/mo for the hub and maybe $10 for each client.”
TiVo as the bargain basement play. Who woulda thunk it?
TiVo as the bargain basement play. Who woulda thunk it?
Unfortunately, most consumers can’t see it. They think Tivo is more expensive!
Depend on one’s time horizon I suppose and how much one can comfortably float the company. Not to mention, with the TiVo Premiere XL4 going for $400… where might that put a new 6-tuner model?
Dave I actually think the next round of tivos will more or less slot in at the same price points. The XL4 is now readily down around $34X so an XL6 or whatever the name may very well be $400.
Pricing is going to be interesting this round. Assuming the 4 tuner is now the base model which would make sense I don’t see TiVo wanting it to be priced past $199 which would be $50 cheaper than the current model. I just don’t know if they can get it that low unless they are making enough with the Mini and they count on a high Mini attachment rate.
I really hope at most the XL6 with a 3TB drive runs what the Elite debuted at which was $499. If it is 2TB I would expect a $399 price.
The only other option depends on cost to add OTA. If expensive I could see a 4 tuner without OTA for $199 and a 4 tuner with OTA for $299.
Verizon is taking forever to release this. Dish and Directv have had this similar technology for over a year. By the time Verizon releases this, their competitors will have something even better.
While I agree that TiVo is getting pretty competitive on this, they still can’t match the extended services within the Verizon STB such as Pay Per View and OnDemand. That said, Verizon better move fast … I’m about to dump them for another service that does offer these same components. Everyone else on the market seems to have leapfrogged them as far as STBs and service and while the new Media Server looks great, I just don’t see it doing anything other than catching them up. Damn frustrating as I want to really like FiOS more.
I doubt Verizon will provide updated equipment for quite some time, once they finally offer new equipment. Even just the 500gb box took months to get as an upgrade. I switched from Directv and have regretted moving to FiOS for TV. I do like FiOS internet services. I plan to switch to Directv as soon as my contract is up in September. NFL ticket I miss you and the faster response of your equipment and better menus etc….
My fios contract is finally up and I was going to switch back to Dish Network but this media server might keep me around – as long as I can get it for free with a new contract. Otherwise I’m going back to Dish. The current verizon dvr is 10 years behind competitors’ technology and I’m sick of getting pop ups to upgrade to fios quantum every time I turn on the tv! If they can’t bring it to market by fall tv season, I’m moving on.