By way of CableFAX and TiVo VP Tom Elan, we learn TiVo is once again expanding their cable operator offerings:
The other one that’s cool is a hybrid set-top box. It’s essentially combining broadband with DTA technology. By adding broadband you get all of the economic advantages of DTA and the simplicity… but then all the benefits of broadband. So we can bring Netflix down to a low-cost set-top box product. It’s a non-cable card product, so it avoids the cost and complexity of cable cards and yet you get the full power of the TiVo experience and the OTT experience combined with the operator’s linear experience.
It just so happens that we have a few friends at The Cable Show and the esteemed Alan Wolk shot the above photos at the TiVo booth, which we believe could be the referenced box. If so, this wouldn’t be the first time TiVo partnered with Evolution Digital, given a few other cable-centric offerings including the original TiVo DTA. Sadly, this sort of simple, inexpensive solution will never make it onto retail shelves until the industry, with or without the FCC’s encouragement, develops and agrees upon a CableCARD successor.
Makes a lot of sense and piggybacks on the TiVo / Vyve Broadband announcement from January – http://www.evolutionbb.com/cable/TiVo-Selected-by-Vyve-Broadband-to-Provide-Exclusive-Next-Generation-Advanced-Television-Experience/subpage577.html
Also, from the same article… with 50% of TiVo’s MSO partners in the US offering Amazon, it makes more sense that there might be a new Amazon app coming in the next few years…. at least we can dream.
“Our individual operators need to determine exactly which blend of over-the-top services they want to provide. As an example, we have Amazon integrated into our set-tops. Roughly half of our operators offer the Amazon catalogue to their end users. And the other half said no, we don’t think that adds additional value, so we’re not going to include Amazon. That’s their discretion. “
“with 50% of TiVo’s MSO partners in the US offering Amazon,”
I wonder if the MSO’s get a percentage of the video rentals from Amazon? Amazon Video competes directly with the MSO’s VOD Movie service so I’m surprised it’s offered. I know on RCN, which has it’s own VOD $5.99 movie service, Amazon Video does is not available.
With Netflix now on Cable as well as Amazon can Hulu be far behind or is it a threat with it showing new first-run TV shows?