On paper, Xperi seems to align more closely with the patent/licensing portions of TiVo. And my hunch is that it’s quicker, easier to simply merge now (despite a year of planning) and unload the product/services capabilities at a later date. Hello Arris TiVo?
For us retail customers, I wouldn’t expect any drastic changes within 12 months of the deal closing. Having said that, one of Rovi management’s first moves was to kill the unannounced, unreleased TiVo Mavrik. It remains to be seen if TiVo, let alone Xperi, has the fortitude to stay the course with their Android TV Stick – of vague capabilities and unrealistically lofty sales goals.