TiVo’s retail pivot away from the traditional DVR towards a smaller form factor Internet streamer has seemingly hit a bump in the road.
The Android TV-powered TiVo Stream 4K was originally slated for an April release. And, while the world has drastically changed in recent months, TiVo indicated the Stream 4K was on track and “coming very soon” on April 16th. So something has clearly come up, delaying its launch and leading to updated guidance that the TiVo Stream 4K should be available “in the next few weeks” (vs an outright cancellation of the product, as the Maverik was).
With so many sheltering in place, it’s an ideal time to get a streamer into the market. But TiVo is entering a crowded field of mature competitors, including Apple TV, Roku, and others. TiVo’s pitch is superior cross-app presentation and universal search, but they may also feature fewer deep linked content providers while only integrating Sling TV for live television and DVR — and, maddeningly, leaving behind their existing TiVo DVR customers.
The TiVo Stream 4K was originally slated to launch with $50 promotional pricing, followed by an eventual $70 MSRP. As with the release date that’s slipped, it wouldn’t surprise me if revised pricing could also be in play. We shall see.