Zatz Not Funny!

Do Retail DVRs Have a Chance?

There’s a lot of bad news on the retail set-top front. According to the NCTA, the number of retail CableCARD devices deployed has dropped to 600,000 from 603,000 since August. No big surprise. Despite a few flickers of life, the retail CableCARD market has been on a path of decline for years. But then there’s also the news that Intel has gone belly up with its OnCue set-top plans, and even Amazon is delayed with its Kindle-branded set-top, that was supposed to go to market before year end.

Do future retail DVRs have a shot?

Well, actually, yes.

TiVo Stream Receives The Out Of Home Treatment

The $90 TiVo Stream accessory that brings placeshifting to the TiVo Premiere and base Roamio is being updated for remote viewing. Like the the Roamio Pro/Plus, both your live television programming and TiVo-ed recordings can be viewed on iPhones or iPads both within and now beyond the home. Assuming your cable company plays along, as … Read more

Beats Pill XL to take on Big Jambox

By way of the FCC, we learn that Dr. Dre intends to up the ante with the Beats Pill XL. Like Jambox, they’ve supersized their initial portable Bluetooth speaker design for bigger sound (at a bigger price). Whereas Jambox styling was once fresh and fun, I find it a bit garish these days… and, by … Read more

TiVo Slide Pro QWERTY Remote Now Available

Based on a prematurely published blog post, we’ve learned that the refreshed TiVo QWERTY remote leaked by the WSJ and FCC docs is the real deal and presumably launching this week. The backlit TiVo Slide Pro Remote features both IR and RF capabilities that link to a single TiVo box. Beyond the obvious keyboard convenience, when mated to … Read more

Google Glass: The $1500 Question

As you may have heard, Google is expanding its Glass program beyond the initial couple thousand “Explorers” … and, by way of Tim Stevens (the “nicest guy in tech”), I received an invite. As an independent entity on a budget, versus a bankrolled journalist or celebrity, the potential $1500 fee stings. That amount could fund both a PS4 and an Xbone, with room for several accessories and games. Or the last plasma on earth. Or a solid projector. Or 6 crappy Chromebooks.

Yet Google Glass is a brand new product category, despite exploring augmented reality widgetry as far back the mid-90s with some grad school associates. It may or may not be more practical than a “smart” watch, but it’s way more compelling on a geek level… even if law enforcement isn’t a fan. The refreshed version supports lenses, starting with the new and included “twist-on Active Shade”

Why Pace May Be Thinking About Buying TiVo

Ever since set-top manufacturer Pace picked up Aurora Networks for $310 million last week, the cable industry has been abuzz over who the company could target next. While speculation is all over the map, Jeff Baumgartner has homed in on two possible acquisition candidates. SeaChange International is one, thanks largely to its video backoffice solutions and advanced advertising technology. TiVo is the other.

There are several reasons why a TiVo purchase (or merger) could make sense.

Aereo Needs More than Court Approval to Keep the Lights On

The courts have kept the lights on at Aereo so far, but it’s not clear that Aereo itself can afford the power bill. According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the online start-up company is facing massive electricity costs thanks to the tiny antennas it has to keep running for every subscriber on its video streaming roster. In the Journal’s analysis, Aereo could end up paying $2 million a year in New York alone if it scales up to the 350,000 subscribers CEO Chet Kanojia says he can support.

Meanwhile, Aereo also announced today that it will launch in the Denver metro area on November 4th. That makes nine markets for the video company, which also debuted in Detroit yesterday, that has said it intends to cover 22 markets by year end.

Kanojia indicates he has some ideas for dealing with the power dilemma. One is to use fuel cells for power generation. Another, and seemingly more likely option, is to combine Aereo’s antennas with its transcoding equipment. Like the cable operators, Aereo is discovering that relying on denser, multi-purpose equipment can (eventually) reduce both cap ex and operating costs.

As for Aereo’s broader business model,

TiVo Premiere Fall Update Arrives… Sans Netflix?

Right on schedule, the TiVo Premiere Fall Update has started rolling out. Beyond a raft of bug fixes, some of the more notable features, as documented by TiVo VP Margret Schmidt: “What to Watch Now” available from TiVo Central Press the C button in the Guide to filter by genre Updated WishList screens in HD … Read more