TiVo v EchoStar Update, Part 1

Davis Freeberg believes recent developments in the TiVo/Echostar patent infringement suit may indicate an imminent settlement. -DZ

In the latest twist for the blogosphere’s favorite patent telenovela, the Federal Appeals court overseeing the current stage of TiVo’s patent case against Dish, has put EchoStar’s patent appeal on pause for the next 14 days, pending the settlement of the case. According to the Pacer court of appeals website, the following entry was recorded last night.

10/30/2006: ORDERED: Briefing schedule stayed. EchoStar to notify this court within 14 days of date of disposition of final postjudgment motion in dist ct. By: Motions Panel. Judge: Gajarsa
SERVICE: by Mail on 10/30/2006

In addition to this order item, there was also the following action posted on the site:

ACTION: Entry 27: Motion moot

While I don’t play a legal expert on TV or even pretend to understand the subtle legalese of the Pacer website, I did contact a friend of mine who is an attorney in Texas, and he said that the order likely meant that TiVo and Echostar are very close to a settlement, but that the details haven’t been completely finalized.

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Xbox 360: Video-On-Demand Trojan Horse

I’ve been theorizing for awhile that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 (and the forthcoming Sony Playstation 3) isn’t really about teens and video games. Obviously gaming is a core feature and responsible for getting these systems into many homes, despite the steep $400 price of admission. But that’s just a trojan horse — the real money and … Read more

Vlogging Killed the Blogger Star?

It’s starting. Now that we’ve had full blog network saturation, it’s time to kick into gear with video log (vlog) networks. Brightcove announced Monday the launch of Brightcove Network, a free service for anyone looking to start their own commercial Internet video channel. In a nutshell, Brightcove is trying to capitalize on the phenomenon spawned … Read more

TiVo Opens Software Beta

TiVo, Inc is expanding their pool of beta testers for the upcoming fall software release. Series2 owners can drop their service number in a hat and hope for inclusion. While this is an open call, the information about the beta cannot be discussed publicly. So, I better get the speculation and reporting out of my … Read more

Interesting News Dave Hasn’t Covered

Never enough time… Google monetizes video sharing: TechCrunch Cablevision Network DVR hearings begin: Digital Animators Another day, another media extender — this one in DivX HD: Gizmodo T-Mobile to test DVB-H video broadcasts: Phone Scoop

DivX Unmuzzled, Quiet Period Ends

divx.jpg

Over the past few months I have become increasingly obsessed with a company that I have followed for a very long time. For most people, today was like any other Monday. They went to work, talked about their weekend and couldn’t wait for it to be over, but for me I spent the day waiting in anticipation of something that I’ve been looking forward to for several months now.

For the first time ever, I had the opportunity to listen to DivX publically comment on their business plan and their execution over the last few months. In the past, I’ve followed DivX as closely as any other tech enthusiast and while I understood that the quality of their codec and the underground roots that set them apart, very little information was leaked out about this private company based in San Diego California. While many have either never heard of DivX or have no idea of what the company does, over the years, I’ve formed a fond appreciation for their technology and their inexplicable ability to survive regardless of the competitive landscape.

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XM Successfully Launches New Satellite

After a brief delay, Sea Launch successfully sent XM-4 into orbit yesterday as pictured above. There’s all sorts of technical details to peruse, such the satellite’s 15 year lifespan and 18 kilowatts of power, but my bottom line is: rocket launches are cool. Sea Launch successfully completed the XM-4 Mission on October 30, 2006. A … Read more