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Friday, June 19, 2009

Tivo - What is More Important, Content Or Distribution


For broadband connected Tivos, some great news, Tivo can now upload TV.com content. "TV.com users that have a TiVo Series2 or Series3, TiVo HD or TiVo HD XL DVR, are now able to schedule recordings directly to their DVR via TV.com. To record single episodes or entire seasons of shows users can click the 'Record to TiVo' button on TV.com show pages and the request will be sent directly to their TiVo DVR." Tivo continues to represent a leadership position in the DVR functionality and experience. For Tivo, content is king!

Great news for Tivo fans, but is it ultimately in Tivo's best interest? It seems that this content is the same content CBS and its partners put on cable and over the air. It seems that Tivo ultimately competes with cable as a means to watch your favorite shows. Perhaps Tivo should make more effort to partner with cable and telco as their DVR provider. It would provide an ultimately higher revenue stream and push the VOD/DVR experience through cable as opposed to around it.

Currently, Tivo is expanding its reach with Comcast and Direct TV and in a technology fight with Dish. The more content that Tivo can access directly from the web, the less valuable a cable subscription could become. It becomes a slippery slope as more live content (news, sports, etc) becomes available without a cable box.