The Mercedes of DVRs is finally adding a very useful feature for the mobile consumer, a Slingbox-like feature to stream live and recorded programming to another device. Do I sense a patent suit from Dish to follow? Finally, an easy authenticated device that enables cable subscribers to watch their favorite shows or live sporting events when they are away from their home. Cable MSOs should be embracing this new TiVo box as they promote their cable subscription, yet few have truly embraced TiVo. Perhaps because they are an agnostic box, willing to work with any and all providers, cable, telco and satellite. And that is why the big MSOs have not made it easy to add a TiVo box to the house or to enable it to also access the cable operators on demand features.
"TiVo will debut both products at retail, or through partnerships with multichannel TV service providers including DirecTV, Charter Communications, Suddenlink and the UK’s Virgin Media, later this year." For those providers that do partner with TiVo, this new Slingbox-like feature is a great added value.
Lol, if TiVo is the Mercedes, the Hopper from Dish is the Maserati. It connects to more TVs, has twice the recording capability, and offers amazing web-integrated features. It also works perfectly with the Sling Adapter, which costs about $100 less than any other Sling product purchased independently. I also like that, while other providers offer Sling capability for the iPad for an extra $30, MY Sling works with my FREE Dish Remote Access app (DRA). A few of my Dish coworkers and I got Sling and DRA a few months ago, and while we love it, I highly doubt there will be any sort of patent lawsuits coming down the pipeline. That would be like moving backward.
ReplyDeleteAhh such loyalty James. Glad to hear that as a Dish employee, you love your products. As to the patent line, the question really is whether the sling like features on the new Tivo box violate any patents or is original. It has nothing to do with moving backwards; rather, it is a legal question.
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