Murdock selling DTV?

[mphare]

Maybe there's hope for the DTiVo after all. If Rupert sells DTV to Liberty (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117950090?categoryid=1236&cs=1), then the R-15 is not as attractive of an offering (to DTV, not us anyway) as going back with TiVo.

Maybe HMO and TiVo2Go are back on the plate?

Any thoughts on this?

[beanpoppa]

Any sale/transfer to Liberty would be months off, and then, the process of changing platforms (if they choose to do that) would be several months to years long as well. The DirecTivo's are no longer being manufactured. They wouldn't likely retool to manufacture the old models, so a new model would need to be drafted (probably basing off the Series 3). You're looking at a minimum of 1.5 to 2 years before you could buy a new DirecTivo IF Murdoch sells to Liberty, and Liberty chooses to re-up with Tivo.

[rminsk]

Maybe there's hope for the DTiVo after all. If Rupert sells DTV to Liberty (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117950090?categoryid=1236&cs=1), then the R-15 is not as attractive of an offering (to DTV, not us anyway) as going back with TiVo.What makes think that? Why would the TiVo suddenly become more attractive since DirecTV has already so much invested in the HR20-700 and R15.

[tbeckner]

What makes think that? Why would the TiVo suddenly become more attractive since DirecTV has already so much invested in the HR20-700 and R15.I would say that John Malone from Liberty Media is a SHOOT FROM THE HIP sort of fella, and there is a very good possibility that he would SCRAP the poor equipment that DirecTV has built, since he doesn't need to stay with it.

He will not lose face if he junks it and whatever investment DirectV made in their own platform was more of a plan of News Corporation and Murdoch's people to consolidate all of the equipment. John Malone's plan is to use the Internet and Clearwire (Wireless Internet/VoIP) to consolidate DirecTV's position. This was actually Murdoch's plan until August 17th, when "Wireless DBS" dropped out of the FCC auction.

History is always a good teacher, so look back into John Malone's and Liberty Media's past and you should have a very good idea where he is going to head the company. Business Week had a very good article last week about John Malone and the DirecTV purchase, you might want to read it. :)

John Malone didn't make his money building equipment for use in his cable systems, he bought the equipment from outside suppliers.

Additional Thought:

DirecTV doesn't have that much invested in the R15 (which they planned on replacing anyway by the first part of next year), and the HR20. Both are stop gap products.

[VicF]

Since we are dreaming, wouldn't it be nice to get a D* receiver on a cable card.

[tbeckner]

Since we are dreaming, wouldn't it be nice to get a D* receiver on a cable card.Who is dreaming?

John Malone is actually more likely to buy equipment from Motorola or another low cost builder than TiVo.

[mphare]

But, as you said, Tivo or not, he's not very likely to stay with the R15.

I was on board with this thing (the R15). I got one, I tried it. I wanted it to work.

But it doesn't.

I doubt Liberty wants to spend effort fixing the thing.

[rminsk]

DirecTV doesn't have that much invested in the R15 (which they planned on replacing anyway by the first part of next year), and the HR20. Both are stop gap products.Again, what makes you say that?

[dtremain]

Since we are dreaming, wouldn't it be nice to get a D* receiver on a cable card.Cable card is a failed technology. It certainly could not provide for any kind of DVR, so what's the point?

[rminsk]

Cable card is a failed technology. It certainly could not provide for any kind of DVR, so what's the point?So I guess all those people with a TiVo Series 3 have no point in owning one...

[Cygnet Boy]

I once heard that Murdock owned and patented his own version of the DVR and that is what DTV has moved towards. But they did sign a 3 (or is it a 5 year deal) with TiVo, probably to keep DTV out of court.

Things didn't go so well for EchoStar (Dish Network) when TiVo sued them and ordered them to turn off all their DVR's. Just a stay from a judge kept Dish Network folks from waking up one morning a few weeks ago to find out that the DVR's had been deactivated from the CO. See the Press Release (http://www.tivo.com/cms_static/press_103.html) here. Ideas? Insights? Always wanting to learn more...
:rolleyes:

[lvthunder]

How do you guys know Motorola would charge less then TiVo. Most the cable companies already had contracts with the guys that provide there DVR's. I would hope that they would go back to the way it was when I first got D* where there were a number of companies that you could buy the box from.