S3 (or S2) and movies on demand

[puckettcg]

At the risk of being blasted for not "searching the forum" to see if a thread already exists on this question, I was wondering whether anyone had any news as to whether TIVO will be coming out with any type of downloadable movie service for the S3.

If apple is planning on it with a 299 box in first quarter, it seems like TIVO should follow the money and roll out with something comparable. The ability to order and download DVD quality movies to an S3 would be the push I would need to jump in. It just seem silly to me that the technical ability to do this has existed with TIVO for a pretty long time, but yet they've never done anything with it. It seems that if Apple can get away with charging 299 for a box that can't record, TIVO could drop the price of the S3 and both increase their subscriber base and supplement their income via the download service.

Just wondering.

[hookbill]

At the risk of being blasted for not "searching the forum" to see if a thread already exists on this question, I was wondering whether anyone had any news as to whether TIVO will be coming out with any type of downloadable movie service for the S3.

If apple is planning on it with a 299 box in first quarter, it seems like TIVO should follow the money and roll out with something comparable. The ability to order and download DVD quality movies to an S3 would be the push I would need to jump in. It just seem silly to me that the technical ability to do this has existed with TIVO for a pretty long time, but yet they've never done anything with it. It seems that if Apple can get away with charging 299 for a box that can't record, TIVO could drop the price of the S3 and both increase their subscriber base and supplement their income via the download service.

Just wondering.

I'm not familliar with the box your talking about. It will record all TV shows, not just movies? And as far as "DVD quality, I'll take HD quality any day. So If I record a movie on HBO HD it will be better then DVD quality.

But I suppose you are talking about an "on demand" feature. The S3 is not capabale of that.

[ah30k]

Downloadable is different from on-Demand. I suspect you are referring to internet downloadable content. Certainly TiVo is working deals to do this, but details have not emerged yet. HD content for internet download will be extremely difficult due to bandwidth constraints. DVD-quality, perhaps more likely.

I think TiVoStephen is working this on his new job, but I'm not sure.

[zalusky]

I thought I read a digg article that indicated Tivo might be trying to do something like this with Amazon. Of course I could have dreamt it.

[classicsat]

Specifically for the S3? I don't think there are immediate plans for such.

FWIW, I believe the Apple box works in conjunction with a Mac or PC, so comparably by price, the S3 is just as good a deal.

For an IPTV only box, TiVo would have to make another product.

[Stormspace]

The more I think about it the less likely it seems to me that a movie download service will be available to S2 users, unless TiVo can off load some of the processing to a PC on the same network as the S2 to convert the video to Mpeg2.

It would take quite a while to suck down a 6GB DVD quality movie to the TiVo. It's more likely this will be a S3 feature only that leverages the smaller file formats it supports.

[sommerfeld]

The more I think about it the less likely it seems to me that a movie download service will be available to S2 users, unless TiVo can off load some of the processing to a PC on the same network as the S2 to convert the video to Mpeg2.

It would take quite a while to suck down a 6GB DVD quality movie to the TiVo.

Not for much longer in many areas...

I'm able to download files to my home network at just shy of 600kbytes/s over a once premium 6mbit/s DSL service. So that 6GB movie could take just under 3 hours to download. Not exactly instant gratification, but it's getting close.

Verizon is building out FiOS in my neighborhood, and they will soon offer 15mbit/s and 30mbit/s services; 15mbit/s would let that 6GB movie download in just over an hour..

[classicX]

Certainly TiVo is working deals to do this, but details have not emerged yet.

Prove it.

[cwoody222]

At the risk of being blasted for not "searching the forum" to see if a thread already exists on this question, I was wondering whether anyone had any news as to whether TIVO will be coming out with any type of downloadable movie service for the S3.

If apple is planning on it with a 299 box in first quarter, it seems like TIVO should follow the money and roll out with something comparable. The ability to order and download DVD quality movies to an S3 would be the push I would need to jump in. It just seem silly to me that the technical ability to do this has existed with TIVO for a pretty long time, but yet they've never done anything with it. It seems that if Apple can get away with charging 299 for a box that can't record, TIVO could drop the price of the S3 and both increase their subscriber base and supplement their income via the download service.

Just wondering.

Apple's $299 iTV box will not download movies. Your Mac or PC using iTunes will download movies. Your iTV will play the files on your TV.

They're not quite DVD quality.

Just because TiVo can play MPEG files does not mean it has the "technical ability" to let users browse a movie store, pay for movies, engage in a business model with copyright holders, play movies, etc.

It's a LOT more than playing video files.

[ZeoTiVo]

Prove it.
rumors and speculation abound. I think he just menat that TiVo has certainly shown an interest in this and has the infrastructure in place. From that it is reasonable to say they are working on download content. How sucessfully is the unknown part.

[bilbo]

Netflix will announce their download plans 01/22/07 (at their conference call to discuss their annual results). Whether that will involve Tivo who was/is a partner with Netflix on downloading movies remains to be seen. Netflix is investigating possibly using some type of set-top box to download movies.

[ashu]

Netflix will announce their download plans 01/22/07 (at their conference call to discuss their annual results). Whether that will involve Tivo who was/is a partner with Netflix on downloading movies remains to be seen. Netflix is investigating possibly using some type of set-top box to download movies.

If the Netflix deal/announcement involves TiVo, I'll be happy.

If not, I'll be dumping Netflix ... it's that simple.

[ah30k]

Prove it.

How about this smartass!

http://research.tivo.com/redtrousers/

or this

http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/11/exclusive-pics-of-tivo-download/

This is just 2 of the first 4 google hits on "TiVo download"

About TiVo Video Download

TiVo Video Download is a new feature through which TiVo subscribers can download movies, TV shows, and other video programming directly to their TiVo DVR over broadband. TiVo Video Download requires that your TiVo box be connected to broadband. TiVo Video Download does not interfere with TV recording, watching recorded programming, or other TiVo functions.

[Cormode]

When Netflix and Tivo first mentioned downloadable movies, the industry balked bacause of security concerns. AFAIK technical issues were not a concern.

The movie industry said that tivos were about as secure as my grandmas outhouse. Allowing digital movies onto a tivo box would be the same as just posting the URL of an FTP site where anyone can get them for free.

With the 2.5 nightlight you'd think tivo security would be finally gaining some credibility, but I don't think so. I someone manages to crack or steal the private key for the series 3, I doubt we'll ever see downloadable movies.

If downloadable movies come to tivo they will most certainly not be avaliable for 2.0 boxes. Since Tivo has never distiguished in markeing between the 2.0 and the 2.5, I believe they won't be able to start now therefore movies will be 3.0 only.

[OnlyGPS]

I'm betting on netflix offering to all tivo subscribers and maybe delivering the content similar to moviebeam but then I guess you would need to store the movies your hard drive.

[MichaelK]

Apple's $299 iTV box will not download movies. Your Mac or PC using iTunes will download movies. Your iTV will play the files on your TV.

They're not quite DVD quality.

Just because TiVo can play MPEG files does not mean it has the "technical ability" to let users browse a movie store, pay for movies, engage in a business model with copyright holders, play movies, etc.

It's a LOT more than playing video files.


I'd say that tivo's HME fandango app to browse movies and theaters and buy movie tickets on your tivo shows that they have the technological ability to let users browse a movie store, pay for movies, engage in a business model with copyright holders, play movies, etc.

Now if they can get a studio to agree to engage in said business model is a whole 'nother issue.

[MichaelK]

When Netflix and Tivo first mentioned downloadable movies, the industry balked bacause of security concerns. AFAIK technical issues were not a concern.

The movie industry said that tivos were about as secure as my grandmas outhouse. Allowing digital movies onto a tivo box would be the same as just posting the URL of an FTP site where anyone can get them for free.

With the 2.5 nightlight you'd think tivo security would be finally gaining some credibility, but I don't think so. I someone manages to crack or steal the private key for the series 3, I doubt we'll ever see downloadable movies.

If downloadable movies come to tivo they will most certainly not be avaliable for 2.0 boxes. Since Tivo has never distiguished in markeing between the 2.0 and the 2.5, I believe they won't be able to start now therefore movies will be 3.0 only.



while I generally agree that's part of the issue. Is it any more complex or difficult to pop your netflix DVD in your computer run any one of the scores of dvd ripping freeware programs and posing the file on bit torrent?

If it's DVD quality then you can download it from bittorrent today, tivo doesn't matter.

HD might be a differnt story but since the S3 is the only device in their staple that can play mpeg4 HD then As long as they keep the S3 tight life is good...