Oh Crap - Rovi buys TiVo?

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First off no, they didn't and second the reason TiVo isn't used as a verb more often (it is still by some people), is that TiVo actively discouraged people from doing.

TiVo didn't want every DVR to be called a TiVo in the same way people call all tissues Kleenex and all copiers Xerox. They were protecting their trademark. That's also partially why they started naming TiVo models.

 

New dish hd dvr with 16 tuners, pip, pap, sports bar mode, 4k support, and streaming.

Only partial downside is no skipmode, but i can do without if they have 30skip.

 

Hopper has been more advanced than TiVo for years. Ditto Genie.

 

My Roamio's lifetime is hoping for the best.

I found this article about a recent Netflix vs Rovi court case that invalidated some of ROVI's patents for their TV Guide data. Is that a group of patents they would pick up from buying TIVO?

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...orporation-lives-and-dies-by-the-netflix.aspx

What this decision means to Rovi and Netflix
For Rovi, this case is a big deal. Some 22% of the company's 2014 sales rested on licensing agreements with DIRECTV, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable, and all of these contracts are set to expire either this year or by the middle of 2016. The broadcasters pay Rovi for the right to use its patented TV guide systems, which in turn depend on patents like the ones Netflix called into question.

 

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Clearly you missed marketing 101

 

No we Have a very strange event in the tech world where someone is named an acting CEO with no announcement from the board of a search committee.

That, though strange, combined with everything else we now know gives 20/20 vision unless your eyes are closed.

 

Clearly you missed trademarking 101.

 

I had DirecTV with a Genie just before switching to my Roamio OTA. The Genie is a good solid DVR. In fact, there are some aspects of the UI/controls that I prefer to TiVo. But TiVo does give you more granular control about all episodes vs just new episodes, how many episodes to keep, etc. (At least I think so; I'm not all that demanding about such details.) And TiVo integrates with several streaming services, of course, which the Genie does not.

DirecTV does offer very good HD picture quality, better than the average cable company, I'd say.

 

Tell that to Coke, Kleenex and Xerox.

Hollywood writers do not stop calling a DVR "TiVo" because of a Trademark. They call it what the public calls it.

TiVo lost its synonym with a DVR when TiVo became just another DVR.

 

My DirecTV Genies have much more control than my TiVos.

 

Well, if they do get out of the DVR business, stop updating the guide, the least they can do is let TiVo's "Set Up a Manual Recording". I don't think, currently, Manual Recordings work without the TiVo service.

 

The cable companies were given some protections in exchange for building their infrastructure, including an affordable tier of basic service, and accommodating PEG interests, but broadcast television dominated at that time. By the time the cable infrastructure was complete, satellite tv was available. Now, cable companies compete with FiOS, satellite, broadcast, and OTT.

When television recording first became feasible, it was the content creators, not the premium providers, that sought to outlaw the boxes. The FCC sided with the consumer. That created the opportunity for Replay TV and TiVo.

The patent lawyers killed off competition in TiVo's favor and the company has made a lot of money off lawsuits since. By killing off TiVo's competition, these lawyers allowed the TiVo to continue to sell their products at prices and terms that limited their growth.

TiVo has had, until recently, far less competition than the cable companies. They enjoyed protection from the courts. Like the cable companies, TiVo ignored potential competition, annoying competition, and legitimate competition assuming brand and awesomeness would bouy the company. Last year a lot of awesomeness was added -- streaming, 4k, and commercial skip -- but prices offset the value of the awesomeness to a lot of potential customers. Most excitement was generated by their OTA value bundle. At the same time, commercial skip alienated potential partners.

I suppose I am in a minority in expecting TiVo to survive Rovi, but it will. Rovi will dramatically cut costs and broaden the audience while licensing tech to others. Their win will be replacing the guide provider on TiVos. (Curated commercial skip will not likely survive the quest for value.) Slowing development and operating costs, I suspect Lifetime and monthly fees will drop making the TiVo more attractive. Maybe they sell the Bolt with features disabled as a value box people can add services to? Time will tell.

 

NYT is reporting that merger talks are in the early stages with Rovi looking to aquire TiVo. Rovi (formerly known as Macrovision) is a company that has a collection of DVR based technologies and patents.

 

No. No. No . please no.

 

Currently being discussed over in TiVo Coffee House:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=539224

 

Didn't see that one. You can lock this one. Thanks!

 

Thanks for posting a great example of what my post said.

There is a great difference between knowing something and believing something. Regardless of what you or I believe we don't know what you have said because we have no first hand knowledge or verified facts. We have a belief based on assumptions based on a limited amount of info that has not been verified.

So while I actually agree that your belief is very likely the case we do not know it.

 

Not sure why someone with apparently no understanding of trademark law would continue to push an incorrect point. Trademarks serve to identify a source of origin for goods/services. If the trademark becomes synonymous with the goods/services then anyone can use it to identify the underlying goods/services.

The companies owning the trademarks Coke, Kleenex, and Xerox actively protect against generic use of their trademarks. For Coke see https://books.google.com/books?id=ISTwe1QC4mQC&pg=PA185&lpg=PA185&dq=how+does+coke+enforce+its+trademarks&source=bl&ots=LMW88FSQQS&sig=mVjzinvFfhOuadipgleCW_GZRDk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX4P3s5dvLAhVIQCYKHRurBzwQ6AEITjAH#v=onepage&q=how%20does%20coke%20enforce%20its%20trademarks&f=false