[BillyT2002]

Publically annound the series 3 already! We're all sick of waiting and you're killing me here.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

.

second half of 2006

 

[HogarthNH]

A press release would still be nice.
There are milestones between here and being able to buy one.
Seeing each milestone reached is exciting to those awaiting the hardware.

Every time TiVo evades setting or reaching a milestone, it's a bad omen.

H

 

[bidger]

A press release would still be nice.

I think it's a matter of a lot of things about the unit are still to be determined that a press release at this point would still leave a lot unanswered.

 

[megazone]

Yeah - the showing at CES was kind of a teaser and not an official product launch. Since the unit isn't shipping until the second half, it is too early to spend their press coverage. If they do a release now it'll get covered in the popular press, but with the dark cloud of a long wait. Then when it is closer and they try to publicize it, a lot of press will ignore it as something they already covered.

This way they get word of mouth amongst the community (us) and industry, without having use their press collateral too early.

 

[HogarthNH]

Since the unit isn't shipping until the second half, it is too early to spend their press coverage.

Not for any of the other companies at CES.
I'd say probably 40% of products demoed at CES are scheduled for a second half of the year release.
It's the entire reason they have CES.

I think the lack of a press release is indicative of TiVo's nervousness and lack of positive cash flow. Only announcing the product will prove this one way or the other.

It's put up or shut up time, TiVo.

H

 

[MickeS]

And if they DID officially announce it now, people would complain that they announced it too early, since it's not gonna be available for at least another 6 months (Osborne and all that...)

 

[Bierboy]

...I'd say probably 40% of products demoed at CES are scheduled for a second half of the year release.
It's the entire reason they have CES....

Maybe that's why it's called "2006 CES" and not "First Six Months of 2006 CES" or "Middle Three Months of 2006 CES" or "Last Six Months of 2006 CES".

 

[bidger]

Well, I do think HognarthNH's comments are valid. I was confused when I saw the TiVo CES web page and no mention of the HD unit. I realize we're talking about a very small percentage of the market, but it's a market that's drifting to other solutions for recording HD. OK, so they announced it at last years CES, but a blurb about having a working model as a reminder of sorts...how does that hurt? They might be embarrassed about the slowness of being able to go to market with the unit, but given that they're having to deal with cable on Cable Card 2.0 specs, it's understandable.

 

[megazone]

Maybe that's why it's called "2006 CES" and not "First Six Months of 2006 CES" or "Middle Three Months of 2006 CES" or "Last Six Months of 2006 CES".

That has nothing to do with it. CES takes place once a year, the name is the year the show takes place, period.

A LOT of products are not announced at CES. I know of others, from other vendors (and no, I'm not saying anything). CES is not the only show. There is CEDIA, where a lot of things are announced. There is an Internaltional CES later in the year. CES is not the only event and hardly the only venue for things to be announced.

Each company decides where and when to announce their products for the best result. TiVo felt that CES was not the best time because they didn't want to be swallowed up in all the new from the 'big boys'. That's why this year, instead of a plethora of announcements at CES, they trickled out announcements in the months leading up to CES, and they've withheld other announcements for later this year - like the Series3.

That's there choice, and I think it makes sense given their size. They can spread things out and sustain more press coverage than one big wave, and they don't have to fight for ink as much, while still getting some buzz just from being at the show.

 

[gastrof]

Maybe that's why it's called "2006 CES" and not "First Six Months of 2006 CES" or "Middle Three Months of 2006 CES" or "Last Six Months of 2006 CES".

That has nothing to do with it. CES takes place once a year, the name is the year the show takes place, period...

I think the point being made was that just because something is displayed at "2006 CES", that doesn't mean it'll be released immediately. It could be months and months away.

That's what I understood Bierboy to mean. Could be wrong, of course...

 

[HogarthNH]

I think the point being made was that just because something is displayed at "2006 CES", that doesn't mean it'll be released immediately. It could be months and months away.

That's what I understood Bierboy to mean. Could be wrong, of course...

Amen.

In my mind -- lack of an announcement connotates that you didn't have anything worth announcing. Otherwise, you would have at least issued a vague press release. 99% of the companies did, even if they make ipod knockoff mp3 players that suck.

If you have a great brand, people waiting to hear your announcement, and you STILL don't bother? That, to me, indicates a serious problem, of one nature or another.

H

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Amen.

In my mind -- lack of an announcement connotates that you didn't have anything worth announcing. Otherwise, you would have at least issued a vague press release. 99% of the companies did, even if they make ipod knockoff mp3 players that suck.

If you have a great brand, people waiting to hear your announcement, and you STILL don't bother? That, to me, indicates a serious problem, of one nature or another.

H

umm, they did anounce the second half of 2006 and had a hands on demo at CES.
and gave out the tech details they could be sure of to anyone who cared to ask.

so you want a press release saying the same thing to somehow make it more official

 

[BillyT2002]

^ ^ ^ ^
Zeo, that is precisely what I want. Until I see that, TIVO is killing me.

 

[HogarthNH]

so you want a press release saying the same thing to somehow make it more official

Yup.

We've gotten more information out of products that never made it to market, even from TiVo.

Thus, if correlation implies causation (and I know that it doesn't) -- less information == product REALLY never going to make it to market.

I know, I know -- TiVo is just being cautious. Well, that sure is a new thing for them.
Disappointing at best.

H

 

[Stoystown]

Personally, I think the lack of an official announcement has more to do with the lack of a final specification or roll out date for Cable Card II than Tivo Series 3.

They have to get the specs down for the CC II before Tivo releases the Series 3.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Personally, I think the lack of an official announcement has more to do with the lack of a final specification or roll out date for Cable Card II than Tivo Series 3.

They have to get the specs down for the CC II before Tivo releases the Series 3.

all they needed was the spec on multistream and they have that. the whole cable card thing held them up last year but not this year. Seems like TiVo finally decided not to worry about two way interactive communication which had nothing to do with the card itself anyhow as I have found out the few weeks.

so the specs for Cable Card II do not need to go any further for the series 3 to ocme out. Seems like what is left for the series 3 is hardware cerification by cable labs and whoever and finishing and testing the software. No real idea how far along the software is, that seems to be the unknown effecting the timeline from what I have read.

 

[Dan203]

We've gotten more information out of products that never made it to market, even from TiVo.

We've also gotten press releases about products that never made it to market. So press releases don't mean squat either! In fact a press release doesn't guarantee a product coming to fruitation any more then a demo at CES does. The only time you can guarantee a product is going to be released is when the manufacturer actually announces it's availability. Until then there is always the possibility that it could get scrapped for whatever reason.

Dan

 

[HogarthNH]

The only time you can guarantee a product is going to be released is when the manufacturer actually announces it's availability. Until then there is always the possibility that it could get scrapped for whatever reason.

Dan:

Thank you for proving my point.
TiVo has not done so, and thus, I call shenanigans.

H

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Dan:

Thank you for proving my point.
TiVo has not done so, and thus, I call shenanigans.

H

strawman argument - you need something real to back up such a counter claim
and saying well look they never announced Mac support and it has not happened is not real. They never announced flying monkeys or ATSC tuners on sereis 2 either.

TiVo has specifically stated via a representative charged to nake such statements at CES that the series 3 will be out second half of 2006. You need something concrete if you intend to counter that statement and not just look silly or paranoid or cynical.