[mbernste]

So now we officially know. Probably not coming anytime soon, at least for Apple TV. It may come for Android devices, but no mention of native TV apps.

TiVo app for Apple TV 'in limbo' due to technical issues, strategy shift

 

[Sparky1234]

So now we officially know. Probably not coming anytime soon, at least for Apple TV. It may come for Android devices, but no mention of native TV apps.

TiVo app for Apple TV 'in limbo' due to technical issues, strategy shift

 

[OrangeCrush]

"If we really believe the streaming market is where it's at, we need to double down on that and not get distracted by a bunch of things that other people want, but aren't really going to move the needle," Malone said.

@TiVo_Ted, I'm really disappointed to hear a quote from you like that. Those other people who want things are TiVo's existing customer base who've invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in your company's products already.

That is not a distraction, that's being loyal to the customers who were loyal to you. With an attitude like that, the needle's going to move alright, just not the way you want it to.

 

[compnurd]

@TiVo_Ted, I'm really disappointed to hear a quote from you like that. Those other people who want things are TiVo's existing customer base who've invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in your company's products already.

That is not a distraction, that's being loyal to the customers who were loyal to you. With an attitude like that, the needle's going to move alright, just not the way you want it to.

You gotta remember. TiVo's retail market is a drop in the bucket compared to there MSO market. They want to grow and make money. Not release an app that will literally stop people from buying a piece of hardware

 

[dianebrat]

You left out a poll option " I totally expected this to happen"

 

[mbernste]

"You left out a poll option I totally expected this to happen"

I did? It seems to be one of the options in the poll when I look.

 

[OrangeCrush]

You gotta remember. TiVo's retail market is a drop in the bucket compared to there MSO market. They want to grow and make money. Not release an app that will literally stop people from buying a piece of hardware

Oh, I'm well aware of how irrelevant TiVo thinks its retail customers are. And that attitude is exactly why they have so few retail customers.

With this device they seem to want to make another play for the retail market, but screw everybody who already bought in to the platform. Those "other people" wanting compatibility are just a "distraction" not worth the effort.

 

[jrtroo]

Is this the question you meant to ask? Who is not happy to get the update? What folks may be unhappy about is the result of the update.

 

[mbernste]

Is this the question you meant to ask? Who is not happy to get the update?

No. After a year of waiting to get an update, any update about the streaming apps, are you happy to have finally gotten one, regardless of the content of the statement.

 

[Mikeguy]

No. After a year of waiting to get an update, any update about the streaming apps, are you happy to have finally gotten one, regardless of the content of the statement.

"We" weren't given one. It was given to the press/CES attendees.

Apparently, "we" (along with our monthly/annual/Lifetime subscription and TiVo box/TiVo Mini box/TiVo accessories payments, as well as our personal data that TiVo makes money off of) are just a nuisance and speedbump to TiVo.

 

[Dan203]

I figured this was dead long ago. I don't even believe they'll finish the one Android TV to support their own device unless the hardware they're using actually supports native MPEG-2 just like the Mini. The on the fly encoding thing they use for the mobile apps is just to unreliable and provides a poor user experience.

After reading a bit more about this I think they might have a deeper partnership with SlingTV then they're letting on. It almost looks like this new device will simply be an alternate UI for SlingTVs cloud DVR with other apps supported because it's an Android TV device. This could be positioned as an alternative to their existing DVRs not a companion to them.

 

[NashGuy]

After reading a bit more about this I think they might have a deeper partnership with SlingTV then they're letting on. It almost looks like this new device will simply be an alternate UI for SlingTVs cloud DVR with other apps supported because it's an Android TV device. This could be positioned as an alternative to their existing DVRs not a companion to them.

Maybe TiVo could get other live streaming services to also work with their UI. PS Vue and Philo do that with Fire TV, although PS Vue dies next month. But maybe they could get Philo on board, maybe Fubo and Friendly TV too. Next they just need their own headless OTA tuner with local DVR capability. Easiest thing would probably be to just white-label the existing AirTV 2 and update the TiVo app on their Stream 4K to support it. That could be monetized via a cheap monthly fee and/or streaming ads inserted into the recordings.

I really can't see any of the big-boy live streaming services -- YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, or AT&T TV -- letting TiVo substitute their UI in place of their own though.

 

[Dan203]

No I can't either. That's why I think Sling might be it. I know that AT&T is currently working on a replacement for DirecTV Now that is basically supposed to be their entire cable package and DVR in a single app, so they're probably out too. A smaller offering like Fubo maybe. But they're sort of a startup, so I'm sure they've still got that mentality that they can just do it all themselves. TiVo and Dish are old guard companies at this point just trying to catch up to where the market is headed. Partnering makes sense. Although since Sling already works, this partnership seems to benefit TiVo more than Sling, so there must be more to the deal. Since TiVo is also Rovi and they provide Dish guide data, maybe there is some quid pro quo there where Dish gets a discount on the data in exchange for them allowing TiVo to wrap their name/UI around the SlingTV service/DVR.

 

[mrizzo80]

I don’t see any big streaming players getting on board either, but who knows. There is a (small) connection between TiVo and Hulu via Jim Denney. He’s a former TiVo exec now at Hulu.

I may check this thing out when it ships. What did they say, April? So it should hit store shelves in time for Labor Day.

 

[Narkul]

You gotta remember. TiVo's retail market is a drop in the bucket compared to there MSO market. They want to grow and make money. Not release an app that will literally stop people from buying a piece of hardware

It makes no sense not to support hardware they already have out there though. Hell, they're still developing and marketing dvr's directly to us with the Edge while at the same time providing crappy updates and piss poor support for it. It makes more sense to me that their existing customer base will be the most likely to buy their streaming box IF IT INTEGRATES NICELY WITH THEIR EXISTING HARDWARE, dammit!

The mini is their weakest piece of hardware riddled with problems. Kill it with a kick-ass streaming box for god's sake.

 

[Fofer]

Lame. Another broken promise from TiVo.

If they released an AppleTV app, I'd consider upgrading my host TiVo (an upgraded Roamio Plus) to an Edge, or whatever comes out next. Instead, since TiVo has disappointed me too many times, I won't be buying any new TiVo hardware, ever again.

Ah well, it was a good run.

 

[spiderpumpkin]

Lame. Another broken promise from TiVo.

If they released an AppleTV app, I'd consider upgrading my host TiVo (an upgraded Roamio Plus) to an Edge, or whatever comes out next. Instead, since TiVo has disappointed me too many times, I won't be buying any new TiVo hardware, ever again.

Ah well, it was a good run.

The perfect TE4 auto skip on every show you watch isn't enough to keep you around?

 

[Anotherpyr]

But I don’t need or want another streaming device. History has shown that the last to market are often the first to exit. Unless it can do something amazing that the others can’t I don’t see many sales.

 

[Fofer]

The perfect TE4 auto skip on every show you watch isn't enough to keep you around?

Nope - but I will enjoy the hell out of it on the last TiVo hardware I ever buy. I've had lifetime service on it since the beginning. I'll use it till it dies, or something better comes along.

Another thing I won't do is downgrade back to TE3. What a joke.

 

[Mikeguy]

Another thing I won't do is downgrade back to TE3. What a joke.

Yes, it's a joke for you, as you have stated here, repeatedly. Just as others of us prefer TE3 to TE4, and find the constant malfunctioning of features on TE4 and TiVo's decision to "deprecate" rather than fix those standard features regrettable as well.