Tivo Faces Threat From Rivals

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&ncid=738&e=1&u=/ap/20050117/ap_on_hi_te/digital_recording_battle' target='_blank'>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&ncid=738&e=1&u=/ap/20050117/ap_on_hi_te/digital_recording_battle</a><br /><br /></div><i>"TiVo has been synonymous with digital video recording since it pioneered the industry five years ago, controlling an estimated one-third of the market in 2004. That lofty perch is now beginning to crumble. Competition in the growing and lucrative industry is intensifying as cable providers, satellite operators and consumer electronics companies push ahead with models of their own, giving consumers more choices while threatening to significantly blunt TiVo Inc.'s edge."</i><br /><br />It will be interesting to see how this space plays out with growing competition, and changing technology. Especially the impact devices like Media Center PCs will have has as they begin to proliferate.

[Ed Hansberry]

Having owned a top of the line Gateway FMC-901X Media Center 2004 and now two TiVos, I can assure you, the threat to TiVo isn't from Microsoft yet.

[Neil Enns]

I think TiVo's screwed in the long run. Case in point? The following excerpt in a mail I just got from DirecTV, provider of my current TiVo unit:

"New 100-hour DVR with more interactive capabilities, available mid-2005"

and

"From a new state-of-the-art DVR, to award-winning customer satisfaction, to unique customer programs designed to enhance your overall experience, DIRECTV's spirit of innovation is all about rethinking the possibilities and rethinking what's next."

And this DVR won't run TiVo.

Neil