TIVO
TiVo in 2003 was a leading provider of digital video recorder (DVR) technology and services. DVRs are similar to VCRs except that TV recordings are made to hard disks rather than onto a tape. DVRs are going to change the way that people watch and enjoy TV. With the DVR technology the user is able to record, pause, fast-forward, and rewind live TV. However, in order to compete with the DVR technology, some companies such as Comcast offer VOD (Video on Demand). With VOD, all content is available 24 hours a day therefore consumers would have no need to purchase DVR products. In order to stay competitive, Comcast today offers both VOD and DVR services. The cost of the DVR service typically ranges from $5 to $10 a month. At this point in time there is no set standard or format for the DVR technology, therefore an opportunity presents itself for a company to set a standard. If TiVo plays their cards right, I believe that this technology could become a platform technology where third parties could add value. TiVo's future could be very profitable if they are successful in launching TiVo as a protocol. For example, TiVo "now has a music protocol that allows TiVo to play digital music on your television. In the future, other se
By focusing resources on developing new DVR and home entertainment capabilities, TiVo will help secure their future as a major player in the entertainment value chain. The final line of business is the DVR technology. As a result of these patents, TiVo can protect their product from duplication and imitation while they set the dominant standard or format for DVRs. By developing a differentiated product TiVo will be able to convert consumers to TiVo users before all cable operators have the opportunity to offer consumers the DVR technology. " One step that TiVo has taken to realize this goal is by filing patents to protect their product while they compete to become an industry leader. "In 2003, TiVo sued a major competitor, EchoStar, for the first time for violating one of its approximately 50 patents. As more and more people get premium TV programming, we can help people to manage their TV better - and with HMO (Home Media Option), we can take it beyond that to managing all the digital content in the home. The second and third lines of business are advertising services and audience research services, which both provide substantial revenues for TiVo. One of the patents is for personal video recording software and hardware design and the other two patents are for core DVR functions and for home networking capabilities. "We think of ourselves as the Google of TV. This is because these lines of business provide TiVo with a large stream of revenues, will help to brand their name, and will help to accomplish their long term goals. The customers to this line of business are OEMs and CE manufacturer licensees which provide TiVo with technology and service revenues. rvices will interact with, but not sit on top of, the DVR. " TiVo will be successful if they are able to make the platform more advertiser friendly and if they are able to continue to lower their retail cost while still acquiring a profit.
Common topics in this essay:
Media Option,
OEM CE,
VOD DVR,
OEMs CE,
TiVo DVR,
TV DVR,
Demand VOD,
,
VCRs TV,
Mike Ramsay,
dvr technology,
lines business,
tivo able,
standard format,
patents tivo,
dominant standard format,
patents protect,
focusing resources,
resources developing,
protect product,
capabilities tivo,
resources developing dvr,
portal entertainment services,
entertainment services home,
standard format dvr,
|