TiVo Reveals 'Next-Gen Platform' to Combine Cable and Streaming Content Across Multiple Devices

[cmwade77]

Umm, has no one told Tivo that cable is dying and will be dead within the next few years?

 

[Westside guy]

I won’t hold my breath on this actually turning out to be useful. The current Bolt (which I have) claimed to be an “all in one” hub for all your cable and streaming video needs... but I’ve found it’s not particularly good at it. And, if you follow TiVo at all, you’re probably aware that we users haven’t been particularly impressed with their software prowess, especially since the Rovi takeover.

There are a couple really glaring flaws I’ve run into with streaming media and the Bolt:

• Some streaming services are dependent on your cable provider being a partner with TiVo on this. But why should my TiVo care about that? My third-gen Apple TV doesn’t care. If I have a Hulu subscription, I should be able to stream Hulu - end of story. (Hulu is just being used as an example... I can’t remember if it’s one of the problematic services or not)
• Cable “on demand” items show up as available, even if they require an extra fee for watching or an additional subscription for access... even though there’s a setting which purports to prevent that.

Combine those with other annoyances, like the hit-or-miss availability of commercial skipping and the ever-more-frequent guide data errors, and I really can’t think of a reason why I or anyone else should consider any new TiVo box or service.

 

[SteveSparks]

I don't read this as a "BOX" but a branded aggregation platform for streaming content.

This is a service for content publishers. TIVO is trying to provide a central managed location for content providers to peer their subscriptions and content. Allowing transparency between content services.

Let's say you pay $11 a month for HULU.

How about $24 a month for HULU, Netflix and Direct TV Now?

This platform seems like the place where TIVO wants to allow provides to deliver content in a wholesale manner and then allow TIVO to deliver the content to the consumer. A secondary revenue source when people want lots of choices but they are all locked together. Less opportunity to cancel Netflix for HULU depending on show preferences when you have them all combined into a single package.

This of this like the Cable, Phone and Internet packages you pay for today. Once you have phone and Internet on a provider, you are less likely to switch just for Cable, etc.

 

[toptekjon]

I can't wrap my head around what this is.

I've had and loved Tivo for many years. Whatever this is, it is DOA. No doubt about it.
Makes me sad, but Tivo is more than likely on deathwatch.
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I don't read this as a "BOX" but a branded aggregation platform for streaming content.

This is a service for content publishers. TIVO is trying to provide a central managed location for content providers to peer their subscriptions and content. Allowing transparency between content services.

Let's say you pay $11 a month for HULU.

How about $24 a month for HULU, Netflix and Direct TV Now?

This platform seems like the place where TIVO wants to allow provides to deliver content in a wholesale manner and then allow TIVO to deliver the content to the consumer. A secondary revenue source when people want lots of choices but they are all locked together. Less opportunity to cancel Netflix for HULU depending on show preferences when you have them all combined into a single package.

This of this like the Cable, Phone and Internet packages you pay for today. Once you have phone and Internet on a provider, you are less likely to switch just for Cable, etc.

DOA. I love Tivo, but cable companies are NOT going to cut TiVo into the profit share. Zero chance of this taking off, in my opinion.
[doublepost=1515101098][/doublepost]

I won’t hold my breath on this actually turning out to be useful. The current Bolt (which I have) claimed to be an “all in one” hub for all your cable and streaming video needs... but I’ve found it’s not particularly good at it. And, if you follow TiVo at all, you’re probably aware that we users haven’t been particularly impressed with their software prowess, especially since the Rovi takeover.

There are a couple really glaring flaws I’ve run into with streaming media and the Bolt:

• Some streaming services are dependent on your cable provider being a partner with TiVo on this. But why should my TiVo care about that? My third-gen Apple TV doesn’t care. If I have a Hulu subscription, I should be able to stream Hulu - end of story. (Hulu is just being used as an example... I can’t remember if it’s one of the problematic services or not)
• Cable “on demand” items show up as available, even if they require an extra fee for watching or an additional subscription for access... even though there’s a setting which purports to prevent that.

Combine those with other annoyances, like the hit-or-miss availability of commercial skipping and the ever-more-frequent guide data errors, and I really can’t think of a reason why I or anyone else should consider any new TiVo box or service.

Although I do love TiVo since they are far better than any cable company DVR, Tivo is STILL updating their UI to HD. Not 4K. Not 8k. They are still getting ready for the HD era. Just depressing.

 

[eyeseeyou]

If Xfinity makes their "Stream TV" app available on other platforms that would pretty much kill what it sounds like Tivo is trying to do.

For the most part it turns my iphone/ipad into a tv with full access to all of my channels, on-demand shows, movies and my DVR's.

Access to my DVR's pretty much removes the need for Hulu too IMO.

 

[stanman64]

I hope it's what I've been wanting for a long time. If I want to see a particular show/series/movie, I do not care which of my services it's on and I don't want to go "log into" that service or sub-service to find/watch it. I want a central location that will bring the media to my screen from whatever services I subscribe to (NF, Hulu, AMZ/Prime, etc) without me having to exit the central location, including streaming sources. It should auto log in to each service in necessary (from creds you provided during set up) and bring the media to the screen. All media access from a central location. That's the dream.

You’re describing the TV app and Apple TV nearly word for word.

 

[Smearbrick]

Like PlayOn? The TV App on AppleTV? Plex plus streaming?

Why is Tivo still in business?
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I loved TiVo back in the day, and while I’m sure it has the best interface, it feels like the !ac is the 90s—better UI but an island unto itself which makes for an inferior value proposition.

What’s worrisome about this announcement is two-fold. First, no one has signed up for it;one would think they pre-sold it to a few cable companies or streaming companies. Second, feels they are late to the game. Companies like Comcast want to own the experience and customer relationship, and there are tons of players from Apple to Google to Rome to Amazon playing in this space.

I’m rooting for TiVo, but I suspect this will fail.

This kind of feels like the Atari Jaguar of media solutions.

 

[rittchard]

Combine those with other annoyances, like the hit-or-miss availability of commercial skipping and the ever-more-frequent guide data errors, and I really can’t think of a reason why I or anyone else should consider any new TiVo box or service.

While I certainly agree it has it's quirks, issues and has tons of room for improvement, the (non-new) Tivo still is currently (to my knowledge anyway) the only box/UI that successfully integrates an old school cable box with the most important OTT products. The interface is still far better than the crappy one I get with Spectrum, and better than the last iteration of DirecTV I had before. Couple that with the ability to easily stream from Hulu, Amazon Prime and Netflix, and you have an interface that does something no one else's currently does.

It's not perfect, but for daily use right now, it's the most seamless environment I've found. I can watch live TV, then jump to Netflix, then jump straight back to something on the DVR, then over to Prime for a movie without changing inputs/sources, etc etc. from a single UI with a single remote.

Instead of trying to create some new BS products, I'd love it if they just focused on improving their core competency. This is a problem with a lot of companies, they end up hiring idiots who have no idea what consumers actually want/need.

 

[Braderunner]

Hey TiVo....I don’t like you!

 

[HiRez]

So basically an Apple TV?

More like the TV app on the Apple TV. But since Apple can't get everyone to sign onto it (namely Netflix but Vue and others as well) it defeats the whole purpose of "all your stuff in one place" and becomes useless. Supposedly the main reason Netflix isn't signing up is because Apple's not giving them the user data they want (who watched what when, and maybe more granular information like tracking cursor movement, etc.).

Maybe TiVo has a better chance of signing companies up if they give them control over this data. But it still sounds like a tough sell to me and I assume TiVo will have to make money to make it work. How do they make money? Why is Netflix going to pay them for the user data they already get (exclusively) through their own app?

I was one of the very first TiVo owners, bought my first in 1999 and another for my parents the next year and used the service up until 2017. It was a miraculous product at the time that totally changed how I watched tv, and made VHS obsolete, but I think the world passed them by. Hundreds of dollars for a custom box (still with a spinning hard drive that will fail) plus program information? Just not worth it today, where we have options.

 

[4jasontv]

I'll wait to see what T-Mobile has up their sleeves

 

[yg17]

Why is Tivo still in business?

Because this is the 1990s interface my cable company would charge me $40 a month for if I opted for their ****** DVRs:

Instead, I have a Tivo Bolt + 2 TiVo minis for my house, come out way ahead in costs, and don't have to deal with the same old, clunky, outdated user interface I had on my cable box when digital cable first became a thing.

 

[psylence2k]

I'm confused on the specifics but can't you achieve all this through the Apple TV ? Just get the "channels" app for apple tv (all local and OTA), one of the cheaper streaming services (Directv for $10 if you're on ATT), and then add on whatever other streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc) and have all that combined into one device ? (The Apple TV).

If Apple just works on getting everyone who's still holding out on board into their Apple TV then that would be great.

Anyone know if the Apple TV app can pull the OTA content from the channels app ? What major content providers are still holding out besides Netflix ?

 

[kohlson]

One thing that Tivo still allows, except for premium content like HBO, is extracting content to your Mac. It's a little slow and cumbersome, but we do this from time to time. I don't believe there is similar functionality for ATV, or cable DVRs. Not an essential for us, but a nice to have.

 

[rittchard]

I'm confused on the specifics but can't you achieve all this through the Apple TV ? Just get the "channels" app for apple tv (all local and OTA), one of the cheaper streaming services (Directv for $10 if you're on ATT), and then add on whatever other streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc) and have all that combined into one device ? (The Apple TV).

If Apple just works on getting everyone who's still holding out on board into their Apple TV then that would be great.

Anyone know if the Apple TV app can pull the OTA content from the channels app ? What major content providers are still holding out besides Netflix ?

Apple TV is very close for me now, especially with the addition of Amazon Prime. But the OTA and other sources of regular TV (Sling or Directv Now, Youtube TV, etc) are either not available or just not up to snuff yet. If one of them can really provide a seamless experience (with ALL the content I want plus DVR or DVR-like capability) on the Apple TV, then yes, it would be game over for Tivo.

 

[iMi]

I wonder how successful they will be with the concept of combining cable services and streaming media into a single application. Most people I know are getting rid of cable all together and all they care about is streaming. It would be nice, I guess, to have all your streaming accounts in the same place.

On Apple TV and other iOS devices that already exists.

 

[kudlacz]

I can't wrap my head around what this is.

It will be Tivo service you currently have on Tivo Box (Premiere, Roamio, Bolt) but in the cloud. So you will no longe require Set Top Box. You will be able to use Tivo Bolt normally, but additionally have access to all of your Tivo content using Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Android TV, Amazon Fire Stick etc. This will pretty much remove the need for Tivo Mini or more likely give you option to bring your own device if you choose to do so. This is very compelling for smaller cable companies which need to innovate to get a foothold in the Cable business dominated by big players such as Comcast Xfinity, Dish, Direct TV, AT&T, COX, Spectrum etc. I wish I had ability to access all of my Xfinity content using Apple TV or Amazon Fire Stick.