Virgin CEO on Tivo deployment

[HDFootyMan]

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/...rgin-tivo-pvr/

Virgin Media has turned to long-term supplier Cisco for its first ‘TiVo inside’ set-top when the navigation technology becomes the cableco’s prime middleware later this year. However, plans to retrofit TiVo into the operator’s existing set-top boxes have hit a stumbling block after it emerged the technology was not suitable for all of the receivers currently deployed on the network.

A new Cisco personal video recorder is due to be shipped shortly before Christmas when TiVo will soft launch.

....In an investor call last week Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett described TiVo as a platform that would work for the cableco’s TV customers in the same way that DOCSIS 3 had been implemented for its broadband internet subscribers. “We will be first mover into next generation TV and I think we will also be best mover. It will be a superior product to Sky’s codename Darwin, it will be a better product than Canvas, and it will be first out”.

In addition to new deployments it is hoped the TiVo software will be downloaded into a part of the existing installed base. “The current V+ HD, ie non-DVR boxes that we are sourcing from Cisco, are compatible with TiVo, so we could drop TiVo onto those, but the Samsung DVRs are not, so we would probably launch DVRs that we would source from Cisco initially and they would be new to requirements,” said Berkett.

So.......the SA V+HD (Scientific-Atlanta will now part of Cisco) will be Tivo compatible but the Sammys won't?

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/...rgin-tivo-pvr/
So.......the SA V+HD (Scientific-Atlanta will now part of Cisco) will be Tivo compatible but the Sammys won't?

Well Cisco have recently taken over Scientific Atlanta and rebranded the modems that we source from them to Cisco.

[SnoopZ]

I hope the original V+ box can take it.

[jab1990]

The SA V+ are poor as they are. I only dread what will happen when tivo gets put on it.

[SnoopZ]

My SA box is fine, although i would like the channel change to be faster.

[Lew]

It's a typo. He's talking about the V HD boxes, not the V+ HD boxes, hence where he says "non-DVR boxes".

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by jab1990

The SA V+ are poor as they are. I only dread what will happen when tivo gets put on it.

My SA V+ works perfectly and has done for over 2 years, so I have no idea what you are actually on about.

[HDFootyMan]

Originally Posted by Masque

My SA V+ works perfectly and has done for over 2 years, so I have no idea what you are actually on about.

+1

I've had a few issues recently, but considering I've had a Sliver Box since Xmas 2006 back in the NTL days, that's not bad going.

As soon as I've watched all my recorded stuff I'll give mine a quick reformat.

[TheDon]

He definitely said V HD, not V+ HD.
The only box available at the moment that is compatible is the Cisco V HD.

[Ben B]

Well this is upsetting, I'm just hoping the existing EPG provider is gonna bring a new EPG out for the older boxes, the current one has been on for 3 years. I miss the ntl: blue one

[jtaylor06]

Originally Posted by Ben B

Well this is upsetting, I'm just hoping the existing EPG provider is gonna bring a new EPG out for the older boxes, the current one has been on for 3 years. I miss the ntl: blue one

I don't mind as long as it's quick (however I do admit it's got faster lately) and the colour scheme is improved, the white text reflects on the black on my TV and then it appears very blurry if you read for more than 1 minute.

Maybe I could do a few mock-ups if anyone wants?

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by Ben B

Well this is upsetting, I'm just hoping the existing EPG provider is gonna bring a new EPG out for the older boxes,

Somehow I doubt it.

The facts we know about this are:

The contract for the current EPG provider, Liberate, expires next year.

TIVO will only run on SA/Cisco boxes both standard and PVR versions.

So, that leaves a lot of boxes that won't/can't get TIVO.

Two options for VM, either replace the stbs that can't get tivo or sign a new deal with Liberate. Personally I think it will be a bit of both.

I think VM will extend their contract for Liberate for another 3 years. As and when non SA/Cisco boxes break down they will be replaced with TIVO compatible boxes but VM will not do a mass replacement all in one go.

A clue as to why I think VM will do this is they are still developing their current EPG. We now how some tivo like features on it, ie suggestions for similar shows. If Liberate were to be dropped completely next year, why continue developments on this software? Me thinks it will be around a tad bit longer...

[buba3d]

VM all i ask of you, is when you send out brand new boxes i expect the loading, menus and the button response to be crisp, not clunky and half a hour to change a channel.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by jab1990

The SA V+ are poor as they are. I only dread what will happen when tivo gets put on it.

Depends on the specs required for the software. The Tivo series 1 software has a far better guide than the current v+ software, yet runs on hardware with a fraction of the processing power of the v+ hardware (even the SA V+)

[v0id]

Originally Posted by SnoopZ

I hope the original V+ box can take it.

or even the old TV Drives