Virgin should buy TiVo...

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

Well, soon from now they'll have 3.8 million 'subscribers' via VM.

Plus customers from Spanish cable operator ONO and from Canal Digital (Nordic countries).

No wonder their focusing on supplying software to other platforms with Quarterly results like today's.

---------- Post added at 23:05 ---------- Previous post was at 23:02 ----------



I'd actually put reminders (and all existing V+ HD functionality) above a Dynamic EPG. Firmware updates should be able to fix both issues.

The lack of a TiVo at my home is another issue, but that's for another thread.

By 3.8m 'subscribers' I assume you mean when VM migrate everyone over to the platform?

Remember that only 1/4 of the current customer base even have V+ 5 years after it was introduced so it's safe to say a large proportion of that figure will not be PVR customers so I doubt they will expect to pay a subscription because they are forced to use a new platform.

And even the most optimistic of us know that it will surely be some years before everyone moves over to Tivo.

I agree it's a smart move for them to look to Europe, it's clearly on it's way out over there as people prefer cheaper, more mainstream equipment.

[TheDon]

Originally Posted by mersey70

But cable operators already supply Tivo directly in the US, they have done for years.

The biggest of them all Comcast does.

Those churn figures are truly awful, no company can survive losing 21% of it's customer base in a year so I really hope the new alliances in Europe help them.

But they do so alongside PVRs that offer just as good a user experience, but cost a fraction of the price.

Go on the Comcast website and try to find tivo.
I don't mean search for it, just browse through the site like you would if you were signing up and see if you can find anything to do with a Tivo STB from them. I can't. If I didn't know they offered it then I wouldn't find out from their website.
There's literally nothing linking to the tivo page from their main pages. Their DVR page makes no mention of it. If you didn't know they offered tivo you'd swear they didn't.

That's the problem tivo are facing, the cable co's are pushing their own hardware ahead of it, and people just go with the standard options.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by TheDon

But they do so alongside PVRs that offer just as good a user experience, but cost a fraction of the price.

Go on the Comcast website and try to find tivo.
I don't mean search for it, just browse through the site like you would if you were signing up and see if you can find anything to do with a Tivo STB from them. I can't. If I didn't know they offered it then I wouldn't find out from their website.
There's literally nothing linking to the tivo page from their main pages. Their DVR page makes no mention of it. If you didn't know they offered tivo you'd swear they didn't.

That's the problem tivo are facing, the cable co's are pushing their own hardware ahead of it, and people just go with the standard options.

Which is why a £3.00 a month fee seems crazy.

[HDFootyMan]

Originally Posted by mersey70

By 3.8m 'subscribers' I assume you mean when VM migrate everyone over to the platform?

Yep.

Originally Posted by mersey70

Remember that only 1/4 of the current customer base even have V+ 5 years after it was introduced so it's safe to say a large proportion of that figure will not be PVR customers so I doubt they will expect to pay a subscription because they are forced to use a new platform.

Actually, its 39% (who have V+ HD). And I'm sure VM said that the pricing of TV packs will be reviewed as TiVo rolls out. If that's for better or worse is anyone's guess.

Originally Posted by mersey70

And even the most optimistic of us know that it will surely be some years before everyone moves over to Tivo.

Oh a few more TiVo lotteries will take care of that.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

Yep.



Actually, its 39%.



Oh a few more TiVo lotteries will take care of that.

39% is the figure of HD customers is it not (including V HD)

DF will confirm or correct me but he said upto a few months ago VM had just over 1m V+ customers, around 1/4 of it's customer base.

I don't think VM are in the business of just giving away endless Tivo boxes, they are not Sky.

[muppetman11]

Things aren't great in OZ

http://m.smh.com.au/digital-life/com...208-1al3j.html
http://smarthouse.com.au/Home_Cinema...Boxes/W6P5H4J6

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Things aren't great in OZ

http://m.smh.com.au/digital-life/com...208-1al3j.html
http://smarthouse.com.au/Home_Cinema...Boxes/W6P5H4J6

Dear me, any more bad news!

[HDFootyMan]

Originally Posted by mersey70

39% is the figure of HD customers is it not (including V HD)

DF will confirm or correct me but he said upto a few months ago VM had just over 1m V+ customers, around 1/4 of it's customer base.

I don't think VM are in the business of just giving away endless Tivo boxes, they are not Sky.

Hence the

Yes, you're right, I suspect 39% includes all HD boxes, not just PVRs.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

Hence the

Yes, you're right, I suspect 39% includes all HD boxes, not just PVRs.

Indeed it does!

Actually with all this bad news for Tivo maybe they will give loads away to get the subscriber numbers going?

Sky Digital only got really popular when they started giving the kt away!

[HDFootyMan]

Originally Posted by mersey70

Indeed it does!

Actually with all this bad news for Tivo maybe they will give loads away to get the subscriber numbers going?

Sky Digital only got really popular when they started giving the kt away!

I wonder if the £3 per month TiVo charge will go down as VM convert more customers to TiVo....or if all TV packs will go up by £3 over the next couple of years to absorb the charge.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

I wonder if the £3 per month TiVo charge will go down as VM convert more customers to TiVo....or if all TV packs will go up by £3 over the next couple of years to absorb the charge.

Well people with a standard V Box (no HD or recording) pay the same for XL as someone with V HD or V+ so maybe they will include the Tivo charge to all customers in years to come to help with the transition to the new platform.

We'll have to see.

[Digital Fanatic]

I kind of agree with this guys statement:

Rick I think you are missing the boat on this. Of course TIVO is losing subs - other companies have stolen their technology and made it cheaper. Fast forward to court victories - now these crooks need to pay Tivo on a go forward basis. Tivo could then start to change its business model some - perhaps drop the direct subscriber method and just license their technology and sell their boxes. I don't know why the market gave them a 10% haircut today, everybody already knew they were going to post losses. Until this court stuff is settled thats they way it will be.... then you grow again....

Seems this is what all the court battles are over...

http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...-is-stuck.aspx

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

I kind of agree with this guys statement:



Seems this is what all the court battles are over...

http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...-is-stuck.aspx

Let's hope they win, so long as it's justified of course.

It's a bit of a David v Goliath battle but of course David won!

It's rapid decline is very concerning though, it's virtually defunct in Australia and it dosen't even have a subscription fee there, it seems some retailers simply thought it was out of date.

[LexDiamond]

Can someone please clarify how VM intend to migrate its whole customer base to Tivo? What is a person doesn't want to pay the sub? Will prices go up? Also M+ and L have to pay for PVR so will the be obliged to pay PVR plus Tivo?

[Perfect Choice]

£3 sub is for premier service only I expect, when VM plan to put Tivo UI software on the Cisco HD only box (which as mentioned at the initial launch of Tivo), I don't expect any Tivo monthly subscription at all. That is what I expect at least.