DISQUS

Nick Dynice · 2 years ago

If TiVo could change their business model into just making boxes (or at least just accept that as part of their model), this might work. I think the reason they want to cut deals with content makers is because they are used to some sort of revenue stream in the from of subscriptions to TV programming info. If they make you pay, they can be the gatekeeper to the content and give a cut to the content makers. If they let anyone subscribe to any feed and the same user does not care to record regular TV, all they really need to do is make a "dumb box."

I think they may be better of just allowing users to use the TiVo as a dumb box since that is what some users may want. If they don't someone else will come along (Apple iTV) and make that happen. I don't really watch TV, but I do watch video podcasts. If TiVo allows me to download any video podcast I want, I'll buy one today (I may be in the minority).

dave · 2 years ago

Does TiVo really get a cut from any of the TiVoCast shows?

I have a hard time believing Rocketboom or Cranky Geeks or any of these TiVoCast shows are paying anything for the "privilege" of being on TiVo, esp. since they know that most TiVo users can and do use podcasts. TiVoCast is a convenience; it isn't something most people are going to be willing to pay for when free podcasts are available.

Dale Dietrich · 2 years ago

I don't believe TiVo is getting a "cut" of any fees from video podcasters. Though I do believe they, the podcasters, pay their own bandwidth costs for the mpeg2 stream that TiVo needs at the moment. Note that the S3 TiVo should in future be able to access h.264 feeds in the future - lowering dramatically the cost of feeding the podcast to TiVo units.

...Dale