[mythtv-users] TiVo's Future May Hinge on Patent Case

[Michael T. Dean]

On 04/05/2006 09:12 PM, Marco Nelissen wrote:

>>On 04/05/2006 02:36 PM, Wylie Swanson wrote:
>>
>>>Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20060404/tc_zd/175015
>>>
>>>Terence Clark, national co-chair of the intellectual property practice
>>>at Greenberg Traurig in Los Angeles, agrees.
>>>
>>>"TiVo put a lot of time and effort into DVRs. You'd like to see those
>>>kinds of companies succeed," he said. "And the industry succeeds when
>>>the system works. A TiVo win would be an example of the system
>>>working."
>>>
>>Hmmm.  So that means that the system (which system are we talking about 
>>here, anyway?  Free market?  Capitalism? Somthing else?) works when TiVo 
>>is able to force my satellite/TV company to stop providing a DVR for 
>>$6/mo and force me to do without or pay $13/mo for a TiVo?  Guess that 
>>means the system falls into the "something else" category...
>>    
>>
>Read the article. It says Tivo doesn't want an injuction, they want
>to turn Echostar into a customer.
>
I did read it, but I don't believe a thing I read in the media 
(especially US media) about a company's intentions.

> That doesn't mean they want you to
>do without a DVR, nor does it mean you'd necessarily have to pay $13/mo
>for one (DirectTV charges $4.99/mo for tivo).
>
Heh.  DirecTV is now pushing their in-house-developed PVR instead of the 
DirecTiVo's.  And, as TiVo is getting rid of their lifetime 
subscriptions to push TiVo customers to the full $13/mo thing, I can 
really imagine TiVo--especially if they win the case--renegotiating 
DirecTV's contract upon expiration...

> It just means that your
>cable/satellite company needs to pay tivo.
>
Regardless, I doubt any cable/satellite company would find it 
appropriate to take TiVo's fee out of the $6 they've been charging 
instead of charging extra for the "TiVo-licensed" same thing you've been 
using...

Mike