[opendtv] TiVo, Say It Ain't So

TiVo, Say It Ain't So
By adding new services, the DVR company may be making a fatal mistake.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (May 26) -- TiVo, the Digital Video Recorder 
service, yesterday reported that it added 264,000 subscribers in the 
last quarter, bringing its total to 1.6 million. Normally, that would 
be good news. However, in a conference call with investors, TiVo CEO 
Mike Ramsay said something that could spell doom for TiVo.

Ramsay indicated that his company would spend more time and money on 
developing new features for TiVo, such as satellite radio, digital 
photo editing and the ability to surf the Internet. The executive 
believes that the new services will generate more revenue from 
current subscribers, enabling the company to survive despite 
competition from unbranded DVRs used by cable and satellite TV 
operators. Many analysts believe that the unbranded DVRs will 
eventually dominate the market, leaving TiVo with a niche audience of 
less than 10 million people.

Considering that the DVR market is getting crowded, it's 
understandable that TiVo would seek new revenues. However, the 
company's plan to add non-DVR features puts its most valuable asset 
at risk -- its brand.

...

http://www.tvpredictions.com/tivo052604.html
 
 
 
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