What TiVo Teaches Us

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
Date: July 8, 2004 1:32:36 AM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipient:;
Subject: What TiVo Teaches Us

What TiVo Teaches Us
Sam Whitmore, 07.06.04, 3:58 PM ET

How can you not admire TiVo, the Alviso, Calif.-based company that
pioneered the use of digital video recorders (DVRs) and built a brand
synonymous with the DVR category?

Investors might not. Though it is currently cash-flow positive, TiVo
(nasdaq: TIVO - news - people ) hasn't made a dime in five years. The
company desperately needs a partner to sell DVR service directly to
cable TV subscribers, but carriers Comcast (nasdaq: CMCSA - news -
people ), Cox Communications (nyse: COX - news - people ), Charter
Communications (nasdaq: CHTR - news - people ), Time Warner (nyse:
TWX - news - people ) and Adelphia Communications (otc: ADELQ - news
- people ) all offer DVRs built by TiVo competitors.

 DirecTV (nyse: DTV - news - people ), which according to TiVo Chief
Financial Officer Dave Courtney generates 900,000 of TiVo's 1.6
million subscribers, last month sold its 3.4 million TiVo shares and
is gearing up to offer DVRs built by NDS Group (nasdaq: NNDS - news -
people ), a TiVo archrival. TiVo's latest 10-Q statement spells out
36 material threats to the company.

...

http://www.forbes.com/columnists/2004/07/06/0707whitmore.html


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