TiVo this week announced that it will integrate its software with Technicolor’s HD DVR, mostly so that the deal it has for distribution in Europe with Conax, will have ready made local hardware.
Technicolor has licensed the TiVo software in the past and is cutting a new deal for this new box, its DSI803 PVR platform. The integration of TiVo software and Technicolor hardware is supposed to reduce development and integration costs for any operator taking the TiVo system.
We’d be surprised if this is the only equipment vendor in Europe and Pace in the UK, which has recently taken the lead as the worlds most installed Pay TV platform, would be an automatic second source if TiVo wanted to look for one.
Although the initial Technicolor implementation is for the Conax deal, the two companies stress that it is not limited to that, and they expect to offer TiVo’s software around the world. Technicolor was one of the first ever manufacturers to license TiVo around ten years ago, so the connections there go way back.
Frederic Kurkjian, SVP ‘ Satellite and Cable STB Business Unit at Technicolor said, ‘As one of the leading set-top box provider in the world, operators were increasingly looking to Technicolor to help address this need. To manage this, we selected TiVo’s truly comprehensive solution for marrying TV and Internet content within a single, user-friendly and intuitive interface. TiVo’s vast understanding of what television viewers want, coupled with our expertise in manufacturing hardware and the platform porting work we are now doing, will be a major advantage for operators looking to leapfrog the competition.’
The new offering will feature a dual-tuner HD PVR, a minimum of 320GB hard drive capable of recording up to 45 hours of HD or 400 hours of SD programming, broadband connectivity, and a touch-sensitive front panel and will meet all European Low Power Code of Conduct requirements.