Comments on: TiVo (almost) anything http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/ by Jeff Jarvis Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:38:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Janko Roettgers http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-199231 Janko Roettgers Wed, 15 Nov 2006 23:08:37 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-199231 I don't think Tivo charging for the ability to easily convert video is the big issue here. People will pay, because they like convenience - and most of the tools available for video conversion right now are not convenient at all. More troubling is the fact that Tivo uses it's Tivocast feature to sign up TV studios as content partners. Tivo tested this feature with Rocketboom - and it was revolutionary: For the first time you could subscribe to a video podcast and watch it on your livingroom TV without even touching your PC. But exclusive content partnerships are not the way to go. People don't want more content from TV studios on their TV - they get that alread. They want podcasts, unscripted stuff, niche programming. And they don't want Tivo to decide for them what they can watch. So instead of becoming the new middleman, Tivo should just open the floodgates and allow it's subscribers to add any video podcast to their list of subscriptions. Doing exklusive content deals might seem like a sound business strategy for Tivo in the short term. But in the long term it will transform them into one of the control-freak gatekeepers that Tivos users wanted to get away from when they bought the device in the first place. I don’t think Tivo charging for the ability to easily convert video is the big issue here. People will pay, because they like convenience – and most of the tools available for video conversion right now are not convenient at all.

More troubling is the fact that Tivo uses it’s Tivocast feature to sign up TV studios as content partners. Tivo tested this feature with Rocketboom – and it was revolutionary: For the first time you could subscribe to a video podcast and watch it on your livingroom TV without even touching your PC.

But exclusive content partnerships are not the way to go. People don’t want more content from TV studios on their TV – they get that alread. They want podcasts, unscripted stuff, niche programming. And they don’t want Tivo to decide for them what they can watch.

So instead of becoming the new middleman, Tivo should just open the floodgates and allow it’s subscribers to add any video podcast to their list of subscriptions.

Doing exklusive content deals might seem like a sound business strategy for Tivo in the short term. But in the long term it will transform them into one of the control-freak gatekeepers that Tivos users wanted to get away from when they bought the device in the first place.

]]> By: Web Stations « Digital Lantern http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-198008 Web Stations « Digital Lantern Wed, 15 Nov 2006 02:50:34 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-198008 [...] Since the Internet abounds with web servers, I think a web station is the better conceptual model. And you run it from home - with all your other web activities.  Jeff Jarvis writes  about recent, Tivo marketing activities, but Think Big is my motto. [...] [...] Since the Internet abounds with web servers, I think a web station is the better conceptual model. And you run it from home – with all your other web activities.  Jeff Jarvis writes  about recent, Tivo marketing activities, but Think Big is my motto. [...]

]]> By: digitallantern http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197966 digitallantern Wed, 15 Nov 2006 02:24:10 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197966 Adam is right, It's already on Tivo. I guess the Tivo marketing machine has finally caught up with what their R&D group gave away 9 months ago. But this is not streaming video, which you get from a Slingbox (or Sony LocationFree). Here is where digital media goes. You have already bought the "rights" to HBO, your TV line up, your CD's. Tivo is IP in and Sling is IP out. When some smart cracker puts these together with a great Tivo Interface - <b>Home Internet TV stations</b> - I'm ready for it. mrb Adam is right, It’s already on Tivo. I guess the Tivo marketing machine has finally caught up with what their R&D group gave away 9 months ago.
But this is not streaming video, which you get from a Slingbox (or Sony LocationFree). Here is where digital media goes. You have already bought the “rights” to HBO, your TV line up, your CD’s. Tivo is IP in and Sling is IP out. When some smart cracker puts these together with a great Tivo Interface – Home Internet TV stations – I’m ready for it. mrb

]]> By: CZ http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197562 CZ Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:37:07 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197562 Jeff, good post. I linked to this (and with the other TiVo chatter) over at Verizon's Poliblog. Jeff, good post. I linked to this (and with the other TiVo chatter) over at Verizon’s Poliblog.

]]> By: Adam Kalsey http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197526 Adam Kalsey Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:16:49 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197526 You can already do this, for free, with the Tivo software available today. Install the most recent version of Tivo Desktop, the version that allows you to pull videos off your computer. Download the video, drop in "My Documents/My Tivo Recordings" (only MPEG2 videos will work, but you can use converters to go from AVI and Quicktime to mpg). Start Tivo Desktop's media sharing and look at your Tivo's now playing list. At the bottom there should be a folder for your computer. Open it up and play the videos inside. You can already do this, for free, with the Tivo software available today.

Install the most recent version of Tivo Desktop, the version that allows you to pull videos off your computer.

Download the video, drop in “My Documents/My Tivo Recordings” (only MPEG2 videos will work, but you can use converters to go from AVI and Quicktime to mpg).

Start Tivo Desktop’s media sharing and look at your Tivo’s now playing list. At the bottom there should be a folder for your computer. Open it up and play the videos inside.

]]> By: lism. http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197303 lism. Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:52:32 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/11/14/tivo-almost-anything/#comment-197303 Have I missed the part where Apple get to use "iTV" without running into <a href="http://www.itv.com/" rel="nofollow">serious trademark issues</a>? Have I missed the part where Apple get to use “iTV” without running into serious trademark issues?

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