# Tivo & Roku sitting in a tree



## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

Or they partner up. This would seem to make total sense on the surface if either of these things happened right?

Tivo gets better 3rd party services and Roku get another great feature - dvr capabilities and an increased install base.

Seems like a win/win sort of thing.


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## eboydog (Mar 24, 2006)

Doubtful, Tivo's business plan has shifted to providing their TiVo software for the cable companies, I doubt no serious retail streaming content support will be produced unless it benifits their new masters.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

Why would Roku want Tivo? These are two totally different business models.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

aadam101 said:


> Why would Roku want Tivo? These are two totally different business models.


$$$$ from a higher install base. There are a million customer owned Tivo subscriptions and 3.5 MSO subscriptions. Roku could be on a good chunk of these devices.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Neither company can afford to buy the other. They could merge but that's unlikely.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

trip1eX said:


> $$$$ from a higher install base. There are a million customer owned Tivo subscriptions and 3.5 MSO subscriptions. Roku could be on a good chunk of these devices.


Roku is a very popular successful company. Tivo is not.


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

aadam101 said:


> Roku is a very popular successful company. Tivo is not.


Roku has never made a profit as far as I know (the original target was to break-even by the beginning of this year, but the amount of capital they've been getting suggests they didn't make it.)


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

I love both, and I use both, but they are two entirely different devices that are kind of at odds with each other, even though they do have a small amount of feature overlap with a couple of streaming video services...


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## jwbelcher (Nov 13, 2007)

CrispyCritter said:


> Roku has never made a profit as far as I know (the original target was to break-even by the beginning of this year, but the amount of capital they've been getting suggests they didn't make it.)


Match made in heaven


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Neither company is profitable individually so I can't imagine they would do much worse if they merged or if one licensed the other's technology for a high-end box. I don't know what would be required from a technical standpoint, what CPU improvements would be needed but I suspect it would be possible to have a TiVo running Roku. 

I have doubts that a TiVo could even be licensed to run all of the Roku channels, there is probably a reason TiVo doesn't offer Vudu, Amazon Prime Instant Video and other services we have never seen on TiVo. DRM requirements differ and each company's business priorities and allegiances differ, we may never see a TiVo running those services. Roku doesn't offer some Comcast VOD services, I didn't know it wouldn't run HBO GO until I tried to set it up. All of these types of issues could be resolved and contracts negotiated but not unless both sides want that.

Bottom line, I would say don't hold your breath waiting for a TiVo running Roku. As far as one company being great and the other not, TiVo is the Cadillac of DVRs, Roku is a popular, simple, easy to use streaming box. I own both and rarely ever use Roku although I never use TiVo for any streaming services. I have boxes for streaming services I prefer to Roku but I have never seen a DVR I think is as good as TiVo.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Chris Gerhard said:


> Bottom line, I would say don't hold your breath waiting for a TiVo running Roku. As far as one company being great and the other not, TiVo is the Cadillac of DVRs, Roku is a popular, simple, easy to use streaming box. I own both and rarely ever use Roku although I never use TiVo for any streaming services. I have boxes for streaming services I prefer to Roku but I have never seen a DVR I think is as good as TiVo.


That's exactly it. TiVo is a great DVR, Roku is a great streaming box. TWo great products, two different things, two different markets, each has it's place.


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

Chris Gerhard said:


> Roku doesn't offer some Comcast VOD services, I didn't know it wouldn't run HBO GO until I tried to set it up.


My Roku 3's all run HBO GO. You have to subscribe to HBO on some service to have it work, though. I get it through TW cable. Hard to imagine Comcast somehow blocks access, as the service is provided by HBO themselves, but I suppose it's possible. Or maybe HBO blocks Comcast subscribers.

And as an aside, if one subscribes to Time Warner, they offer ALL the channels you subscribe to streaming on the Roku as well, and the HBO channels on Roku are ALL HD, whereas the crappy TW service in Los Angeles only offers two HD channels, and they're the SAME two HD channels, just east coast and wet coast feeds. I've sprinkled refurbished Roku 3's and Samsung 22" HD sets in the kitchen, shop, sewing room, and I get the full TW package without running a wire or any extra fees. Total cost per setup using refurb devices is about $150. Very cool.


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## SullyND (Dec 30, 2004)

Roku was started by the guy who started ReplayTV, was it not?


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

dougdingle said:


> My Roku 3's all run HBO GO. You have to subscribe to HBO on some service to have it work, though. I get it through TW cable. Hard to imagine Comcast somehow blocks access, as the service is provided by HBO themselves, but I suppose it's possible. Or maybe HBO blocks Comcast subscribers.
> 
> And as an aside, if one subscribes to Time Warner, they offer ALL the channels you subscribe to streaming on the Roku as well, and the HBO channels on Roku are ALL HD, whereas the crappy TW service in Los Angeles only offers two HD channels, and they're the SAME two HD channels, just east coast and wet coast feeds. I've sprinkled refurbished Roku 3's and Samsung 22" HD sets in the kitchen, shop, sewing room, and I get the full TW package without running a wire or any extra fees. Total cost per setup using refurb devices is about $150. Very cool.


This is a well known issue. *Comcast* blocks HBO Go on Roku. It works fine on the web and through Apple devices.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Bigg said:


> This is a well known issue. *Comcast* blocks HBO Go on Roku. It works fine on the web and through Apple devices.


I don't think it is correct to say Comcast blocks HBO GO with Roku, you just can't sign up. Go to the activate HBO GO activate site and select Roku, you can't select Comcast.

http://www.hbogo.com/activate/

If the Comcast merger with TWC goes through, I would think that will change since TWC customers can use Roku for HBO GO. Surely there will be no difference between the two companies in that regard and surely TWC won't end Roku support.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Comcast is blocking activation of HBO Go on Roku, as mentioned this is a well-known issue. I can watch it just fine on my Android phone, frex.

Really a non-issue for me as HBO works fine with XOD on Tivo.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

slowbiscuit said:


> Comcast is blocking activation of HBO Go on Roku, as mentioned this is a well-known issue. I can watch it just fine on my Android phone, frex.
> 
> Really a non-issue for me as HBO works fine with XOD on Tivo.


Works on a 360 with Comcast, but from what I skimmed it doesn't work on select devices.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

slowbiscuit said:


> Comcast is blocking activation of HBO Go on Roku, as mentioned this is a well-known issue. I can watch it just fine on my Android phone, frex.


Correct.


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## eduboys (Sep 11, 2013)

Bigg said:


> That's exactly it. TiVo is a great DVR, Roku is a great streaming box. TWo great products, two different things, two different markets, each has it's place.


They used to say that about cameras and phones.


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## Pacomartin (Jun 11, 2013)

SullyND said:


> Roku was started by the guy who started ReplayTV, was it not?


Yes, the word means 6 in Japanese in respect of his 6 businesses.

By 10, Anthony Wood was already in the real estate business building and selling tree houses to his friends.

During college at Texas A&M he founded a company with 14 employees that was developing products for the Amiga.

His third company was developing audio post production software for computers

Fourth,an Internet software company called iBand, which was later sold to Macromedia for $35 million.

Fifth was ReplayTV he invented the first digital video recorder (DVR), launched at the 1999 International CES. The company was later bought by DirecTV.

In 2002, he started Roku, which means six in Japanese, a nod to his six companies. As head of Roku, he is now working toward replacing the DVD.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

The real opportunity for TiVo would have been to buy Boxee when it was on the market. Integrate Boxee into the TiVo boxes and sell stand alone Boxee with a streaming client - it would have been a popular synergy. (Then we wouldn't be stuck with this crappy Opera app store)

I think Samsung purchased Boxee for less than 30 million.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Chris Gerhard said:


> I don't think it is correct to say Comcast blocks HBO GO with Roku, you just can't sign up. Go to the activate HBO GO activate site and select Roku, you can't select Comcast.


It is correct to say it. Comcast is the one who tells HBO not to allow people to activate Roku devices with Comcast credentials.



Chris Gerhard said:


> If the Comcast merger with TWC goes through, I would think that will change since TWC customers can use Roku for HBO GO. Surely there will be no difference between the two companies in that regard and surely TWC won't end Roku support.


One would hope.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Pacomartin said:


> Fifth was ReplayTV he invented the first digital video recorder (DVR), launched at the 1999 International CES. The company was later bought by DirecTV.


Some people at TiVo might have a problem with that statement. They actually "invented" DVRs concurrently, ReplayTV simply released theirs a couple weeks before TiVo as a marketing ploy to be the first. (they knew about one another)

Also they didn't really get bought by DirecTV. They were purchased by SonicBlue who then went bankrupt. The ReplayTV brand/holdings were then bought by D&M which then later sold it to DirecTV who only wanted it for the patents to defend themselves against TiVo. I don't think DirecTV actually uses any ReplayTV technology in their products.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

eduboys said:


> They used to say that about cameras and phones.


Cell phone cameras are never going to be as good as a good DSLR. Sure, they took the low-end of the point and shoot market, but physics dictate that you need good glass to take good shots, and that glass needs to be pretty big.

TiVo at least, in theory, could become a good streaming device. A cell phone can never become a good camera. That's physics.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Bigg said:


> TiVo at least, in theory, could become a good streaming device. A cell phone can never become a good camera. That's physics.


There are some cell phones with huge lenses that take up the whole back of the phone, and I think one where the lens even telescopes out. So I wouldn't say that a cell phone can "never" become a good camera. Just most aren't.

I agree though that TiVo could become a good streaming device. After the recent addition of Amazon Prime and Vudu it's getting pretty close. All I need is HBOGo and it'll have everything I need. Throw in Plex and Crackle and I think most people would be content to use it as their primary streaming platform.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

The Nokia Lumia 1020 has a 41MP camera for example.

Main camera 

41-megapixel Pureview, Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, 6-lens optics, Optical image stabilization, Xenon Flash, High resolution zoom 3x, Video 1080p (Full HD, 1920 x 1080), video zoom: 6x

Scott


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> There are some cell phones with huge lenses that take up the whole back of the phone, and I think one where the lens even telescopes out. So I wouldn't say that a cell phone can "never" become a good camera. Just most aren't.
> 
> I agree though that TiVo could become a good streaming device. After the recent addition of Amazon Prime and Vudu it's getting pretty close. All I need is HBOGo and it'll have everything I need. Throw in Plex and Crackle and I think most people would be content to use it as their primary streaming platform.


Even those are tiny compared to a good Nikon DX lens, much less a full frame 35mm Nikon lens.

Yeah, HBOGo would be good, and would fit nicely with TiVo, since it provides VOD-like functionality that TiVo doesn't have access to on some MSOs, and sucks hardcore on others (i.e. Comcast). PBS and WatchESPN would be nice as well, those are common on other streaming platforms, although I don't miss them one bit, since I can use them on my Roku, my Apple TV, my Fire TV Stick, my Chromecast, or my HTPC.


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