NDS is coming to town

USA Today ran a story yesterday about DirecTV's new combo DVR/VOD unit that will eventually replace TiVo.

"DirecTV is preparing to offer a digital video recorder (DVR) service in mid-2005 that could duplicate virtually every feature now available from current partner TiVo, plus provide video on demand similar to what's offered on cable, say executives of the company preparing the software."

This is bad news for TiVo, since they usually count the million or so DirecTiVo customers as their own, and share subscription and ad profits. This news came to light this past summer and I speculated on it last year, but I think it'll still be bad news for people like me that are quite happy with their dual tuner, native quality recording TiVo boxes. I'm not much of a fan of Video On Demand, so I don't think I'm losing much by not having it. The other big difference between an NDS box and a DirecTiVo will be the interface and basic functionality. Competitors haven't really come close to the wishlist, season pass, or basic reliability a TiVo box provides. My guess is that now DirecTV has announced they're working on this, don't expect to see any major updates to the DirecTiVo OS. I doubt we'll see the Home Media Option. I doubt we'll see Multi Room Viewing, and I seriously doubt we'd ever see TiVo To Go on the DirecTV units.

No word on what will become of the HD-DirecTiVo, but I assume unless the NDS boxes support HDTV, they'll likely keep supporting that box over the normal DirecTiVo boxes. At least that's my hope, since I'd like to finally get a HDTV monitor and HD-TiVo this coming year. [thanks, Brian]

Comments

[Old News]

This is old news. NDS and DTV have been talking about this for a while. Personally I think DTV doesnt want TIVO to have to much power, given the large, and growing, number of subscribers who already have DirecTiVo.

Since NDS does not have a working DVR but have been hyping it since last summer, I think mid 2005 is too optimistic for a working, deliverable product. I also doubt DTV would turn off or stop supporting TiVo. Most likely the 2 DVRs will co-exist, with NDS being a free but inferior offering to the premium TiVo service.

[fighto]

'About the only TiVo function the new service will not have, they say, is the ability to jump over commercials. That's an unadvertised TiVo feature users can activate with programming instructions widely available on the Internet.'

Why bother, especially for anyone who has a combo unit and already has a lifetime Tivo subscription, which DirecTV must honor for life of the account (not just the life of the unit)?

[Matt Haughey]

Well, the DirecTV and TiVo partnership is under contract to continue until at least 2007, but I could see DirecTV pushing folks to the NDS boxes and virtually ignoring the TiVo ones.

I wouldn't say it'll take forever for an NDS box to materialize, they already have them in the UK, don't they?

[Thomas Hawk]

But does it record high def? Me thinks not otherwise they would be hyping the hell out of this feature. Interesting, but who would want a DVR that can't record HDTV anymore?

[Not Imprtant]

Not saying that it will take forever for the NDS to materialize just longer than the USA Today article would lead you to believe. I would say fall/end of year 2005.

While NDS does make DVRs for BSkyB it is a different user interface. I dont think its so easy to just switch it to DTV, otherwise they would have something to show already.

CES is the place to watch next month.

[New York]

If given the choice, Id rather have a DVR with TiVoToGo than one with HD recording.

[New York]

What happens to NDS if TiVo receives a favorable ruling in the Echostar case? Do DirecTV's public endorcements of a 2005 NDS release date indicate their belief in a negative TiVo ruling? A rumour surfaced recently about the potential for a positive TiVo ruling in the near future - anyone have any insight?