RCN Selects TiVo as its "Primary" DVR Platform

Cable overbuilder/triple-play provider, RCN, announced Tuesday that it has entered into a strategic relationship with TiVo that will see it offering co-branded, "uniquely configured" TiVo HD DVR's to its residential and small business customers. TiVo will be RCN's "primary" DVR offering, the company says (note: while RCN, which currently offers Motorola DCX3416 DVR's, will be the first cable MSO to offer TiVo as its primary DVR, Comcast and Cox have signed deals with TiVo that see them integrating its software onto their existing set-tops; the Comcast deal sees TiVo service being offered in New England and--shortly--in Chicago, while the Cox deal sees the MSO testing TiVo service in New England). "RCN, the pioneer of triple-play technology, is proud to partner with TiVo, the pioneer of DVR technology, to offer our customers a unique content and feature-rich experience that is superior to any cable or satellite offering available today," RCN CEO, Peter D. Aquino, said in a prepared statement. "The TiVo DVR from RCN is a truly innovative convergence of video and broadband programming controlled through a single user interface that is simple, intuitive, and dramatically different from that of other DVR's. We are always looking for ways to improve our customers' experience, and TiVo brings us the best feature set at a very compelling value while also allowing us to deploy these new services faster than our competitors because we can leverage our current infrastructure."

RCN says that it will begin offering the TiVo DVR early next year, and promises that the platform will provide its customers with a "first-of-its-kind video experience" that will fully integrate RCN's digital programming and VOD service with a wide variety of broadband video programming delivered over the TiVo platform--thus providing RCN customers with a "vast library of programming not available through traditional cable or satellite services." "We are thrilled with this relationship because RCN is stepping up to be the first cable provider to offer the TiVo hardware and software as its primary DVR product, giving its customers total control over a truly integrated, 100% digital experience that combines traditional television programming with the rapidly growing universe of Internet-delivered content," TiVo president and CEO, Tom Rogers, said in a prepared statement. "This is a great marriage of TiVo's and RCN's histories of innovation and our respective roadmaps for the future of television where millions of shows must be made searchable and accessible on-demand, in an elegant, consumer-friendly manner. Soon, RCN subscribers will have at their fingertips the most advanced television experience bar none."

According to RCN, TiVo DVR from RCN, as the joint-offering will apparently be branded, will provide its customers with:

• Standard TiVo features such as the ability to record every episode of a favorite show (Season Pass), personalized recommendations, the ability to automatically find and record programming through WishList searches, and the ability to schedule recordings via the Web or mobile phones.
• A range of broadband programming, including movies from Amazon Video on Demand, music videos and free radio programming.
• What it claims will be the cable industry's first-ever comprehensive keyword search across linear TV, VOD and broadband.
• The ability to access and order all RCN VOD programming, including network and premium channel shows, movies, sports, international programs, and "millions" of broadband videos through TiVo's single search function.
• A range of interactive applications, including the ability to view pictures and listen to music stored on a home PC, the ability to view photos from Picasa Web Albums or Photobucket, the ability to listen to "millions" of songs from Rhapsody, and the ability to order pizza from Dominos and movie tickets from Fandango, as well as weather and traffic apps and games.
• The ability to take recorded content on the road on laptops, smartphones and other mobile devices via TiVo's TiVoToGo feature.
• The ability to connect two or more TiVo boxes through a home network for multi-room viewing and recording.
• TiVo KidZone parental controls.
• The ability to increase storage capacity via Western Digital's My DVR Expander.