TiVo in DVR Integration Partnership with Technicolor

DVR vendor/service provider, TiVo, and Technicolor (formerly Thomson), a company that describes itself as a provider of production, post-production and distribution services to content creators and distributors, announced last week that Technicolor will invest in and develop an advanced, TiVo-ready HD DVR for operators that license TiVo software.

According to the companies, Technicolor will port TiVo software to its latest DVR/PVR hardware platform (DSI803), thus "giving operators the benefit of provisioning PVR's that are optimized for TiVo's software." The integration of TiVo's DVR software and user interface with Technicolor hardware will, the companies claim, reduce development and integration costs associated with operator deployment, reduce time-to-market, reduce complexity of implementation, and can be leveraged across multiple technology platforms with offerings to operators worldwide. The initial implementation will support an initiative announced earlier this year between TiVo and Conax to offer a "next-generation DVB set-top box platform for deployment by television operators around the world" (see the article published on itvt.com, March 19th). It is "expected to reach beyond to help accelerate deployment of Technicolor set-top boxes fueled with TiVo's software for TV operators around the world," the companies say.

TiVo and Technicolor say that their integrated DVR offering will feature HD support, dual tuners, a minimum of 320GB of hard drive capacity (allowing recording of up to 45 hours of HD or 400 hours of SD programming), broadband connectivity, and a touch-sensitive front panel. It will be housed in an operator-customizable case and will meet all European Lower Power Code of Conduct requirements, the companies say. "As the convergence of linear television and broadband continues to take hold, operators need to deploy advanced television solutions that are cost-efficient and ready for rapid deployment," Frederic Kurkjian, SVP of Technicolor's Satellite and Cable STB Business Unit, said in a prepared statement. "As one of the leading set-top box providers 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." Added TiVo's VP and general manager of international, Joshua Danovitz: "This is a big win for pay-TV operators and broadcasters who will soon have access to integrated products that combine Technicolor's breadth as one of the biggest and most innovative global set-top box companies and TiVo's expertise as the world's leading television interface."