I’m glad I didn’t make it to CES 2005 this year, otherwise I would have to hear this directly: DirecTV is building their own DVR and intends to dump TiVo. Now this isn’t completely new news, but when put together with other comments they made this week (MPEG4 broadcasts for local HD, home media centers) DirecTV seems determined to separate themselves completely from TiVo, and leave us current Direc-TiVo owners high and dry.
TiVo isn’t sitting still, they announced that they are building a new class of stand alone HD TiVo just for cable and that they are partnering with Microsoft to offer a TiVoToGo service for sharing content around the home. They aren’t dead, but they are looking closer to death every day.
Good thing I have friends with access to Windows XP Media Center Edition. That may have to be the next new PVR/DVR for my home… and bring with it a TV regime change away from DirecTV. It won’t be a sudden change, but its got me thinking I need to get a solution together soon. Maybe SBC’s new IPTV solution (working with Microsoft) will save me? Right.