“Shares of digital video recording device maker TiVo (TIVO) rallied as much as 20 percent Wednesday after Inside Digital Media said that Apple Computer (AAPL) is considering buying TiVo. Research firm Janney Montgomery Scott said a short squeeze is also likely pushing the stock higher. However, ‘Apple is definitely on our list of plausible buyers, given that computer manufacturers could use TiVo’s brand as a centerpiece on their ‘Media PC’ strategies,’ said analyst William Kidd. Apple is not Kidd’s first choice of buyer, since much of TiVo’s value lies in its brand and technology and Apple has one of the strongest brands in the country,” Ciara Linnane reports for CBS MarketWatch.
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Is Apple CEO Steve Jobs thinking about ‘Mac mini TiVo’ possibilities? – January 17, 2005
Beleaguered TiVo is ripe for an Apple takeover – August 12, 2004
Industry Standard founder predicts Apple will takeover TiVo – April 22, 2003
First post….dont know what to think!
Brilliant observation iHung. Keep ’em coming. I hope Apple does buy TiVO. Everybody loves TiVO, just as NOBODY loves Replay TV or Comcast OnDemand. If Apple doesn’t buy TiVO, either somebody else will or TiVO will just go belly up, which would be a shame. An Apple TiVO box would be an instant hit. Of course they’d add their unique vision to its UI, and add lots of connectivity with iLive and iTunes, but basically it would be an Apple TiVO.
The magic word is “hospital,” which sounds suspiciously like “horse spittle,” which just gives me the heeby-jeebies.
Um, everybody? I don’t have a TiVO. What’s so special about it? Paying for a service to record programs just so I don’t have to watch the commercials? If that’s all, I don’t mind staying in the dark ages and fast-forwarding the VCR.
Personally, I think Apple TiVo has rather a nice ring to it. Other than that, I have nothing else to add.
Could someone please tell me, what’s this TiVo-Stuff all about?
Isn’t it just TV with automatic recording? Sounds so 1990…
Caesar, it is not just about missing the commercials. You have your shows on a hard drive; no tapes, no disks. You can it record any show yopu want and it will remember the ones you already have so no duplicates. I have TiVo and a Charter Cable DVR; the TiVo is much nicer and easier to use. I tried to cancel Tivo after I got Charter, and they half my monthly bill if I would keep it.
you don’t know till you try it
commercial? what is that, gonna miss your show? watch it later no prob at the touch of a button
Apple will only make this product better, and integrate it with the Mac
go Stevo
iHung !!!
That’s probably the first wise thing you’ve ever said !
People who write ‘First post ‘ NEVER know what to think – because they don’t.
Never used it, but I believe it is basically VCR (HD, actually) + computer + very user-friendly interface. People who can’t program the clock properly on their VCR’s are able program recording schedules with ease on TiVo. I believe you can effectively pause live television, record more than one thing at a time (not sure about that), and somehow get it to skip recording the commercials (not sure about that either. Anyways, people seem to really, really love it, and commercial advertisers seem to really, really hate it.
But as I say, I ‘ve never used it. Try the TiVo Website perhaps?
I hope if/when they merge up the consumers and press don’t shorten “Apple Tivo” into Apptivo… it sounds too much like those IBM boxes of the past… kinda like the Citroen is for cars
Did some notice, that the iPod mini armband comes in five colors: grey, blue, pink, yellow, orange, that don’t match with ipod mini colors?
Where new colors planned and abandoned?
Very interesting to contemplate PVR capabilities on the Mac mini. It seems to me that it would be relatively painless to accomplish via a software/cable card combo. If Apple purchases TiVo, could they use the platform to deliver new services to the home? Very interesting indeed.
Sorry, clicked submit by mistake. I was going to say that with a cable-ready Mac mini, Apple could expand dotMac, as well as offering Software Updates and new classes of services to home users. iMovie Store anyone?
“Did some notice, that the iPod mini armband comes in five colors: grey, blue, pink, yellow, orange, that don’t match with ipod mini colors?”
I think it’s more of a fashion thing, to allow people to coordinate their armbands with iPod colors. A blue armband with a blue iPod would look pretty bad, from a style perspective.
Old Europe, Tivo can not only automatically record shows but can do it for a whole season by just selecting the show you want to record for the whole season. You can even block it from recording repeats automatically. You can also do things with live tv like pause it while you take a break. Get something to eat. When your done you can come back and start watching right where you left off without missing a second of your program. If you did miss something you can rewind and watch it over again. Yes if you buy the tivo box you pay 9.95 a month for the service. But if you have Directv you can get one for 4.95 extra a month on your Directv bill. If you have the platinum package with Directv then the tivo option is FREE! I wouldn’t go back to a regular VCR anymore after using it.
Who watches TV?
what if you could choose/record a show as easily as buying an iTune. now that would be cool.
Commercials?!?
You mean folks still watch that crap with commercials in between? <G>
No, but REALLY… This is the box Apple needs… connectivity to a computer for control, burning DVD’s, streaming iPics and Fairplay encoded AAC files, AND connectivity to cable and a HD display, via the “box”. I’ll take at LEAST one, if not two.
if steve jobs has anything in mind, I hope that is it rickl. It is so hard to find what is on at a particular time these days with so many stations. But what if the iMac mini is the tivo and searching for programs is like itunes search?
Thank God, They finally get my tivo to see freeplay music. Nothing could be better for tivo.
Long time reader… First time poster…
Oh Please let this be true! I have such a fear that my beloved TiVos will one day stop receiving programming. Seeing that I have a TiVo and Apple sticker on my car, I’m all for this. (Er, let’s forget I said something about stickers on my car… wink, wink).
New Year’s Day is the best time to own a Tivo. Start recording the days ball games, then wake up late. You can FF thru the commercials until you catch up with live TV. Incredible! I tell you. Absolutely amazing!
Ok – part of the media center concept inf nothing else.
A harddrive for iMovie/Final cut/garage band
a storage area for Satellite radio
Tivo could be repackage by Apple into a very desirable product.
This would be great news! Tivo is an excellent product that needs to be energized a little more! For those of you that haven’t experienced it, the only thing I can say is.. try it… it will change your life!!
I think it would be a good acquisition for Apple. There are several reasons for this, but one of biggest IMO is the intangible of having the name. The TiVo name in the DVR realm has the same effect in the general as the iPod does to MP3 players.
People just inherently call MP3 players iPods nowadays, and I always hear people saying thye TiVo their shows, when in fact they don’t have TiVo but a competeing brand.
Apple’s lack of enthusiasm in advertising everything but the iPod wouldn’t be as big an issue for a TiVo box because it’s already very well established in the marketplace and in the public’s mind.
TiVo is a lot more than just a digital VCR and there are so many easy to use functions (I own 3 TiVos and before I bought the last one, I bought a Sharp PVR-DVD Recorder w/hard drive – most difficult to use piece of equipment I’ve ever owned – needless to say, a 3rd TiVo was purchased).
A partial list of TiVos features, pause live TV, Season Pass (record every episode of a show with option to exclude repeats), Search, Wish Lists (have a favorite actor, singer, etc. and TiVo will automatically record every thing that they appear in), view your iPhoto libraries on your TV, listen to your iTunes music on TV, move TV shows from one recorder to another, etc, etc…
What could Apple bring to TiVo is better Mac support (TiVo doesn’t support the iTunes Music store music format, a major issue that needs to be solved soon for it to be useful), even better software (it’s UNIX based, so it would fit well with Apple’s OS X), better integration with the Mac as a media hub (TiVo’s recently announced TiVo To Go is not Mac compatible, another major issue that needs to be solved soon), better box styling (of the 3 TiVos I own, NONE of them are TiVo boxes – a Sony and 2 Pioneers (neither company currently sells a TiVo box)).
I would warmly welcome an Apple buy out of TiVo!
I’ve used Dish Networks version for the last several years. Can never go back to watching the old way. It’s a completely revolutionary way to watch TV.
I don’t think Apple needs the TIVO name to do this. With a simple firewire interface divice, they could add another module to iLife – “iTV”, or “iWatch”.
TiVo is a sinking ship, and Apple doesn’t need them at all — it would only be a drag.
They need to create their own best-of-breed product from scratch, and trade on the iTunes brand.
Who watches TV anymore?
TiVo has some patents which prevent its competitors from making it as good as TiVo’s.
If Apple does not buy them, someone else will.
Would they name it iTiVo or just iVo?
Lukas, iTunes wasn’t created by Apple. It was purchased and they hired the developer on to finish the project under their guidance.
rageous was right in noting that their brand recognition is extremely valuable and Mr. Lawless points out that it’s UNIX base would play very nice with OS X.
Personally, I think it would be a great addition to the family.
The advantages of having a TiVO can’t be captured in a feature list. When I said that “everybody loves TiVO,” I overstated the case. What I should have said was, “everybody who has TRIED TiVO loves it.”
TiVO is every bit as revolutionary as the iPod. When you turn an ordinary TV on, you have maybe a couple channels to choose from. They’re all playing live, so to watch one from the beginning you may have to wait a good part of an hour. And even then, there’s literally NOTHING good on. In contrast, when you turn your TiVo on, you have a library of movies and TV shows waiting for you. Not just hundreds of episodes of crap, but shows you’ve personally selected. And you can watch half of one today, and the rest tomorrow.
I suppose an Apple TiVo would be pretty similar to a VCR. With a two-hundred-hour tape. And instantaneous FF/Rewind. And a menu system. And an interactive Program Guide. And wireless connection to iTunes Express and streaming iPhoto slideshows.
On second thought, that’s not much like a VCR.
considering Tivo is using Rendezvous or “Bonjour” on the backside i think they will be a great fit for Apple. They can use the tivo boxes as that long-rumored media server and increase their mind-share as a viable media company.
imovie, iphoto,itunes running on Tivo and Quicktime. The key HDTV. this is will be truly the year of HDTV.
erk, has come up with the perfect name for the product, the Stevo.
But what actually is tivo? I live in Australia and we dont have it. Is it like a set top box kinda thing with a built in hard drive. Can’t a HD DVD recorder do the same thing. Or is it a service you have to pay for ? If it’s just about time shifting, and getting rid of commercials, my VCR does that. Commercials arn’t all bad, how else do you expect to learn or hear about stuff without the occasional advert.
this sounds so right. all of the things happening in the past few months really make this sound like its gonna happen. For example, when the Mac Mini came out, everyone was kinda dissapointed with the lack of a Media Center version. Why no media center version? Because Apple are lining up a takeover of TiVo, thats why.
The only thing I don’t like about TiVo is the user experience. It doesn’t outright SUCK like Comcast’s On Demand, but it could be so much better. If Apple got a hold of TiVo and actually made it as easy as the iTunes/iPod killer combo, then they would have a killer product.
I’d like to give you the hebegebes Sum Yung Gai!
I’d just like to watch the movies I got for Christmas, forget about TV! Too much to do that I value over either one of those, like reading MDN(?!?)!
MDN Magic word: Radio, as in, “I listen to the radio a lot more than I watch TV”
As has been mentioned above (and deserves further mentioning) the (now) free Home Media option that comes with Tivo is already Mac compatible. You can put a cheap USB wireless (802.11b) adapter on your Tivo box (or use USB cables, if you don’t have Airport or other wireless) and use it to
a) access the internet for schedule updates, special downloads, messages, etc.
b) view your iPhoto albums (controllable by the Tivo remote
c) listen to your iTunes playlists (also controllable by remote)
And I emphasize – wirelessly, if you so choose.
The step to a full Apple/Tivo media center (either with an external mini, firewire connection to an existing Mac, or via completely new device) is a fairly small one, and a very logical one, now that the iPod family (and more recently the mini) has gained such popularity.
The next logical step for the iTunes/iVideo store would then be connection to satellite radio and/or cable TV for the home. Imagine a button on the remote that allows instant purchase and download of the currently playing music/movie. How often do you hear a song on the radio in your car and wish you could purchase it at that moment (or somehow remember to do it when you get home). You forget, and don’t, once the impulse passes but if you could, you would. Or many would, anyways, and media downloads would increase exponentially (until enough people started getting monthly statements that exceeded their budgets).
This is where the greatest success in these markets will occur in the next 5 years, and Apple is poised to lead the way.
I just got the Comcast version of TiVo, a digital VCR with a ton of features. I haven’t done a feature to feature comparison, but in this case all I pay for is the service. $9.99 a month. Comcast brings the box.
The interface isn’t bad, and for skipping around and watching shows/movies it’s GREAT. I’m a movie addict with 80 movie channels and Comcast OnDemand. The Digital VCR turns it into a real powerful timeshifting and recording station. I assume that Apple just wants to add these capabilities to a bigger product.
If TiVo couldn’t make a profit with 3,000,000 customers, how can it do it with Comcast and other people jumping into the arena?
I think it was the double whammy of buying a BOX and having to pay by the month that out off a lot of people. I only have one friend with a TiVo and they live in a mansion. Most of the middle class people I know aren’t sure what it is, and certainly wouldn’t buy UNLESS they had a free trial. Once you use it, it’s fun, easy, and VERY addicting.
dv
Does Apple still make Power Mac computers?
One never hears any new news in that dept.
Sum Yung Gai – why the slam on ReplayTV? It is far closer to TiVo’s interface than the awful Comcast On Demand. (Ex-Apple employee and professional opinionated jerk Bruce Tognazzini even calls it “an overall superior brand” to TiVo here. Replay was the one that said “screw you” to to Hollywood studios’ piracy concerns, with the result that they had their business decimated. So some of us do indeed love ReplayTV.
I have four TIVO’s, two of them are Series 2 and networked. I’ve been on the TIVO bandwagon since day one but as much as I like TIVO, it has some enheriant (sp, its early) problems.
TIVO box is cheap but lifetime subscription is too expensive (and it keeps rising). My first TIVo it was something like $200. Its now what, $300? That $99 tivo box is more like $400 when you add the lifetime. I also heard rumors that they’re raising it to $350..
Apple could easily build TIVO into the iMac Mini. I never did fully understand why the TIVO boxes were so large. They really don’t need to be. Also, it doesn’t make any sense not to have a wifi card built into it now..
Christopher
p.s. At least with Apple we’d finally get Remote Desktop 2.0 for the Mac.
This is apple’s only real chance to get into the living room. If apple doesn’t buy tivo, someone else will. Like microsoft. ONce you have media machiens plugged into your living room, all the sudden, downloading music onto your living room console seems like a lot less of a hassle than doing it on your computer. Not to mention videos.
I PRAY they buy TiVo before it’s too late.
This is apple’s only real chance to get into the living room. If apple doesn’t buy tivo, someone else will. Like microsoft. ONce you have media machiens plugged into your living room, all the sudden, downloading music onto your living room console seems like a lot less of a hassle than doing it on your computer. Not to mention videos.
I PRAY they buy TiVo before it’s too late.
Where to start,
Lets go with the easy one. CP asked why the box is so big. To fit on the shelf and look like all the other home theater components, reciever, dvd, vcr, etc.
Moving to the more disturbing, All of the people who said Apple is considering buying TiVo, and all of the fluffy feel good info about how great the two would be for each other is basically worthless. These people are analists and tech opinion writers. They are not on the board of directors, or CEO, or ANY position within Apple or TiVo. They have no authority to say that this is in fact happening as we speak.
Look at the results, TiVo stock up 20%. That alone would make it harder for Apple to buy if they were trying. When rumors of a buyout or takeover happen, the soon to be purchased company has a brief rise in stock prices. The buying company has a mid range FALL in stock prices. If TiVo went up 20%, when will the other shoe drop and Apple stock will tank 20% or more?
In the midst of all this, some of the clueless wallstreet people will praise Apple over this rumor, some will crucify Apple, and the mixed message will put off current and potential Apple investors, further hurting the stock price.
Until the SEC announces that Apple has filed or officially made a move to get TiVo, any baseless (even though the fit may be logical) speculation only hurts Apples stock prices.
What a worthless comment. Obviously anyone who posts a message on a Mac News/Gossip website isn’t a board member and only a critic or a fan.
Dennis
Dennis, with all the comments listed, which were you talking about?
Before I moved into a household with a Tivo, I didn’t watch tv. Commercials are too loud, too long, too annoying for the lackluster programming that usually follows them.
What’s so great about TiVo?
Watching something and didn’t catch what was said? Rewind, see it again. Need to answer the phone, go to the bathroom, check on something in the kitchen? Pause live tv.
Never watch a commercial again. Ever.
Never worry about your vcr not being set. Find any movie or tv show without needing a guide, and set it up to record weeks in advance. Find shows by favorite subject or actor. Save a whole season of your favorite show to share with friends, or network your tivo and burn it to dvd.
It does wonders for televised sports (helped a lot during the Olympics) and nightly news.
The only technology I love more than my Mac, is TiVo. The only thing I don’t like about TiVo it is that it makes me want to watch television.