GigaOM

At the recently concluded CES, TiVo which pretty much defined the PVR business got some good news and then some bad news.

First the Good News:

TiVo announced several new models, including an HD-capable set-top that will be featured in the DirecTV product lineup later this year.
Samsung and Philips have been added as manufacturers.
Toshiba will be offering PVR-DVD combo device based on TiVo’s Series2 design.

Now the bad news:

Sony announced Cocoon media server that can be used to record HDTV signals and offer PVR functions to users. It does not use TiVo technology.
EchoStar’s new DishPVR 921 is banking on Linux and home-grown PVR technology as part of its ongoing effort to stay ahead of cable companies.
Zenith HDTV terrestrial receiver with PVR functions
Moxi-enabled set-top boxes from cable set-top box makers are expected to come out later this year.

I make a contention in the forthcoming issue of Red Herring, that PVR technology would become all pervasive but it would be hard for companies like TiVo and SonicBlue to make any money off it.

If you would like to read, please click here and I assume you have a PDF-reader.