TiVo plans to launch new recorders that will integrate the converter boxes many cable television companies still require, the company announced January 6, using a new technology known as CableCard to give the new TiVo recorders a kind of built-in cable box once a cable-provided card is slipped into the new device.
TiVo said they’re hoping to get the new recorders to market in early 2006.
"We believe that the deployment of CableCARD technology is an essential development for the future of digital television,” said TiVo chief executive Mike Ramsay, announcing the coming new recorders. “By eliminating the need for a separate set top box, consumers will enjoy more choice and flexibility over their entertainment delivery. TiVo will play a key role in driving this technology forward to bring it to the masses."
For now, many if not most TiVo users with digital cable need to connect their recorders to separate boxes with either low-speed data ports or devices sending infrared signals to the converter, similar to remote controls – but not all cable converter boxes have the data ports, and the infrared blasters are not always reliable, TiVo said. That causes shows not to record properly if the television does not switch to the proper channel, the company added.
The Federal Communications Commission has already required all cable television operators to support CableCard technology, and some setmakers now sell sets with CableCard slots even though the cards don’t yet support products like pay-per-view or video-on-demand.
Just how much it will cost to buy the new TiVo recorders when they come forth hasn’t been determined.
