Foxtel Chief Exec Takes A Swipe At TiVo

MegaZone — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:21:15 +0000

Foxtel is TiVo’s primary competitor in Australia. While TiVo is sold by Seven Network and is a ‘free to air’ DVR used with broadcast TV, with no subscription fees, Foxtel’s iQ/iQ2 DVRs are used with Foxtel’s pay TV service. It is akin to DirecTV or Dish Network in the US, and beyond the initial acquisition fees there are ongoing monthly fees, which can be quite steep if you want the full range of channels. According to the Herald Sun, Foxtel chief executive Kim Williams took an opportunity to throw some FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) in TiVo’s direction:

[F]or Seven Network, “the horse has bolted”.
“The iQ is the industry standard,” Mr Williams said.
“I see TiVo as a latecomer with little to recommend it.”

Sounds to me like someone is worried, you don’t need to take swipes like this at a competitor if they’re really no threat to your business.

TiVo To Launch In Australia ‘Next Month’

MegaZone — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:11:45 +0000

According to the Herald Sun the long-awaited Australian launch of TiVo by Seven Network will come ‘next month’. This isn’t too surprising as Seven as repeatedly said they will launch TiVo service before the Olympics, to which they hold the Australian broadcast rights, and they do need to get the boxes to customers in advance of the broadcasts. On another forum I recently said that if they didn’t launch by mid-July, then it would be time to worry.

The Herald Sun predicts that the TiVo is expected to sell for around AUD$700, which is rather more than the AUD$500 predicted by the Sydney Morning Herald last month. However, both papers predict that there will be no monthly subscription fees. The Sun reports that final pricing and plans will be announced this week,

Gizmo Lovers Blog » Herald Sun

Foxtel Chief Exec Takes A Swipe At TiVo

TiVo To Launch In Australia ‘Next Month’