Well, now we have a hard launch, with a press release to back it up. TiVo is part of a larger push from ONO. Not only is TiVo acting as a DVR, it is also ONOs first STB offering HD and 3D content. And, like Virgin in the UK, ONO is offering extensive broadband content over a dedicated DOCSIS connection.

Full press release below:

ONO and TiVo Launch High-Definition Hybrid TV Solution in Spain

Spain’s Largest Cable Operator Offers Most Advanced TV Service With the Deployment of Its First High Definition Broadband-Connected Set Top Box With DVR

MADRID, SPAIN and ALVISO, CA — (MARKET WIRE) — 11/15/2011 — ONO, the largest cable operator in Spain and a leading provider of broadband communication and entertainment services, and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for personal video recorders, today announced their next generation hybrid television offering is now available to ONO subscribers in major Spanish cities, Madrid and Barcelona. ONO plans to also extend TiVo to its entire fiber optic network within the coming months.

For the first time ever, ONO will deploy a set top box offering their customers not only support for high-definition (HD) and 3D video but also digital video recording (DVR) capabilities and all through the TiVo experience. In addition, ONO offers to TiVo customers thousands of hours of broadband-delivered on demand video. As a result, ONO customers are able to enjoy the most advanced television services available in Spain.

Specifically, this new broadband-connected DVR offering will provide customers the ability to watch and control all their traditional television HD programs, enjoy on-demand and broadband-delivered content, access internet video and services such as games, and use popular TiVo features like Season Pass® Recordings to automatically record their favorite programs all with one simple click of a remote.

Joshua Danovitz, VP & General Manager, International, TiVo Inc., said, “We are thrilled that through the TiVo service from ONO over seven million new homes, which ONO passes, will now have access to the most advanced TV offering in Spain. With this HD DVR ONO customers can access a new world of on demand and Internet delivered content and enjoy a hybrid television experience that is second to none.”

Fernando Meco, Marketing TV Director, ONO, added, “The launch of our TiVo offering is an important moment for ONO as we have now embraced a broadband-connected television solution that is going to dramatically change the way our subscribers think of television. The combination of ONO’s extensive television content, blazing fast broadband through its own fiber optic network, and High Definition TiVo DVR further shows ONO’s intent to provide the best in class products and services to the Spanish market.”

For more information about how to sign up for the TiVo DVR from ONO visit www.ono.es/tivo

About ONO
ONO is the leading broadband communication and entertainment provider in Spain. It offers integrated telephone, television and Internet services to its residential customers. In this segment, it has close to 1 million revenue television homes, approximately 4.3 million revenue generating units (RGUs) and 7 million homes in its service footprint. ONO also offers value-added telecommunications services to SMEs, large companies and institutions. ONO has the largest next generation fibre optic network available in Spain. ONO closed the year 2010 with total earnings of EUR 1.472 billion and operating profits of EUR M725 (EBITDA).

About TiVo
Founded in 1997, TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) developed the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). TiVo offers the TiVo service and TiVo DVRs directly to consumers online at www.tivo.com and through third-party retailers. TiVo also distributes its technology and services through solutions tailored for cable, satellite, and broadcasting companies. Since its founding, TiVo has evolved into the ultimate single solution media center by combining its patented DVR technologies and universal cable box capabilities with the ability to aggregate, search, and deliver millions of pieces of broadband, cable, and broadcast content directly to the television. An economical, one-stop-shop for in-home entertainment, TiVo’s intuitive functionality and ease of use puts viewers in control by enabling them to effortlessly navigate the best digital entertainment content available through one box, with one remote, and one user interface, delivering the most dynamic user experience on the market today. TiVo also continues to weave itself into the fabric of the media industry by providing interactive advertising solutions and audience research and measurement ratings services to the television industry. www.tivo.com.

TiVo, the TiVo Logo, Season Pass and WishList are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc.’s subsidiaries worldwide. © 2011 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved.

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to, among other things, specific TiVo products and timing of distribution of those products with ONO in Spain. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “estimate,” “continue,” or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include delays in development, competitive service offerings and lack of market acceptance, as well as the other potential factors described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011, as amended, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended April 30, 2011, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. TiVo disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Guillermo Mercader, Ono’s DG of residential services, says it will cost €10 a month, which confirms the earlier reports. No mention was made of the €150 installation fee mentioned previously. The launch of TiVo is also ONO’s launch of HD services, and the new service will include twelve HD channels. That is an extra incentive for new subscribers seeking HD content. The TiVo platform will also include Videoclub ONO, which offers over 2,700 hours of new releases and free content, including HD & 3D.

ONO has invested over €9 billion in their network and an additional €150 million has been earmarked for the deployment of DOCSIS 3.0 and development of TiVo. Alongside the TiVo launch ONO has also boosted their fiber network to support broadband subscriptions of 100Mbps download & 10Mbps upload, available to seven million homes.

Things seem to be going well for TiVo in Spain, I hope it continues to be smooth sailing.

Via Broadband TV News.

Via Rapid TV News.

Now, I took Spanish in high school but that was over 22 years ago and, frankly, I never really paid close attention and didn’t do very well. In fact, Spanish was my worst subject by far. So I’m relying on Google Translate, so there may be some ‘fuzziness’.

On the pre-registration forms it also seems like registering gets you entered in a drawing for a free iPad 2 – perhaps this indicates the iPad TiVo software is also coming? There is one thing though…

The original text reads:

Solo por dejarnos tus datos participas en el sorteo de un iPad 2

Just below that is:

Oferta limitada a los primeros 5.000 particulares pre-inscritos antes del 30 de septiembre 2011. La pre-inscripción no implica compromiso de contratación.

This translates to:

Just for your information, let us participate in the draw for a iPhone 2

And:

Offer limited to first 5,000 pre-registered individuals prior to September 30, 2011. Pre-Registration does not imply commitment of hiring.

Ignoring the iPad->iPhone translation error, based on the positioning of this text and the layout of the page I think the “first 5,000″ limitation is for the drawing. So you have a 1 in 5,000 chance to win the iPad 2. I don’t think they’re saying only 5,000 people can pre-register for the TiVo, that seems crazy – especially given Virgin Media had 50,000 pre-registrations.

We know ONO is using the same Cisco hardware that Virgin Media is using in the UK, with a similar fiber network. So we can probably expect a similar feature set over all. The software is from the same base, but localized for Spanish and ONO’s unique requirements. Interestingly the site states the unit can record two channels at once, while playing back a third recording. This is how the UK box launched, but later on the dormant third tuner was launched. Since ONO is using the same HW, perhaps they’re doing something similar?

Capacity is advertised as 200 hours. Remote scheduling is explicitly mentioned. They’re also making a big deal out of the HD & 3D content – which makes sense as ONO’s HDTV launch is centered on this TiVo. That’s good news for the TiVo service too. You want HDTV from ONO, you get the TiVo box.

Just like the UK box, ONO will be using the built-in cable modem and data usage from the TiVo will not affect other broadband users in the home. For broadband content they’ve partnered with rtve.es, TeleCinco, Televisio De Catalunya, Canal Cocina, Sol Musica, iVoox, Decasa, Rockola FM, and Picasa.

Looks like a solid first offering.

There’s also a video as part of the site:

Fortunately they offer more than TV services, for the same quarter they had 1,414,000 Internet service subscribers, up 0.6% and 4.3% from the previous quarter and year, respectively. 270,000, or 19% of broadband customers, opted for their 30Mbps or 50Mbps premium high speed services. Telephony subscribers grew 0.2% from Q1 to 1,711,000.

ONO is looking to the launch of TiVo in September to turn their TV subscriber losses into growth.

Via Broadband TV News.

Now we have new reports confirming the launch is on for September, and providing some more info. The launch of TiVo isn’t just adding TiVo to Ono’s existing service, Ono will be launching their first HDTV channels and TiVo will be the platform for the new service. That should provide a nice boost to TiVo demand.

Ono’s HDTV initial channels will be Mediapro’s Gol TV, News Corp.’s Fox, Sony’s AXN and Sony TV, Viacom’s MTV Live HD, Spain’s national public broadcaster TVE HD, Grupo Planeta’s national private broadcaster Antena 3, Mediaset España’s Telecinco HD and Mediapro’s laSexta HD. Those viewers in the Catalonia region will also have access to the public channel TV3 HD.

It is nice to see TiVo executing on these global deals, they have a number of them in the pipeline. We’ll see in a week if the Best Buy Insignia TiVo-loaded HDTVs launch as leaks indicate. TiVo has deals in the US with Cox, Charter, and Comcast working their way toward roll out. TiVo has DVR development deals in place with Technicolor and Samsung for the global market. And their next international carrier launch should be the largest satellite television provider in Northern Europe, Telenor’s Canal Digital, serving Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. I suspect that may involve the Technicolor and/or Samsung DVR deals as both are for European satellite DVRs.

Via Rapid TV News.