The article is about TiVo’s annual 10-K SEC filing, which they filed Monday. It has a few details on TiVo’s progress with Comcast. The current plan is for initial market trials this spring, and a commercial roll-out by June 30th.Pursuant to our agreement with Comcast, development and deployment of the TiVo service software solution is targeted to occur by June 30, 2007 or such later date as the parties may agree. Development and deployment of the TiVo advertising management system is targeted to begin after the second anniversary of this agreement, by February 15, 2008, unless the parties agree to a later date.
There are some other interesting tidbits in the 10-K filing:We expect to consider additional international partnerships and distribution agreements over the next year. I’d still like to see TiVo re-enter the UK market. Or this bit about the cable software:We are currently extending the TiVo service client software to enable future deployment on certain commonly used integrated DVR set-top boxes. Under the terms of our agreement with Comcast, for example, Comcast intends to make the TiVo service available as a software upgrade to the already installed base of certain Motorola DVRs deployed by Comcast. We also intend to extend the TiVo service to run on other DVR set-top boxes capable of supporting Comcast-deployed middleware and forthcoming Open Cable Application Platform (OCAP) solutions. So that’s an official statement that they’ll be porting the software to more than just the Motorola DCT3400/6400 family of boxes.
In a section on TGC (page 9):In fiscal year 2007, TGC performed design and development activities related to a potential TiVo product for the U.S. market. Since it says ‘potential TiVo product’, I presume this isn’t the S2DT. Could this be the lower-cost HD platform that was mentioned on their last conference call? Something else? There is some good information in there on TGC in general, including:In December 2005 TGC launched a DVR product that includes TiVo technology and branding in Taiwan. In mid-2006, TGC launched a DVR product that includes TiVo technology and branding in China. We expect that TGC will pursue additional opportunities to market TiVo technology in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.
It looks like TiVo’s hiring has been going well: Although our total company employee headcount increased by approximately 7% in fiscal year 2007, we increased the number of our regular, temporary, and part-time employees engaged in research and development by 9% from a total of 264 to 288 as of January 31, 2007 compared to January 31, 2006. Also:At April 3, 2007, we employed approximately 451 employees, including 48 in service operations, 246 in research and development, 44 in sales and marketing, and 113 in general and administration.
it is interesting that TiVo has filed a trademark application on “DirecTiVo” (page 14) – which, as far as I know, was a contraction created by the user community (DirecTV + TiVo) that has been in common use for years.
We’ve known that TiVo owns between 40% and 50% of TGC. I probably missed it in the past, but it is detailed in this 10-K (page 97): As of January 31, 2007, TiVo’s preferred share investment accounted for approximately 49.2% of TGC’s equity (approximately 40.4% on a fully-diluted basis assuming the issuance of options to executives of TGC).
