DirecTV, TiVo Sign Deal To Launch New HD DVR

By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 9/3/2008

El Segundo, Calif. — DirecTV and TiVo have reached agreement on the development, marketing and distribution of a new HD DirecTV DVR featuring the TiVo service.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a dual announcement, both sides said the deal, which both described as “an extension of their current agreement,” also includes the extension of mutual intellectual property arrangements.

The deal looks like a return to a partnership between the two companies, with some changes. In August 2005 DirecTV said that it would no longer market TiVo’s DVRs in favor of units it would develop itself. The following year both sides said they would extend for three years an agreement providing service and support to subscribers of DirecTV/TiVo equipment.

Under the terms of the non-exclusive arrangement, DirecTV and TiVo will work together to develop a version of the TiVo service for DirecTV broadband-enabled HD DVR platform. The product will support the latest TiVo and DirecTV features and services, including TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone.

TiVo will develop the new HD DVR for an expected launch in the second half of 2009.

Both sides said that like other TiVo and DirecTV offerings, the new HD box will be marketed and sold by DirecTV nationally to its entire customer base. Specific consumer pricing and packaging will be announced in conjunction with DirecTV’s launch of the product.

DirecTV will continue to develop its own line of DVRs and that the new TiVo box would be “offered as an alternative choice to those DirecTV customers who would like to add TiVo to a full line of DirecTV services,” the statement said.