A match made in
media heaven
The long-rumored TiVo-Netflix partnership is now set in stone: Netflix's 12,000+ streaming films will be available to TiVo HD (XL) and Series 2 customers starting in December.
The companies are testing the capability in several thousand US households. Users already subscribed to both TiVo and Netflix can watch streaming films on HD-compatible TiVo set-top boxes at no additional charge.
The companies likely won't garner a profit from existing customers, but the possibility for building their brands is "huge," comments MarketWatch. It's a much-needed chance for Netflix to stand out from rivals like Blockbuster, which has muscled into the DVD-by-mail category, and iTunes, which began offering downloadable films to rent or purchase. The liaison also enables TiVo to differentiate itself from On-Demand services available from cable providers. (TiVo, incidentally, makes extra money by selling its patented software to service providers.)
TiVo already has deals with Amazon.com, Walt Disney Studios and Jaman.com (a provider of indie/art films) that gives users the opportunity to rent or buy films and TV shows over the net and play them on TV, writes the New York Times.
Two years after attempts to establish an online film-delivery system between TiVo and Netflix was thwarted by licensing and tech issues, TiVo sealed a deal with Blockbuster that bundled its online subscription service (a Netflix clone) to its packages for an extra $13-$15 a month. However, the bundle required a one-year commitment. "We'd rather be locked in a cage with a wrestling bear," Gizmodo smirked.
Little came of the relationship. Executives said it was all about timing — and the timing for Netflix and TiVo is now, according to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.
Netflix launched its free movie streaming service for existing subscribers in January 2007. It is currently only available to PC users. But in a blog post announcing the addition of 2,500 Starz titles to its streaming collection, it promised Mac users would be able to use it by the year's end.
Last July, TiVo inked a deal with YouTube that made it possible for users to watch and store YouTube videos on their TVs.
