The internet-connected device pairs with a TV antenna and sends a live TV signal to smart devices allowing users to watch and record live broadcast TV anywhere in their homes.
Synamedia, the new company that will be formed from the sale of Cisco’s video processing and video solutions business to private equity firm Permira funds, outlines its vision and investment focus as an independent entity.
It offers 50 hours of storage for $5 per month to select customers; allows them. to keep their recordings without expiration. The new service is supported on Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, Android mobile devices, Android TVs, Roku streaming players and Roku TVs compatible with Sling TV.
Sling TV said it would expand availability of its cloud DVR trial to users of Amazon Fire TV and Android devices, with Apple TV users gaining access sometime afterward.
Exclusives
A federal judge indicated a tentative decision that Dish Network isn’t violating copyright law in its offering of a service that allows subscribers to record primetime programs with commercials automatically deleted. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee’s tentative ruling in favor of Dish Network’s AutoHop features isn’t a surprise. She has sided with the company in previous court rulings as Fox challenged the legality of the service.
TiVo’s business model seems to be based on suing companies for selling DVRs that allegedly use its patented processes to do things that users take for granted such as watching one show while recording another. And today it challenged a formidable opponent: Time Warner Cable, which has 12 million subs, is the No. 2 cable company and No. 4 pay TV provider.
DVR, VOD Is Propelling TV Revenue
Higher home television revenue is being driven by new TV-related services and equipment, including DVR units, HDTVs, VOD and other services. J.D. Power & Associates says some of this evidence comes from high average monthly bills of triple-play consumers — phone, television, and Internet — which has risen to $149.52 in 2011 from $140.90 a month in 2010.
Today, the broadcast networks are paid for viewership for three days after a show is aired, but they would like to push that to seven. “Absolutely it matters,” said David F. Poltrack, the chief research officer for CBS.
