Satellite Cos Eye Free Digital Recorders -Murdoch

[rtt2]

Satellite Cos Eye Free Digital Recorders -Murdoch
Mon September 8, 2003 05:59 PM ET
By Kenneth Li

NEW YORK (Reuters) - News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch said on Monday the satellite television industry is likely to offer personal video recorders for free or at very low costs within a year, as it fights to retain subscribers and win customers from the cable industry.

Personal video recorders (PVR's), such as those made by TiVo Inc., let users customize television viewing and digitally record programing on a computer hard drive in a set-top box.

"Within a year, every new home will be getting either (a) ...free PVR or one for nominal amounts of money, with no subscription fee at the other end," said Murdoch...........................


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3408105

[Mike D-CO5]

Looks like Charlie started charging for dvr fees a little to late.

Especially if Rupert is going to do away with the subscription fees on his end. Maybe we will getting a free dvr service in the future agian, if Charlie wants to compete with Rupert. It sounds like Rupert will match Charlie's free dvr and then outdo him on top of that with free subscription to his Tivo service.

Isn't competition great? :lol:

[Peluso]

I have a nose for business, and I can tell you one thing. If Murdoch uses his propritary software to save $$ Tivo will be out on it's A--. If that happens I can forsee a very real possibility that Tivo will try and work out a deal with Dish, Motorola, or SA. My guess is Dish since they are a similar product to DirecTV and have been having quality problems. Charlie can beat them up over licensing fees if they get dropped by DirecTV.