dvr

DirecTV said Tuesday that its DirecTV DVR Scheduler app for iPhone/iPod touch has been downloaded by over a million users since launching last March. In 2009, the app, which is now also available on Android devices and on the Palm Pre and Pixi, was selected as one of forbes.com's Best Branded Mobile Apps, named Best Mobile Application by the Mobile Excellence Awards, and highlighted as one of Apple's Favorite Staff Picks, the satellite TV provider says.

Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we are covering a number of stories in this issue in summary form:

Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against TiVo in a San Francisco federal court, claiming that the DVR company has infringed upon two of its US patents--which cover technologies for securely purchasing and delivering video and for displaying programmable information respectively, Bloomberg reported yesterday. Microsoft, which claims that TiVo is illegally using the technologies described by the patents in its set-top boxes, its software and its subscription service, is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to prevent TiVo from using the technologies.

DVR vendor/service provider, TiVo, has strongly criticized the US cable industry in a response to a recently issued RFI from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that seeks "comment on how the Commission can encourage innovation in the market for video devices that will assist the Commission’s development of a National Broadband Plan" (note: for more on the RFI, see the article published on itvt.com, December 7th).

Evolution Digital--a division of Evolution Broadband, a reseller of digital equipment to independent cable operators--said Tuesday that Compton Communications has become the first Canadian operator to select its TiVo HD DVR offering. "Now that the TiVo HD DVR is a one-box solution in Canada, acting as the sole cable box, TiVo's brand recognition as the world's leading user interface and DVR made it the logical next step to enhance our product offering," Travis Campbell, marketing manager for Compton Communications, said in a prepared statement. "It has been Compton's goal to offer our customers the very best, cutting-edge entertainment choices available.

Verizon announced Wednesday that it has launched an NBA League Pass interactive TV widget on its FiOS TV service. According to the company, the free widget allows viewers to order NBA League Pass, an NBA subscription package that provides up to 40 out-of-market live NBA games per week, via their remote control; and also provides them with instant access to headline news, player reports, game-time alerts and more.

Interactive TV and conditional access technology provider, NDS, and Chinese value-added TV service provider, DOXTV, on Wednesday announced the launch of what they say is China's first HD DVR and push-VOD service. The service, part of an offering dubbed Chongqing Cable TV+, is offered to subscribers of Chongqing Cable (note: the latter claims to have around 5 million analog and digital subs), which, in addition to NDS's XTV DVR technology with push-VOD capability, has deployed the company's MediaHighway middleware, its VideoGuard conditional access system, and an EPG co-developed by NDS and DOXTV.

Interactive TV and conditional access technology provider, NDS, said Monday that it has teamed with Australian pay-TV operator, Foxtel, to develop a bookable promos service, based on its XTV DVR technology. The service, which NDS claims is the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, allows viewers watching a trailer for a show to book a recording of that show to their DVR by pressing the green button on their remote. According to NDS, the service lets viewers book recordings of movies, individual programs or entire series immediately or up to weeks in advance.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

TVGuide.com, an online portal for TV listings and other TV-related content (note: the site, which, along with TV Guide Network, is part of a joint venture owned by Lionsgate and One Equity Partners, claims to reach 21 million unique users each month), announced Wednesday that it has launched "DVR" functionality, enabling users to select their favorite TV shows, organize them in one location and watch them online at their convenience. "My TVGuide.com DVR," as the new feature is called, also provides users with notifications whenever new episodes of their favorite shows become available.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue (as well as some stories from the ongoing SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver, which our editorial team was unable to attend):

Semiconductor company, Broadcom, on Tuesday announced two new Multimedia over Coax Alliance system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions--the BCM7125 and the BCM7119--which it claims support tru2way, CableCard and a range of other technologies and standards, and which it promises will "enable manufacturers and cable operators to cost-effectively offer the latest in interactive HDTV programming, connectivity, whole-home media distribution [including multiroom HD DVR] and advanced 3D user interfaces to the North American market."

According to the company, key features of the new SoC's include:

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue (as well as stories from the CTAM Summit in Denver, which our editorial team was unable to attend):

UK set-top box vendor, Pace, on Monday announced a new multiroom DVR solution called Home Content Sharing (HCS). According to the company, the solution, which it says uses centralized storage to connect multiple HD set-top boxes within the home, is integrated with Rovi's (formerly Macrovision's) EPG and Connected Platform software to enhance its functionality.