Given TiVo’s staffing woes last year, we’re not quite sure what to make of these sales figures. I guess the good news for TiVo is that they obviously sold more than they expected during a difficult year for the company. According to TiVo’s latest figures, TiVo sales grew more than 29% in December 2010 under what was widely considered by economists to be a fairly lacklustre retail season.
This means that TiVo continues to be the number one personal video recorder of choice in Australia, outselling their closest HD-PVR rivals by 2 to 1 according to the company. It’s easy to recognise that its new $499 model price is an attractive level to entry without the need for on-going monthly fees.
However, given the boom in IPTV technologies, including the popular FetchTV bundle available from iiNet, TiVo is likely to experience plenty of future competition in this popular space.
[Check out TiVo for more]
Midget
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 4:29 PMTiVo is the Apple of PVR’s. So simple and easy to use.
olearymo
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 11:59 AMAnd last had a significant software update 10 years ago?
Seriously, TiVo, update your bloody interface. The US is already getting one…
Sam Cook
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 4:31 PMI don’t think its so much competition from other mediums which is the threat to TiVo. TiVo’s main issue, in Australia, is the commercial free-to-air networks. All of the three big players have been frequent offenders of chopping and changing show schedules, cancelling shows mid-season, and previously (and to some extent still currently) – greatly local broadcast’s of shows previously broadcast in America/UK.
For the amount it costs to fork out for a PVR – TiVo or otherwise, suddenly the costs of Foxtel and Austar become very attractive. Add the fact that with them comes a greater range of programming, and the option of a “per month” subscription for their their own PVR hardware – leave’s TiVo trying to fill a rather small niche market.
Jamie Borg
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 4:36 PMI bought one the weekend they lowered the price. I haven’t splurged another $99 for the Networked Device license yet and have purchased a grand total of 1 movie from CASPER (It took about an hour to get the movie buffered enough to watch on my 2.5Mb/s ADSL connection).
I still like it’s simplicity and that was after doing a heap of research in my PVR options. And now that Channel 9 has come to the party with ‘per minute’ EPG updates, I can slim down the massive amount of fat on each side of the program in order to record a show.
Am still hoping TiVo gives us some of the U.S features like web viewing content. Would LOVE to get some of the catchup web sites available at my remote’s fingertips.
Midget
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 5:21 PMI bought it when it first came out. Yeah it was expensive, but it was still cheaper than just one year of Foxtel I believe.
Many years on, and over the air television has finally got more channels to make it more worthwhile. I think there was only 7, 9, 10, abc, and sbs at the beginning and now it’s more than double.
Now that most networks have to the minute scheduling, there won’t be any clipped shows. TiVo did a good job with this anyway, leaving an extra 15 minutes on the end of recordings anyway. If a show changes time slots, TiVo knows and still finds and records it.
Chris
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 10:16 PMI’d be interested in seeing ho GfK measured this. Their analysis methodology isn’t transparent on their web site. Their “Retail Panel” conjures ideas of opinion rather that fact.
How do they track purchase/use of Windows Media Centre sales for instance (& Myth TV etc..)?
How many users have avoided PVRs entirely and downloading their TV direct (presumably illegally) via Bit Torrent?
What about iView & other technologies which is quickly leaving the traditional PVR lacking?
… just sayin’
Glenn
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 4:08 PMDid I not read just last week that Hybrid TV are ceasing the sale of TiVO in Australia?