Charter Communications, which just a little over a year ago emerged from bankruptcy, is taking a different direction with its set-top box and OTT strategy, enlisting TiVo to provide its new Premiere DVR as the MSO's STB of choice. The box, which was launched to mixed reviews last year, will be at the core of Charter's multiroom/whole house strategy.
"The selection of TiVo as a partner was based on our strategy to alter the dynamic of our video business by offering customers a better overall video experience," said Charter spokeswoman Anita Lamont. "Next-gen architecture is here now and having the ability to deploy TiVo to our customers within a few months is appealing."
Charter, the nation's No. 4 MSO, said it also would aggressively move into Internet TV, offering customers an array of OTT choices including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other popular web features. It would not, however, immediately offer Netflix and Hulu Plus video services although Lamont did say "We'll be talking to them."
Charter said it will launch the initiative in several as-yet-to-be-named markets late this year. Although no price has been set, Lamont said it would be "very comparable" to its current rates.
"We're integrating formerly disparate worlds of traditional television and online content, and making it simple for customers to quickly find the content they're looking for, as well as greatly expand their entertainment choices," Charter president and CEO Mike Lovett said. "Our strategic relationship with TiVo is a significant step in Charter's multiyear effort to become the solutions provider for home entertainment and consumer information technology."
For more:
- see this release
- see this article
Related articles:
TiVo's new iPad app may be the game changer it was looking for
TiVo piggybacks with Technicolor for new STB