Suddenlink Communications later this year will start installing TiVo Premiere DVRs as well as non-DVR set top boxes with its subscribers, a move that will gain Suddenlink a path toward multi-room DVR capability.
Suddenlink expects to launch TiVo DVRs in several markets (thus far unidentified) in fourth quarter 2010, and said it intends to significantly expand deployment in 2011.
Suddenlink also said it intends to collaborate with TiVo on the development of a next generation “whole home” solution for deployment by Suddenlink in 2011.
Jerry Kent, CEO of Suddenlink, stated, “We reviewed a number of alternatives to find the best way to offer a full suite of linear television, VOD, and broadband delivered content to every room in our customers’ homes. We found that TiVo, by way of its best-in-class user experience, its leading consumer feature set, and rapid time to market is a very compelling answer. TiVo will be a significant part of our future plans which will redefine our subscriber proposition with 100 percent digital video including features like remote DVR programming, universal search with cable VOD, and access to interactive applications like YouTube, Pandora, Rhapsody, and Fandango.”
Kent added: “We are especially excited about the speed and efficiency with which we can deploy a next generation product with TiVo. TiVo has modified its retail DVRs to operate with our video on demand systems, giving us the ability, in a matter of months, to deploy an incredibly robust software environment, together with a less expensive set top box.”
The company’s VOD system is from SeaChange International. SeaChange and TiVo began working together over a year ago. The two have integrated the former’s Axiom back-office software integration with the latter’s boxes.
RCN, which entered an exclusive deal with TiVo last summer, and which recently began distributing TiVo boxes to its customers, is also a SeaChange VOD customer.
Suddenlink claims approximately 1.3 million residential customers and thousands of commercial customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, and elsewhere, making it the country’s 11th largest pay TV provider (and the 7th largest cable MSO).
TiVo Premiere is TiVo’s latest set-top; it unifies access to linear television, DVR functionality, video on demand, and Internet delivered video through a single Flash-based user interface.