TiVo, cable, cablevision, dvrs, mexico, home entertainment, mexico city

Cablevision Offers TiVo To Mexico City, But Not To Me

Fulfilling a promise they made last November, TiVo and Cablevision are rolling out the first-ever Spanish-language TiVo, for cable customers in Mexico City. Mexico city? Who does a news release based on Mexico City? If this doesn't demonstrate the bizarre relationship TiVo has with cable companies, I don't know what would. The TiVos will have SeasonPass, WishList and the typical DVR functions, but probably not TiVoToGo, remote scheduling or any of the connected stuff. I am happy that the people of Mexico City are finally getting TiVo, but as a Cablevision subscriber in the New York area (Cablevision's home turf), I am pretty pissed that all the carrier offers me is a POS Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD.

Press release:

TiVo Service Now Available to CABLEVISION Subscribers in Mexico City

- Spanish language version of TiVo user interface helps CABLEVISION further differentiate services and expands TiVo's international presence -

ALVISO, Calif., Sept 13, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ —

TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), and CABLEVISION, S.A. de C.V. (CABLEVISION), Mexico's largest digital cable operator, announced that beginning today TiVo(R) DVRs and the TiVo(R) Service are available for the first time to CABLEVISION's digital cable subscribers throughout Mexico City.

CABLEVISION subscribers can now access the first Spanish language version of the Emmy(R) award-winning TiVo user interface, which includes internationally recognized TiVo features like SeasonPass(TM) recordings, WishList(R) searches and TrickPlay functionality, which enables users to pause, rewind, instant replay and slo-motion live TV.

Chief Executive Officer of CABLEVISION Jean-Paul Broc said, "The combination of TiVo's state-of-art technology and breadth of services with CABLEVISION's superior digital cable programming creates an unmatched television viewing experience for our subscribers in Mexico City. We are extremely enthusiastic that the opportunity to bring the TiVo service to Mexico City has come to fruition and are confident that the TiVo brand will not only increase customer loyalty but serve as a driver of new cable subscribers."

"TiVo continues to make sustained progress across international markets and CABLEVISION in Mexico is another example," said Tom Rogers, President and CEO of TiVo. "Growing our business with the right partners is critical and our strategic distribution relationship with CABLEVISION, and its parent Televisa, is proof of that. TiVo will enable CABLEVISION to further differentiate its pay television service and maximize its programming packages. The combination of TiVo and CABLEVISION will offer the best entertainment experience for subscribers in Mexico."

CABLEVISION is introducing the TiVo service to Mexico City consumers through a broad-based media campaign including cross-channel and broadcast television, print, online, radio and outdoor advertising. In addition, CABLEVISION plans to leverage its extensive programming assets and celebrity spokespeople to promote TiVo capabilities on air.

TiVo service is being offered to CABLEVISION subscribers as a package with a monthly charge covering both service and box rental.

4:45 PM on Thu Sep 13 2007
By Wilson Rothman
2,323 views
15 comments

Comments

dukenukemforever at 02:48 PM on 09/13/07
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I can't seem to stop laughing at what the box art could look like... so many Photoshop ideas :)
Keebler at 04:58 PM on 09/13/07
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I'm not so sure why a Mexico City press release is so unheard of... it's a pretty damn big town.
92BuickLeSabre at 05:01 PM on 09/13/07
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Connectedness Index: 558
Brought to you by Acura TSX

@Keebler: No kidding. 2nd largest city in the world even.
Gormania at 05:06 PM on 09/13/07
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In England we have Sky+...

Gormania-your insight to the average English person.
Erzengel at 05:34 PM on 09/13/07
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Any problem with that? You kow, no matter what Mr. Bush tells you, USA is NOT the center of the world.
Yes, New York its a very big city, but there are bigger places. Largest Cities of the World - by population:

1. Tokyo, Japan - 28,025,000
2. Mexico City, Mexico - 18,131,000
3. Mumbai, India - 18,042,000
4. Sáo Paulo, Brazil - 17, 711,000
5. New York City, USA - 16,626,000

And in case you havent heard, the world richest men, its a Mexican.
No offense intended for no one, but you better watch the way you write, some of your readers are Mexicans too.

Viva México Cabrones!!!
monkeyastronaut at 05:51 PM on 09/13/07
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andale andale arriba arriba
JavaGeek at 06:13 PM on 09/13/07
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Well, I guess the main issue here is that there are two companies in different parts of the world that have the same name, and which I'm sure don't have anything to do with each other.

What I find really annoying, though, is that both CABLEVISION and Sky belong to the same parent company (Televisa), yet I'm sure it'll be a loong time before I see Tivo for Sky (they do offer some kind of dvr but it's too expensive).

<sarcasm>yay for TV monopolies!</sarcasm>
sacolog at 06:35 PM on 09/13/07
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Hey you are an idiot, do some research before writing, cablevision in Mexico is another company from cablevision of USA. and whats the problem with tivo making a release in Mexico City, we are lots of Mexicans with cable tv, and lots of Mexicans interested in technology. Gizmodo just went wrong today, there are many mexican readers out there, respect.
Buford T. Justice at 06:56 PM on 09/13/07
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Uhm, yeah... Cablevision doesn't have a huge system in Mexico City considering the population size and density but it's still a sizeable system, about 400,000 people. Reason for that? They pay through the nose to get connected.

At present, Cablevision has 355,000 subscribers in greater Mexico City and charges US$726 for connection and equipment. But the business model is battling for the attention of a very traditional group of television viewers who tend to be reticent when it comes to adopting new technologies, experts say. "Pioneering this market in Mexico represents both a risk and an opportunity," says Moises Polishuk, head of the Sistemas, Seguridad y Teleproceso consultancy. "There's the risk of coming in too early and getting burned, and there's the risk of coming in too late and finding yourself trying to reorient Mexican culture, which is hard to change once it gets used to something."

Most of the other 21 million? They may MAKE $726 a month. If they're doing well. Beautiful city, beautiful country, ugly problems.
OldSchoolGadgetLover at 07:02 PM on 09/13/07
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Number of people who can afford cable and TIVO in the largest cities of the world:

1. Tokyo 28,000,000
2. New York City 16,500,000
3. Sau Paulo Brazil 8,000,000
4. Mumbai India 4,500,000
5. Mexico City 768

Sorry... Kidding of course. I know the haves of Mexico live primarily in Mexico City, but the have nots far exceed their number. I think this might be more the point than the sheer population.
lafond66 at 08:30 PM on 09/13/07
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As another NY native, I too am pissed by these stupid Scientific Atlantic Explorer recievers. But I H-A-T-E TiVo so much more, I'm content.
NJ_Dude at 12:22 AM on 09/14/07
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"I am happy that the people of Mexico City are finally getting TiVo, but as a Cablevision subscriber in the New York area (Cablevision's home turf), I am pretty pissed that all the carrier offers me is a POS Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD. "

Uhh... These are two completely different companies called Cablevision. The one in NY is Cablevision Systems Corporation. The one in Mexico is CABLEVISION, S.A. de C.V.
NJ_Dude at 12:25 AM on 09/14/07
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"I am happy that the people of Mexico City are finally getting TiVo, but as a Cablevision subscriber in the New York area (Cablevision's home turf), I am pretty pissed that all the carrier offers me is a POS Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD. "

Uh... You are talking about two totally different companies called cablevision. The one based in NY is Cablevision Systems Corporation. The one based in Mexico is CABLEVISION, S.A. de C.V.
biremun at 06:21 AM on 09/14/07
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The only fact that can be deduced from most of the comments
that have been posted here and, sadly enough, from the
originating article itself, is that most people in the
world still have rather exuberant, albeit also quite
infantile, imaginations.

The real matters of fact are that:

- Metropolitan Mexico City actually is, according to Price
WaterhouseCoopers, the 8th richest city in the entire world.
It is ranked right after only Tokyo, New York City, Los Ángeles,
Chicago, Paris, London, and Osaka. Its annual GDP (México City
alone) in 2005 was 331 billion US dollars, which are expected
to double by the year 2020.

[www.ukmediacentre.pwc.com]
(consult page 5 of this official PWC document)

- The annual GDP PER CAPITA (which includes every man, woman,
and child) of México City thus was $18,388.00 US dollars in
2005 (and will be quite a bit more in 2007.)
Joshl01 at 11:43 PM on 09/17/07
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Where do u guys get your figures from? Cablevision in Mexico City (with over 550'000 suscribers) is charging $50US for a Series 2 TiVo (connection and equipment) and a $15US monthly service fee, so actually it's way cheaper than in the States. JAVAGEEK is right, Cablevision in Mexico and in NY are two different companies with the same name, not related. Cablevision in Mexico belongs to Televisa (Mexican media company), which also owns Sky. TiVo in Mexico WILL have TiVoToGo, remote scheduling and all of the 'connected stuff'. I'm getting mine delivered tomorrow, so I'll let u know how it goes.