07/14, 3:15pm
TiVo seeks $1 billion
Despite recently being awarded some $190 million in the long-standing legal battle against DISH Network and EchoStar over patents in DVRs, TiVo is seeking nearly $1 billion in contempt sanctions, according to a filing disclosed by TiVo with a US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. While EchoStar was ordered by the federal judge in Texas to disable the functions on the majority of its recorders in subscribers' hands, EchoStar instead claims it built a "design-around" that avoids the patents in question.
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03/30, 10:45pm
EchoStar T2200S settop DVR
EchoStar has introduced the T2200S, a cable version of its SlingLoaded DVR that was designed to work with Dish Network. The new device is compatible with any Tru2way cable system and provides standard DVR features in addition to integrated Slingbox functionality. The box features a 1TB hard drive, dual-tuner and Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) support, a built-in DOCSIS cable modem and a SlingGuide search engine.
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02/05, 9:50am
EchoStar Eying Sirius XM
Sources allegedly familiar with the situation tell the Wall Street Journal that EchoStar is taking steps that may lead to a buyout of Sirius XM. The satellite TV provider has reportedly bought up some of about $300 million of Sirius XM debt that must be paid back on February 17th, with the possibility of buying out more debt that would be owed in May. EchoStar would potentially use the sudden influence to either get equity in the target company or else sit in a position of power that lets it force a deal should Sirius XM go bankrupt or otherwise need help from its bank.
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01/22, 4:00pm
Apricorn DVR Xpander 1 5TB
Apricorn today ramped up its DVR Xpander to include a new 1.5TB model. The practical capacity is about 50 percent more than before and lets owners of recorders with active eSATA or USB 2 ports store as much as 843 hours of additional standard definition TV or 187.5 hours of typical HDTV programming. The company vows a quiet drive but also uses active fan cooling to keep the hard drive inside cool even in tight areas where passive cooling isn't enough.
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07/31, 10:35am
DISH 1080p TV
Satellite TV provider DISH Network today became the first known TV broadcaster to put out video in a full 1080p (1920x1080 progressive) resolution. Starting with an August 1st Video On Demand option for the movie I Am Legend, DISH says it will start offering 1080p whenever the content is available rather than the lower-resolution 1080i (interlaced) or 720p HD normally aired on DISH and other TV services. Using VOD effectively gives the image quality of Blu-ray but at a lower price than renting a disc, the satellite firm claims.
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05/15, 1:40pm
WD intros My DVR Expander
Western Digital on Thursday released its My DVR Expander External Hard Drive USB Edition made to work with DISH Network ViP-series HD DVRs to more than double their recording capacity. The 500GB drive is capable of storing up to 60 hours of HD programming or 300 hours in standard definition. The drives connect to the DVRs via a USB 2.0 connection, unlike WD's previous Expander, which featured an eSATA interface.
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04/11, 8:40pm
Ruling disappoints Dish
In response to the ruling against the Dish Network, the company writes that it is disappointed with the court's rejection for an appeal, but that it will not affect current or future customers. According to the note, EchoStar has already developed and deployed a new version of the DVR software to customers as an automatic download. Dish claims the new software does not infringe on patents held by Tivo Inc.
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04/11, 4:15pm
TiVo vs. Dish resolved
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has once again denied an appeal by the Dish Network in light of a legal victory by TiVo, filings show. TiVo contends that Dish DVRs violate a software patent it holds, connected to split recording and viewing; the latter company has protested this however, and fought not only the initial verdict of a lower court, but also the outcome of its first federal appeal. In the wake of this second appeal, the Federal Circuit's decision is final and Dish has little to no legal recourse.
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01/31, 4:25pm
TiVo vs. Dish Network
A federal court has upheld a ruling in favor of TiVo in its case against the Dish Network, the Associated Press writes. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is supporting a lower court's verdict, which holds that the Dish Network violated one of TiVo's software patents. Specifically the patent addresses split recording and viewing, one of TiVo's signature features, although neither TiVo nor Dish are the sole users of the concept.
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