Browning gone, TIVO uptake slow

Steve Browning has stepped down as New Zealand general manager of the organisation that runs TiVo in this country - Hybrid Television Services.

Browning, who moved from Freeview in April, is now working as chief financial officer at up-and-coming publishing company The Image Centre.

Browning and Hybrid could not be reached for comment. But an industry colleague said Brown had always been expected to stay only for the start-up phase for the digital video recorder firm.

It is understood the uptake for the TiVo set-top box has been slow.

Tech reviewers are impressed by the slick technology that puts it on the cutting edge for a consumer-led convergence of television and computers. But apart from movie downloads, it lacks content compared with its main digital video recorder competitor, MySky HDi.

TiVo is backed by Telecom with an unmetered broadband deal that allows unlimited movie downloads. Unlike MySky it does not require an ongoing subscription. Hybrid is one-third owned by TVNZ and two-thirds by Australia's Seven Network.

 

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