Comcast and Tivo aren’t saying much about their partnership that was signed in 2005,  and is seen as hugely important to Tivo, according to News.com.
      The service is expected to be available on a limited basis later this year…Customers can use Comcast’s own DVR service or download Tivo for a price yet to be determined.
      “Despite the lack of details, it’s clear that there’s a definite upside for both companies. Comcast, for its part, can offer its customers the premier brand name in digital video recording,” Cnet says.  “Access to Comcast’s large customer base, meanwhile, should help TiVo in the long run, but only if cable customers see the value in the service.”
      That’s the key point. Why would Comcast customers (myself included) use a Tivo when they have a DVR included with their digital cable service? CNET says the new service has some neat features such as automatically recording shows based on past preferences.
      Still, pressure is on Tivo, which has been written off many times before, to make the Comcast partnership work. Tivo lost $6.5 million in the second quarter as it filled inventory in 3,000 Radio Shacks for the first time, the story says.  Some analysts remain skeptical about Tivo’s ability to succeed in the standalone box business and wonder whether its approach of both selling expensive hardware and licensing software will work.