TiVoWorld NZ

Telecom’s director of home services, Ralph Brayham, has quit as the telco cleans out 200 middle management jobs.

Brayham was behind the company’s introduction of TiVo, is a director of its online joint venture, YahooXtra, and ran the online retailer, Ferrit, until its demise early last year.

Brayham has announced his June exit internally and is expected to be replaced from inside Telecom, a source said.

“While I’m disappointed to lose someone of Ralph’s calibre and experience from the team, I certainly respect his decision and who knows maybe one day we might convince him to come back into the fold,” said Telecom Retail chief executive Alan Gourdie.

An industry insider said Brayham had an entrepreneurial approach to products and services, but may have felt stifled by the Telecom corporate structure.

His departure comes as Gourdie reviews Telecom’s retail business with a proposed new structure released to staff last week.

Under Gourdie’s plan jobs held by Brayham, incoming head of mobile Kieren Cooney, branding and marketing head Craig Herbison and small business head Victoria Crone would disappear.

Telecom Retail spokesperson Nick Brown said rather than grouping teams around particular product sets, Telecom Retail will be grouped around key functions such as product development and management, marketing, sales, customer service and support, and these teams will work across all products sets.
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“There is a new structure and people will get appointed into new roles some of which will be more similar to what they were already than others,” said Brown.

“Final confirmation on all roles and appointments are still to be announced internally. This is happening through an ongoing process of communication and consultation with staff over the next month.”

Brayham, who became a co-owner of music store Real Groovy in 2008, said the organisational changes meant it was the right time to move on with minimal disruption.

“But a new structure is not the reason for the move, I’m simply looking forward to putting energy into my own business venture and looking at what’s next for me,” he said.

Telecom announced in April it planned to slash 200 jobs by mid-year with more lay-offs likely.

Taken from NZHerald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10645037

Things I don’t own (in no particular order): An iPod. A digital camera. Broadband. Access to satellite television. A television remote control.

Beats me why, last week, I became the first journalist in the country to officially trial TiVo – an internet connected personal video recorder that lets you watch what you want, when you want.

Confused? Four words: Sex and the City. In season six, episode 76, TiVo was the device that got Steve and Miranda back together (it broke, he fixed it, they moved to Brooklyn, yada yada).

It has featured in South Park and The Simpsons scripts. Last year when David Letterman asked Hillary Clinton for the top 10 reasons she loved America, TiVo made the list.

Like MySky and MyFreeview, it will pause and rewind live television, allow you to programme a “season pass” so you never miss a favourite show, and watch one programme while recording two more. Unlike MySky and MyFreeview, it is a bona fide pop culture phenomenon. And on Friday, it arrived in New Zealand.

See more @ http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3042573/TiVo-Live-from-the-couch

Hybrid TV have announced the launch date and details for Tivo in New Zealand. Coming on the 6th of November 2009 the device adds “CASPA™ On-Demand” content along with Freeview recording. The catch is you can only get CASPA content if you are a Telecom broadband user.

More @ http://www.ben.geek.nz/nz-tivo-coming-with-caspa-november-6th/

TiVo launched in New Zealand today with some tech goodies not yet available elsewhere.

The high-def digital television recorder and content download box is here, giving Kiwis the chance to experience a device that has been available in various places around the world for years.

TiVo was launched last year in Australia by Hybrid TV, co-owned by TVNZ and the Seven network, which has exclusive licence to the device in Australasia.

Last month, TiVo announced that it had locked in a partnership with Telecom, which will sell the recorder and also provides access to internet access.

See Full Story @ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10606142

TiVo put out their new newletters out today…

New Zealand is converting to Digital Television. That means the current analogue broadcasts will be switched off. But don’t worry the TiVo media device has dual high definition (HD) digital tuners and is Freeview|HD® compatible.

Freeview|HD® is the free-to-air digital terrestrial service that is available to 75% of New Zealanders. The coverage areas are our nine major centres – Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

So if you live in one of these areas you can connect your TiVo media device to a UHF aerial and then simply plug it into your old analogue TV, or your new high definition flat screen, and see all the great free-to-air digital programmes.

TiVo and Freeview|HD® has our favourite channels including TV One, TV2, TV3, C4, Maori Television, TVNZ6, TVNZ7, TV3Plus1, Prime, Parliament TV, Chinese TV8, tvCentral (Waikato and Bay of Plenty only), Radio New Zealand National, Radio New Zealand Concert, and BASE FM.

Don’t worry about re-tuning your TV to pick up new channels ever again, your TiVo media device checks every night for any new channels. So should Freeview|HD® add new channels they will be there for you the next day automatically!

If you want to check now that you are in a Freeview|HD® coverage area click here and enter your address.

Remember, you still have the chance to WIN one of FIVE TiVo media devices that we are giving away. Keep telling your friends to register at www.mytivo.co.nz and to enter in YOUR name and email address so you have more chances to win. For terms and conditions go to www.mytivo.co.nz/wantone.

As you may already know, we have partnered with Telecom as our exclusive retailer. As a Telecom broadband customer you can access a world of broadband movies and TV shows, through your TiVo media device. Telecom broadband customers get unmetered broadband access to TiVo content and services which means there’s no impact to monthly data allowances.

It looks like TiVo made a mistake this week and send out their fieldtrial newsletter to everyone who signed up for TiVo even if they where not actually choosen to be a beta tester. (Like myself and many others who have reported on geekzone and other places). Yes I would like to be a beta tester but alas as I am not using Telecom Broadband services I don’t think I will ever have any luck been choosen.

Please allow me to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks for your willingness to be one of our highly valued Beta testers. It is because of you, your participation and excellent reporting of issues, perceptions and results that we can deliver high quality and desirable products, and fix or enhance existing products quickly. We appreciate you and feel extremely fortunate to have you as customers and partners.

From time to time, it is necessary to update and supplement the information you provide us about your home audio/visual and entertainment configuration, network connectivity, and usage of various devices and services. Please take a few moments to complete the Supplemental Profile Survey (under Survey in the left navigation) at https://fieldtrials.tivo.com at your earliest convenience. This will help us in selecting participants for upcoming Beta programs, so it is critical that you provide this information.

Also, as you purchase new equipment and TVs, change your address or TV programming provider, it is important that you update your profiles on the Beta portal as well (https://fieldtrials.tivo.com.)

Thanks again for joining the TiVo Field Trials community. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Casey Nance
Sr. Manager, TiVo Field Trials/Beta Programs

Telecom broadband will enable TiVo entertainment downloads with no impact on customers’ monthly data allowance

17 September 2009 – Telecom and Hybrid Television Services, the exclusive licensee of TiVo® products in Australia and New Zealand, today announced a partnership that will see TiVo delivering unmetered entertainment to NZ living rooms from November.

The deal will provide Telecom broadband customers with the ability to download movies and shows to their TV with no impact to their monthly broadband data allowance as well as access to all of the Freeview|HD® channels.

The TiVo media device allows viewers to pause and rewind live TV, record every episode in a series with the Season Pass feature, auto record favourite actors using the WishList search and provide a safe viewing environment for their children with TiVo KidZone.

Telecom broadband will also unmeter games and information services as well as the 14-day on-screen guide and software updates within the TiVo.

Alan Gourdie, CEO Telecom Retail: “TiVo represents a revolution in the way Kiwis watch television, this new entertainment service allows the freedom to watch what you want, when you want and enjoy top rated movies on the television without impacting your monthly broadband data allowance.

“We are delighted to add this world class entertainment device to New Zealand’s most popular broadband service; which already provides customers services such as Yahoo!Xtra Pro Mail, a comprehensive security suite and photo manager Flickr Pro all at no additional cost,” says Mr Gourdie.

Robbee Minicola, CEO of Hybrid TV: “The partnership between Hybrid TV and Telecom is an outstanding result for the consumer. We are very pleased to have New Zealand’s largest telecommunication provider support our efforts in supplying unmetered broadband entertainment to the TiVo media device.

“In addition to getting the best of free-to-air digital TV, Telecom customers will have access to broadband entertainment which they will only pay for what they view instead of paying monthly subscription fees.

“When we announced our plans to launch in NZ back in March of this year we were greeted with a high level of interest. We are confident that New Zealanders will enjoy the entertainment choices, convenience, and value we will provide just in time for Christmas shopping,” said Ms Minicola.

At launch the TiVo Media Device plus the Wireless Adaptor will be sold as a bundle for $920.00 (incl. GST) from Telecom retail stores, customer service channels at 123 and online at www.telecom.co.nz/mytivo

Telecom will also offer a deferred payment option of 24 monthly payments of $30 plus an upfront initial payment of $200 (incl GST) which is placed on your Telecom phone bill. This payment option will only be available to Telecom Broadband customers.

TiVo Sent out their next newsletter today explaining how the TiVo “Season Pass” works. It gives you the ability to record an entire season or series/episodes of a certain TV program.

Front Row Seats for the Entire Season!

All day at home or work, you have to work to a schedule, meet deadlines and constantly watch the clock. You always plan to sit down and relax to watch your favourite show – but of course you can never seem to meet the program time.

Those days are over. All of your favourite programs can be automatically recorded and be waiting for you to watch them at your convenience. With the Season PassTM recording feature, every episode in the series is automatically recorded – even if the network changes the date and time!

The Season Pass feature is just another way the TiVo media device makes entertainment easy!

TiVo Release their next newsletter for people who have subscribed to their newsletter. This one describes what you can do with Pause and Rewind on your TiVo.

Life is hectic. Long gone are the days of sitting down to watch a program right when it starts. You’re working, shopping, cooking, going to the gym – where does your weekly episode of House or Underbelly fit in? We’re here to tell you it fits in exactly where you want it to! You can’t pause life, but with TiVo you can pause, rewind and record live TV – for two channels at the same time!

Mum ringing during the footy? Tucking the kids into bed just when the movie is getting good? Pause live television to deal with life, then pick up where you left off whenever you’re ready.

Home late from work and missed the first 10 minutes of your favourite show? Don’t worry, TiVo is looking out for you. The TiVo media device has two high definition tuners that constantly record 30 minutes of the last two channels you were on. So when you get home, simply rewind live TV until you get to the start of your program and watch it right from the beginning.

With the TiVo media device, YOU are in control of your TV, and YOU are in control of what you watch and when you watch it. Remember – TiVo loves you and your family.

Tivo today sent out one of these 1st newsletters to its customers who had signed up to their website. It was advertising the rating system on the TiVo that allows you to restrict content depending on the Rating of the content that is being watched/recorded.

TiVo® 101: KidZone

This message is for the families (sorry singles!).

Now there are many ways a TiVo media device can make family life better…so this week we focus on your most important family members…the kids.

Bet you want to make sure the kids are watching programs are appropriate for their eyes…announcing TiVo KidZone…a fun way for kids to enjoy TV and a great way for you to make sure they are watching the right stuff – especially when you are not looking!
With TiVo KidZone you can set the maximum classification they can view, pre-select and auto record their favourite programs and choose WishList® searches of keywords you know will deliver great children’s content.

As a parents you are no longer powerless to influence what your kids watch on the telly. Best of all, TiVo KidZone stays active until you check out of it by using a password. This means sleeping in on Sunday mornings knowing that when the kids turn on the TV – they are watching only what you want them to watch.

TiVo KidZone is just another way that TiVo loves you and your family.