RCN launches TiVo Premiere DVR in Comcast's backyard

RCN (Nasdaq: RCNI) launched TiVo's (Nasdaq: TIVO) high-end Premiere DVR in Philadelphia and Lehigh, Pa., Friday, challenging the nation's largest cable MSO Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) in its home city.

The TiVo Premiere allows RCN subscribers access Web video content from Blockbuster On Demand, YouTube and other online video sources, in addition to letting them navigate live TV and video-on-demand content. It lets subscribers to record 400 hours of standard definition programming, or 150 hours of HDTV programming,

While TiVo has teamed up with Comcast to allow subscribers that buy a TiVo DVR in retail outlets to access video-on-demand programming through the DVRs, the MSO deploys set-tops from Motorola Mobility, Pace and other set-top vendors in subscriber homes.

The Philadelphia rollout is one of the biggest markets where TiVo DVRs are have been rolled out by a pay TV distributor. It has also been deployed by Suddenlink Communications and some smaller cable operators.

For more:
- see RCN release

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