Category Archives: television

TiVo remains king of TV

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Rakesh Agrawal

Twenty years into the existence of the DVR, there is still no substitute for the company that (almost) started it all: TiVo. The company, whose name is synonymous with the digital video recorder, continues to create the best of them … Continue reading →

Posted in favorite things, television, tivo, Uncategorized, video | Comments Off

Why Netflix’s split won’t help with its real problems

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Rakesh Agrawal

Today’s announcement by Netflix of changes to its longrunning service will do little to solve the very significant challenge in front of Netflix streaming: content licensing. In his blog post, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings compared his company’s challenges to those … Continue reading →

Posted in movies, netflix, television, video | 1 Comment

Why Netflix is killing it — and what startups can learn from its success

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Rakesh Agrawal

Netflix just became the number one provider of subscription entertainment content in the United States, with 22.8 million subscribers. Comcast now comes in at number 2, with 22.76 million. And the trend lines indicate that Netflix will continue to grow. … Continue reading →

Posted in netflix, startups, television | 4 Comments

Netflix throws away the disc in the US

Posted on October 30, 2010 by Rakesh Agrawal

Netflix is edging a step closer to its name with a test of streaming only service in the United States. The new offering allows users to purchase a net-only subscription for $7.99 a month. Adding DVD rentals is an option … Continue reading →

Posted in netflix, television | 2 Comments

Apple and Google make their big push to TV screen

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Rakesh Agrawal

This year has seen the biggest push yet to bring the Internet (or parts of it) to the biggest screen in the house. The newly revamped Apple TV started arriving in stores and homes last week. Logitech is announcing the … Continue reading →

Posted in apple, apple tv, google, hulu, television | 3 Comments

Can Google cross the retail chasm with Google TV?

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Rakesh Agrawal

Last week, Google announced Google TV, a product that marries the Web with TV. It’s a product category that I’ve been excited about for several years. But creating new product categories is hard. Retail is hard. Doing both together is … Continue reading →

Posted in apple, apple tv, google, television | 7 Comments

6 ways a DVR is better than hulu

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Rakesh Agrawal

I recently wrote 10 reasons why hulu is better than a DVR. Here are six advantages that DVRs have over hulu. You get higher quality video. If you have an HD source, chances are the video quality on your DVR … Continue reading →

Posted in consumer electronics, hulu, media, movies, television, video | 1 Comment

10 ways hulu is better than a DVR

Posted on January 2, 2009 by Rakesh Agrawal

I’ve been using a DVR for at least 8 years. I started off with a Replay 2020 and have since used other Replays, TiVos and cable company DVRs. Now my primary DVR is the whole home DVR that comes with … Continue reading →

Posted in consumer electronics, hulu, media, movies, television, video | 9 Comments

A tale of two media companies

Posted on December 29, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

You’ve got a competitor with deep pockets, huge brand recognition and a lot of traffic that is interested in your content. What do you do? Here are two very different approaches: GateHouse Media is suing The New York Times Co., … Continue reading →

Posted in google, hulu, journalism, newspapers, television, video, web 2, web 2.0, YouTube | Comments Off

Hulu might just make it after all

Posted on September 21, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

If I could award an Emmy for outstanding performance in television, I’d have a clear winner: Hulu. The video site from NBC and Fox is my leading choice for product of the year. Hulu allows users to stream television shows … Continue reading →