TiVo gets settlement

Tue., May 3, 2011

NEW YORK – Satellite broadcaster Dish Network Corp. and set-top box supplier EchoStar Corp. will pay TiVo Inc. $500 million to settle a patent lawsuit over digital video recorder technology, the companies said Monday.

The settlement is one of the largest ever over patents. Sales of TiVo-branded DVRs have plummeted as cable and satellite companies have added DVR functions to their set-top boxes, allowing them to record television programs and then play them back, as well as pause, fast-forward and rewind.

Some companies, like Dish competitor DirecTV Group Inc., have struck deals with TiVo. Others have held out, with Dish being the most high-profile one.

Associated Press

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

TiVo gets settlement

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Chromebook remorse: Tech backlash at schools extends beyond phones

How rising car prices present one more hurdle for homebuyers

The Dirt: STCU to build 20th Spokane County branch