Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sonicblue files for Chap 11

Posted by ryuzaki0 on

An anonymous reader writes "ReplayTV and Rio maker Sonicblue is a goner, filing for bankruptcy and selling their assets to D&M, the Japanese parent company of Denon and Marantz. No word what will happen to all those Replay users out there -- that $140 deal on Amazon isn't looking so hot now, is it?"

3 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. TiVO may benefit...or not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, now that SonicBlue seems to be out of the picture, now the only major retailer of PVR technology is TiVO. Unless you count UltimateTV, which I guess is still being sold, but I haven't seen ads or any indication of Microsoft pushing it for a long time.

    Tivo COULD do well by this, since if support for ReplayTV drops dead, users of ReplayTV will still want SOME kind of PVR (and I'm not talking about those who are willing to waste days and weeks hacking the box, here)...or, could make it harder on them, since the MPAA and their relatives now only have one big company to focus on.

    The next business quarter will probably be a turning point for PVR technology. TiVO has a better chance of surviving if those that are orphaned by ReplayTV move over to it. If they don't, TiVO instead will be 'hanging on' for some time, and its fate (and ability to manage lawsuits like the one ReplayTV got, DMCA-wise) will be a lot more uncertain.

  2. FYI, chap 11 vs 7 by mcmonkey · · Score: 5, Informative

    In the good ole US of A, chapter 11 is reorganization. This gives a the company protection from creditors to get its house in order. Companies often come out of chapter 11.

    Chapter 7 is liquidation. This company, as they say, is no more. This is for companies that are looking for an organized sell-off of assets.

    More info at 411bankruptcy.com.

    So SonicBlue is not necessarily gone for good. However, if they are selling off their major product lines, I wonder how they plan to achieve profitability.

  3. TiVo is doing fine... by Wee · · Score: 5, Informative
    They beat analysts' expectations, revenue is up more than they thought ($60.2 million this year vs. $19.4 million last year), licensing means they'll sign up more people than they thought this year. They didn't meet their growth projections for the holidays only because stores didn't have enough product to sell. That isn't necessarily a "bad" kind of problem. More info on news.com.com.com.com.com.

    Doesn't look to me like TiVo needs a savior.

    -B

    --

    Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.