The timeshifting DVR patent that’s been at the core of TiVo’s closed-but-not-quite-closed lawsuit with DISH / EchoStar is being contested yet again by the very same company. Not content just appealing to the Supreme Court regarding the Federal Circuit’s ruling against a rehearing for the last case, DISH / EchoStar has started up a whole new lawsuit against TiVo, requesting a Delaware court find the new version of their DVR software does not infringe TiVo’s patents — presumably as an embittered and pre-emptive measure before TiVo could kick off its inevitable next suit. Don’t worry if you’re confused as all hell, so are we — the point is, despite the fact that decisions have been made and rulings handed down, these two companies are still managing to sue, re-sue, and counter-re-sue one another.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

DISH Network hasn’t taken “no” “denied” or “not yours” for an answer before in its battle against TiVo before, and it’s not going to start now. In a statement, the company expressed its plans to appeal the Federal Circuit’s ruling against a rehearing to the Supreme Court. No matter how it ends, customers don’t have to worry about jackbooted government agents (or software updates, whatever) stealing their precious DISH DVR functionality, because its “next generation” DVR software has already been downloaded to your box, and does not infringe on any patents. We’ll leave this up to the lawyers to fight out (and write amusing disclaimers about), but in the meantime hit the read link to hear DISH’s side of things.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

Bad day for DISH Network, first its satellite is gone for good and now comes word its appeal to overturn TiVo’s lawsuit has been denied. That should put an end to the legal push and pull between the companies, with TiVo firmly on top, DISH customers could have their DVRs pulled out from under them. Win in hand, TiVo has a lot more leverage against other providers to put its service on their boxes, (which might not be the worst thing if you’ve used some cable DVRs) and leaves the company looking a lot more lively.

[Thanks Zatz Not Funny & Thomas Hawk]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

First spotted in FCC pics back in August, the Slingbox SOLO has finally hit the review circuit. Lacking the hardware-assisted HD streaming output of the just announced Slingbox PRO HD, the SOLO brings the original Slingbox Pro’s HD inputs and VGA-res output to a dongle-less existence. The people at PC Magazine hooked up up the ‘box and found plenty to admire in Sling’s software and easy setup, pausing only to lament the short included ethernet cable and lack of WiFi. With its $180 MSRP, this Slingbox is a good option when your HDTV is far away, at least until the PRO HD hits the streets.

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Filed under: HDTV

EchoStar, the company that always should have been called DISH, is apparently now and finally going by the name of their flagship product, according to fairly momentus SEC filing. Officially re-dubbed DISH Network, the EchoStar name will live on in DISH’s spun-off holding company, cleverly called the EchoStar Holding Company; EHC will operate as an independent business intended to be not at all owned by DISH (yet it will still remain under DISH CEO Charlie Ergen’s executive command — make sense out of that one), and will continue running the former EchoStar’s non-satellite businesses, like Sling Media. What’s it mean to you, the consumer? Well, DISH-related posts you read on Engadget will be all the less (and yet somehow more) confusing, but perhaps most importantly the new chunked companies are more susceptible to an acquisition or further split-ups, but are also more limber in the market. In other words, unless you’re a shareholder, we’re guessing none of this will probably mean a ton to you, your satellite service, your Slingbox, or much anything else for the time being.

[Via GigaOM]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Home Entertainment

The long-running dispute between Tivo and EchoStar inched a little closer to resolution today, with the United States Patent Office issuing a non-appealable ruling saying that Tivo’s DVR-enabling “time warp” patent is valid. You might remember that Tivo sued EchoStar for violating that patent in Dish Network DVRs at the beginning of 2006, and won a $90M judgment and an injunction requiring EchoStar to turn off existing DVR functionality and stop selling DVRs in the future. That injunction was then stayed pending EchoStar’s appeals before the Patent Office and the Federal Court of Appeals, so sadly, this ruling doesn’t mean the case is over yet — now it’s the Court of Appeals’ turn to try and sort this out.

[Thanks, Dennis]

Disclaimer: Although this post was written by an attorney, it is not to constitute legal advice or analysis and should not be taken as such.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

After visiting Dish Network’s booth at CEDIA and noticing a prominent sign boasting of a future relationship with IPTV, we can’t say we’re totally shocked to see this develop. Nevertheless, EchoStar unveiled today its ViP-TV MPEG-4 IPTV transport platform, which has the ability to beam out “over 300 channels of secure broadcast quality television programming via satellite to telecommunication firms, private / rural cable operators, municipalities and master planned community video providers that have obtained rights for distribution.” Deemed a “turnkey solution” for wholesale content delivery, ViP-TV will also offer up locals in 165 designated market areas including 30 in HD. Interestingly, it seems that Dish doesn’t much mind competing with itself so long as would-be Dish Network customers choose ViP-TV, and while it sounds mighty ambitious, ViP-TV General Manger Daniel Daines was quoted as saying that he hopes to have “paying customers on the platform in January 2008.” For the full slate of down and dirty details, be sure and visit the read links below.

[Via TeleCompetitor]
Read - ViP-TV Press Release [PDF]
Read - ViP-TV website

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Video

EchoStar — parent Co of Dish Network — just announced intent to purchase Sling Media for a cool $380 mil. Not a total surprise given the similarities of those logos. More telling, perhaps, is the fact that EchoStar was an early investor in the people responsible for the Slingbox and SlingPlayer software. The acquisition, expected to be approved before the year is up, gives EchoStar access to more displays and more locations thanks to Sling’s streaming solutions in and outside of the home. And Blake Krikorian, co-founder, chairman and boss of Sling Media, reaction to the prospects of the new union? “We are psyched to make this announcement” as it “paves the way for the development of a host of new innovative products and services for our subscribers, new digital media consumers and strategic partners.” Yeah bro, totally… like the SlingCatcher, eh dude?

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!