TiVo developing ‘Mantis’ streaming set-top box

TiVo is working on a streaming set-top box device, dubbed ‘Mantis’, according to documents filed to the FCC and uncovered by US digital media news site Zatz Not Funny.

The documents show that the TiVo model TCD84A000 (Mantis) is a network DVR that is designed to receive over-the-air broadcast video and transcode it to send out as a network stream – to either wired or wireless devices.

In April, Rovi Corporation has agreed to buy TiVo in a cash and stock deal worth roughly US$1.1 billion (€961 million) and earlier this month Rovi appointed former Ericsson executive, Pete Thompson, as its new chief operating officer to oversee the integration of TiVo.

News of the Mantis development also comes more than a year after TiVo agreed to buy certain assets from now defunct US cloud TV service Aereo.

TiVo paid US$1 million (€952,000) for Aereo’s trademarks, domain names, and customer lists, as part of an asset sale that saw Alliance Technology Solutions buy Aereo equipment for US$320,000 and RPX Corp acquire Aereo’s patents for US$225,000.