Downloads and down lows highlighted the past week.
TiVo is a video star
The announcement that TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO) had partnered with Brightcove to provide online content on TiVo boxes wasn't necessarily revolutionary. My TiVo has been downloading movie trailers, short video clips, and content from Rule Breakers pick CNET Networks (Nasdaq: CNET) for months now.
What makes this deal unique is the breadth of Brightcove's established video content providers, and the value it provides to TiVo owners, who should be able to cherry-pick content to record on their boxes.
Most of Brightcove's video offerings are short clips, which is a good thing given the lethargic download pace that digital video buffs have to deal with in these pioneering days. Even with TiVo hooked up to my home network, the seemingly alluring task of copying TiVo shows to my laptop has been sandbagged by the excruciatingly long time it takes to transfer even a short show through TiVo's own TiVo-To-Go application.
These innovations and content deals are critical, though, because TiVo can't afford to let cheaper alternatives gain ground. It may be the only brand that matters in the DVR space, but the company now sells less than half of the boxes on the market. TiVo is a longtime Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation with a rocky trading history. It's been trending higher in recent months, and in order to keep that momentum, it'll have to make sure that it's always at the leading edge of DVR technology.
IPO ETF, FYI
The words "Initial Public Offering" often get folks giddy. They can think back to the hot Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) earlier this year, or the Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) four-bagger since its 2004 debut. Unfortunately, in most cases, there isn't a lot of room for the little guy to buy into hot stock offerings. Google was an exception, since it allocated a chunk of its IPO shares to direct-buying individuals, but way too many deals wind up with the in-demand shares going to the fat accounts of the lead underwriters.
That's why I was excited when I first heard about exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, that specialize in snapping up freshly minted offerings. The more I read, the less enchanted I became. This isn't a meal ticket for buying new companies before they pop at the open, then flipping them at a higher price. As a collection of new stocks, these funds are shackling investors to brand-spanking new -- and unproven -- investments. That's risky, and the potential rewards may never materialize if losers outnumber the winners.
There are plenty of great ETFs out there. The Rule Breakers growth stock newsletter service that I work for recently recommended an outstanding one devoted to alternative energy. I think I'll pass on IPO ETFs, though. There's just one acronym too many in there for my blood.
Until next week, I remain,
Rick Munarriz
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz recommends windshield-wiper fluid when trying to look back. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy. He is also part of the
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