Deny A le co idering TiVo buyout

TheMac O erver brings the exclusive news that the acquisition of TiVo by A le is still unconfirmed, though rumourscontinue to circulate. Analyst Steven Kroll said news sources misinterpreted hiswords yesterday and that he had not confirmedknowledge of the deal, but merely pointed out the wide read rumours.

Brokerage firm Smith Barney said today they believe it %26#8220;highly unlikely%26#8221; that A le will buy out TiVo. They saidA le has indicated the DVR market is a commodity in which succe will boil down to the marketing and branding ofsiimilar hardware and software. Notably, Smith Barney indicated they felt %26#8220;If A le were to get into the DVR market, webelieve they would build a proprietary product.%26#8221;