TiVo inside...with Jim & Margret: TiVo wins an Emmy! (Again)
Before I even get started on this entry, click here to schedule your TiVo boxes to record the 2006 Creative Arts Awards, honoring technical and artistic achievement. That’s where you will see Jim Barton, Jim Denny, and Margret Schmidt accepting the Emmy on behalf of TiVo. This is very exciting to all of us as you can imagine, and I wanted to know how this whole thing came about—and then of course share it with you—so I asked Jim B. and Margret a few questions.
How did this Emmy nomination come about?
Margret: One of our UI Designers, Geoff Katz (who is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) knew about the Interactive Television category (because he's won an Emmy before) and suggested we submit an entry. He worked with Shanan Carney (you've seen her videos on your TiVo box) to prepare a six minute video highlighting all of the features of the TiVo Service and demonstrating our user experience. Then the Interactive Media Peer Group of the Television Academy voted on all of the entrants and the four finalists were named. Finally, a Blue Ribbon Judging Panel of the peer group met in Los Angeles, viewed the finalist videos, and scored them in several categories. The results were announced at the AFI Digital Content Festival on July 26, and we won!
Who were we up against?
Margret: The other finalists in our category were AOL Music On Demand, CNN Enhanced, and DIRECTV Sports Interactive.
Has TiVo ever won an Emmy before?
Margret: Yes! In 2001 our co-founders Mike Ramsay and Jim Barton received a technical Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (based in New York) for "Pioneering the development of personalized in-home digital video recorder (PVR) and accompanying personal television service.” Our 2006 Emmy is from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (based in Los Angeles) is a creative Emmy awarded based on: design, interface, navigation, content, and overall creative achievement and excellence.
What achievements or advances has TiVo made since then that you think contributed to this Emmy?
Jim: We've continued to add features and enhancements to the service interface without breaking it. That's a hard thing to do, and shows the talent of our UI team. At the same time, we've been building a user base that is happy with the service they get and loyal to TiVo.
How new is this category?
Margret: This is the fifth year that the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has awarded Emmys for Interactive Television, although it is only the second year that an Emmy statuette will be given out in this category. This year there were two areas of competition: one for “a television platform,” and a second for a “new delivery platform.” ABC.com won an Emmy this year for their Full Episode Streaming Player in the new delivery platform area of competition.
Who has won this category in the past?
Margret: Cablevision iO Interactive Optimum Digital Cable, TV Land Awards All Access, Celebrity Mole Yucatan, and DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket have all won Interactive Television Emmys in recent years.
Jim, everyone knows you are one of the co-founders. How has your role evolved/changed since the "olden days"?
Jim: In many ways, my role hasn't changed much, instead the scope has opened up. In the early days I managed much of our patent efforts; today I do that and as well other patent-related efforts, such as helping with our litigation against Echostar. Part of my early role was to be the technical skeptic, keeping people focused on what was doable and not chasing the unachievable. That's still part of what I do today.
At the same time, I've always been keeper of the "grand vision" of how the technical end-to-end architecture of the TiVo service works. With the rise of broadband connectivity and our increasing ability to rely on TiVo boxes being "always connected," I've been leading a shift in how we develop the service going forward to take advantage of being a full member of the Internet ecosystem.
Ever since the beginning, I've always viewed part of my role to be a technical consultant to the CEO and executive team as well as to the engineering organizations in general. Since people still come ask my opinion, I must still be doing that right :-)
Finally, I still write software. I did the original Linux port for the Series 1 TiVo boxes and wrote the first versions of some of the fundamental components of the application. Today, I still have my hand in, working on low-level software components that support such things as network device discovery and advanced network based features, coming soon to a TiVo box near you.
Margret, what has your role been with the TiVo UI since you came aboard?
Margret: When I started in 2001 I managed the UI Design team. Series1 was out, and we were working on the hardware for Series2. We had shipped the DIRECTV Series1 TiVo box, and the hardware had two tuners, but we hadn't yet designed or built the software to watch or record from both of them at the same time. In the past five years we've worked on products to add home networking features (music, photos, multi-room viewing), online scheduling, DVD recorders, high definition TV, TiVoToGo, broadband applications, and much, much, more.
What are you most proud of achieving as a company? As an individual contributor?
Jim: I'm most proud when I encounter a TiVo subscriber whom I've never met before, and they tell me how much they like their TiVo and what it does for them. Few people get to work on a product that touches people in a way that fundamentally changes the quality of their lives.
Margret: As a company I am so proud that we have the highest levels of executive support for creating an experience that is easy, fun, and smart. I am thrilled that TiVo is embraced by everyone in a household, and isn't a complicated device that only the techy members of the family can figure out how to use. As a department, I am very happy that the user experience team has created an environment where they collaborate on designs; not just among themselves but also with our brilliant engineers and product managers.
Are there other technology companies (not necessarily in the TV space) that you are keeping your eye on?
Jim: Almost none in the TV space, per se. The energy and technology that is changing television is coming from outside that industry, particularly from PC- and Internet-oriented companies. So, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, and many of the new video-oriented Web companies are particularly interesting.
The people who founded TiVo, and later came to work here, tended to be computer people who were interested in applying computer technology to television-oriented products. My background is in the design and development of computer operating systems and computer networking. This orientation at TiVo is reflected in how the TiVo box and service operates. This is why TiVo can provide stability and robust operation while continually advancing the state of the art in set-top features and capabilities.
Do you get to go to the Emmys? If so, can we all go with you? What should we wear?
Margret: Yes! Jim and a few of us will get to attend the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on August 19 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, to accept the award and pick up the Emmy statuette. It is a black-tie event, so we'll be decked out in our finest. (Maybe we will even get to meet some of the celebrities nominated in the Guest Actor and Actress categories.) Set your TiVo box to record it August 26 at 8pm on E! Penn & Teller will be hosting the show. Click here to schedule it.
Where do you keep your Emmy statues?
Jim: Well, there's just one (till August 19th), and it's sitting in my living room right now...
Just for fun!
What is your name?
Jim: Jim Barton
Margret: Margret Schmidt (I have two other Margarets working for me, so I'm looking into getting a nickname. One of the Margarets is Margaret Dumas, the mystery and romance author -- you should really read her books!)
What do you do here (read: what’s your elevator pitch)?
Jim: CTO: Chief Troublemaking Officer
Margret: Well, my title is "Vice President, User Experience Design & Research" -- which basically means that I am management overhead for the fabulous UI Design, Research, Documentation, and Field Trials Teams at TiVo. It is my job to provide design leadership, and to keep the teams happy and productive.
What’s on your Now Playing List?
Jim: On which of my 7 TiVos? I have a science program TiVo, a history program TiVo, my HDTV TiVos (with all the hot programs, of course), a guilty pleasures TiVo (lots of cartoons and anime). You might find things like CSI, NCIS, Cold Case, Mythbusters, Digging for the Truth, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show, The Late Show, Ghost in the Shell, and so on.
Margret: Since it is summer I have: Monk, Psych, Treasure Hunters, and So You Think You Can Dance; but I am anxiously awaiting the return of Lost, Gilmore Girls, and How I Met Your Mother.
How many TiVo boxes do you own?
Jim: See above. They've all been upgraded with bigger disks, of course :-)
Margret: Well, uh, there are EIGHT different models of TiVo boxes plus a Comcast DVR running in my house; but it is my job to know all of our products inside and out. Or at least that is what I tell myself.
What was the first one you owned?
Margret: A 30-hour Sony Series1 TiVo, before I ever worked here. (It made me really, really want to work at TiVo.)
How long have you been at TiVo?
Margret: Five and a half years.
What was your very first job, ever?
Margret: Washing dishes at the Palo Alto Coffee Roasting Company. To this day, I don't drink coffee unless I'm desperate for caffeine. (Just the smell of coffee makes me exhausted.)
Jim: Bussing tables in a restaurant.
How has TiVo changed your life?
Jim: It's made me a very happy man.
Margret: This is the coolest job I have ever had: working with smart and fun people on an awesome product. Oh, and I won an Emmy -- how often do nerd girls get a chance to do that?
What's the trippiest place you've visited?
Jim: The Great Barrier Reef.
Do you watch the Henry Rollins Show?
Jim: No, should I?
American Idol, America's Next Top Model, or Project Runway?
Jim: None of the above.
Margret: America's Next Top Model! I think I watched Ann Markley's luggage at JFK airport for her when she went to the bathroom; but I was too shy to ask if she was Ann. So, I've just been telling everyone that it was. (Hey Ann -- did you fly to LAX on May 4?) Ann was one of the final four in cycle 3.
Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, or Firefly?
Jim: Firefly
David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, or Jon Stewart?
Jim: Jon Stewart
Margret: Conan is hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards this year, so in keeping with the Emmy theme I'm going with him. Although both Letterman and Jon Stewart have said nice things about TiVo, so clearly they are cool too. Hey Conan, you gonna mention TiVo during the Primetime Emmys? Please?
Martha Stewart or Oprah Winfrey?
Jim: Who?
Do you record the Superbowl on your TiVo box?
Jim: Yes, and watch it 1 hour in, so I can skip all the baloney and just watch commercials (and some football here and there).
Margret: Duh, how else to you make sure you don't miss any cool commercials?
If you had to organize a company sports team, what would it be?
Margret: Well, we had one department offsite where we went Curling, and one person needed an x-ray afterwards. So, it probably won't be a Curling team. (And who thought running sideways on ice was a good idea anyway?)
What gadget do you most covet, right now?
Jim: Hmmm. If I covet something, I just go get it :-) However, I'm not much of a gadget guy (Mike was the gadget guy). I usually wait to see if it looks like the gadget will actually be useful for something and not just a waste of time.
Margret: I want a combination Treo/Employee Badge/GPS. I'm never without my Treo, but I do manage to forget my badge occasionally. Plus I'm tired of renting cars and having the navigation systems "sold out" even though I have a "confirmed reservation.” I almost didn't make it to AFI to hear if we won the Emmy!
If you could have one super power (i.e., flight, telekinesis, invisibility, etc.) what would it be and why?
Margret: Invisibility. I would help me move quicker between meetings without getting stopped in the hall. That, or TiVo should institute "passing periods" like in High School -- the bell rings five minutes before the end of the hour so you have enough time to get to your next class (uh, I mean “meeting”) and still chat with your friends (uh I mean, “fellow employees”).
What’s the best interview question you have ever been asked?
Margret: When I was interviewing for my previous job: "Is there anything you've said in your earlier interviews today that you now regret?"
If TiVo implemented a "Bring Your Pet To Work Day," would you bring a pet? If yes, what would it be?
Jim: Well, I could bring my cats. But they wouldn't want to come.
Margret: I have a 25-year-old cockatiel (cute gray bird with a yellow face and orange cheeks) named Brandy, but I don't think he'd enjoy the exuberant chaos that is TiVo. Now my 3-year-old son, he LOVES to visit TiVo for the family events (summer carnival, Halloween, holiday party). So I'd probably just dress him as a puppy and sneak him in.
Buffy, Charmed, or Veronica Mars?
Jim: Veronica Mars, of course.
Margret: Buffy first, then Charmed, although I've been told by several people that I would love Veronica Mars. Shannen Doherty and I were both in sixth grade at the same school. I don't think Shannen has ever won an Emmy. (Take that popular girl! Nerd girls rule!!)
Congratulations guys! Have a great weekend in Hollywood!
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