Maverick Integration in Nashua, N.H. has become one of the leading custom residential integration companies in the U.S., ranking number 16 on the CE Pro 100, with $12 million in revenue in 2015. Ask Daryl Dembiec, principal at Maverick, how they’ve succeeded and you’ll hear him talk about choosing products that offer margin, reliability, competent support, uniqueness, and control. 

One product in particular meets all of those criteria. “We’ve been using TiVo for about four years,” says Dembiec. “The TiVo BOLT came out this past fall, and we are using it more and more for our video and home theater installations.”

CE Pro: You’ve got a pretty specific set of things you’re looking for in a product. How does the TiVo BOLT fit into that list?

Daryl Dembiec: It pretty much ticks all the boxes for us, and there are some key features our customers love.

CE Pro: Such as?

Dembiec: Well, for one, there’s a single interface for all video sources, whether it be cable TV, OTT or content stored on the BOLT itself. We demo or point out the unified approach of the TiVo interface, and how easy it is to go from one service to another without changing inputs. That interface eliminates all the usability problems people have with Apple TV or Roku. And 4K is becoming more of an attractive feature as well.

CE Pro: How so? How are your customers responding to that? 

Dembiec: They know about it, generally, and 4K is one of the key features we talk to customers about. Our customers like that we’re anticipating their future needs by discussing 4K options with them, even though 4K content is somewhat limited in terms of choice right now. It helps them understand that we’re not just here to sell them something they’ll want to replace in a year or two.

CE Pro: You mentioned that control was one of the things you look for in a product or product line. What do you mean?

Dembiec: Look, there are so many systems to choose from out there, but TiVo is the best because it lets us take control of the cable TV, which is an area that is problematic for us if we have to use a cable company set-top box. We can’t see what’s going wrong with cable boxes. With TiVo, we also have more flexibility in terms of designing the system.

CE Pro: How many of your customers use cable?

Dembiec: All of them. 100 percent of our customers connect to cable TV in some form, whether via an STB or using TiVo.

CE Pro: When connecting to cable, rather than with an antenna, TiVo boxes require a CableCARD. What’s that process for Maverick?

Dembiec: We outline the specific needs for them; then the customer acquires the CableCARD through their local cable company.

CE Pro: Just like that?

Dembiec: It’s all about timing. Hopefully the cable company has the CableCARD installed before we get to the home.

CE Pro: You mentioned that profitability was one of the things you look at. Does anything have any profit in it anymore?

Dembiec: [Laughs] There’s zero margin in the cable box, but there is margin with TiVo, which is another great reason we like TiVo BOLT so much.

CE Pro: What about ease of installation? How does the TiVo BOLT stack up there?

Dembiec: From an installation standpoint, Maverick puts almost all of its BOLTs into racks with no problems. Yes, the BOLT has a unique chassis shape, but with the new Middle Atlantic custom rack shelf, we haven’t had any issues mounting. And, because the BOLT does so many things, we spend less time installing other boxes, like Roku or Apple TV.

Integrators are in the business of providing the best solutions possible for their discerning clients, and TiVo BOLT is a distinct upgrade from “standard” DVRs for customers who appreciate the difference. For integrators, the 4K BOLT offers margin, reliability, competent support, uniqueness, and control.

For more information or to become a TiVo reseller, visit custom.tivo.com

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