Cost | What to Enjoy | Features | News & Updates | Sales Info | Press Releases | Buy
Cost: Series2 DT DVR $149.99 | HD DVR $299.99 | HD XL DVR $599.99
What to Enjoy:
Beyond your cable box there’s TiVo, a digital video recorder that has been one of the top-selling devices of its kind. Now, most cable companies offer their own version of DVR, but TiVo still stands out by brand-recognition, even if the number of subscribers fell during 2008. This may have to do with the proliferation of digital media online, but TiVo keeps on trucking regardless, and still is earning a profit.
The merits of a TiVo are two-fold: 1) you can set it, and forget it (to borrow a slogan by Ron Popeil), making it very easy to record favorite shows and televised movies, and 2) you can pause live TV, and scan through the show and commercials (much to the chagrin of those paying advertisers).
Subscribers are able to visit the TiVo website to set up their TiVo recording queue. Shows and movies can be recorded based on actor, director, genre, or simply by its scheduled appearance. Fans of a particular show can create a Season Pass, with which the TiVo will automatically record that show whenever it airs.
Third-Party Features:
Beyond the box, TiVo has established strategic partnerships and affiliate relationships with various movie distributors; for example if you’re browsing Amazon’s On-Demand channel, you can send that title to your TiVo. Their partnership with Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster, and Roxio CinemaNow enables you to stream movies directly onto your TV. TiVo also provides access to YouTube, Picasa, Photobucket, Rhapsody, Live365, and Fandango (for movie listings & ticket purchases).
TiVo features will soon find its way into DVR boxes from cable providers. Comcast is lined up to be the first, with testing in Chicago and later in New England. TimeWarner is also in talks to integrate TiVo features with their DVR box.
More information can be found on their website
News & Updates:
Variety.com/Technotainment (06/22/2009): TiVo gets ready for the big time – TiVo gets ready for the big timeTiVo’s recent court victory over Dish Network could mean a rapid expansion for the company. Bloomberg reports the company, whose name is synonymous with digital video recording, is in talks to provide service through Time Warner cable. (TiVo already has deals in place with DirecTV and Comcast.) {Read more}
Sales Info & Figures:
Yahoo! Finance (5/27/2009): TiVo Reports Results for the First Quarter Fiscal Year 2010 Ended April 30, 2009 – TiVo subscribers are eating up video streams and downloads; reports solid 1Q results. {Read more}
Latest Press Releases:
6/23/2009: TiVo and Quantcast Partner to Bring First Meaningful Single-Source Audience Analysis Across TV and Internet – TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services and advertising solutions for digital video recorders (DVRs), and Quantcast, a pioneering Web-based audience insights service focused on enabling addressable advertising, today announced that they have partnered to provide advertisers and media companies with the most comprehensive cross platform audience analysis solution available for evaluating the correlation between television viewership and online activity. {Read more}
