TiVo

TiVo (pronounced /ˈtiːvoʊ/) is a pioneer of the digital video recorder (DVR). TiVo was introduced in the United States, and is now available in New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Taiwan, and the UK. TiVo DVRs provide an electronic television programming schedule, and provide features such as Season Pass recordings (which ensure subscribers never miss an episode of their favorite shows) and WishList searches (which allow the user to find and record shows that match their interests by title, actor, director, category or keyword). TiVo also provides a range of features when the TiVo DVR is connected to a home network, including film and TV show downloads, advanced search, personal photo viewing, music

TiVo Digital Video Recorder:A TiVo DVR serves a function similar to a videocassette recorder, in that both allow a television viewer to record programming for viewing at a later time. Unlike a VCR, which uses removable magnetic tape cartridges, a TiVo DVR stores television programs onto non-removable hard disk storage. Also, the TiVo device does not have any buttons on the front panel; its functions are solely manipulated by remote control.

What distinguishes TiVo from other DVRs is the sophisticated software written by TiVo Inc. that automatically records programs—not only those the user specifically requests, but also other material the user is likely to be interested in. TiVo DVRs also implement a patented feature TiVo calls "trick play," which allows the viewer to pause live television, and rewind and replay up to a half hour of recently viewed television. More recent TiVo DVRs can be connected to a computer local area network, which allows the TiVo device to download information and even video programs, music and movies from the Internet

Market share:While its former main competitor in the US, ReplayTV, had adopted a commercial-skip feature, TiVo decided to avoid automatic implementation of that feature, fearing such a move might provoke backlash from the television industry. ReplayTV was sued over this feature,[9] as well as the ability to share shows over the Internet, and these lawsuits contributed to the bankruptcy of SONICblue,[10] their owner at the time. Their new owner, DNNA, dropped both features in the final ReplayTV model, the 5500. However, the automatic commercial-skip feature was simply replaced with Show|Nav, which requires only the push of the arrow buttons to jump between segments. ReplayTV now has a negligible market share, as they no longer manufacture DVR hardware.[citation needed]

Other distributors' competing DVR sets in the US include Comcast and Verizon, although both distribute third-party hardware with this functionality built-in. Verizon uses boxes fitted for FiOS, allowing high-speed internet access and other features.

As of October 2008, TiVo has 3.46 million subscribers in the US[11][12], down from a peak of 4.36 million in January 2006[12].

[edit] Controversies