DirecTV and TiVo are together again, with a new unit coming soon. It was a sad day when DirecTV and TiVo broke up a few years ago. They were the first receivers with a built-in DVR, and worked together seamlessly. But, when DirecTV started using MPEG-4 broadcasts with their HD channels, TiVo was shown the door. (It didn't hurt that then-owner of DirecTV also owned NDS, the company behind the HR20 and HR21 non-TiVo recorders.)
In a press release, DirecTV said that the new HD TiVo DVR will "support the latest TiVo and DirecTV features and services, including TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone."
What else did the release say?
Not much. This new "DirecTiVo" model is due out in the second half of 2009, and the price is still unknown.
"We have had a very successful history with DIRECTV. Together we
brought the TiVo experience to millions of DIRECTV customers and now we
look forward to launching a next generation product that uses TiVo's
latest features to truly showcase DIRECTV's broad selection of
high-definition programming -- all stitched together with the elegance
of TiVo's renowned user experience," said Tom Rogers, TiVo's CEO and
president. "This agreement demonstrates our continued embrace of mass
distribution opportunities in cooperation with major multichannel
operators who recognize the value of giving their customers a choice of
compelling user experiences."
Reunited and it feels so good... —Leslie Shapiro
