dvr

This week we're covering TiVo in particular, and the set-top box market in general. I have but one guest today, but you're going to want to pay attention, since it's Jim Denney, the TiVo's VP of product strategy.

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Show notes and talking points… Read more

We've been saying it for a while now but it's finally starting to sink in: the DVR is good for broadcast television.

Today, demanding schedules have made time-shifted viewing a must-have for millions of Americans. What's amazing is how quickly the adoption spread--in 2006 only 2 percent of homes had DVRs. Today, DVRs are in close to 40 percent of U.S. homes, adding millions of viewers to our audiences every night of the week.

Looking at the programs airing the first three weeks of the season, we see that nine CBS shows picked up more than … Read more

Last month, TiVo borrowed a page from cell phone carriers, offering a TiVo Premiere box for $0 and $19.99/month with a two-year contract. It was supposed to be a one-week-only promotion, but obviously TiVo was happy with the results: the deal is back, and it even has its own informercial (see below).

Normally, buying a TiVo works like this: you drop $299.99 on the box (or $499.99 on the XL model), then pay $12.95 per month for service. (You also have the option of paying in advance for one year, three years, or life.)

With … Read more

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Facebook is apparently caught sharing user names and user friend names with advertisers and tracking companies, in violation of its own terms of service

Yahoo is said to be launching Y Connect, a universal log-in system much like Facebook Connect

YouTube Leanback becomes a part of Google TV

Sony's Google TV sets are hitting stores early

The Nintendo Wii no longer requires a disc to stream Netflix

The FCC moves to open up the cable box and DVR market

Today on The 404, we use Justin's absence as a way to introduce a new friend of the show, "Stoopid" Andy. Ironically enough, Andy isn't as dumb as his name implies as we all learn the man is quite the nerd. Andy shares some geek secrets on hacking DVR boxes and spending weekends reprogramming drivers.

Also joining us today is longtime 404 friend and guest Kenley, aka "Flow." We'll chat about Apple's initiative to trademark "There's an app for that," and other commonly used phrases countless people utter every single day. Then it's off to a discussion about the iPad hitting other carriers, which leads to a heated conversation about the inevitable fallout resulting from the iPhone's migration to Verizon.

Finally, we all try to come up with ways we'd take advantage of Taskrabbit.com, the service that allows customers to outsource common tasks. Of course, we can't think of anything that wouldn't be illegal, so if you've got ideas, feel free to send them our way.

Those hoping for an easy, browser-based system to manage TiVo recordings are in luck: a new tool is coming to the DVR maker's Web site.

Dubbed the Season Pass Manager, the new service will let people modify Season Pass recordings from the Web. Season Pass is TiVo's service for recording all new episodes of a TV series. The new tool will let people prioritize their Season Pass recordings, as well as transfer specific recordings from one TiVo box to another on their account. In addition, TiVo owners can delete series from their Season Pass list.

Season Pass Manager … Read more

It's been in the works for years, but DirecTV subscribers hoping to get their hands on a TiVo by the end of the year will have to wait until 2011.

Recently, TiVo changed its DirecTV page to reflect the delayed launch. The site previously said the company would launch the DVR sometime this year. The page now says its "TiVo service is expected to launch to support satellite customers in the future." The DirecTV page discussing the TiVo says the company expects "the new receiver to launch in early 2011."

The new TiVo for DirecTV … Read more

I don't know if this is a mistake or an oversight or what, but I just ordered a TiVo Premiere for $146.92. A new one, not a refurb. That's less than half the list price, and without question the best deal I've ever seen on a new, current-gen TiVo.

To get it, you need to apply coupon code LABORDAYWEEKEND at checkout. Given that Labor Day weekend ended a little over a week ago, I'm surprised the code still works. But it does, at least as of 9 a.m. ET.

Update: Looks like the deal … Read more

One of the perennial questions we get at CNET is this: "I get my TV via an over-the-air antenna. Is there a noncable, nonsatellite DVR I can buy that doesn't require a service fee?" The answers were few and far between. TiVo works great with over-the-air TV, but that unit does require a monthly/yearly/lifetime fee. You can set up a Windows Media Center PC (with a DTV tuner attachment), but that's a rather elaborate solution for most folks. DVD recorders are one possibility, but they generally don't have onscreen program guides, and they … Read more