TiVo

TiVo is a digital recording device, which is among the most recognizable in the market place. TiVo allows viewers to record and watch programming when and how they want. In January 2009, YouTube announced that their videos would be streamable through the TiVo service.TechCrunch: YouTube Comes To The Wii And PS3, But Not Xbox (January 15, 2009)

On Tuesday June 2, 2009, a Texas judge ordered EchoStar to pay Tivo $190 million in damages, for patent infringement. The judge also cited them with contempt, due to their failure to properly correct the original infringement.NY Times: Court Awards TiVo $190 Million...

The company was launched in 1997 under the name of Teleworld then renamed to TiVo in 1999, and the first TiVo devices rolled off the line in 2000. The digital recorders are often cited as one of the main ways that television viewing habits have rapidly changed within the past decade.<ref>http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/aboutushome/index.htmlhttp://astro.temple.edu/~tub07754/class/TiVo%20Info_files/frame.htm</ref>

Through out the years TiVo has enhanced the product with various additional services. Starting with the ability to stream music and pictures from a personal computer then adding the ability to program additional shows into the unit remotely over the internet. Strting with the updates being done over a telephone line the TiVo can now be connected to a broadband connection via a hardwired connection or by wireless.http://astro.temple.edu/~tub07754/class/TiVo%20Info_files/frame.htm

One of the reasons for the popularity of devices such as TiVo is because of how it has eliminated 'appointment television'. It used to be that viewers needed to schedule time to be in front of their televisions, or would need to use multiple bulky video tapes, which would wear out after frequent usage. With the TiVo, the user can set it to automatically record an entire season of a specific show, first run only option included, and saves it for the user to watch at any time. The remote control also gives the user the ability to fast forward, rewind, and use slow motion to watch a broadcast. Later versions of the device allowed for pausing of live viewing, and dual receivers allowed for the simultaneous ability to watch one show while another is being recorded. TiVo is now expanding to include the ability for internet programming to be recorded and viewed in the same manner.