DVR Second Only to Cell Among Gizmos: Survey

Execs hope these watchers will eventually translate into ad dollars

(NEWSER) - TV networks dismayed at low ratings early in the season are getting a ray of hope in the form of the once-feared DVR. Sure, ad buyers won’t pay out when a viewer watches Grey’s Anatomy on TiVo, but that and other shows are gaining a massive audience days after the broadcast. Execs think they will migrate back to primetime once the herd of new and returning shows thins. More»

(NEWSER) - Watch out Nielsen, here comes TiVo. The company that allows you to skip ads and store shows on its digital video recorder plans to sell your viewing habits to stations and advertisers, USA Today reports. Unlike Nielsen, TiVo can sell second-by-second breakdowns of the shows and ads people watch. But its privacy policies strop it from collecting data available to Nielsen, like demographic breakdowns. More»

(NEWSER) - Blockbuster kicked off its latest reinvention effort today, announcing a new plan to beam on-demand movies through TiVo DVRs. One senior VP called the deal “step one in getting to the places that consumers care about.” Blockbuster will also sell TiVo DVRs in its stores, as part of a move to reposition the chain as part-consumer electronics retailer, USA Today reports. More»

Users can order Domino's pizza from their TVs

(NEWSER) - Hungry? Don't get up from the couch. TiVo customers can now order Domino's pizza right on their TVs, the Wall Street Journal reports, in a promotion that pops up when a customer forwards through a Domino's commercial. The promotion has two goals: Beefing up the pizza chain's bottom line—shares are down 71% in the past year—and taking advantage of DVR technology, which is popular with consumers but not advertisers. More»

DVR pioneer aims to create 'underpinnings of a future business model for TV'

(NEWSER) - TiVo and Amazon have teamed to introduce a “product purchase” tool that will allow viewers to buy the products being plugged onscreen, the New York Times reports. Soon, when Oprah Winfrey plugs a book or David Letterman talks up his musical guest, TiVo customers will be able to order said book or CD onscreen via Amazon.com accounts. More»