You Skipping Ads? TiVo Plans to Sell That Info

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) - A group of media companies has joined forces with major advertisers to challenge Nielsen's dominance in TV ratings measurement, the Financial Times reports. The firms involved—including NBC, Time Warner, Disney, and Procter & Gamble—aim to have their rival audience measurement scheme up and running by next month, a move that could potentially shake up the way in which the $70 billion spent on TV ads yearly is parceled out. 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»

Dishwashers, iPods trail TV recorder among consumers who own one

(NEWSER) - Consumers prefer digital video recorders to nearly every other appliance and gadget they own, a survey finds. The group asked 1,012 DVR owners across four countries to rank their gadgets and appliances. The respondents overwhelmingly elected the DVR their second-most essential gadget (behind their cell phones), and third-most valuable appliance (behind washing machines and microwaves), Ars Technica reports. More»