Will Souping Up TiVo Save It?

摘要

Michael ramsay, chief executive of TiVo Inc., has heard the eulogies for his pioneering company many times before. Yes, digital video recorders, which let viewers pause live TV, zip through commercials, and automatically record their favorite programs, are suddenly hot. And yes, TiVo's name has become virtually synonymous with the technology. But the five-year-old company faces an onslaught of competition, and its strategic position seems hopeless. Most of its customers buy stand-alone boxes, then pay $12.95 a month for TiVo's "time-shifting" service. Now, cable companies are beginning to offer similar services for lower subscription rates with no up-front cost. Worse, Rupert Murdoch's DirecTV, TiVo's biggest customer, is considering using technology from another Murdoch company to replace TiVo in at least some of its satellite boxes.