Jul 22nd, 2008
Jul 22nd, 2008
TiVo set the stage for DVR boxes. The ability to pause live TV and fast forward through commercials revolutionized the television watching experience and angered advertisers. Since DVRs invaded living rooms around the nation, TiVo has been forced to compete with generic copycats. To bounce back and reaffirm its status as a technological force to be reckoned with, TiVo has partnered with Amazon to take interactive TV to the next level.
This partnership will allow users to buy promoted books, movies, CDs through their TV set via Amazon. One feature that proves that TiVo executes are ahead of the learning curve is that when a viewer selects an item and veers away from a program to finalize their purchase, shows are automatically recorded. This way viewers will not miss a second of their show–which could have been a deterrent for users to engage with an ad or make an in-TV purchase.
Statistics have long-since supported the fact that users are engaging their remote controls to do more than just change channels, but no manufacturer besides TiVo has developed an realistic way for advertisers to maximize this forum. I recently sat through a presentation by a local cable provider and they projected automatic recording to be a “2.0″ feature–meaning they haven’t got it figured out yet. So for now, i think TiVo is the best (and maybe only) option for viewers to broach making in-TV purchases.
In the beginning, advertisers were understandably hesitant and annoyed when TiVo unveiled its DVR technologies, but steps like this–that are way ahead of what cable companies are poised to do–show that the DVR format can and will fit into an advertising mix.
