TiVo stopped selling digital video recorders and got out of the hardware business
The TiVo box, which was at the forefront of the TV viewership revolution of the early 2000s, no longer exists. The company confirmed diverse It officially exited the hardware business on October 1, when it stopped selling its physical DVR products. That means TiVo devices and accessories, which were still sold online and through dealers as of this fall, are officially off the market.
“TiVo no longer makes devices, and our remaining inventory has now been exhausted, although we will continue to provide support for products in the future,” the company said. diverse. “We’re very proud of our TiVo DVR heritage, and the great experience TiVo has always delivered in our TiVo OS for connected TVs, which is available on Sharp TVs in the US and many brands across Europe.”
The fact that TiVo will still offer support for these now-obsolete boxes will probably come as somewhat of a relief to users who purchased “lifetime plans” for the service.
TiVo’s latest digital video recorder, dubbed the “TiVo Edge,” was unveiled in October 2019. This device includes 4K Dolby Vision HDR video playback capabilities with Dolby Atmos audio, and can be used to record live TV and access a range of streaming apps. Versions included one for cable users (with six tuners and a 2TB hard drive) and one for cord cutters (with four tuners and a 2TB hard drive).
The TiVo Edge was the seventh generation TiVo DVR, and was manufactured by Arris. The original Series 1 TiVo, launched in March 1999, was manufactured by Philips.
Television industry executives were initially concerned about the commercial potential of TiVo’s then-nascent technology: “We’re in trouble, and we shouldn’t ignore the fact that it’s right around the corner,” then-Fox Entertainment agent Gil Berman said at a 2003 Hollywood Television and Radio Association luncheon about the threat of DVRs. “This business is going to change, and it’s up to us to figure out how to do it.”
Eventually, networks embraced TiVo and its competing digital video recorders, seeing how the devices actually helped increase regular viewing of series. The Television Academy even awarded TiVo an Emmy for Interactive Television in 2006 for “seamlessly connecting consumers to the digital entertainment they want, where and when they want it.”
But when cable operators began integrating DVRs into their set-top boxes, TiVo struggled to sell its equipment in the consumer market. It has focused more of its efforts on licensing TiVo-branded software and technology to cable operators and other third-party devices. Later, the streaming revolution changed the way people consumed television – as audiences turned to cloud-based on-demand options rather than recording and storing their own libraries.
The end of the TiVo Edge had been looming for a while: TiVo stopped selling the antenna (“cord-cutter”) version of the device on its website in February 2024. According to users, the TiVo Mini LUX and TiVo Stream 4K followed, until the last product — the TiVo Edge DVR for cable — ended sales at the end of September.
The Cord Cutters News website was First noticed last week TiVo’s official website has removed references to its hardware DVR products, including the TiVo Edge. The website notes how streaming changed the game, while cable companies focused more on private cloud DVRs — and then “regulatory changes, including phased support for CableCARD technology — necessary for TiVo cable compatibility — increased pressure on the viability of consumer devices.”
TiVo’s website now directs users to two options: a presentation for smart TVs that license TiVo technology, and one for its DTS AutoStage video service for cars.