• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 17, 2005

TiVo still has the brand name new consumer technology innovators only dream about. If only it could rewind that reverie back to the first rapid eye movements (REM).

Major cable system operators such as Comcast, Time Warner, and even former ally, satellite distributor DirecTV, would have died and gone to heaven some years ago to have the TiVo brand now as their own digital video recording technology. Instead, they own non-TiVo DVR technology, most assuredly not as good as TiVo.

VHS was never as good at Betamax. But who won with consumers?

TiVo dropped its big cable deal with Comcast this past summer, and last week its technology creator Michael Ramsey gave up one of his titles to remain only as chairman. Going it alone, TiVo hopes by offering consumers advanced DVR functions such as allowing its system to work with home computers as well as televisions - among other fancier tasks - consumers will buy TiVo's better system. So far that doesn't appear to be happening.

Ramsey's argument, as expressed in today's New York Times, is that deals made on a per subscriber basis - deals with powerful cable companies such as Comcast -- are already a financial disaster and do nothing to spur future revenue growth and long-lasting value for TiVo.

But what Ramsey doesn't see is that entertainment consumers are a weak bunch - they want the new technology even if it doesn't have all the bells and whistles, even if they sacrifice some functions in order to get one simple, combination set-top cable box/DVR with one less remote control. If they can get this, then they can watch multiple episodes of "Law & Order" faster than you can say, "CSI," "CSI: Miami," and "CSI: New York."

One could accuse Ramsey of squandering the now high social fabric value of the brand name, TiVo. TiVo created this great consumer brand verb, but in the future the irony is that its name will be affixed to virtually all other lesser-brand named DVR products from Motorola, Scientific-Atlanta, Microsoft, etc.

Last night eventual Golden Globe winner, William Shatner said he was almost late to the event because he was watching the NFL playoffs - but didn't get to see the completed game.

"But don't worry," he said to a TV reporter. "I TiVoed it."

Did Shatner have an actual TiVo?

Does it make a difference?