TiVo teaming up with Amazon to let people buy DVDs and books straight from the TV is one of those tech announcements that feels both futuristic and slightly “did we ask for this?” The DVR is already the center of a lot of living-room loyalty, so it makes sense TiVo wants to stretch that into commerce before cable companies or Microsoft muscle in.
The move is interesting because it hints at a bigger shift: TV isn’t just something you watch; it’s slowly becoming something you interact with. Sure, today it’s clicking a button to buy the movie you’re already watching. But it’s not hard to imagine more of this – extras, behind-the-scenes content, maybe even voting or participating in live shows without juggling a laptop.
What still feels uncertain is whether people actually want to shop from their couch with a remote that has fewer buttons than a flip phone. The idea is solid; the user experience may need to evolve a bit before “TV commerce” becomes anyone’s habit. Still, TiVo deserves credit for not sitting still while the rest of the industry tries to turn DVRs into a feature instead of a product.
And hey, if your DVR can help you time-shift your shows and your impulse purchases, maybe that’s one step closer to the smart home we keep hearing about – just with more DVDs involved.
New York Times:
TiVo and Amazon Team Up
