In a world where streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have changed the way that people watch television, it is sometimes easy to overlook the importance of TiVO. In many ways, the streaming revolution would have never occurred without TiVo and its incredible technology.
TiVo launched in 1999 by founders Jim Barton and Mike Ramsay. The device allowed users to record and watch television programs. At the time when TiVo emerged, most people had to record programs on videotapes and then somehow fast forward between commercial breaks. TiVo made this entire process simpler and more efficient. TiVo automatically recorded programs that a user likes, which saves them a lot of time.
Over the years, the technology behind TiVo has evolved to improve the user experience. The original TiVo digitized analog video. Today, TiVo offers cloud-based services as well as new systems such as the TiVo Bolt. In addition, TiVo has numerous features for the user. The current version of TiVo can download programs and movies from the internet. It can also record live television on the current channel for up to 30 minutes.
Without TiVo, there might not have been a big push toward streaming services. TiVo changed the way that people watch programs because it automatically recorded weeks of shows. It tapped into the market and found that users want more control over what they want to watch.
What was the most watched moment in TiVo history? What was the nickname for the first version of TiVo? How have people tried to hack TiVo?
Here are 11 things about TiVo that you probably didn't know.