DVR sales are expected to soar over the next two or three years.
TiVo Inc., the company that started DVRs in 1999, says its subscription base now exceeds 3 million. The Yankee Group, a Boston research firm, predicts that the number of DVR homes will rise from 7 million at the end of 2004 to 33.5 million by the end of 2008. By comparison USA Today reports that 100 million households currently own VCRs.
The DVR is even causing dramatic changes in the workplace.
USA Today has an article explaining how the DVR has brought
office cooler discussions about TV shows to a screeching halt.
Many people now Tivo TV shows to watch them at a more convenient time --
so they don't want to overhear the show's plot before they are able to see the show themselves. Advertisers are worried about the DVR device
because it allows consumers to skip commercials. So, as a TV watcher
you should expect product placement advertisements in TV shows to
increase. So how much will a new DVR cost you? USA Todays says, "The price tag
isn't basic cable: $100 and up to purchase a box, plus a $10-$13
monthly fee for a service such as TiVo, or, if part of a local cable
system, just a monthly fee for the service." Many cable and satellite service providers (such as Time Warner, Comcast, Cox Communications, Dish Network and DirecTV) now include the option of a DVR as part of the service package as USA Today mentioned, so you might want to check with your cable provider before you purchase a new DVR.
