The two companies once had a marketing and development agreement. But DIRECTV
decided in 2005 to stop marketing its TiVo DVR and instead launch a new in-house recorder.
Today's announcement should be a major boost for TiVo, which has steadily lost subscribers since the 2005 decision.
DIRECTV and TiVo said their new HD DVR will support the latest TiVo and DIRECTV features, including TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone. TiVo will develop the new HD DVR for an expected launch in the second half of 2009.
The satcaster said it will continue to develop and offer its in-house recorders, saying the new TiVo box will be an "alternative choice."
"We have had a very successful history with DIRECTV. Together we brought the TiVo experience to millions of DIRECTV customers and now we look forward to launching a next generation product that uses TiVo's latest features to truly showcase DIRECTV's broad selection of high-definition programming -- all stitched together with the elegance of TiVo's renowned user experience," said Tom Rogers, TiVo's CEO and president.
DIRECTV said the new HD DVR will be marketed and sold nationally to its entire customer base. Pricing and packaging will be announced later.
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