Also possible: TiVo will launch a new retail HD DVR that would be compatible with both cable and satellite; its current retail HD DVR can only be used with cable.

Regardless of what TiVo does, the company desperately needs to do something big and bold. Total subscribers have fallen over the last few years from more than 4 million to 2.74 million by its last count.

At this rate, despite its impressive patent portfolio, its very survival might depend on a new innovation that changes the DVR scene.

Also see:
Consumer Reports: 'Best Buys' For HDTVs

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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