NBC To Invest In Personal Video Recording Service TiVo

NBC has plans to become the first major broadcast network to invest in personal video recording service TiVo, Inc. NBCís multi-million dollar equity stake in TiVo will be non-exclusive and equal roughly the same percentage stake as other recent TiVo investors such as DirecTV, Showtime Networks, Vulcan Ventures and Philips Electronics, the latter of which will introduce the first TiVo set-top boxes to retailers in July. Since April, TiVo servcie and set-top boxes have been offered to consumers directly by the company through mail-order priced at between $500 and $1,500 depending on features.The NBC Network plans to initially use the TiVo set-top recording device and programming service as a promotional vehicle to deliver exclusive sneak previews of shows like upcoming ""Law & Order"" spinoff ""Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,"" and to make special event programming available at the convenience of the consumer rather than the one-time scheduled air time. With TiVo, viewers will eventually be able to watch NBC anytime and will have the ability to arrange shows by preference. Not only does the TiVo device allow consumers to easily record programming for playback at a latter time and pause and replay live programming, it also monitors programming choices to give program and advertising partners the ability to target specific interests with customized interactive commercials and programming promotions.