Texas Startup Blog written by Alexander Muse

Tivo and Tissue Paper

January 15, 2007

Kleenex logoHow many times have you called tissue paper, of any brand, Kleenex?  For me and most Americans Kleenex, the Kimberly-Clark brand, is a genericized trademark.  I had an experience with DirectTV that makes me think TIVO is headed for the same fate. 

Two weeks ago my original TIVO unit died and I called DirectTV to order a two-tuner DirectTV TIVO turner.  After twenty or thirty minutes I had successfully ordered the unit and waited patiently for the unit to arrive.  I talked to the installer and asked how long it would take to install the TIVO and he said it would only take ten minutes or so.  This evening I arrived at home to check out the new install only to learn it was a DirectTV branded DVR.  

TiVo's logo, a smiling television set.I called DirectTV and learned they no longer sold TIVO DVR units.  The customer service reprentative evidently knew this, but as the representative I talked to this evening explained, TIVO is used internally as a genericized term for DVR.  I am send the DVR back, I am just too attached to the TIVO interface to let it go.  I sure hope TIVO makes it, TV watching just wouldn’t be the same without it…