It may be the Holy Grail of interactive TV: buying what you see with just a click of the remote.
July 22, TiVo and partner Amazon.com began enabling click-and-buy compulsion on programs including “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Colbert Report,” and “Burn Notice.”
With the new service, “Product Purchase,” TiVo completes its evolution from a device that lets people skip commercials to one that’s turning the programs themselves into commercials.
“Product Purchase adds a whole new dimension to the TV viewing experience,” said Evan Young, TiVo director of broadband services. “By teaming with Amazon.com, TiVo enables viewers to purchase products related to their favorite TV shows or that they’ve seen in TV ads without leaving their couch.”
Young cited CDs or new books from guests on a talk show as Amazon product that the new system could hawk. If buyers need more, TiVo’s “Universal Swivel Search” lets them easily explore and buy products associated with their favorite shows, movies, actors, and directors, directly from the set using the TiVo remote.
“The marketing possibilities are endless,” said Scott Merlino, senior manager of business development at Amazon.com.
The system can even automatically pause the program so that all that shopping doesn’t interrupt the viewer’s enjoyment of the show.
Broadband-connected TiVo Series2, Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs will be able to take advantage of this new feature.
