DirecTV to Market Low-Cost DVR

DirecTV introduced its new TiVo-based low-cost digital satellite recorder at SBCA2002, the satellite industry's annual gathering in Las Vegas.

The DirecTV Digital Video Recording (DVR) service - a result of DirecTV's expanded relationship with TiVo, announced earlier this year - will retail for approximately $200 and will be available to subscribers beginning this fall. The DirecTV DVR service monthly subscription fee has been reduced to $5; TiVo's regular subscriptions to its DVR service run from $10 and up per month.

The service includes a 40-GB hard disk drive that can digitally record up to 35 hours of programming. In addition, DirecTV has the ability to offer additional advanced services, content and features directly to the consumer's hard disk drive via future software downloads. Currently DirecTV, Starz and TiVo are preparing to launch a trial of the first-ever application of consumer-friendly subscription video-on-demand in the DBS and DVR environments.