WSJ.com - Is TiVo Really All That Great?:

"Why has the TiVo concept taken so long to take hold? Like a lot of cool-yet-cutting-edge technology, it can be hard to understand how useful the service is until you actually try it or see it in action. There's also uncertainty over whether start-up services such as ReplayTV, owned by D&M Holdings Inc., and TiVo Inc. will survive over the long haul -- or whether cable and satellite versions will ultimately corner the market. It didn't help consumer confidence when ReplayTV's former parent company, SonicBlue, filed for bankruptcy court protection earlier this year. Both companies say they're the ones inventing new DVR features, and that will ensure that they're around for years to come."