Best Buy-brand TVs to get TiVo

Today, DVR pioneer TiVo and consumer electronics retailer Best Buy announced they will be working together to boost TiVo adoption and improve Best Buy's digital presence in the consumer's home.

A joint statement from the companies this morning said, "TiVo and Best Buy plan to investigate development of a unique user interface for TiVo DVRs purchased at Best Buy which would provide Best Buy a platform to more effectively market its digital content services, to regularly offer consumers trusted advice and guidance on the digital home experience, and to provide an ongoing dialogue with customers about Best Buy's various retail offerings."

In other words, it sounds like TiVo DVRs sold at Best Buy will include Napster, Geek Squad, and Best Buy online shopping. In exchange, Best Buy will start a strong marketing and merchandising push for TiVo, and will integrate TiVo's interface and search tools into Best Buy's in-house brand TVs such as Insignia and Dynex.

More than four years ago, TiVo attempted to build its Series2 DVR into an HDTV, and the resulting product was the Humax LT2650, which was shown off at CES 2005 and predicted to retail for $2,499.