The DVR is one of the consumer electronics devices in many homes that people simply can’t live without. TiVo helped to popularize the DVR with its line of recorders, but the company has seen its products decline in popularity as cable and satellite companies offer their own DVRs to consumers.

Another one of the problems contributing to TiVo's drop in popularity is that the company slashed its marketing budget from $9 million in 2007 to less than $1 million in the quarter ending on April 30. That significant drop in marketing funds means that TiVo has a hard time letting people know that its products can do more than pause and record TV and has features that cable company DVRs don't offer.

One of these features was announced in April when TiVo DVRs began offering users the ability to download movies directly from Amazon. TiVo and Best Buy have announced a new broad partnership that will have the two electronics firms team up to cross promote their products.

Best Buy will heavily promote TiVo products in its 1,100 stores across the country and TiVo will develop a version of its DVR set-top box to be sold in Best Buy stores. The box will allow Best Buy to advertise its products and services to TiVo subscribers in their homes on their TVs.

TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said, "[The deal is] a huge step above any kind of marketing that has ever been done for TiVo before."

Part of the deal will also see Best Buy finance an effort to develop TiVo software and search tools to use on the Best Buy brand of consumer electronics. The software will make its way to Insignia HDTVs among other Best Buy offerings.

Rodgers continued saying, "The kind of strategic marketing embrace this deal involves will very substantially advance the understanding of what we now have to offer."