Ask most internet users where they go for videos online and they will
probably tell you YouTube. YouTube is by far the largest video site on the internet
with about 68 million unique visitors per month and streaming videos to the
tune of 3.8 billion per month.
The runner up to YouTube is Fox Interactive Media with 18 million unique
users streaming 328 million videos per month. YouTube is so popular that it has
spawned a host of camcorders specifically tailored to the service and you can
find YouTube videos accessible from places other than the computer including
the iPhone and Apple TV.
In March of 2008, DailyTech reported that TiVo and YouTube announced
that they intended
to form a partnership that would allow users of TiVo Series 3 or TiVo HD
DVRs to watch YouTube videos directly on their TV from the TiVo device. Starting
today TiVo users with internet-connected Series 3 or HD DVRs can now
access YouTube via TiVo DVRs.
TiVo currently has 3.8 million subscribers according to the Washington Post, but only about a fifth
of those subscribers have TiVo DVRs capable of using the YouTube service.
YouTube is not the first internet content partner for TiVo. According to the
Washington Post, TiVo’s most popular internet content partner to date
has been Amazon with its Unbox video rental service. YouTube should quickly
surpass Unbox as the most popular Internet destination from TiVo.
Viacom and others recently filed suit against Google, owner of YouTube, over
parts of TV shows being posted on YouTube without permission. TiVo says that it
is merely a window to YouTube and will not be affected by the suit against
YouTube.