once again, the explanation is simple...

/. has a bit on TiVo and how its subscriber base is down, trying to associate its sales with Apple's iPod/iPhone, and is totally missing the obvious things:

1. most television sucks, and will continue to suck even if you were to tape or tivo it and watch it later
2. the tv that doesn't suck is on DVD almost before the season is over, or for cable shows, is repeated so often you manage to catch it anyways.
3. HULU - on-demand watching already provided by the networks for at least some shows
   
4. TV Episode sales/rentals on iTunes approved by the networks for at least some shows
5. you can't take it with you.  Your TiVo-taped programs, unlike a videotape, dvd, or something on the ipod, is stuck in the TiVo, and in fact the media producers ("Hollywood") went overboard on keeping the TiVo "crippled" in that way even more than the RIAA attacked the iPod (which is why it is such a pile of suck for your iPod when you get a new computer).