October 22, 2025: The Magic Box

What a cool device.

Back in the early 2000s, we stood on technology’s edge using TiVo, a magical little box that hummed under our television.

Maybe you remember:

The curvy remote.
The secret skip code.
The classic “bloop!” — a bubbly tone which made button presses satisfying.

This slick machine transformed TV watching by letting us pause live broadcasts and jump past commercials. We could also build our own library of shows and movies. This was uncharted territory.

The word “TiVo” became a verb, such as, “I’m going to TiVo the show.”

With sadness, I read recently the company has sold its last DVR. Cord-cutting and streaming have taken a toll.

Yet there are people who refuse to let go. Some longtime fans still cling to them and aren’t ready to unclutch the remote.

Even revolutionary ideas have a life cycle. Nothing, no matter how groundbreaking, lasts forever.

TiVo disrupted traditional TV, only to be disrupted by streaming. There’s always a new wave coming, so learn to ride the current or get swept away.

The TiVo legacy lives on in my memories, and it’s hard to say farewell to something that served us so well.

Still, sometimes you just have to.

So long… and thanks for all the bloops.