TiVo announced today that it has you can now order Domino’s pizza via its Series2/3/HD boxes in the United States. No, it’s not Wonkavision–TiVo is just trying to distinguish itself in a world in which the DVR service it created is increasingly a commodity business.

But being able to order pizza from my TV would do very little to mollify the cognitive dissonance that I would experience if I was paying for TiVo. If I want food delivered, I order online from SeamlessWeb, or just pick up the phone and call. And besides, real New York pizza is better anyway.

Way back when in the year 2000, it was cute to own a TiVo. Granted, it still has the best interface of any DVR that I have used, and some interesting features, including Netflix integration, have cropped up recently. However, the bells and whistles do not justify the cost of purchasing the equipment and paying a perpetual monthly fee. The much cheaper generic set-top box that cable companies provide their subscribers is all the DVR that most people need.

Surely other chain restaurants will follow suit. That’s fine if you enjoy overpaying for the convenience of ordering subpar food over your television. What it reminds of, though, is a cheap hotel’s “high tech” room service.

 
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