Why the TiVo Show Gives Some Investors Pause

Interactive television company TiVo (TIVO Quote) is struggling to fight a dreaded ailment: Kozmo-itis.

Just like the Internet-based delivery firm that charmed city dwellers with instantly gratifying one-hour deliveries of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, TiVo is beloved by the customers who pay for its time-shifting service. Now all the company has to do is make sure it develops a sustainable business.

The next indicator as to whether TiVo's fortune is melting will arrive after Thursday's market close, when the company is expected to report financial results for its fourth quarter ended Jan. 1. Perhaps then Wall Street will get a better idea as to where the company's revenue will be coming from in its new fiscal year, and whether that same revenue will more than triple, as expected, from last year's levels. ...