TiVo Records a Messy Quarter

This column was originally published on Street Insight on Nov. 30 at 9:31 a.m. ET. It's being republished as a bonus for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com readers. For more information about subscribing to Street Insight, please click here.

TiVo (TIVO Quote) is a real mess, and the only hope for its shareholders lies in the company being acquired.

TiVo still faces a host of headwinds. Its big push for holiday sales -- by offering free or discounted tuner boxes -- is not likely to drum up the additional revenue stream that Wall Street was expecting. Delays in certain advertising deals are not a positive development, either.

The EchoStar (DISH Quote) litigation still hangs over its head. In October, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge issued a stay of a lower court injunction requiring EchoStar to cut off DVR service to several million installed set-top boxes. On Nov. 27, the District Court judge in Texas denied all pretrial motions filed by EchoStar, clearing the way for further appeals of the injunction. ...