TIVO HEARS THE MUSIC

The television recording system will enable subscribers to play digital music and show pictures stored in their personal computers.

Data from file formats such as MP3 and JPEG will appear on the television connected to TiVo’s set-top box, Chief Executive Michael Ramsey told a group of investors at a Credit Suisse First Boston conference.

The company will likely charge an additional fee for the premium service, which will be unveiled in January at the Consumer Electronics Association’s CES conference in Las Vegas.

"We have a whole set of new packages built around broadband and home networking," Ramsey told Reuters, who declined to comment on pricing plans.

TiVo boxes sell, on average, from about $200 to $400, with a $14 monthly fee or $249 for a lifetime plan.

Ramsey reiterated TiVo’s forecast that its subscribers will double from 500,000 to 1 million in fiscal 2004, which begins in February. He also denied rumors that TiVo might be a target for acquisition, possibly from Sony Corp. Shares of TiVo closed unchanged Thursday at $5.50.