TiVo may soon deliver popular web video clips like "Lazy Sunday" and the "Chinese Backstreet Boys" directly to its subscribers' living room TVs. TVPredictions.com reports that the DVR pioneer will begin distributing short video content from ten partners -- including the NBA, the New York Times, and iVillage -- to over 400,000 of its 4.4 million subscribers. That lineup is not likely to threaten ratings for CSI or 24 any time soon, but it's the start of a significant trend, says TVPredictions: "Video on the PC will never find a large audience, but online video on the TV will."

TiVo has been running hard this week to differentiate itself from the pack of DVR clones nipping at its heels. Yesterday, the company announced the fruits of a year-old deal with cable giant Comcast. Beginning in July, Comcast's cable customers will be able to download TiVo software onto their existing set-top box DVRs, a move that Ars Technica describes as a vital test for TiVo's future: "It will directly answer one critical question: Are customers willing to pay a premium for the TiVo interface on top of other DVR-related costs?" (While cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner charge a monthly fee that covers the rental of the DVR and the service, TiVo users must buy a box and then pay an additional monthly subscription that, at $12.95, is more expensive than most cable companies' DVR offering.) Several Ars readers were quick to answer that they'd gladly pay a reasonable price premium. Commented one: "I hate my Comcast DVR on so many levels...The interface is horrendous and the implementation is buggy."