DirecTV Breaks Tivo (on purpose?)

It's no secret that DirecTV is trying to bring their own Tivo-like system to fruition, but could this be the yet another salvo in the coming PVR Royal Rumble between Tivo, DirecTV, Comcast, Microsoft, Sony, (maybe) Apple, SBC, Verizon, etc etc? I mean what better way to tarnish Tivo's image than to "break" it when it comes to DirecTV? Especially when you're trying to bring a competing product to life? But why oh why are they doing this? The measly few bucks per month they'd charge on top of their service? Nah, I think DirecTV and others know that the TV landscape is quickly changing. The point is not the PVR functionality, but the ability to serve new forms of advertisements on top of shows, instead of existing ad slots, in the shows themselves, and whatever else they can think of.

Think of it this way. The TV produciton companies make money (a big pile of it) by selling air time to advertisers. TV distribution networks (like DirecTV and Comcast) make money via subscription fees (mostly). Now, what happens if DirecTV and Comcast were given the ability to serve ads over TV production companies ads? Who's making the ad bucks now? What happens if Tivo controls this? What happens if SBC gets in on the action and provides the ads?

These questions and more will be explored with interesting business models that are just starting and have yet to be thought of, but it's coming. Some will work, some will fail. In the end, though you'll see some great technology and great TV by the end of the decade.
Wired News: DirecTV Update Sparks TiVo Tizzy