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TiVo and Sharp Return to Party Like It's 2005 at CES 2025

I got a look at TiVo's smart TV operating system, which aims to compete with Roku and Google. It's coming to the US in a new Sharp LCD.

Headshot of Geoffrey Morrison
Headshot of Geoffrey Morrison
Geoffrey Morrison Contributor
Geoffrey Morrison is a writer/photographer about tech and travel for CNET, The New York Times, and other web and print publications. He's also the Editor-at-Large for Wirecutter. He is the author of Budget Travel for Dummies as well as the bestselling sci-fi novels Undersea, and Undersea Atrophia. He's NIST and ISF trained, and has a degree in Audio Production from Ithaca College. He spends most of the year as a digital nomad, living and working while traveling around the world. You can follow his travels at BaldNomad.com and on his Instagram and YouTube channel.
Geoffrey Morrison
2 min read
Sharp with TiVo Remote

Fairly subtle branding on the Sharp with TiVo remote control.

 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

TiVo, once synonymous with being able to record TV and watch it later, is launching TiVo OS in the US, aiming to be an alternative interface to Roku OS, Google TV and brand-specific TV operating systems. It demoed the new system at the CES 2025 trade show in Las Vegas.

The core intent is an easy-to-navigate way to find shows and movies you want to watch. TiVo says the new OS will offer "advanced search and recommendation capabilities." 

Read more: The Official 2025 Best of CES Awards, Presented by CNET

Sharp with TiVo

The TiVo OS, first available on Sharp TVs, has a "content-first" design that highlights movies and TV shows. If something you want to watch is available from multiple streaming services, the OS will show all options for you to choose.

 TiVo and Sharp

The interface is what TiVo calls "content first," showing you shows and movies you might want to watch while being agnostic with how you view said content. For instance, if a show is available on multiple services, it will show you each option. Other TV operating systems can, sometimes, prioritize their streaming service over others.

As you'd hope, TiVo OS has a wide suite of streaming services available, including Netflix, Disney Plus, etc. During the demo, TiVo showed us the OS on a new Sharp TV (more info on that below). The interface seemed closest to Google TV, with shows and movies taking the forefront rather than channels and services like Roku. 

pxl-20250107-203857794-portrait

Now there's some branding I haven't seen in a while. OK, technically the TiVo dude has been updated, but it's close to the original. Aquos looks the same.

 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

Navigation seemed smooth, though it was hard to tell how quickly it would all work at home given the unknowables of convention center Wi-Fi and preproduction hardware. And while they weren't in the pre-production unit at the show, we were promised that the iconic TiVo sounds would be included.

TiVo also says the OS is, "powered by sophisticated algorithms that learn from individual viewing habits," so you get personalized suggestions for each user's individual preferences. It gets that info by tracking your viewing habits, but then, so do Roku, Google and all other smart TVs.

TiVo OS is already available in Europe in TVs from Sharp, Panasonic and others. 

TiVo OS menu

TiVo wants to share the branding with the manufacturer, which is why there's a Sharp logo at the top with TiVo just in the menus and at the bottom with their iconic TiVo dude.

 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

Speaking of Sharp, once the ultimate in LCD TVs, it's largely fallen off the TV radar in recent years. This new 55-inch is 4K HDR, as you'd expect in 2025, and is a QLED -- an LED LCD that uses quantum dots for color. The full name is "Sharp TV with TiVo" and it's coming "as soon as February." 

Pricing has yet to be announced. While TiVo couldn't reveal the name at CES, a representative for the company said another manufacturer will be announcing a TV with TiVo for the US market soon.