For years now, Linux users have been proud of the fact that their favorite operating system is at the heart of the most popular personal video recorder (PVR) system around: TiVo. 

Not only is TiVo a revolutionary media appliance (ask any TiVo owner if they can imagine living without one), it’s an excellent example of what can be done with embedded Linux. Furthermore, the company behind TiVo has done little to discourage the cult of TiVo hackers that’s developed over the last several years. Odds are that the hackability of the TiVo generates a non-trivial percentage of sales in some regions.