Cord-cutters are no longer second-class citizens in TiVo's world with the new $250 TiVo Bolt OTA DVR, which is based on the same hardware platform that TiVo offers cable-TV subscribers--less the CableCARD slot. TiVo's previous antenna-only DVR, the Roamio OTA, launched more than four years ago and is based on a cable box from 2013. The new Bolt OTA includes such features 4K UHD video support, voice control, and built-in streaming to smartphones. And while you can technically use the regular Bolt with an antenna, the Bolt OTA's DVR service is less than half the price. Still, the Bolt platform remains outdated in several ways, especially compared to networked DVRs that send video to modern streaming boxes, including Nuvyyo's Tablo, SiliconDust's HDHomeRun, and Amazon's forthcoming Fire TV Recast.

Editors' Note: Industry veteran Arvin Patel is Chief Intellectual Property Officer at TiVo and former chief IPO officer at Technicolor, with previous stints at Rovi and IBM. At TiVo, he oversees the company's annual $400 million IP business and about 6,000 issued patents, as well as its pending applications worldwide. He also leads TiVo's global organization of IP professionals overseeing portfolio development and management, licensing, strategic patent acquisition, policy, and the company's long-term innovation strategy. This year marks the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick's seminal science fiction film that examined our evolution as human beings and technology's role in our development. Looking back, you can argue that Kubrick was surprisingly prescient in depicting man's relationship with machines as companies like Amazon, Google and Apple continue to invest in AI-related products and services.

Editors' Note: Industry veteran Arvin Patel is Chief Intellectual Property Officer at TiVo and former chief IPO officer at Technicolor, with previous stints at Rovi and IBM. At TiVo, he oversees the company's annual $400 million IP business and about 6,000 issued patents, as well as its pending applications worldwide. He also leads TiVo's global organization of IP professionals overseeing portfolio development and management, licensing, strategic patent acquisition, policy, and the company's long-term innovation strategy. This year marks the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick's seminal science fiction film that examined our evolution as human beings and technology's role in our development. Looking back, you can argue that Kubrick was surprisingly prescient in depicting man's relationship with machines as companies like Amazon, Google and Apple continue to invest in AI-related products and services.

Iconic CES devices like the Apple Newton, CD player, VHS VCR, Sony PlayStation and Oculus Rift "Crystal Cove" didn't necessarily seem groundbreaking at the time. Experts and the public often gave prizes to gadgets like the Creative Zen Vision:M and Hitachi's G1000 Pocket PC that we've since deleted from our collective memory banks. With that in mind, here are 10 of the most memorable CES shows that yielded products that were instant hits as well as some that weren't appreciated until later. CES started in 1967, but it was a sleepy affair until 1970, when Philips unveiled its N1500 videocassette recorder. Until that point, VCRs cost upward of $50,000 and were used mainly by TV stations, but the Philips model with a built-in tuner was just $900 (around $5,000 today).

Stop us if you've heard this one before: TiVo is updating its Bolt DVR lineup with a new remote, a new UI and a new name. The TiVo Bolt Vox (and TiVo Mini Vox) are easy to spot thanks to the remote's new bright blue button that is the key to the extra characters in their name. Following a trail blazed by many other media setups lately (Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Roku -- just to name a few) voice control is a central feature of the new hardware. TiVo has had universal search across platforms including broadcast television, cable TV and streaming for quite a while, but it's not just adding a microphone. Ok, so maybe it's not that much of a secret, but this does represent most noticeable revamp of TiVo's UI since the first boxes appeared, with a renewed focus on predictions and personalization.

The TiVo peanut-style remote has only changed slightly over the years, but ZatzNotFunny points out that a new revision is close to release. Labeled S6V, this Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connected remote popped up in FCC filings, while a clearer image appeared in an earlier leak along with a trademark for TiVo Bolt Vox and TiVo Mini Vox. TiVo will hardly be the first company to put a microphone inside its remote, as the Apple TV control is built around Siri and even Comcast has a version already available. The manual included in the filing describes a two-button pairing process with the TiVo and back buttons, for the company's first Bluetooth unit since the TiVo Slide keyboard-equipped remote. Besides the big blue microphone button, the picture also reveals a dedicated commercial skip button (currently the feature is relegated to the nondescript D button, the earlier leak had this button labeled for video on-demand) that highlights the TiVo's capabilities in that area.

With over-the-top television services like DirecTV Now, Playstation Vue, and Sling TV gaining popularity, the great unbundling is upon us -- and it's now easier than ever to dump your cable subscription for shows delivered via the Internet. But in order to watch your favorite online programs on a big screen, you'll probably need a streaming media device (unless you have a smart TV or a games console.) Improving all the time, these media streaming devices can connect you to everything from Amazon Video to YouTube TV, with apps and games added to the mix, too. One caveat: Even if you cancel cable TV, you'll still need to pay for Internet service to use these. Affordable and easy to use, the Amazon Fire TV can do a lot for your living room for little money.