A new broadband-connected TV model from Best Buy Co. Inc. is the first to bake in the TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO) user interface without the need for a separate set-top box. The new Insignia-branded sets signal a new era for TiVo as it tries to place less emphasis on the capital-intensive hardware end of its business. Best Buy sets sells the 32-inch version for US$499 while the 42-incher fetches $699, with Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), CinemaNow and YouTube Inc. among the featured apps. (See TiVo Gets Inside Best Buy TVs.)

Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) kept the heat on Netflix after striking a licensing deal with NBCUniversal LLC that lets Amazon beef up its Prime Instant Video service, which is currently stocked with about 8,000 movies and TV shows.

It's not nearly as hot a seller as the iPad, but the $99 streaming-only version of the Apple TV is being sold at a modest 500,000 units per quarter, AppleInsider says. (See Will Smaller Apple TV Spell Big Trouble for VoD?)

Some former NPG Cable systems in Arizona officially took on the Suddenlink Communications moniker last week as the new buyer matched the rebranding with service enhancements, including a free cable modem downstream speed increase and access to more HD channels and Suddenlink's new TiVo offering. (See Suddenlink Closes NPG Cable Buy and Suddenlink Boxes Up TiVo Deal .)

More fallout from Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK)'s acquisition of NBCU: Versus (the ESPN wannabee) will be rechristened as the NBC Sports Network effective Jan. 2, 2012, complete with a new peacock logo.

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable