NEW YORK — TiVo's failure to anticipate how quickly consumers and retailers would fall in love with HDTV products added static to a fuzzy financial picture.

The digital-video recorder pioneer said last week that it took an $11.2 million write-down in the quarter ended in July for leftover standard DVRs. That drove results far below its guidance and analyst forecasts.

"We're at a turning point in the retail environment," CEO Tom Rogers told analysts. HDTV growth "progressed at a pace that surprised many, including us."

That contributed to a 145,000 drop in TiVo subscriptions, to 4.2 million. The quarter saw the first decline in its most profitable subscriptions: people who buy TiVo service directly from the company.

About 2.5 million customers get TiVo through DirecTV, which now is promoting its own DVR.

Rogers said he hoped deals with Comcast and Cox would help boost business.