TiVo, the maker of digital video recorders, posted a profit in the third quarter, helped by a payment it received in a patent suit even as revenue declined.

Viewers watching commercials fast-forwarded with DVRs are still able to recall commercials that contained many frames featuring the brand’s name or logo in the center of the screen.

Netflix will place its Watch Instantly streaming-movie service on TiVo’s Internet-connected set-top boxes.

TiVo posted a quarterly profit for only the third time in its 11-year history as the pioneer in digital video recorders improved margins on hardware and reduced marketing costs.

A new court ruling in New York said that the so-called network DVR, which records programs on a faraway computer rather than on the device itself, does not violate copyright law.

The two companies want to turn the television remote control into a tool for buying the products being advertised and promoted on commercials and talk shows.

Viewers have been reading the recommendations of local TV critics for years. Soon a subset of TiVo users will be able to automatically record the critics’ picks of The Chicago Tribune.

As marketers strive to counter the growing ability of viewers to skip or avoid advertisement spots, they are bringing back the live commercial.