TiVo launches online services ahead of expectations

Today TiVo officially launched those new online services we told you about for TiVo Series2 customers. This is a bit early since we expected the beta to run into the new year, but subscribers can now view their photos and check local weather and traffic via Yahoo, browse movie information or purchase tickets via Fandango, or check out Live365's Internet radio offerings. And TiVo's even offering up a service to select and listen to podcasts, which is just fine by us. Head over to TiVo's online service website to sign-up for the priority list to get yours while the gettin's good, 'cause it's going to "take a few weeks" to enable your digs, dig?

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

[Jaded @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I am having a Micro$oft WebTV flashback, this time it's in broadband.

[Joe McCullough @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I noticed this on my TiVo last night. Kinda cool. It's a shame in my podunk town most of these features are usaeless...

[Pacey @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

These are nice add-on's, and it's starting to become a little more clear as to where tivo is heading (in my mind anyways).

However, until they get the next version out with a faster system, HD and CableCard, this just isn't going to be able to see it's full potential.


I was just reading in Wired that Steven Soderbergh is releasing his next movie to DVD, Cable, and the theaters all at once. TiVo needs to hop on board, allow a free copy to be downloaded that can't be transfered via TivoToGo and one that can be transfered and burned to DVD for a price.

I'm not a fan of DRM by any means, but TiVo does seem to be trying to open up to a wider public by allowing transfer to PSP and iPod Video, and as long as the general consumer is happy, DRM will be around in someformat. If TiVo can get in with the studios now and have a system set to download and buy movies when their next unit comes out (NetFlix deal is dead, right), they might be able to steal some market share from Stevie.

[fnj @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Not interested without high def at a realistic price.

[AJ @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I think we will hear something about the HDTivo (Non-DirecTV) at CES this year. Hopefully they will be as speedy to put that out as they were with these features. I really love Tivo and I hope they put out a solid HD box to have a strong future

[james @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

We always hear something about HDTivo (non-DirecTV) at CES. Every year they say something or show a prototype.

[i @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

How about we worry about getting more high def content before we worry about tivo'ing it? Or maybe get HDTVs (that are actually high def) into houses for less than $1000...

[Ken @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Is it just me or is Tivo turning into Microsofts doomed webtv?

[Rick @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

My XBOX already does this in high definition...

[Gregory Pierce @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

i,

You can actually get a pretty nice Westinghouse (yeah I know) set for under a grand at 32". Was surprised at the quality it provided at that price. Its not as good as the top tier, but MUCH better than the cheap tier.

[john @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Given TIvo's growing connections with Yahoo, I'm hoping TIVO will alos integrate the Yahoo Music Unlimited subscription service. We still haven't hooked our PC into our stereo tuner and this would avoid that.

[Jim Jolo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I bought that 27inch Syntax Olevia for $500 bucks on black friday, great picture quality for a $500 flat screen for my NY apartment. Connected to my 360 and HD-DVR cable box I am one happy camper no Tivo for me!

[Pip @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Where the heck is the Cablecard HD-Tivo that was announced over three years ago?

It's cool that they're adding in all these new features, but right now HDTV should be priority #1. They need a system than can record 80 hours of 1080i HD content pronto. I don't care if it has 1500 Gigs of space in it and costs $1000. Just get one out already!

[dan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

anyone know if using Yahoo's Photos on here means we'll have access to our Flickr photos as well?

[Permanent4 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Will TiVo's podcasting service play video podcasts, too? Quicktime .MOV file support would be ideal, so that the podcast catcher could grab stuff like Rocketboom, Digital Life TV and Diggnation.

[The Jeremy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I wonder when the bidding war will begin for TiVo between Yahoo, Google, and Apple...

If either of the three previously named companies acquired TiVo and then purchased the ReplayTV intellectual property from D&M Holdings and Hauppage, they'd own pretty much all of the necessary intellectual property to control DVR technology for the next decade-and-a-half. Any cableco, satellite provider, or consumer electronics company wishing to add PVR/DVR technologies to their products would be forced to pay through the nose for that privilege.

[Brad Johnson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

FYI: N/A for Mac users or DirecTV Tivo boxes.

[fred montgomery @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I WANT THIS, HMO, TiVO2GO, AN UPDATED EPG/W PIP WINDOW AND MRV ADDED TO ALL 2.7 MILLION DIRECTV/TiVO UNITS ASAP!! I HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE DIRECTV+ R 15. THE R 15 IS A PIECE OF JUNK AND NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE MARKET!!

[TimBob @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

They keep bringing out this cool new stuff for TiVo, yet my top-of-the-line $1000 HD DirecTV TiVo can't do any of this stuff. I don't even have folders. Sheesh!

[Tim Jebara @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Why dont they stop adding dumb features, and give customers what they really want. A Cable Card HD DVR. Who wants a tive and a set top box, i would rather have one.

[BlackDog @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

So. I love my Tivo, but I'm supposed to get all
moist about being able to do on my tv what I can
do easier and better on my computer?

[Shnugi @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

@16 They'd have to deal with Conextant and ATI though.

On to the topic...

What is the point of internet on TiVo? Anyone who gets it might aswell just build or buy a media center pc of somesort?

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I have been a huge Tivo fan since I got mine 4 years ago. But I am losing interest.

Check the weather? Get movie times? View photos? Bleh. Who cares. My DirecTV tivo will become obsolete sometime in the next 2 years (screw you DirecTV!) and hasn't received a software update in about 2 years... I love it, but it's not a platform I'm going to be able to stay with.

It's been a great run, but I'm about over it. Ordered Comcast dual-tuner DVR, install on Saturday. Yes I will probably not like it as much as the Tivo, but I want 8 megabit internet + a $$$ discount... It's going to be $30 a month cheaper than my current DTV / DSL setup -- and the broadband is 5x faster than what I have.

Tivo and Comcast did do an agreement sometime earlier this year, yes? Maybe I'll be able to get a Tivo DVR from them someday. In the meantime, Tivo better get off their @sses and get a HD / Cablecard version out pronto. If not, what do they have to offer? Hey, if I can't record direct MPEG2 or MPEG4 streams direct to disk, I don't want in. Re-encoding an MPEG stream just sucks.

[Tyme @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Why don't these upgrades ever come for us with DirecTV Tivo's?

[Jeremy Fuksa @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I received the update this evening and started playing with it. It's cool, but without the ability to use an actual keyboard to type in podcast URLs, etc., it's kind of a pain in the ass to use.