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TiVo Premiere updates coming with new Netflix and YouTube apps; Bay Area gets Comcast VOD
Waiting for your TiVo to see the upgraded Netflix and YouTube streaming apps we got a peek at during CES a few months ago? How about the ability to access Comcast's video on-demand that we've been waiting for since last year? According to tweets by Vice President of user experience Margret Schmidt we may see all that and more soon, as she mentioned "expecting" the Spring Update with new video streaming apps and parental controls in HD menus to roll out to Premiere and Elite DVRs this month. As far as Comcast Xfinity On Demand, the rollout is targeted to begin in the San Francisco Bay Area, with an update for DVRs there this week before the feature is turned on later this month. This shaping up to be a very interesting year for the smiley faced DVR company with new hardware still waiting in the wings, add in all these new software capabilities and TiVo looks like a winner in more than just the legal battles.[Thanks, Joe, Sebs]
TiVo Premiere 500GB coming Sunday along with lower prices for service, XL and Elite DVRs
The new TiVo Premiere featuring an upgraded 500GB hard drive (65 percent more hours of HD storage than the old 320GB unit) that we spotted this morning is official, and will start shipping March 25th -- but that's not it. As we also noted, it only requires a one year service agreement at $14.99 per month or $12.99 for users with multiple boxes, which is cheaper than last year's $19.99 / month package (Lifetime Service is still available as well). If you need more hard drive space, THX Certification or more tuners then you're also in luck, as price cuts are in order for the 1TB Premiere XL (down $50 to $249) and the 2TB Elite models (down $100 to $399). The new pricing should let multi-TiVo homes compete even better with cable company DVR offerings, and once the new multiroom boxes arrive this summer things should only get better. Stake out various online retailers or your local Best Buy to snag one or three on Sunday, but until then check out the press release after the break for all of the numbers.
TiVo Premiere Elite now available, but is updated software the big surprise?
The four-tuner, 2TB hard drive-equipped TiVo Premiere Elite DVR is officially available. It popped up over the weekend on Weaknees and in Best Buy Magnolia stores, and some eager users have already taken them home and dug deep into the hardware and software. Gizmo Lovers points out the $499 box is packing updated software that hints at dual core support and more including Premiere-to-Premiere streaming, as well as 1GB of RAM built-in. If you prefer to get your DVR from your cable company, RCN is also apparently promising the Premiere Q and Preview extender boxes will be available in November. So far the early adopters are reporting increased speed, but we should find out what the new boxes are really capable of when all their features go live today, so stay tuned.
TiVo Premiere Elite will bring quad tuners, 2TB storage to retail this year
When TiVo announced its first quad tuner DVR, the Premiere Q, fans were devastated to learn it would only be available via cable operators, and that it featured a smallish 500GB hard drive. Fortunately, the company has rectified both of those issues by announcing the TiVo Premiere Elite, a quad tuner Series 4 DVR with 2TB of storage built that will be available through TiVo.com, Best Buy's Magnolia stores and authorized home theater installers. There's no word yet on price or an exact release date, as all of this is still pending a waiver from the FCC allowing TiVo to sell the box without any OTA or analog cable tuners, making this a digital cable (or Verizon FiOS) only experience. It's also THX Certified and most of the press release is dedicated to focusing on the high end nature of the hardware TiVo is unleashing. Also unmentioned so far is any retail edition of the TiVo Preview multiroom extender box, but we should get some hands-on time with this quad tuner edition very shortly during CEDIA 2011. For now, just check out the press release, included after the break, and for our European readers Engadget Spanish has you covered on the launch of the TiVo Premiere for ONO in Spain. Update: The official TiVo.com/elite page is live, and reveals the price as $499 "with service", $499 additional for a lifetime subscription. [Thanks @PhilipSaad] %Gallery-132837%
TiVo Premiere Elite quad-tuner DVR detailed, doesn't support OTA broadcasts
Earlier this summer, we got wind of TiVo's plans to release its Premiere Elite DVR -- a retail version of the company's quad-tuner Premiere Q, which is only available directly through service providers. We knew to expect four tuners on the Elite as well, letting you record content from up to four channels at once. A leaked FCC document sheds a bit more light on the Elite, revealing two terabytes of recording capacity (for a whopping 300 hours of HD), digital cable compatibility (read: no OTA), and support for Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), for networking with other MoCA-enabled devices in your home. Still missing, however, are a price tag and release date, though Zatz Not Funny predicts pricing to land in the $600-800 range, with a release this fall. $499 seems to be more on target, though, considering the Premiere XL's $299 price tag -- but even at $500, you better really love television if you're gunning to spend that much on a DVR.
TiVo's retail plans for quad-tuner Premiere DVR revealed in FCC filing
If your TiVo-loving heart was crushed last week when we found out the new Premiere Q DVR was only for cable companies with no plans for retail sales, allow us to put the pieces back together. Zatz Not Funny has dug up an FCC filing, dated June 7th, indicating TiVo will bring the quad tuner Premiere Elite DVR with 2TB of hard drive space to retail. The purpose of the filing? To get the FCC to waive requirements that the Elite -- which is designed for digital cable reception only -- contain an analog tuner that it claims would increase costs by $80 - $100. There's no word on price or timing but it's clearly intended as a high end product that TiVo plans to offer online, through custom installers or specialty outlets like Best Buy's Magnolia stores. If it gets approved we could still see the Elite set-top box this year, assuming the FCC has its approval stamp ready and inked.
