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TiVo Roamio DVRs can stream or download TV to iPhones, iPads
It's just over two months since the release of the TiVo Roamio Plus and Pro, and the namesake feature is now available. Beginning today, iOS device users can update their TiVo apps and start streaming live or recorded content from TiVo Roamio Plus or Pro DVRs while connected via WiFi. Users can also instead choose to download recorded shows for offline viewing over WiFi (assuming the content provider's copy protection allows it) whether at home or away, and even start watching while it downloads. Android support and streaming via 4G/LTE is on the schedule next year -- on iOS the minimum supported bandwidth needs more tweaking to meet Apple's maximum bitrate for cellular. Slingbox owners have enjoyed no-strings streaming for years, and others like Monsoon have pushed downloads while TV providers like Comcast and Time Warner offer their own apps; but TiVo's setup promises the most streamlined solution this side of the similar Dish Hopper DVRs. TiVo Premiere and standard Roamio owners with a TiVo Stream attached will have to continue to wait a few more weeks before they too can enjoy this new freedom.
TiVo's new Roamio DVRs include six tuners, streams your favorite TV anywhere
The dream of watching whatever we want, wherever we want, just got one step closer with the new "Roamio" DVR platform from TiVo. Also known as the Series 5, the Roamio family includes a revamped user interface, up to six tuners and 3TB of storage. That's certainly enough space and tuners to record almost anything you might want, save for maybe the 4K director's cuts of Lord of the Rings. Perhaps more exciting, though, is the addition of out-of-home streaming. The Roamio Plus and Pro both include integrated TiVo Stream functionality, except it's not limited to the confines of your home network any longer -- an update will bring this to the existing TiVo Stream first, while Roamio customers will have to wait a bit longer. The other new update -- also coming to existing hardware -- is the long-awaited dynamic tuner allocation for the TiVo Mini, which frees up more tuners for recording and expands the new room limit to nine. What to Watch Now is coming to TiVo Central and there are new guide filters to help you find stuff to watch. Last but not least, there's a new HTML5 engine that powers a fresh YouTube app and Netflix app has received a minor update as well. All three models also include a new RF remote as well as WiFi (finally!), but only the top two feature MoCA. You can pre-order the Roamio, Roamio Plus or Roamio Pro now for $199, $399, and $599, respectively (plus service). If you want to know more, then don't miss our full review.
TiVo Roamio Pro review: TiVo's new DVRs are the company's best yet
It's been three and a half years since the last major TiVo release and while the company has offered some new features since -- via hardware revisions, software updates and accessories -- we're very excited to tell you that TiVo is back. The three new TiVo Roamio DVRs range in price from $200 to $600 (plus service), all with at least four tuners and built-in WiFi. And the Pro and the Plus have integrated TiVo Stream functionality. The cool new trick is out-of-home streaming for both live and recorded shows, with the ability to download shows to your iOS devices while away from home. (Note: this feature isn't coming to the Roamio until this fall, so we tested it with a TiVo Stream instead). There's also a new remote that no longer relies on IR, as well as a refreshed user interface, which includes the What to Watch Now feature and new Netflix and YouTube apps -- that launch quickly now. We'll get into all the highs and the lows in just a moment, but we're pretty confident in saying these are TiVo's best boxes to date.
TiVo Series 5 'Roamio Pro' and 'Roamio Plus' DVRs pop up in FCC filings
It has been more than three years since TiVo's Premiere platform launched, but it appears the company is finally readying a successor. A pair of FCC filings referring to new TGN-TCD8465 shown above) and TGN-TCD8400 (after the break) models have appeared, revealing a couple of design pictures and the shocking confirmation that they are DVRs. The TGN-TCD8400 documents apply for two different models: the TCD848000 and an TCD840300, that differs only by capacity of the disk drive, and the addition of MoCA and a transcoder that could reference built-in Stream capabilities. An earlier post on ZatzNotFunny points out a MoCA certification from June that adds the Series 5 tag, and a separate FCC listing for a new remote. It also speculates on a "Roamio" name or codename, with three new boxes on the way including one base 4-tuner box and two 6-tuner models. The TCD8400 and TCD84030 are referred to in these documents as the Roamio Pro and Roamio Plus, respectively. We couldn't find any other details on specs or a name for the TCD8465, but with cable companies like Cox launching six tuner, 2TB DVRs and even Comcast offering more options on its X1 / X2 platform, advances in all areas (app, recording, second screen and multiroom features) are necessary to stay a step ahead.
