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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 DVRs may get more storage soon, $149 500GB units appear for preorders
Just like the initial run of TiVo Premiere DVRs two years ago, it appears that a refreshed version has been spotted at retail prior to any official announcement from the company. TiVo may be waiting for its official birthday March 31st to unwrap the new models, but a poster at TiVo Community has dug up listings at Amazon and JR.com showing the new TCD746500 TiVo Premiere with 500GB HDD retailing for $149 (with 1 year service plan at $14.99, of course). That can be compared to the original's 320GB drive that's currently selling at around $80. The listings hint at shipments beginning in the next few weeks, while these drives certainly won't sate the hunger of those pursuing a 1TB Premiere XL or quad tuner Elite model, a claimed extra 30 or so hours of HD recording could be worth waiting for, even at the higher price. We're not seeing indications of any other differences yet, but we'll keep you updated if more information becomes available.[Thanks, @BrennokBob]
Blockbuster On Demand pulls back from TiVo and others, is it on its way out?
From Zatz Not Funny comes word that TiVo owners are being notified their access to Blockbuster On Demand will come to an end March 31st, ending a run originally announced three years before. While this certainly affects TiVo's ability to offer the one box to search multiple services idea introduced with the Premiere, it could be more telling about Blockbuster's plans for the current incarnation of its internet movie service. As forum posters on TiVo Community point out, the list of supported devices is rapidly shrinking, with Vizio and Western Digital WD TV Live owners getting their own Dear John letters only a year or so after the app originally rolled out. Currently, the list of connected TV devices is limited exclusively to Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players, plus some cellphones and tablets. Once upon a time, Blockbuster desired an On Demand presence in "nearly every connected device" -- not to mention "major market presence" for the now Redbox-owned Express kiosks -- but after its purchase by Dish Network clearly those days are over. Now the only question is if / when we'll see a new service that better fits with the already announced Movie Pass package and what devices it might work on.
TiVo Premiere updates rolling out to the masses
Knowing an update is coming and actually getting it are two different things entirely and if you were saddened that you missed out the latest build on your TiVo Premiere or Elite early, your wait is over. TiVo has announced via the official TiVo Blog that all TiVo Premieres should be a forced update away from an HD guide and other enhancements. Unlike those lucky few who only got to enjoy a few of the features, like the integrated Hulu search early, the last remaining feature has also officially been enabled, Premiere-to-Premiere streaming. Also of note is that if you pick up a new Premiere or Elite that was shipped with the older software, as soon as you complete the guided setup, your new box will proceed to download the latest and greatest Tivo has to offer.
Updated TiVo Netflix, YouTube interfaces and iPad streaming hands-on
Like us, you're probably wondering what's new with TiVo at CES. Typically the company doesn't issue press releases during CES, or even announce new products, but private meetings are held in TiVo's meeting space. In said space, we were able to take in demos of the latest Netflix and YouTube interfaces running on the TiVo Premiere. The refreshed look is greatly appreciated, as in the ability to search and even add movies to your Netflix queue -- there is even support for 5.1 surround sound. Both interfaces should look familiar if you've ever seen the Insignia cTV with TiVo design. The demo was an early version, but we're told the updates should be hitting your Tivo this spring. Also on display was a little TiVo box with a transcoder built-in that connects to the Premiere via the network and leverages the new streaming features added in the latest update. The TiVo Premiere for iPad and iPhone apps were able to stream recordings, watch Live TV or download recordings to be watched later. The experienced was very responsive and, unlike many other tech demos, there weren't any glitches or errors. Right now the little box doesn't even have a name, nevertheless a release date or price, but we did find it interesting to learn that the iOS devices stream the content directly from the little guy.
TiVo Premiere update brings HD guide, multi-room streaming, more (Update: Android remote app too!)
It's too early to know if this is the big TiVo update fans have been waiting for since the release of the Premiere, but there's no doubt it's a significant one. For starters, the guide has finally gotten the upgraded HD treatment -- no word if it is the only remaining old screen to get refreshed. Next up is official Premiere-to-Premiere streaming, which frees your recorded TV to be watched in any room of the house, even if the content is marked Copy Once. Other notable improvements include the integration of Hulu Plus content in TiVo search results, a revamped discover bar that actually discloses why the content is featured -- we assume this will make it more useful -- and hitting select while watching live TV now brings up a mini-guide and updated program info screen. All in all it is a nice list, but the truth will be told once some have had a chance to try it out. When that might be is still somewhat unknown, but feel free to force your Premiere to connect to TiVo service now to find out if you are in the lucky few to be the first to get the update. Update: We've got one more surprise treat for you, as a reader alerted us the official TiVo Remote app is now available in the Android Market. It claims to be compatible with phones and 7-inch tablets running Android 2.1 and up, so YMMV. Grab it at the link below, and if you've just got to get this update as soon as possible, follow @TiVoDesign on Twitter and then email in your service number for the chance of a priority update. [Thanks, @DanJacobsen!]
TiVo Q4 results bring first sub growth in years, DirecTiVo is imminent
While many consumers are still waiting for something new from TiVo -- finally enabling the second processor core on Premieres this weekend is a nice step, but how about more HD menus? -- said company has found growth for the first time in four years by turning to a more traditional way to sell set-top boxes in the US. Yes, the growth is mostly thanks to six months of success with Virgin Media and other provider deals like the one with RCN. TiVo netted an additional 117,000 this quarter, bringing the total to just over 2 million and even more growth is expect in the coming months -- despite the continuous drop in retail subscribers -- thanks to the expected limited release of the DirecTiVo in December, with a more widespread release next year. This helped TiVo realize a 25 percent year-over-year growth in revenues, but still wasn't enough to hold off a net loss, which came in at a cool 24.5 million for the quarter. You have to stop going down before you can go up, but more TiVos in more homes is a good thing for just about everyone involved.
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 talks cable, satellite deals in Q2 results; DirecTiVo exposed! (video)
TiVo's results for the second quarter are here and there were a few tidbits that let us know where its products are going in the future. Despite reporting a net loss for the quarter, its cash position was up after receiving the first $300 million payment from its settlement with Dish Network. Things appear to be going well with Virgin Media in the UK where it reported 50,000 TiVo's live by the end of July and ONO is closing in on a launch in Spain, while closer to home RCN is almost ready to officially offer a whole-home DVR setup based on the quad-tuner TiVo Premiere Q. Charter and DirecTV are mentioned as "progressing towards launch", but the company seems particularly excited to see the current state of patent warfare going on, trumpeting its 210 issued patents and 389 applications. Speaking of the DirecTivo, an apparent training video has leaked. ZatzNotFunny has more information, but it reveals the hardware and UI, which disappointingly harken back to the days of older Series3 hardware instead of the updated HD menus on the new Premiere boxes. Check out the video and Q2 press release after the break.
Android gets a TiVo Premiere remote app with TiVo Commander
We're still waiting for a version of TiVo's official remote to come to Android, but now there's a homebrew option available in the meantime. TiVo Commander is a free open source app that just hit the Android Market based on the community's research of how TiVo's app talks to its DVRs. So far the feature list includes a full remote control with keyboard input, ability to browse recorded shows, search for shows/movies/actors, set recordings and see credits or suggestions for similar content to what's being watched. Of course you're giving up some of the slick look and convenient options that are still iOS-only but if you just want to get things working on your Motorola / Samsung / HTC / etc. device right now, that ability is just a click of the source link away. [Thanks, @BrennokBob]
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.
Box pics, price and features leak out for the Best Buy Insignia cTV with TiVo
As we close in on the purported release date for Best Buy's Insignia cTV, more details have come to light about the TiVo menu system (but not DVR) powered HDTV. Zatz Not Funny reports the 32- and 42-inch models available initially will cost $599 and $999, respectively, with a pretty standard list of features including built-in 802.11n WiFi, 4 HDMI ports, etc. More interesting however are these box shots that reveal unannounced apps on the way including Chumby widgets -- destined to replace the late FrameChannel? -- as well as Twitter and Facebook, which were integrated via the iPad app but not the box, yet. So far we still don't know for sure if these TVs will be able to serve as multiroom extenders and stream video from a TiVo Premiere (whenever TiVo brings the feature back) but until there's some official word you can get more pictures and details at the source below.
TiVo Premiere 14.8b patch stops (apparently glitchy) Premiere-to-Premiere streaming
We never got official word on Premiere-to-Premiere streaming being enabled after the last update from TiVo, but now it appears the company is nixing the feature, for now. According to TiVo Community poster eddieb187, one of his boxes downloaded the new 14.8b software update overnight and can no longer stream recordings from his other box. After a call to customer service confirmed the change, claiming unspecified issues with the feature, he checked his other box which has not yet updated and is still able to stream. If a little bit of multiroom action is all that's keeping your two TiVo Premiere household running you might want to avoid any updates if possible until we find out when it's coming back. [Thanks, @BrennokBob]
Best Buy Insignia cTV with DVR-less TiVo built-in launches July 31st
Best Buy and TiVo announced they were forming a "broad partnership" two years ago, then revealed a connected HDTV product last year, and now it's apparently just days from being released. This information posted over at ZatzNotFunny pegs the launch date for the Insignia cTV as July 31st, packing the TiVo Premiere's menu system and apps like Netflix, CinemaNow and Pandora. The 32- and 42-inch models feature built-in WiFi, but no included DVR and don't require a TiVo subscription. With the recent launch of multiroom streaming on the TiVo Premiere and another DVR-less product from TiVo in the Preview, this is a perfect opportunity to include multiroom access, no set-top box needed. Unfortunately, like the pricetag of the cTV units, that detail has yet to be revealed.
TiVo app jumps from iPad to iPhone, adds support for Series3 and HD DVRs
A magazine ad revealed it was on the way, and today TiVo came through by releasing a version of its remote app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. v1.5 does more than just get the existing iPad interface ready for smaller screens, it also increases compatibility by adding "limited compatibility" (search, browse and schedule recordings, plus the virtual remote) with older TiVo Series3, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL DVRs, as well as TiVo Premieres supplied by cable providers RCN and Suddenlink. Still waiting in the wings is the promised Android version -- unless you're in the UK. Check out the press release after the break or just click the iTunes link below and give it a download yourself, especially since even the TiVo-less can browse its wares thanks to a new guest mode. [Thanks, @BrennokBob & Larry]
Virgin Media TiVo's iPad remote app pictured
We'd heard that an iPad remote control app for Virgin Media TiVo DVRs in the UK is on the way, and now the TV provider has sent this screenshot to TechRadar. It looks pretty similar to the TiVo Premiere iPad app here in the US if it got a bit of red on it, and should probably be able to function similarly, controlling whatever units are in the house, browsing listings and searching available VOD. There's no details yet on when it will be available or specific features but it certainly appears to be deep into production so we'd wager it shows up some time before the DirecTiVo. Stateside, the only relevant update we have is that the 14.8 update is rolling out across the country for RCN subscribers and should bring iPad support to their boxes as well.
TiVo Premiere multiroom streaming already enabled?
We'd heard that the most recent software update for the TiVo Premiere set the stage for TiVo-to-TiVo streaming, and now multiple posters on the TiVo Community forum report it's already working. If you only have one Premiere in the house you may want to wait for the Premiere Q (or the Preview, if you don't need any additional tuners) but those already living the multiple box lifestyle can select shows as though they were going to be transferred and simply press play instead. Check the threads for details and let us know how if it works for you, if this is intentionally enabled an official announcement can't be too far off. [Thanks, @BrennokBob]
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.