TiVo just released version 2.3 of TiVoDesktop.  This version is a long awaited upgrade which includes the ability to schedule transfers as well as the capability to convert TiVo recordings into a format that mobile devices such as an iPod, Treo & PSP can play.  In order to perform this conversion, you will have to pay a one time fee of $24.95.  According to TiVoPony, this fee is due to the fact that TiVo had to license some technology to do the conversion.

This is a great upgrade for anybody who wants to watch their TiVo recordings on a mobile device.  TiVo has said that they would release this functionality however, it has been quite some time since we heard anything about it.  I know that I am going to go home today and upgrade my system to this latest version.   I’m most excited about the schedule transfer feature since I don’t own an iPod video or any other device which can playback video.

If you don’t want to pay $24.95 to get the upgrade, you could always use one of the free video conversion utilities such as AutoPilot, Videora or VEMode.

• Dads to receive free TiVo on Father’s Day
• TiVo to enter China (good news if you invest in TiVo stock)

Qusers.com has posted an interesting video where they show you how SlingPlayer can access your TiVo using a Moto Q and an EVDO connection. I was really surprised on how well this works. It almost makes me want to get a newer phone and a Slingbox. Maybe I should take advantage of the special offer that Dave Zatz reported on (Slingbox for $150!).

Is anybody out there actually doing this on a regular basis? It’s especially cool if you travel a lot and you don’t want to have to fire up the laptop just to connect up to your Slingbox.

Technology sure is great isn’t it?

Spotted on Gizmodo and eHomeUpgrade.

Dave Zatz is great at finding new patent applications. This time Dave found out that TiVo has filed for some type of patent on pay-per-view programming. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t been able to completely figure out what these patent applications are all about. They both reference pay-per-view and subscription options. Maybe somebody else can help me better understand what they mean?

If your into reading a bunch of legal and engineering jargon, head on over to the USPTO website and check out patents: 20060127037 and 20060127039.

Nice find Dave!

TiVo’s most recent press release provides more detail on the up coming KidZone feature as well as some research that TiVo performed on the average child’s TV viewing habits. The research came up with some interesting facts that I wouldn’t have expected. This information underscores the importance of TiVo KidZone.

Analysis of ratings data from Nielsen shows that actual daytime television viewership of children, ages 6 – 11, increases over 150 percent during the summer. In addition, adult and adult female viewing patterns during that time remain unchanged, implying that much of that increase in children’s viewership is even more unsupervised than usual.

• 64 percent of parents of children under 18 say they are concerned (either very or somewhat concerned) that their children will see TV that does not reflect their family’s values or isn’t safe to watch.
• 55 percent of parents of children under 18 say they don’t receive any guidance in this regard, whereas just 19 percent turn to newspapers, television or magazines to help inform those choices.
• 81 percent of all Americans do not utilze any blocking technology that prevents programming with a certain rating from coming into their homes.
• 62 percent of all Americans were concerned about what children are watching on television, which compares with 64 percent of parents of children under 18 who said they were concerned. This is a remarkable state of consensus that reflects a consistency of viewpoints among all Americans on this issue.

I’m the proud parent of a 16 month old boy so I don’t plan on using the KidZone feature just yet. With that being said, I look forward to being able to use KidZone when my son is old enough to watch TV. We all know that there is a lot of junk out there that a child shouldn’t watch. TiVo’s new KidZone feature attempts to protect children from all this junk. Thanks to TiVo, you now have an easy way to control what your child watches. If you haven’t read up on the new KidZone feature, I recommend you do. You can also put your TiVo on the priority list so that you get it as soon as possible.

Thanks TiVo for continuing to innovate and in this case protect our children!

Is the dual-tuner TiVo too little too late? Ed Bott seems to think so in his posted titled: “Who does TiVo think will buy its dual-tuner boxes?“.

Ed has pinpointed some serious limitations in the dual-tuner TiVo namely that it doesn’t easily allow for dual tuner digital cable recording and that it doesn’t support over the air (ota) recording. In my opinion, the dual-tuner TiVo is more of a entry level dual-tuner box which is meant for people who simply want to record analog cable. As I said before, the dual-tuner TiVo is a great solution for somebody like my Mom who doesn’t subscribe to digital cable and who doesn’t care about HDTV. Granted the dual-tuner TiVo isn’t cutting edge however, it does fill a gap in TiVo’s product. A similar media center pc would cost a lot more and for somebody who simply wants to record two analog channels at once the dual-tuner TiVo is a great solution.

I understand that Ed is a tech geek like me but, lets not forget that there are people out there who don’t want cutting edge technology. For this type of person the dual-tuner TiVo is a great solution. If you want more capabilities then the DT TiVo has to offer you might want to consider waiting on the Series3 TiVo. The Series3 TiVo is supposed to be a dream come true for anybody who is geek like me.

Dave Zatz was first to report that TiVo has started to release version 7.3 of their software. The biggest enhancement in this release appears to be the KidZone feature which I’ve mentioned before. If you’re a parent with children who watch TV, you might want to upgrade to this latest version so that your kids don’t watch all that junk on TV. According to Dave, it’s only taking TiVo ~3 days to get you 7.3!

In order to take advantage of this latest upgrade, you must have a Series 2 TiVo. Sorry DirecTV and Series1 users, I think it is time for you to get a Series2 TiVo :).

In case you haven’t heard already, TiVo recently announced that they are going to offer additional downloadable video content to your TiVo. Currently TiVo offers CNET and Rocketboom as a download however, TiVoCast promises a lot more content.

As part of the launch, TiVo announced that it has reached new agreements with leading video content providers including the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), The New York Times, Heavy, iVillage and CNET among others. The broadband video content will include:
* NBA and WNBA — As the first professional sports leagues to team up with TiVo, fans will have access to NBA and WNBA video showcases during the season that will be available to all TiVo subscribers. During The Finals, which tip off on Thursday, June 8 on ABC, a special “Finals Showcase” video package highlighting the greatest Finals moments in NBA History will be available for fans to view on TiVo.
* The New York Times — The New York Times will offer a selection of original video segments on a variety of topics including A.O. Scott’s signature Movie Minute film reviews, news analysis from the Times’ Washington DC bureau, David Pogue’s technology product reviews and many more.
* Heavy.com — Heavy.com is the Number 1 digital entertainment brand for 18 — 34 year old guys with more than 12 million unique viewers monthly (Nielsen) and a viral reach of 65 million taste-challenged pop culture junkies. Its programming staples include “Behind the Music that Sucks,” “American Suck Countdown” and “The Massive Mating Game.”
* iVillage — Featuring original video clips from one of the strongest and most widely recognized brands on the Internet for women. Informative and entertaining segments will include real stories and how-to advice covering beauty, parenting, fashion, home & food and relationships, among other topics.
* CNET — ( www.cnet.com ), the place consumers go to understand and compare consumer electronics, computers, and software to find the right choice and a property of CNET Networks, Inc., will provide viewers buying advice and how-to segments that help them get the most out of their technology products. Content will include video from CNET TV’s popular franchises such as Insider Secrets, Weekend Project, and First Look from the Labs, and feature popular CNET editorial personalities Brian Cooley, Molly Wood, and Tom Merritt.
* Danger Rangers — These animated characters will deliver exciting, action-adventure series that empowers children to make smart safety decisions. Content will be premium, quality entertainment to improve children’s safety awareness, making them less likely to be injured, disabled or even killed in a preventable accident.
* H2O: HipHop on Demand — Provided content will focus on delivering viewers’ world and television premieres of HipHop/Urban themed programming targeting the large and growing multiracial Urban TV consumer market.
* Union on Demand — USA’s first on demand action sports film network will provide premium Surf, Snow, Skate, BMX and Motocross content to the consumers and enthusiasts.
* Rocketboom — Currently one of the most popular videoblogs on the Internet. As early pioneers of online video, Rocketboom brings creative news and political commentary in 3 to 4 minute bites of internet culture, daily.
* Here! : Offers a wide variety of original movies and series appealing to the broad based and diverse gay and lesbian audience.

Have you ever wanted to play your iTunes playlists using your TiVo? Prior to TiViTunes, the only way that I knew how to do this was to install AudioFaucet or Galleon. Now with TiViTunes you have another option.

If you have your TiVo connected to your home wireless (or wired) network, you probably already know that TiVo can stream and play your MP3 files. Just point the TiVo Desktop software at your main music folder. But there’s only one problem: if you’re using iTunes on your PC, TiVo will not be able to see your iTunes playlists!

TiViTunes solves this problem by exporting your iTunes playlists to a folder on your Windows computer so that TiVo can play them!

TiViTunes is free for you to try however, until you register the software, it will only publish the first five songs. The cost of the software is $5.00 which seems reasonable to me.

If you’re too cheap to drop $5.00, you could always try out Galleon or AudioFaucet. Both Galleon and AudioFaucet are great TiVo applications. The only reason why I’ve mentioned TiViTunes is because it is a good option for somebody who doesn’t have a fast enough machine to run either Galleon or AudioFaucet (I’m not really sure on the required specs for AudioFaucet).