Update 01/14 @ 4:31 AM (my son’s not sleeping): MZ has updated TiVoLovers with more information about CES.   Check it out if you are interested in what TiVo showed at CES.

Update 1/13 @ 3:00PM: Dave Zatz has published more information about 2.6. According to Dave, 2.6 will allow you to subscribe to video podcasts directly from within the TiVo interface (kind of like what you can already do with TiVoCast). The content will be broken down into categories so that it is easier to find (something I’ve complained about in the past). TiVo Desktop 2.6 is really shaping up to be a nice release. I’m looking forward to March when it will be released so that I can get rid of my current setup.

Update 1/8 @ 12:33 PM: MegaZone has posted several screenshots along with more details about this new feature. I think it is really cool how TiVo is planning on implementing XMPP as their communication protocol. In some ways this is more exciting than the video poodcast feature itself. Great job MegaZone!

Update 1/7 @ 8:47PM: Both Dave Zatz and Engadget have posted some screenshots of this new feature.

PC World is reporting that TiVo is set to announce a new version of TiVo Desktop Plus which will allow you to subscribe to video RSS feeds (ie: video podcasts) directly from within the TiVo Desktop interface (kind of like what I’ve done here). The new version is expected to be released in March ‘08.

Other than that, there really isn’t a lot of details just yet. I’m sure we’ll find out more once MegaZone wakes up :)…

TiVo customers will be able to subscribe to video content from RSS feeds, ranging from network news to “indie” content from web shows like Ask A Ninja. Recorded Web video will appear in the Now Playing List along all recorded TV content. High-res Web videos will remain preserved in their original resolutions when viewed using TiVo Series3 or TiVo HD DVRs. The recorded internet video will be available both for television viewing and also, as an extra option, in a desktop folder.

PC users will need TiVo Desktop Plus 2.6, a new update to the Windows-based TiVo software that converts video for viewing on portable media players. The software update won’t be available until March, and it will cost new users $24.95, but will come as a free upgrade to existing subscribers. Mac users will need Roxio Toast 9 in order to use the new web video functions. Roxio’s new software will be available in March, as well.

What do you think we will see from TiVo at CES ‘08? In 2006 we got our first glimpse of the Series 3 (thanks to MegaZone) and in January of this year we learned more about the Comcast TiVo partnership & Roxio’s TiVoToGo client.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that TiVo will demo a Series 4 TiVo and potentially a SDV dongle at this year’s CES. What do you think? Is there something that you would like to see TiVo showoff at CES ‘08?

My blogging buddy Dave Zatz, was lucky enough to snag some screenshots of the Comcast TiVo DVR in the wild. Just like TV Squad, I’m honestly a little surprised that the interface hasn’t changed much from what we saw at CES ‘07 (video).

In any case, I’m happy to see that the Comcast TiVo partnership has in fact launched. I’ve said all along that TiVo should partner with a cable company and the partnership with Comcast is a great move for TiVo especially since Comcast is the largest cable television provider. I wonder how many Comcast customers will switch over to the TiVo DVR? I know from personal experience how horrible a cable company DVR can be. At one point in time I had a SA 8300 from Time Warner and other than it being “free”, there was nothing good about the DVR.

Digg it here.

Apparently this is the week of TiVo videos. In this video, Jim Denney (TiVo Vice President, Product Marketing) talks about a couple of things including the recent Rhapsody partnership as well as the TiVo Comcast partnership.

Taken from Technology Evangelist, spotted on TiVoLovers.

CNET has posted a wonderful video on their website where they give a rather complete demo of the upcoming Comcast/TiVo DVR. I’m really impressed with how this DVR appears to work. I especially like how you can tell if a show is broadcast in HD directly from the “Find Program” menu.

If you’re a Comcast customer, are you planing on upgrading to the TiVo DVR option once it is available in your area?

Spotted on Gizmodo.

Hat Tip: GearLive.

My good buddy Dave Zatz just put up a post about the Comcast TiVo DVR. Dave was one of several bloggers who was lucky enough to go to CES and cover the show directly from the floor of the event. Dave’s posts turned me onto a number of interesting things about the Comcast TiVo DVR.
Here’s what I think is most interesting:

…deployment is slated to begin this Spring

So here’s how it works… You let Comcast know you want to upgrade your DVR to TiVo, they flip a switch, and your current Motorola box (6412 or 3412) downloads the software. Reboot, and voilà you have TiVo

So here’s how it works… You let Comcast know you want to upgrade your DVR to TiVo, they flip a switch, and your current Motorola box (6412 or 3412) downloads the software. Reboot, and voilà you have TiVo

The new TiVo software is written entirely in Java and runs on TV Navigator middleware, a precursor/subset of OCAP

….the new color-coded grid guide looks great and includes picture-in-picture (PIP can be paused!), plus the software includes advanced search functionality not yet available on the stand alone TiVo models. Further, both search and Wishlist scan OnDemand programming which will be quite useful.

….networking is not active in the initial release: No Home Media Options (as in no sharing photos & music from computer, no multi-room viewing) and no Internet-based services such as TiVoCast or Yahoo Weather

Check out Dave’s post (which includes screenshots) if you are interested in finding out more about the Comcast TiVo partnership. It really is a great read for anybody who is interested in this partnership.

TiVo and RealNetworks have announced a partnership whereby TiVo subscribers will be able to access their Rhapsody account via their TiVo.
I’m not a Rhapsody subscriber so this news doesn’t really interest me other then the fact that I am always interested in any new partnerships that TiVo announces. For anybody who is a Rhapsody user this sounds like a great thing. Anybody want to voice their opinion?

TiVo said its subscribers will be able to access Rhapsody directly from their video recorders later this year, and Nokia said it would make Rhapsody available on a new, Wi-Fi-enabled tablet PC. Meanwhile, iRiver announced plans to incorporate Rhapsody into new portable music players this year. The company will optimize a version of its Clix player, which it had previously used to highlight MTV’s Urge music subscription service, for Rhapsody. It said it will also launch a new Wi-Fi-enabled player that will be able to access the service without syncing with a PC.

Update 1/11 @ 8:37 AM: A number of blogs including PVRBlog, TiVoLovers and PVRWire have posted screenshots from the Comcast TiVo. The interface looks clean and easy to use. Check it out if you haven’t already…

Damn I wish I was at CES this year :(. According to Yahoo Finance, TiVo and Comcast are going to demonstrate their integrated service at this year’s CES. It’s great to see that the Comcast & TiVo partnership is finally getting somewhere considering the fact that I’ve been reporting on it since March ‘05. Now if only Time Warner would do the same thing (Time Warner is my cable provider)…

Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA - News, CMCSK - News), the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, and TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO - News), the creator of and leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), are demonstrating a new TiVo® service for Comcast DVRs at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The companies began trialing the TiVo service for Comcast DVRs in late 2006.

The new service will offer consumers the ease and convenience of using a single digital cable set-top box to enjoy popular TiVo DVR features along with Comcast’s innovative video-on-demand (VOD) service and the most high- definition (HD) television viewing choices for the first time. Working in concert with Comcast, TiVo has developed a software application that will enable Comcast to deploy the service for a modest monthly fee to existing set- top boxes without an additional in-home visit by a technician.