I recently lost my TiVo remote and I don’t care. It’s not because I not using TiVo anymore I use it almost daily. However I have fallen in love with the TiVo remote on the Ipad. It is so much better and easier to use then the physical TiVo remote. The TiVo remote is free from the Itunes App Store. When you first open the application up it will ask you for the Media Access Key, which you can get either off your TiVo under Account & System Information or on the TiVo Web site under your account. Once you get it connected you have a couple of options on how you can use it. The first option is to use it as you would a normal remote, where everything appears on your TV screen. The way I like to use it however is with the information sitting in front of me on my iPad. At the bottom of the screen you have your Info, Guide, My Shows, Browse and Manage icons. Click on the Guide button it will bring up the Guide screen on the middle with the show you are watching highlighted. At the top of the screen you get some basic information on the show. You have the option to record the show, see if there are any upcoming episodes and share what you are watching. You can also see it the show is available through other places such as Netflix or Amazon download. It will only show you what is available through your TiVo, so Hulu will not show up. If you click on My shows you can pull up what you have recorded. You can choose to watch, explore, get a season pass or delete the show. You can also check to see if there are any upcoming episodes. You can even share what you are watching to Twitter or Facebook. Under the Explore button you may get information about the actors and crew. it will also suggest shows you might like based on the show you are exploring. Not all shows will show the same information. It is fun to be watching something and say I know I’ve seen that actor before somewhere and click on his or her image under the Explore button and up pops the shows they have appeared in, directed, wrote or produced. You can also add the actor or crew member to your wish list. At the very top of the screen it tells you which TiVo you are connected to. Change your connection to Twitter or Facebook and reset the application. You can also search what is available through TiVo.
If you decide that you rather have the information on your TV screen this is where the access button for it is. The button looks like a the physical TiVo button click on it and a virtual representation of the TiVo remote appears. To be honest I don’t use this option very often. The only time I use it is when I am fast forwarding through commercial. At the bottom of the screen is a time line and you can use that to swipe backward or forward through a recorded show. Unfortunately they haven’t figured how to enable you to fast forward through a live show and believe me I’ve tried. However you can go back if you missed something on a live show. It also has a keyboard that I actually enjoy using, instead of one that makes me want to throw it. The share button tends to be a little flaky at times and refuses to work. The other negative is that the TiVo remote on the iPad is that it works only with TiVo Premiere and Premiere Plus. For a Series 3 TiVo I recommend DVR remote which is available for both the iPhone or iPad. If you have an iPad (version 1 or 2) and a Premiere TiVo I highly recommend downloading this app.
Fast forwarding through the commercials is the second most desired function I have for my DVR. Without that, I may just as well have TAPED my shows.