Tag Archives: TiVo

TiVo Unveils TiVo Stream 4K at CES 2020

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TiVo, the company that brings entertainment together, announced TiVo Stream 4K, an easy-to-use streamer with live TV and Cloud DVR from the Sling TV app, plus leading content services. It gives consumers the power to create the bundle they want across multiple entertainment sources using a smart, intuitive interface making it simple to find, watch and enjoy.

TiVo Stream 4K will launch with Sling TV as the preferred source for subscription TV. TiVo’s industry-leading user experience and personalized discovery features will integrate seamlessly with the Sling TV app to provide a TV viewing experience that is truly unique when compared to any other streaming product on the market today.

TiVo Stream 4K will also provide seamless integration with multiple online video services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, YouTube and more. This eliminates the need to toggle between multiple apps to access your favorite TV shows – and makes streaming content feel a lot more like watching television. Additionally, the product will feature TiVo+ as the preferred source of free, ad-sponsored television and movies.

TiVo Stream 4K includes a small device that plugs into the HDMI port on your television, delivering the highest quality audio and video up to and including Dolby Atmos sound and Dolby Vision HDR. Combined with a streamlined version of TiVo’s award-winning “peanut” remote control enabling conversational voice search, all you need is a broadband internet connection in order to start streaming – no subscription fees required.

To help viewers make the increasingly difficult decision on what to watch, the Sling TV app will be available on the TiVo Stream 4K box and Sling content listings will be surfaced via universal search. Sling subscribers will be able to easily search for their favorite shows on the TiVo Stream 4K interface – or by speaking into their Voice Remote – and a wide variety of shows offered by Sling TV will be presented alongside the free channels offered through TiVo+.

TiVo Stream 4K will be available to customers beginning April 2020 with initial launch pricing of $49.99 (MSPR of $69.99), and will be available via TiVo.com and other popular retail sales channels.

TiVo Stream 4k’s capabilities will be demonstrated at TiVo’s booth during CES 2020 at the Ideation Studio located on the 3rd floor of The Park MGM.

TiVo will Add Pre-Roll Ads

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TiVo is rolling out a product that will insert pre-roll ads in DVR recordings. It is being tested now, but is going to become part of TiVo’s retail platform. Obviously, this move is a way for TiVo to make additional revenue.

According to Light Reading, TiVo confirmed that the pre-roll ads are skippable, in the same way that customers can skip commercials inserted in TV shows and movies recorded to the DVR. TiVo expects this to be fully rolled-out to all eligible retail devices within 90 days.

The Verge reported that the pre-roll video advertisements before DVR recordings will be for all customers. That includes those who have a lifetime subscription plan. Eligible retail include Tivo Experience 4 (which is the latest software version). The Verge stated that TiVo might extend the advertisements to products on TE3.

It appears that some TiVo customers are displeased by this change, and have taken to the TiVo forums to express themselves. Some are upset that they are paying for a TiVo subscription and will also be having to put up with ads.

My best guess is that there is a possibility for TiVo to lose customers as a result of their decision to insert pre-roll adds. The TiVo Support Twitter account has been responding to plenty of customers who are letting the company know that they dislike the pre-roll ads and do not want them. At a glance, it looks like TiVo is giving a copy-pasted response to everyone.

Personally, I do not own a TiVo. But, I am aware that one of TiVo’s selling points is the ability to watch TV shows without having to sit through the ads. I think TiVo would do better if they did not serve ads to their paying customers. Perhaps TiVo could raise revenue by offering a free version of their service and put the ads there instead.

Thank You TiVo for Hulu Plus, But No Thank You

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TiVo has been rolling out Hulu Plus on their Premier boxes for awhile now and it became available to me around the first week of June. I had used and cancelled Hulu Plus, before so I wasn’t eligible for the free trial. However, the Premier TiVo is connected to our living room TV, and I thought Hulu might be something my husband would like so I went ahead and paid the subscription fee. After using it for ten days I have already decided I am going to cancel it at the end of the month. Part of the reason I am going to cancel is how Hulu works on the TiVo and part is Hulu itself. The first problem I ran into was trying to find it on TiVo, it is not under Video, which is where you would expect it but under Music, Photos and Showcase. The second problem is the number of clicks it takes to get to something you want to watch on Hulu. Lets assume you are watching live TV and decide you want to watch a show you’ve subscribed to on Hulu, here are the steps you have to go through

1.  Hit the TiVo button

2.  Hit the Music, Photo & Show Case button (wait for it to load)

3.  Hit the Hulu Plus Button (again wait for it to load)

4.  Move to and click the Que and Subscription button

5.  Hit the Subscription button

6.  Find and hit the show you want to watch

7.  Find the episode you want, click on it and again wait for it to load.

The above list assuming everything goes has it is suppose to, but inevitably I end up hitting the most Popular button by mistake and have to wait for it to load before I can get to what I really want. That’s the biggest problem, it is not the number of steps, it is that at almost every step you have to wait for something to load. They are not short load times either, sometimes it can take quite awhile. Half way through the process I am thinking do I really want to watch this show is it worth the effort.

Then I finally get to the show I want to watch and start playing it. But wait first I have to watch two commercials and then the show starts. At that point I am thinking ok I knew there were going to be some commercials I am not happy about it but I accept it. Then 10 minutes into the program two more commercials play, then 10 minutes later two more commercials, another 10 minutes two more commercials and finally just before the end of the program two more commercials. Each time a commercial plays I become less accepting and more frustrated, especially since there is no way to fast forward through them. Having to watch eight commercials during an hour show when you’ve are already paying $7.95 for the subscription is just too much for me. To make matters worse you get the same commercials over and over again.

I do appreciate that Hulu Plus is now available on TiVo, however for the above reasons and the fact I can get a lot of the same programs through Netflix and Amazon Video much quicker and without the commercials. I am not going to be renewing my subscription at the end of the month.


DirecTiVo to be Released Soon?

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Recently it seems that satellite TV provider DirecTV accidentally released some information about the DirecTiVo, which used to exist, went away, and then was brought back, but has been “in the works” for around three years now.  Users over at the DBSTalk forums began reporting that the DirecTiVo briefly appeared as available for purchase on the DirecTV website for sale at $99.

According to the reports, the user interface looked more like the old TiVo HD as opposed the newer Premier.  That makes sense since the thing has been in development for so darn long.  Not much else is known, but I would assume it will contain the standard two-tuner hardware and not much of any ground-breaking features.

I had the original DirecTiVo and loved it, but had to replace it to move on to HD TV.  The HR-23 box is far from terrible, and actually is pretty good, especially compared to other cable DVR’s.  It has home networking capability, a 500 GB drive, and USB and eSATA ports that allow for additional external drives.  That said, I am sentimental for the old TiVo UI and if the hardware is comparable to the HR-23 then I will be plunking down my $99 for the new DirecTiVo.

TiVo Remote for the iPad

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nullI 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.

GNC-2010-11-22 #629 Headed Home

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I have had a very productive trip here in Albuquerque but I am more than ready to head home. Lots of work to do in the studio and not a lot of time to do it. PLus my honey do list is a mile long. I expect to do a Saturday Morning Tech Show if the Studio is ready. Sunday we announce the Slate for 2010 Podcast Awards so it has to be ready. :) Have a great Thanks Giving and be Safe.

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TiVo Premier

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I have been looking at various media boxes, that would allow me to stream media to my TV from both the internet and my own network. I have looked at the Roku, the XBox and even the Google TV and all had their pluses and minuses, then I realized that I already had a solution right in front of me, my TiVo Premier. With a little additional software, it does everything I want a media server to do. First the TiVo without any additional software allows you to do the following

  • Record shows both HD or SD from cable or off air
  • Play Netflix videos (requires a subscription)
  • Plays Amazon Video on Demand
  • Plays YouTube Video*
  • Plays Online Videocast
  • Use the Rhapsody Music Service (with subscription)
  • Listen to Pandora
  • Listen to Live365
  • Listen to Podcaster
  • View photos on Photobucket
  • View photos on Picasa
  • Watch Music Videos from Music Choice
  • Home Movies by One True Media

The first addition I would recommend is TiVo Desktop, which allows you to play music and view photos that are on your network. On Windows it also allows you to transfer shows to your computer for viewing. To do this on a Mac you need the Roxio Toast Titanium software. The second thing I would add is a piece of software found under Google Software code called PyTivoX. PyTivoX allows you to play videos that are on your network thru your TiVo. Once you download and install it go to preferences and click on Streambaby which is under the SB icon. Then click on the plus buttons and add any folders with videos you want to view on your TiVo. On the TiVo these videos can be found under “Showcases and extra” at the bottom of the list or under Now Playing on some TiVos

There are a couple of problems I have run into when using the Premier TiVo. The first is YouTube has never worked correctly. After logging in (which is a pain to do) you should be able to pull up your subscriptions and favorites. I can only pull up my subscriptions, my favorites never show up. I have tried several fixes, but none seem to work. I really don’t watch YouTube that often on my TV, so it not that big of a deal for me, but for some people this maybe a deal breaker. I also don’t understand why YouTube is listed twice once under Find TV, movies, & videos and then again under Showcases & extras. If you are on a Mac the number of online videocast are limited to what is available when you first go on TiVo. With a PC you can purchase Tivo Desktop Plus and your choices become almost limitless. There is a solution to this on the Mac, simply add the folder on your computer where you download your podcast to your PyTivoX list and you are set. The biggest negative of course is the price, a subscription for TiVo is 12.95 a month, plus what ever you pay for cable. The final negative is the UI is messy and its hard to find where stuff is at first. There is a rumor that Hulu Plus is coming to TiVo which I really hope happens. If Hulu does come to TiVo this is a sure sign that TiVo is trying to leave its dependency on cable behind. I know that TiVo is not the answer for everyone, but for me it works.