TiVo has been talking about the idea for some time now, even announcing the Mini – albeit as the IP-SBT – back in mid-2012. As well as pushing live and recorded TV around the home, the Mini also supports Pandora and Spotify for streaming audio, and allows for recordings to be scheduled (including Season Pass).

You can also pause playback on one TiVo and resume it on another, handy if you’re moving around the house and want to keep watching the same show.

Over at Zatz Not Funny they’ve already been getting to grips with the TiVo Mini, and while it earns an eventual recommendation – if you’re a quad-tuner Premiere owner already – it’s not a completely clean sweep. Coming in for the biggest criticism is the extra service fee TiVo levies: if you buy the Mini for $99.99, you’re also looking at $5.99 per month to actually keep it working.

TiVo does offer a “lifetime service” deal, but that pushes the extender to $149.99 (we’d still opt for that ourselves, given you’d be saving money after the ninth month). Meanwhile, there’s no Netflix streaming, something you get even on a fifty-buck Roku box; TiVo would rather you use YouTube, Hulu Plus, or XFINITY On Demand (if you get it where you live).

The absence of wireless streaming is likely to be the biggest fly in the ointment at this stage, with rival placeshifting boxes using 802.11n to push up to HD content around. Even the original Premiere has to be hooked up over ethernet, not wirelessly. If that fits with your home entertainment installation, you can buy the TiVo Mini from today.

Soon, DVRs entered the marketplace and everything changed. My cable company provided me with a DVR, allowing me to record a show at a given time. Best of all, it was recorded on a hard drive, so I didn’t need to worry about using my tapes. The transition was incredible, and it was something that I thought could never get better.

[Image credit: Steve Garfield]

But then things got better. Each year, it seemed better software kept coming to my cable company’s DVR, and with a few upgrades here and there, the device seemed to work better. I even bought a TiVo and realized just how well that product worked.

But now things are different. Perhaps it’s because I’m spoiled or because I’m asking too much, but my DVR today sucks. And what’s worse, just about every DVR I’ve used is downright awful.

For a few days last week, my Motorola DVR has not recorded a single show, despite the fact that I have set it to record several series. Then suddenly, just yesterday, it started recording my shows as if nothing happened. It was a hiccup, my cable company said, and something that was worked out.

As happy as I am to see the fix, I know I’ve been in this position before. The DVR works well for a while and then suddenly, stops. In some cases, that means my hard drive gets filled up extremely quickly, despite the fact that I have only five shows saved. And when that happens, it doesn’t take long before shows I recorded have been deleted.

When my hard drive is functioning properly, I find that my series recordings get screwed up. And if I want to record too many shows at once, the DVR software doesn’t seem to follow the rules I’ve placed for hierarchy of importance.

I’ll freely admit that my TiVo, which is in another room, works much better than my cable company’s DVR. But even that product has its issues. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, the tuning adapter I need to have connected to the device stops working and my TiVo doesn’t record anything. I’ve also had TiVo delete shows I haven’t watched for, well, some reason.

I’ve come to the unhappy conclusion that DVRs, in far too many cases, are simply disappointing. And over the last few years, I haven’t seen the kind of improvements that would make me believe that the companies are trying to improve things.

Worst of all, I know I’m not alone. Just Google “DVR problems” and you’ll find millions of people suffering from the same woes as me. And each one of them has discovered that, as many complaint calls as they make, nothing changes.

So, I think it’s time for something new. The DVR is far from perfect and perhaps moving away from even satisfactory. DVRs suck. And unfortunately, I’m forced to live with them. That sucks, too.

Since Flingo has mostly focused on the smart TV market, not a lot of users are exposed to the company’s products. However, set top boxes are more widely owned than smart TVs, and with the partnership with TiVo, Flingo has a better chance of getting its content out to more viewers. Plus, the company already has another partnership with Roku, bringing its apps to even more set top box users.

TiVo users now have over 200 channels and 70 apps to choose from, which is quite a huge boost, and now more than ever, we can’t find a reason to not get a TiVo set top box at this point. Plus, on top of the over 70 apps that Flingo offers, there will also be exclusive apps created specifically for the TiVo box. Details on those app are yet to be disclosed.

TiVo will use Flingo’s LaunchPad service to replace its own TivoCast platform. The new platform will be available to the roughly three million customers already using TiVo’s new Premiere box, which means that customers who get TiVo through their regular cable company won’t be getting the new features.

TiVo has claimed that Motorola is responsible for what is likely billions of dollars in damages due to “massive production” of DVRs that infringe on its products. Says the company, the quantity of Motorola’s infringing devices are beyond the number of DVRs involved in past infringement cases. TiVo is attempting to block sales of Motorola’s infringing products.

It is easy to see why most companies, under the threat of a lawsuit of this magnitude, would shy aware from acquisition. Arris didn’t agree to the Motorola deal until Google agreed to limit the company’s liability in the legal issue, how ever it may turn out. Although the company’s CEO Bob Stanzione declined commenting on the specific numbers, he stated that Arris’s liability in the event that TiVo wins the lawsuit will be a “very small number.”

“It’s not something you have to worry about in terms of the financial impact on Arris. Google has taken that risk off the table for Arris.” Google will also be dealing with the legal aspects of the lawsuit. Stanzione is likewise unconcerned about TiVo successfully getting Motorola’s DVRs pulled from the market.

[via Tech Crunch]

There’s also playlist access, in addition to browsing by album or artist. Log in with your usual username and password, and all the playlists you’ve created on the desktop app and via the mobile apps will also be available on your TiVo.

The expansion of Spotify comes shortly after the company announced its latest feature, Music Graph, intended to help users discover new artists and tracks based on not only what they’re listening to, but from what their friends and celebrities recommend. There’s also Spotify Collections, and a new web app for easier access to tracks while you’re browsing.

Spotify premium accounts cost $9.99 per month, though you can get a 30-day free trial here. The Spotify app for TiVo begins rolling out today and can be found in the Music & Photos menu, though you might need to wait a little while for it to show up as TiVo warns it could take 24hrs to propagate across all DVRs.

Catch-up TV will be included, with shows from all of the BBC channels, and there will be behind-the-scenes content from sports and other events. The BBC already offers “Red Button” services via traditional broadcast, including news, weather, and other content, but by using internet streaming rather than the broadcast signal, the amount of data on offer can increase considerably.

Initially, 1.2m Virgin Media TiVo boxes will be compatible with the new Connected Red Button services, though the BBC says that will be extended to other internet-connected TVs “over the coming months.” We’d expect to see web-enabled set-top boxes from Freeview, YouView, Freesat, and others join in the fun in time.

According to the BBC Internet blog, meanwhile, phones and tablets could eventually be integrated, with the hint of second-screen style content shown on both big-screen and mobile device. There’s also the possibility of retroactive updates for existing web-capable AV kit to get Connected Red Button service.

“Throughout 2012 the BBC has also been engaging with a number of TV manufacturers and platform operators regarding our connected TV application plans and the related technical specifications and certification requirements” Matt Coulson, executive product manager for Red Button says. “We’ll be rolling out Connected Red Button to a range of connected TV devices during 2013 and in many cases 2012 TVs will also be upgraded to Connected Red Button.”

You’ll need to have a Virgin TiVo box in the UK in order to try the Connected Red Button service out today.

There are as many as 45 channels at launch, though what you get to watch will depend on what Virgin TV package you’ve subscribed to at home. That means, if you’re a Sky Movies or Sky Sports subscriber, you’ll also get access to content from those channels while you’re out, just as long as you can find a WiFi connection.

Initial live streaming channel line-up:

Unfortunately, that isn’t the only limitation. Virgin says that on-demand access isn’t expected to land on the mobile client until sometime next year, and so until then it’s live streaming only. Update: You’ll also need to have a TiVo box in order to use the mobile app.

Initial on-demand channel line-up:

As for your Virgin-supplied TiVo, users will be able to use the remote control functionality – initially available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users – to remotely set recordings, delete shows, and rate them. It will also work as a touch-remote when users are actually at home in front of their TV.

Subscribers to Virgin TV can find the new Anywhere app for iOS in the App Store [iTunes link]; Virgin tells us an Android version will be out sometime in 2013. Up to two devices can be used with the service at any one time, and users can change them “on a monthly basis.”

The Wii U comes in two different packages. The Basic package offers 8GB of internal storage, while the Deluxe Set comes packing 32GB under the hood. Both of those numbers seem a little on the small side given the gaming industry’s current shift toward digital content. In an investor call today after the big event, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said that the Wii U will actually feature expandable storage through USB, saying that should the need arise, you’ll be able to increase your Wii U’s storage to your heart’s content.

“You can plug in a full-on three terabyte hard drive if you want. I’ll love you as a digital consumer,” Fils-Aime said. “The reason we did it that way is that the cost of that type of storage memory is plummeting. What we didn’t want to do is tie a profit model to something that’s gonna rapidly decline over time. We’ll let the consumer buy as much as they want, as cheaply as they want.” This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a console that lets users expand memory on their own – the PS3, for instance, is compatible with any 2.5-inch SATA 5400rpm hard drive, and the Wii came with support for SD cards.

Fils-Aime also revealed that the Wii U doesn’t come with any TiVo or DVR hardware installed, meaning that if you want to take advantage of those features, you’ll need to have existing hardware on hand. That’s a bummer, but not entirely unexpected, given the price of the Wii U. That price will likely attract quite a bit of attention this holiday season, so maybe Nintendo is well on the way to repeating the success of the original Wii. We shall see soon enough.

[via Engadget]

The idea behind the TiVo Stream is to get you up off the couch while still letting you watch your favorite shows. It can stream and record television shows to your mobile devices so you can watch them on the go, which will undoubtedly be a hit for people who have a handful of favorite shows but don’t have the luxury of being able to set aside time to watch them all each week. The four-inch square device needs to plug into a TiVo Premiere DVR in order to work, and it can stream to up to four different devices at once.

Unfortunately, there are a few limitations in place. The first is that it’s controlled through an iOS app, meaning that if you’re not using an iDevice, you’re out of luck for the time being – though TiVo does say that it will be coming to Android at some point in the future. Another limitation is that some networks will restrict your ability to record TV shows to your device. Some won’t allow it all, and all transferred content is copy protected, which means that you’ll only be able to watch these shows on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

Still, despite the restrictions, it’s likely to be a hit with those who have a wide range of shows they like to keep up with. If you want one, you don’t have much longer to wait, as it will be available at Tivo.com on September 6. Be sure to have a look at our story timeline below for more information on TiVo!

[via Engadget]

Of course, Apple hasn’t said so. In fact, the company has remained tight-lipped on any and all plans it might have. Rather than tip its hand and give up its plans, Apple has decided to let the rumor mill do all of the work.

Given that, I’m going to assume, at least for the time being, that the rumor mill is correct in its assumptions. And upon doing that, I’m going to lament the idea that Apple is even considering launching a set-top box rather than the long-rumored (and more-desirable) television it was supposed to be working on.

Maybe it’s just me, but I was excited at the prospect of owning an Apple television. The company has a flair for the dramatic and could have very well offered up something that sets apart its television from all others available today.

And how might have Apple done so? The company would have undoubtedly delivered a high-end screen in its television, and probably would have offered an application marketplace for those who would want to extend its functionality. Apple would have, in some ways, set a new trend in the television market.

By launching a set-top box, Apple isn’t really doing anything that excites me. I already have an Apple TV, a TiVo, a Roku set-top box, and a Blu-ray player. Why would I need anything else? Moreover, what would make Apple’s set-top box so valuable that I would disconnect those devices to use its own?

I’m sure there are many Apple fans out there that can answer that question. They’d argue that Apple’s set-top box would come with an App Store and a software experience that could trump its competitors’ offerings. Moreover, they’d claim that Apple’s device would have more cable partnerships and a general design that would look nice in the entertainment center. It would be a must-buy, they argue.

I can understand that argument, and it’s awfully compelling. But perhaps I’m displeased with the thought of an Apple set-top box because I already know that a television could have been in the works. I’ve had my heart set on an Apple television for months now, only to have the rug pulled out from under me with the prospect of the company launching a set-top box.

It’s not that a set-top box isn’t appealing – it is. But a television with all of the same functionality built right in is, well, better. And to not want that over a set-top box would be rather ridiculous, don’t you think?

So, count me as one of those who are extremely displeased with news of Apple considering launching a set-top box. Unless it’s designed to be the precursor for the television and not its replacement, I won’t be happy.

Thanks to 500GB of storage, TiVo says around 75 hours of HD programming will be able to be recorded to the box before it fills up, and the company’s custom user interface helps customers find programmes with relative ease. When searching for a particular show, the box not only checks cable listings, but also online services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video.

The box is compatible with digital cable (QAM) and Verizon FIOS, with ports including HDMI, Component, Composite, and optical plus analogue audio. CableCARD support is onboard, and other inputs include Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, and MoCA. A TiVo Wireless N or G wireless adapter can also be plugged into the box if you don’t fancy running an Ethernet cable through your living room.

The Premiere 4 costs $249.99 outright, but comes with a one-year contract and a $14.99 monthly fee. TiVo says the box should be available starting from today online, with the device also heading to various home theater and Magnolia stores across the country in the near future.

What TRA does is match television viewing activity with purchase activity. The company is able to examine 1.5 million homes, tracks what they watch on TV, and then uses various methods to determine what products those households purchase. TRA has clients like CBS, A&E, ION Media, Procter & Gamble, Oscar Mayer, and Starcom MediaVest Group.

So what does TiVo want to do with this information? It wants to develop a new Research and Analytics unit, which it could provide to corporate customers. In addition to TRA’s platform, it can also bring its own insights into the equation. TiVo is able to directly map viewhing habits and purchase behavior by allowing e-commerce transactions to occur through the TiVo box.

[via VentureBeat]

TiVo has officially launched its Android app, and it is available on Google Play right now to download. The app offers remote control functionality, a show guide, search, and programming/actor information. Users can also use the app to their storage and organize Season Pass recordings. Those recordings can be organized with drag-and-drop functionality.

The features of the app include the ability to call up information about a show and see all the relevant details for the program at a glance. You can explore the show cast, crew, and see what online partners have the show. Actor information is also available via the app, and you can view your My Shows list. The app is compatible with TiVo Series 3, HD, and HD XL DVRs.

Initial setup is a one-time thing, TiVo promises, consisting of linking your PayPal account with your TiVo account. The interactive shopping content will be shown in TiVo ads and Showcase campaigns, both to direct TiVo subscribers and MSO customers such as RCN, Suddenlink and others.

“This integration creates a new opportunity for advertisers and brands to connect with TiVo users and to turn their 30-second spots and interactive TiVo ad placements into actionable purchasing opportunities through a one-time account link” the two companies say, which sounds a bit heavy on the marketing hyperbole but could make a big difference to the home shopping experience.

The holy grail for businesses has always been a seamless way of transitioning viewers from seeing an advert to a place where they can actually buy the product or service, and being able to do it directly from the remote seems like a pretty bump-free route.

Neither company has said which firms are signed up for the interactive shopping adverts, and we’ll presumably hear more later on in the year when the service launches.

The Stream part of this equation will have you doing in-home viewing as well as file downloads for “on-the-go” file access. This service has not been guaranteed for all of your content at this time, and we do expect that downloading service to be limited. Can’t have you offloading all your content now, can we? The IP-STB device will will be coexisting with TiVo Preview as a much more compact solution that’ll also more than likely be costing a bit less as well.

Both of these bits of hardware will be coming to retail customers as well as TiVo’s cable partners in “coming months” via TiVo’s online shop and through your carrier. This might mean they’ll be here inside this extended summer, but we’re guessing an Autumn timeframe will be more realistic. Have a peek at our TiVo timeline below to get all your TiVo news bits from the past few weeks in order – we’re gonna get you TiVo, buddy, I promise!

[via Zats Not Funny]

Motorola is a big provider of DVR systems to cable companies, which is where Time Warner comes into the picture. The three patents include Patent #6,233,389- “Multimedia time warping system,” Patent #7,529,465- “System for time shifting multimedia content streams,” and Patent #6,792,195- “Method and apparatus implementing random access and time-based functions on a continuous stream of formatted digital data.” I’m certainly no patent savant, but those sound key to DVR functionality.

It’s not clear when the case will be heard by courts. I hope suits like this don’t eventually mean the DVRs most of us use from cable and satellite providers lose functionality. I’d wager if it comes down to it Motorola would simply license patents as AT&T did early this year.

[via Forbes]

This upgraded range also has reduced pricing with their bumped-up capacity range, this following closely with what we heard this morning as the plans leaked. TiVo Premiere, the entry level service, will be $14.99 per month with a one-year commitment, and $12.99 per month with multi-year agreements. This makes the service, as TiVo says “lower on a monthly basis than most cable offerings.” Have a peek at the price scale for the rest of the versions:

• TiVo Premiere $149.99: Records two shows at once and up to 75 hours of HD content
• TiVo Premiere XL $249.99 (reduced $50): Records two shows at once and up to 150 hours of HD content
• TiVo Premiere Elite $399.99 (reduced $100): Records four shows at once and up to 300 hours of HD content

TiVo offers users access to such services as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, and Pandora, and is currently available across the USA. You can pick up TiVo from Best Buy or by heading to tivo.com to place an order. Get that TiVo, everyone, we’re gonna get you that TiVo no matter what, buddy!

There has been no official announcement from TiVo on capacity upgrade, but a model that has clearly been refreshed has been turning up at retail locations for pre-order. Listings at Amazon and JR.com are showing a new TiVo Premiere DVR model carrying part number TCD746500. That particular part number packs in a 500 GB hard drive and sells for $149. The original versions had 320 GB hard drive inside and sold for $80.

The listings imply shipments of the new 500 GB units will start in the next few weeks. If 500 GB isn’t enough capacity for you, you can still grab the 1 TB premiere XL or other models. The 500 GB version should be good for an extra 30 hours of HD programming, which for many would be worth an extra $70. The hard drive size appears to be the only difference between the new model and the old.

[via Engadget]

The Whole Home DVR Extender is a competitor to similar devices that have been available for a while now. Basically it acts as a media access point for any one of Tivo’s DVR Hub devices like the Premiere Elite DVR, allowing televisions in other rooms to access TV or Internet content stored on the central server. The Extender can connect to the Internet independently for web apps like Pandora, but doesn’t require an extra CableCard connection in order to activate – and thus, doesn’t show up on your television provider’s system, meaning no extra monthly charge.

Ideally TiVo DVR Hub owners would be able to purchase one or more Extenders at retail, connect it to their home LAN and share both live and stored television throughout a home or business. That means just one cable or satellite connection, and one access fee, would be required. Retail hardware would be unsubsidized, meaning that it would cost a good bit more than the same coming from a television provider. But customers who want the functionality without resorting to a work-around system like Slingbox’s SlingLink. Retail availability also means that those whose providers don’t sell the Whole Home DVR Extender (and most would have little incentive to do so) have the option available to them.

[via Zatz Not Funny]

Apparently, the video-on-demand app from Blockbuster is still available on different TiVo models as of now, but the registration page is no longer available on Blockbuster.com. While TiVo is losing Blockbuster support, fans of streaming media do have a couple of things to look forward to on their TiVo DVRs this year. An updated Netflix app is coming for one.

An updated YouTube app is also coming with both of those app updates set for later this year. TiVo is also tipped to be opening a new SDK soon that could result in new apps for TiVo users. Does losing Blockbuster On Demand support make TiVo less attractive to you?

We have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that, as of 3/31/12, the Blockbuster app will no longer be available on your TiVo DVR. We are updating our technology platform and will not be able to continue supporting your device. You won’t be able to watch movies from Blockbuster On Demand on your device, but you can still watch on any of our other devices or stream via PC or Mac.

[via Zatznotfunny]

Luckily, though, I accessed my favorite shows on my DVR and TiVo. Whenever I had a chance to check out an episode, I did. And when I realized that what I was watching was really not worth it, I deleted it and moved on. Best of all, I didn’t have to watch a single commercial.

[Image credit: Leo Reynolds]

My DVR experience over the last several weeks has solidified my belief that a world without the DVR is one that I don’t want to live in. In fact, I think it would be a crying shame if we were forced to go back to a time when the DVR wouldn’t be available.

I realize that there are many people that don’t have DVRs and they’re just fine without them. They sit down at a specified time each night to watch their favorite shows, and they might even enjoy watching commercials. It’s a ritual of sorts that they’ve grown comfortable with. And it’s something that those people wouldn’t want to lose.

But I have a different take on it. I’m one of those people that can’t stand online ads, commercials, or any other advertising initiative that distracts me from what I’m trying to enjoy. So, when I have the chance to skip commercials, I can’t wait to take advantage.

There’s also the issue of watching all the many shows I want to to watch. At any given time, I might have two or three shows on that I would really like to watch. Rather than pick one, DVRs afford me the opportunity to not miss either show. It’s a great option that I think far too many people look past when they’re deciding against buying a TiVo or paying just a few bucks a month for their cable company-provided DVR.

Of course, I realize I’m not covering new ground by saying DVRs are a fine option for the living room. And I’m sure the vast majority of you out there agree with everything I’m saying. But I wonder — given TiVo’s history and the sub-par quality of standard DVRs — if enough people see value in them. TiVos aren’t exactly flying off store shelves, and I’m still shocked by the number of people in my life who aren’t using DVRs — and see no reason to do so.

There appears to be a divide among those who are DVR owners and those who are not. One group couldn’t live without DVRs, and another can’t see a reason to live with them. Whereas some say they’re worth the cost, others say that they aren’t. And although there are some folks who say DVRs give us more time to do other, healthier things in our lives, like read a book or take a walk, detractors say they keep us tied to our couch.

So, what’s the truth? At the end of the day, it all depends on the individual. But as far as I’m concerned, DVRs offer a host of benefits — and very little, if any, downside.

The TiVo HD DVR combines the TiVo service with DirecTV’s HD content in a seamless interface along with TiVo’s unique peanut remote and Swivel Search feature. It allows users to easily set Season Pass Recordings, create WishList Searches, get TiVo show suggestions, record up to 100 hours of HD programming, and record two shows at once.

Users can access more than 7,000 on-demand movies and shows from both HD shows and movies from DirecTV Cinema. The set-top box costs $199, but an additional $5 per month TiVo service fee is required along with a $10 HD Access fee and a $7 DVR fee.

[via MarketWatch]

This update will bring you improved information banners so you’ll know even more about the things you should be paying attention to instead of reading, and you’ll now get multi-room streaming on top of it all. This is for you rich folks with your TiVo boxes in multiple rooms, of course. This feature was not available for early adopters, but like the rest of the updates, is available for all users now.

You’ll be getting additional updates this spring including a fully refreshed set of apps for YouTube and Netflix, not to mention Parental Controls in your HD menus! The update you’re dealing with right now goes by the code-name 20.2, and if you’re wise, you’ll be able to wait for it to come down on you in due time, hopefully sometime across the weekend hours. Otherwise you can be crafty and try to force the update with TiVo mind magic. Stay safe, folks, just wait for it!

[via TiVo]

TiVo’s DVR service offers users four ways to access content, including traditional live TV, recorded TV, video-on-demand, and other internet-delivered content, such as through Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu Plus. This latest study found that only 38 percent of viewing via TiVo is live. Of the TiVo users that also use the internet content services, such as Netflix, only 27 percent of viewing was of live TV.

The company’s audience research unit tracks anonymous usage across 2 million TiVo DVR devices on a second-by-second basis. An obvious trend is that for videos, users generally prefer on-demand, whether its recorded or delivered via broadband. Although the study doesn’t take into account the viewers not using a TiVo DVR, it does show a major shift in the way we watch television that will require the TV industry to adjust how it delivers ads and distributes its programming.

[via Hollywood Reporter]

Exactly what the tablet version will do differently has not been explained, though at the very least a UI better suited to larger-screen devices seems likely. The current app shows either the remote control for a TiVo box or a schedule guide on-screen at any one time; a tablet could easily accommodate both simultaneously.

There’s also social networking integration in the existing software, allowing viewers to post to Twitter or Facebook about what show they’re watching. With more screen real-estate to hand, a stream of Facebook and/or Twitter updates relevant to the show could be included as well.

You can download the current app here though you’ll need a TiVo Premiere DVR to take advantage of certain features.

[via Dave Zatz]

According to GigaOM, it seems like gradually over the years, TiVo has been “transforming itself from a CE player to a licensing entity”. The company has been losing end-user subscribers for years now, only recently being able to increase subscriptions through partnerships with Virgin and RCN. Moreover, the only way TiVo has really been able make bank in the most recent years was, well, via patent lawsuits, followed by generally lucrative settlements, like this particular one with AT&T. Just last year, Dish Network and Echostar consented to fork over a total of $500 million to TiVo to settle a lawsuit brought against their, well, you guessed it, DVRs.

It seems like that AT&T can’t get a legal break, whether it be from the court, or the FCC. SlashGear readers, what do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The forum post reveals that the new TiVo set-top box will be available only in the following ten major US cities: Chicago IL, Denver CO, Los Angeles CA, New York NY, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix AZ, Sacramento CA, San Francisco CA, Seattle WA, and Washington DC. A nationwide rollout for other markets is still being evaluated.

However, this new TiVo-powered DVR will carry a $5 per month TiVo service fee in addtion to the $7 DVR service fee and the $10 HD Access Fee. With the new TiVo box, users will be able to access all of DirecTV’s live, on-demand, and pay-per-view videos. Updates will be downloaded via satellite and remote DVR functions are supported.

[via CNET]

You won’t be able to use this new Elite system with analog cables or over-the-air antenna, such is the nature of this digital cable system ONLY solution. This device is a THX Certified DVR, and it maintains TiVo’s “gold-standard,” user interface, Neflix, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube. The TiVo Premiere Elite outputs to HDMI, component video, composite video, optical audio, and analog audio.

Video outputs range from 480i to 1080p, and you’ll be able to input video with CableCARD, Cable coax, and of course, ethernet for all your internet-based content. You’ll get 2 USB 2.0 ports, eSATA for external recording space, and TiVo wireless N or G network adapter capability. This system supports digital cable, HD digital cable, and Verizon FiOS, and the entire system is built on TiVo Series4 architecture. This Elite system will be available through tivo.com, authorized home theater installers, and Magnolia stores nationwide immediately if not soon for $499.99 MSRP.

“In our view, Apple should be in no rush” J.P. Morgan proffered in an investor note. “The other tablet entrants have stumbled so far, and that trend-line could persist deep into 2012. [Motorola] and RIM have been recent disappointments, and we expect more stumbles from others.”

Meanwhile, MobileTrax analyst Gerry Purdy has spent the time to write an open letter to Cook, flagging up some of what he reckons would be “insanely great” things to do now that he’s at the helm. Ranging from rebranding – changing “iTunes” to “iMedia” – to boosting the iPhone and iPad ranges with various model sizes, Purdy’s advice also includes dipping into the company’s $70bn purse to acquire TiVo, a firm he reckons has “an excellent UI but could do 100 times the business as part of Apple.”

The analyst also calls for broader support for rival platforms from iCloud, “so that [it] can truly transform mobile computing while allowing users to own any smartphone or tablet mobile device they want in order to benefit from iCloud’s services.” That, frankly, sounds about as far away from something Apple would choose to do as imaginable. The company’s strategy right now is creating an almost hermetically sealed ecosystem for its products and services to operate within, and unlocking the door for Android, Windows Phone or any other platform would inevitably take its toll on usability and simplicity (not to mention potentially cut into sales of Apple’s own products).

Whether Cook will pay any attention to the unsolicited suggestions remains to be seen, though our sneaking suspicion is that Apple, as when Jobs was at the helm, will continue to plot its own strategy rather than take the advice of others.

[via AllThingsD and via TNW; Image credit Evil Mad Scientist]

Four tuners means you can record four different shows at the same time and watch a fifth. Apparently, the DVR need to get an analog tuner waver from the FCC, which is expected to be granted. Once that is given, it will hit stores for $500. The DVR is also broadband connected. That means that it can stream all sorts of content from Netflix, Pandora, and Hulu Plus.

The big downside to this TiVo DVR and any other TiVo for that matter is the monthly TiVo fees on top of your cable plan. TiVo will charge you an extra $20 monthly for service or $500 for a lifetime. The DVR is THX certified for sound quality. There is no indication if users will get a discount on multi-units or lifetime upgrades. Still, the DVR sounds really cool.

[via Zatznotfunny]

Originally, the TiVo HD DVR for DirecTV was expected in 2009, but it never came to be. Sadly, the DVR that is coming next month sounds like it is packing tech from 2009. The DVR will reportedly be using the older DirecTV HR22-100 hardware and will use the old TiVo interface as well. The real deal killer for DVR fans on DirecTV is that the TiVo DVR will not be able to be used in the whole home DVR system.

The TiVo box is said to be unable to stream programming to other DirecTV DVRs on the same network. The existing DirecTV DVRs will also not be able to stream to the TiVo units. The price and fees associated with the TiVo units are also unknown. I want whole home and if this thing won’t work, I just don’t see a big market this side of users not interested in whole home DVR service. If the box has more tuners inside or a huge amount of storage, it would be more appealing.

[via Zats Not Funny]

There’s also Audyssey and SRS sound processing, and integrated support for Rocketfish wireless sound, promising uncompressed digital audio input to the TV or output to speakers. Connectivity includes the usual variety of HDMI, composite, component and others, and there’s a remote in the box too.

The most interesting part, though, is the software, and while the new Insignia sets won’t function as TiVo DVRs, they do get access to streaming services. Netflix, CinemaNow, YouTube, Pandora and Napster are supported, assuming you have the relevant accounts, and there are Chumby widgets for  Twitter, Facebook, Photobucket, Accuweather, Reuters News and Sports, Stocks and Traffic.

The set combines the TiVo interface with a standards HDTV. That means there is no DVR functionality integrated into the set, but it can connect your shows, web content, and streaming programming using the TiVo interface. Considering I have never used the TiVo before I could just as easily learn another interface but for TiVo fans, having that interface might be a big deal.

The set has 1080p HD resolution and there is no monthly fee to use the TiVo interface. The set will connect to the web using either an integrated 802.11n WiFi connection or a wired Ethernet cable. The platform will also support apps like Facebook, twitter, and Chumby offerings. The set also supports Pandora music and Netflix with the latter being the app most people will likely use the most. The screen of the TV is LED backlit with a 42-inch set expected to sell for $999 and a 32-inch set at $599.

[via ZatzNotFunny]

Previously, in order to play a TV show recorded from another TiVo set-top box in your house, you had to copy and transfer the file before you could watch it on the second TV. With the TiVo Premiere set-top box and the latest software update, you will no longer need to do this. Instead of transferring to watch, you can now stream the content from one TiVo to another.

The original method of copying and transferring made sense when home networks were much slower. Now, as more and more content are getting streamed, it seems like a logical step for TiVo. And although no official announcements were made for the new streaming capability, some folks in the TiVo forum have indicated that the feature is already turned on. However, reviews on the performance are mixed, which could still require more tweaking, hence no official announcement.

[via Electronista]

If the user finds a program that they want to view, the newly updated app allows them to flick the program from the iPad to the TV screen. That sounds really cool. The app detects and integrates the operators brand, programming, and VOD catalog when it is connected to a TiVo box provided by the operator. I wish my satellite DVR was a TiVo box, this would be great for checking shows that are coming on later without making up most of the screen while my family is watching something else.

“Operators are constantly looking for new ways to connect with their subscribers,” said David Sandford, TiVo’s Vice President and General Manager of TiVo’s service provider business. “The enhancements we have made to our iPad App help cable operators bring TiVo’s innovative user interface directly into the hands of their subscribers, thereby offering consumers the ultimate remote control and viewing on demand experience. We have only just begun to refine our offering to the operator community and look forward to bringing additional elements to the TiVo iPad App.”

I did not cut off TiVo because of incompatibility problems, though those do exist. I have eschewed satellite television and IPTV solutions like AT&T U-Verse because they are incompatible with TiVo. I suffered cable service, and I was using cable cards before the cable company installers themselves even knew how to use them. I recently moved to a new apartment, where I had a choice between Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-Verse. After 3 weeks of meditating on the issue, and living without cable TV or wired Internet, I chose U-Verse.

(Disclosure: I work for Samsung in the mobile phones division. We sell stuff on AT&T.)

When my wife and I split, I got the good TiVo. She got the Series 2, I took the TiVo HD. I thought she would live with the non-HD model, but I went to visit one day and sitting above her TV was a shiny new TiVo Premiere. She asked me to help set it up, but I had already returned my cable cards. She needed a professional. Of course the installer showed up without the proper cable cards, and though Time Warner claimed to have scoured the North Texas area, none could be found for half a week.

At first I was jealous. It was a shiny, new black box. The remote was fresh, with no buttons worn down or missing. I couldn’t wait to give it a whirl. Then I noticed the WiFi adapter sitting next to the box. It was the old adapter I had used for my Series 2 and my TiVo HD. It cost a fortune, because the TiVo HD requires a TiVo-branded adapter, which is a scam and a half (maybe there are 3rd party solutions, but I went the easy and lazy route).

I turned on the new TiVo, expecting a shiny, new, modern interface. Nope. Same old interface. The same design I’ve been staring at for years and years. New features, of course, but these are mostly buried in the menus, and not obvious to users. The device didn’t seem to perform any better. There was still a long delay after button presses. Search was unimproved. Season Pass management is still a slog.

The biggest change? TiVo service is now $20 per month. For $20, you mostly get a TV Guide listing. It’s not even 100% correct. It’s especially bad at separating first run shows from reruns on the same channel from syndicated reruns on less-popular networks.

I never bought a TiVo lifetime pass. When I bought my first TiVo, actually a Sony box, I was living paycheck to paycheck in New York City. I couldn’t scrounge the money for a lifetime pass, but I could handle the $12 monthly fee. I’ve been paying the monthly fee ever since, for almost 12 years. When I finally could afford the lifetime plan, I was never convinced TiVo would be around long enough to justify paying in advance. I’m still not convinced.

When I finally cancelled my TiVo service, I was paying 2 monthly fees, one for each TiVo. One was $12, the other was about $16. Almost $30 per month for a TV Guide. You can use TiVo without paying the fee, but you have to manually assign each recording, and they show up in the recorded program menus with a time stamp, not a program name. Too much hassle.

My ex-wife bought her TiVo Premiere for $300. With that ‘subsidized’ price (excuse me, I just threw up a little in my mouth), the user still has to pay $20 per month. You can pay more for the Premiere, and then you get a cheaper monthly plan. But there is no lifetime option any more.

Where to begin? When I was pricing Internet and TV packages, I compared similar offerings from Time Warner and AT&T U-Verse. Time Warner was cheaper, but the difference was less than a hundred dollars over the course of a year, with all of the discounts and premiums thrown in. However, AT&T U-Verse came with a multi-room DVR, while my Time Warner plan involved skipping the provided DVR in favor of my TiVo. The DVR provided by most cable companies is an embarrassment. It’s horrible to use, and I think DVRs would be much more popular, and more highly regarded, if the cable companies spent more than 5 minutes on interface design.

Including the monthly TiVo fees, the cable service is much more expensive. This comparison does not take into account the quality of service. I wasn’t worrying about compression issues with HD programming over IP (U-Verse), or the saturation of users on available modem bandwidth (Cable). I was only thinking about the channels I wanted, and the download speeds I require.

Then there is the hardware. The TiVo Premiere box is huge. It’s about the size of a large gaming console, and much larger than an HTPC that you could buy to perform the same tasks, and much more. There is no WiFi built in. How can that be? I suspect a cynical grab at more money from accessories, which is also why the sliding remote control with a QWERTY keyboard, which is really a necessity for power users, is also an add-on.

The reliance on cable cards would have been a convenient option if the cable companies had played along, but they did not. They charge a similar rental fee for the cards as they do for the box, and getting cards installed properly can be unreliable, depending on your technician. I’ve had the cards installed three times in three states, and only once did a tech get it right on the first try.

Most offensive, though, is the pricing. On TiVo.com, the company prominently promotes generous upgrade pricing for existing users. In fact, TiVo’s prices are higher than Amazon’s. TiVo doesn’t care that I’ve been a member for 12 years. It doesn’t offer any real discount for existing members, even though I would trade in my older hardware for a new box if they would knock $100 off the price. They have even raised the monthly fee, and existing users don’t catch a break on this increase.

TiVo treats its customers like dirt. As an original TiVo owner, I feel like TiVo has been riding my coattails, milking me for all the money I’m willing to shell out without making any significant improvements. There have been no great hardware improvements, no great software design improvements. The logic behind the search and program management systems is horrendous and confusing. TiVo has failed to innovate for the last decade.

This might have been acceptable when there were no better alternatives. For years, TiVo customers could be happy knowing their boxes were better than the DVR offered by the cable company. But a Windows 7 Media Center PC is a great improvement over TiVo. AT&T’s U-Verse seems like a much better interface, with more features to boot, though I’ve only been using it for less than a week.

TiVo, I’m sad to go. I have great affection for my TiVo, in the same way I’ve had great affection for many groundbreaking products over the years. I thought it was the best product of the last decade, even though it was launched before the turn of the century. But it’s still just that, the best product from the last decade. Instead, I want the best product for right now.

Still, many folks are huge TiVo fans and will pay whatever it takes to keep their beloved service. TiVo has announced that it is trying to make its prices easier for shoppers to understand. Unfortunately easier to understand and simplified means that the cheap plans are getting the axe in favor of the more expensive plans. The new monthly fee for TiVo Premiere users will be $19.99 with a 1-year commitment required to start with.

The lifetime service option is offered again at a whopping $499, which is the most the lifetime service has cost in TiVo history. There are rumors that multi-unit service discounts will continue, but at an increased rate of $14.95 from the $9.95 currently. The lifetime multi-unit option will cost $399. The TiVo hardware pricing has the Premiere selling for $99 and the Premiere XL going for $299.

[via Zatznotfunny]

TiVo has announced that the settlement in the case resulted in Dish and EchoStar agreeing to pay TiVo $500 million. The initial installment of the settlement payment is $300 million with the remaining $200 million to be distributed to TiVo in six equal installments between 2012 and 2017. The upside to the agreement for Dish and EchoStar is that the settlement sees litigation end between the companies.

More importantly, the settlement dissolves all injunctions against Dish and EchoStar so the device isn’t the field can continue to operate, which is very good news for users owning the devices. “We are extremely pleased to reach an agreement with DISH Network and EchoStar which recognizes the value of our intellectual property,” said Tom Rogers, president and CEO of TiVo. “The compensation from this settlement, including the resulting reduction in legal expenditures, puts TiVo in an enviable financial and strategic position. This settlement, which brings the total compensation paid by DISH Network for use of TiVo’s ‘389 patent family to over $600 million, demonstrates the significant return afforded to our shareholders by diligent enforcement of TiVo’s intellectual property rights. Those efforts will aggressively continue with other parties.”

DISH Network and EchoStar have issued a statement regarding the recent ruling from the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals in their legal battle with TiVo over technology patent infringement. The battle has been ongoing since 2004 with rejected appeals and small victories along the way for DISH Network and EchoStar. The Federal Circuit ruled today that it has unanimously vacated a previous district court’s contempt ruling but has a 7-5 split decision on the court’s ruling regarding disablement of subject devices.

DISH Network and EchoStar plan to seek a review over of this part of the decision from the United States Supreme Court. They’re response to the ruling is as follows:

“DISH Network and EchoStar are pleased that the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously vacated the district court’s contempt ruling regarding our software design around. We are disappointed, however, that the Federal Circuit in a 7-5 split decision has affirmed the district court’s ruling on the disablement question. We intend to seek review of that part of the decision by the United States Supreme Court and seek a stay of the injunction while doing so. We also will be making a motion to dissolve the injunction based on Tivo’s recent representations to the Patent and Trademark Office substantially limiting the scope of the claims at issue in this case. Existing DISH Network customers with DVRs are not immediately impacted by these recent developments. The disablement ruling covers only certain older generation MPEG2 DVRs. We have already upgraded many of these customers and, if we are unsuccessful in obtaining a stay, we will work as quickly as possible to upgrade the remaining customers to our current generation DVRs, as these are not at issue in the ruling.”

The legal battle began in 2004 when TiVo said DISH Network, named EchoStar back then, was infringing on TiVo’s “time-warp” technology that allowed users to pause, fast-forward, and rewind during live television. Many set-top boxes allow this type of functionality now. DISH Network is also looking to dissolve an injunction on a previous ruling based on TiVo’s representations to the Patent and Trademark Office regarding the scope of the claims at issue.

DISH Network says current customers should not be affected by the Federal Circuit’s disablement decision, and that the ruling would only affect older MPEG2 DVRs. Most of their customers have upgraded beyond this version, but if DISH Network’s request of a stay of injunction is unsuccessful they will upgrade the remaining customers as soon as possible. DISH Network’s current generation of DVRs are not at issue with this ruling.

• Record two programs and watch live TV on another channel
• Record three live programs, or
• Record three live programs while also watching something you’ve pre-recorded

The boxes were automatically upgraded, so there is no need to download anything.

[via Tivo Community Forum]