It’s not surprising to see TiVo go upscale–unfortunately, the company has already lost the war for mainstream DVR users with cheap rental boxes from cable companies. Over at ZDNet, Ed Bott recently wrote an interesting post on the fall of the DVR which noted, among other things, that TiVo’s user base has fallen from a high of 4.4 million in 2007 to 2 million today. It makes sense for it to focus its efforts on the most serious DVR fans, but I’m still sad that TiVo–or its original rival, ReplayTV–never became the pervasive gadget that it seemed like it could be a decade ago.

Is TiVo quietly working on anything that’s not a beefier model of its current box but something all-new, and maybe designed for a world in which recording TV is less important than streaming TV? I hope so.

I’m still a happy owner of a TiVo Series 3 (the last generation before the current generation); about 90% of the cable TV I watch is really TiVo’d cable TV. It does the job for me. (I rarely want to watch or record two things at once, let alone four.) I paid for lifetime service for this box and plan to run it into the ground. And if the day comes when I’m in the market for another DVR, I really hope that I’m moved to get another TiVo rather than break down and rent a lowest-common-denominator cable-company DVR.

Then again, by the time I can’t get this TiVo to work, it’s at least conceivable that I’ll have dumped cable altogether…

For more than a decade, TiVo has been one thing: a DVR. And while it’s been a really good one, an awful lot has changed about the way we find and watch TV since the first TiVo box debuted in 1999. And now the company is involved in its first non-DVR project. It’s designed the on-screen interface for two new Internet-connected LCD TVs from Insignia, one of Best Buy’s four “exclusive brands” (along with Dynex, Init, and Rocketfish).

Insignia’s TVs don’t have any DVR features, and doesn’t offer an on-screen programming guide for over-the-air or cable programming. So they’re missing the aspects of the TiVo interface most closely identified with, will, TiVo. But when Best Buy demoed one of the sets for me last week, the interface did look like it has some of TiVo’s approachable DNA. That’s a major plus: TV companies don’t tend to be very good at at coming up with user interfaces when left to their own devices.

The sets come with CinemaNow and Napster–two services owned by Best Buy–as well as Netflix, YouTube, and Pandora. They use Chumby widgets to provide access to more than 1500 applets with information on subjects such as weather. And they’re the first TVs with built-in support for Rocketboost, a Best Buy technology for sending audio to speaker systems wirelessly.

They don’t, however, include DLNA compatibility, which would let you stream content off PCs and hard drives on your network: Best Buy says that its goal with these TVs was to keep things simple, and DLNA still isn’t straightforward enough.

The 32″ TV is $499; the 42″ one is $699. Best Buy says they’re available now, and that it plans both to upgrade their software with new features over time and to introduce new connected TVs and other devices based on the software in these TVs.

The Best Buy-TiVo partnership was announced more than two years ago; I was excited at the time, then so much time passed that I’d forgotten about it. Now I’m curious what other Internet-centric products TiVo might be working on. A Roku-style TiVo box could be nifty. And TiVo might be able to do a better job than Google TV has done so far at imposing a decent interface on over-the-air and cable TV. I hope that the company is furiously working on some of this stuff, and just hasn’t announced it yet…

I’ve been getting a lot of urgent messages from major companies I do business with lately. Urgent messages telling me that information I gave them has been stolen by unknown parties.

Yup, I’m not only a PlayStation Network member–and therefore a victim of the current Sony security breach–but also a customer of at least three companies (Marriott, TiVo, and 1-800-Flowers) who were involved in the recent data theft from marketing company Epsilon. I wrote about this for my new TIME.com Technologizer column, But after reading all this correspondence, I have some advice for the corporate entities who send these e-mails. (I care about this stuff in part because I have the uneasy feeling I’m going to be getting a lot more of these messages in the future.)

1. Put it in the subject line. No, the subject line doesn’t need to be “YOUR DATA WAS STOOOOOLEN!!!!!!” But something like “Important Information for 1800Flowers.com Email Customers” is too vague, especially since I’m used to big companies claiming that everything they want to tell me is important. (And what the heck is an “email customer,” anyhow?)

2. Tell me what leaked, what may have leaked, and what didn’t leak. Sony, TiVo, and 1-800-Flowers were all pretty clear about what information was at risk. Marriott’s message, however, was vague about what was stolen–in this case, my name and e-mail address–which could leave me jumping to unwarranted conclusions.

3. Be calm, but not dismissive. Marriott’s e-mail about the Epsilon breach told me “In all likelihood, this will not impact you.” That may be true, but it contacted me because there’s a chance that it might impact me. I don’t want companies to fearmonger, but they should address worst-case scenarios.

4. Tell me how to contact you. You’re the guys who I trusted with my info; if I still have questions after reading your e-mail, I should be able to ask them. Of you, not of some third-party consumer agency. (Credit where credit is due: Sony ended its PlayStation e-mail with a phone number to call.)

5. Don’t tell me you take my privacy seriously or remind me how valued I am. I’m sure you do. I’m sure I am. This isn’t the right time to tell me, though.

6. Apologize. I know that it’s not your fault there are cybercriminals and other nogoodniks out there. I understand that some third-party company may have suffered the breach. But you’re the ones I gave my information to. Something bad happened. You’re the one I expect an apology from.

7. Sign your letter. I mean with the name of a human being with a title–somebody’s willing to take responsibility for this, right? Of the companies I’ve recently heard from, only 1-800-FLOWERS did this.

(This post republished from Techland.)

The new TiVo Advisors survey is far more interesting than most, spelling out a number of “potential products and features.” On the hardware front, two very specific devices are described:

• A companion device for your DVR. It allows a second TV (in another room) to watch live TV (in HD) and also watch the recordings from your DVR.
• A 4-tuner high-definition DVR that allows you to record up to 4 shows at one time (and watch a 5th show that is previously recorded).

If asked to prioritize the two, I’d probably split the difference – as an extender, with live TV capabilities, obviously complements a large capacity 4-tuner TiVo. Of course, we already know a non-DVR TiVo set-top and whole home streaming are in beta testing. But this could be the first time we’ve seen explicit mention of a 4 tuner DVR.

While there was no mention of TiVo actually completing the Premiere’s high definition user interface (HDUI), they do bring up quite a few possible software enhancements (see pic, below right). Two in particular that I’d appreciate:

• From any one DVR in your home, view a single, integrated list of “all” the TV shows and movies that have been recorded on any DVR in the home.
• For channels you receive in HD, automatically hide the standard definition versions from the onscreen program guide.

Again, we know some of this is coming. In fact, the sluggish but visually rich Discovery Bar was originally pitched to me as a sort of browser history and customizeable menu (in addition to featuring advertising and content suggestions):

In fact, power users can adjust the type and frequency of content – including pinning your favorite apps like Netflix.

…which sounds a lot like “customize a list of shortcuts to your favorite tasks”

It’s good to see TiVo thinking about these things. But, it’d be even better if they released them. And to retail customers. The TiVo Premiere has been shipping over a year, yet Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin TiVo is the only one with a complete HDUI. Which kinda puts things in perspective.

(Thanks, tipsters B and S!)

(This post republished from Zatz Not Funny)

While we generally shy away from rumor and speculation, TiVo’s been pretty quiet as they approach the one year anniversary of Premiere retail availability. Given our site heritage and interests, the lack of news out of Alviso can be frustrating. So we’ve whipped up a post based purely on hearsay, but one that hopefully gives some indication what TiVo is quietly working on.

Hulu

Access to Hulu Plus from TiVo DVRs was announced way back in September and expected to launch “in the coming months.” Yet we’re wrapping up month six and who knows what Hulu may look like when TiVo’s app ultimately launches. Engadget’s received word that beta testing is underway. While I can’t corroborate with 100% certainty, I’ve seen purported blurry cam video footage of the service and, at least on a cursory basis, the interface looks quite similar to Hulu’s other set-top box offerings (like Roku and PS3). If Hulu Plus is indeed in beta testing, I’d expect the TiVo app would be ready to go live in the very near future. However, in the past Hulu has dictated partner announcements and product releases. So its launch may be held until the news can be bundled. For example, we’re still awaiting Hulu Plus on the Xbox 360.

Streaming

Regulars know I’ve been disappointed in TiVo’s multi-room viewingtechnology. Most whole home solutions stream content room to room, whereas TiVo played it safe early on by merely copying shows on demand – given their own prior hardware limitations and home network concerns. However, we’re collectively at a better place on the technological front while we’re conversely limited by obtuse cable policies designed to prevent piracy (but actually do nothing more than inhibit valid, secure usage). According to this anonymous commentand anonymous private correspondence, TiVo may be currently testing Premiere-to-Premiere streaming. Unfortunately, older hardware won’t benefit from this solution. And while TiVo could artificially draw the line in the sand, TiVo Series3 and HD hardware truly would struggle with real time HD streaming in many network environments.

Extender

Last week, online logs revealed new TiVo hardware without storage capabilities and new product numbers have been identified. Based on the timing and an offhanded remark, I assumed the non-DVR Best Buy TiVo smart TV is nearing launch. And it very well may be. But this anonymous comment and anonymous private correspondence suggest a TiVo extender is currently being tested.

This unit is described as very slim and the flattened TiVo Premiere above is purely a mockup. As an extender, this unit would is not designed to record television content but rather would receive streamed recordings from a TiVo DVR elsewhere in one’s home. Additionally, unlike Moxi’s extender solution, TiVo’s play will reportedly tune live cable television via an M-Card. Of course, TiVo’s Internet apps would also be available. Supposedly the new extender hardware leverages multimedia over coax (MoCA) networking… which makes sense as TiVo joined the Alliance last year. And in various forums, TiVo has more than alluded to a beefed up “multi-room and non-DVR platforms.” But it’s generally been specific to cable partners (Suddenlink, Charter), rather than an outright foreshadowing of new retail products.

For a retail customer such as myself to take advantage of a MoCA-based TiVo extender, I’d either need a MoCA network adapter near my existing Premiere. Or perhaps there’s a Premiere+ under development with integrated MoCA capabilities (and hopefully more tuners). Actually, I assume there must be such a product in the pipeline. But given factors like the still incomplete HDUI and limited advertising, as I’ve been saying for quite awhile now, it appears retail takes a backseat to TiVo’s cable and satellite partners (and even litigation) these days. However, should an extender become available, I’d be down for two. Assuming a small or non-existant monthly service charge.

(This post republished from Zatz Not Funny.)

As regulars know, we recently left the cable hegemony behind in favor of Verizon’s FiOS TV…. to overcome switched digital video (SDV) tuning adapter flakiness and a CCI Byte content lockdown that essentially neutered our TiVo ecosystem. And, on the technological front, we couldn’t be happier. (But I may follow up with a less glowing billing and support post, as many of you cautioned.)

We’re a three TV/DVR household, although currently only possess two televisions — one powered by a TiVo Premiere and the other powered by the Verizon FiOS DVR shown above. So the question is, what DVR will power TV #3 when the time comes?

Now that Cox Communication’s CCI Byte “guilty until proven innocent” restriction is behind me, TiVo once again provides multi-room viewing. Although my mothballed TiVo HD and Series 3 may not have the bandwidth to move content wirelessly in real time between DVRs, the way I could Premiere to Premiere. On the FiOS TV front, most of us are still running Interactive Media Guide (IMG) 1.8… which doesn’t utilize a 16:9 UI and multi-room viewing is limited to a DVR hub feeding set-tops. However, testing is underway for version 1.9 and deployment should begin in the near future. And I’m quite interested…

In my mind, the top FiOS TV IMG 1.9 features are the inclusion of a true 16:9 HD interface, support for external storage, and DVR-to-DVR multi-room viewing capabilities. On the storage expansion front, I get the sense that Verizon will offer some sort of officially supported eSATA drives. However, drives won’t need to be purchased through Verizon or even approved. Grab a drive and go. Now original FiOS TV customers may be running older Motorola hardware without eSATA support and it’s my understanding they’ll be able to upgrade their DVRs for free. Whereas folks with newer hardware who happen to want the newest hardware (with larger internal drive and more attractive enclosure) will be subject to a one-time $39 upgrade fee.

The new FiOS TV DVR-to-DVR streaming functionality of 1.9 seems like a no brainer and I was surprised it wasn’t already present. Verizon offers two tiers of DVRs — the hardware is the same, but the price and functionality vary. The typical DVR runs $15/month, while the “Home Media DVR” enables multi-room viewing and relaying content PC-to-DVR for $20/mo. In the new DVR-to-DVR configuration only one unit needs to be at the $20 tier. (Surely there’s a simpler way to sell and explain this functionality?) However, what you end up with sounds very similar to TiVo’s existing MRV service. When what I really want is a unified whole-home playlist. Additionally, let’s move to collaborative scheduling… if one DVR happens to be out of tuners, record my show on another unit. If one DVR is low on drive space, record on one with more available overhead. While this won’t be present in IMG 1.9, I know it’s something Verizon is looking at. And the possibilities make me giddy.

On the iPad front, both TiVo and FiOS TV offer iPad apps. TiVo’s is more powerful and more attractive. But I find myself using Verizon’s more when channel surfing live TV, given the traditional grid guide and “What’s Hot” thumbnails displaying popular shows in my region. (Although it’s not exactly real-time, maybe delayed 10-15 minutes?)

One last note, based on the FiOS TV Twitter feed and unrelated to DVR functionality: the next two HD channels Verizon will offer are Black Entertainment Television (BET) and Fox Soccer Channel (FSC), in that order. Neither do much for me, but I just discovered we receive the Big Ten Network (in HD) and enjoyed a few minutes of Wisconsin/Nebraska wrestling last night (even though it made me feel old and out of shape).

(This post republished from Zatz Not Funny.)

TiVo’s iPad app, announced in November, is now available via the the App Store.

I’ve had app on hand for several weeks now, and I quite like it. Whereas TiVo has been lagging the competition in providing this sort of functionality, they may have just leap frogged nearly all contenders in producing both a beautiful and functional television companion. Of course, it’s only a companion for TiVo Premiere owners. But perhaps there are a few more this week given that amazing $65 Woot deal.

The app itself is quite comprehensive. Who needs picture-in-guide when you can manage just about every meaningful element of your TiVo from an iPad without interrupting the television viewing experience. Remote control? Check. Guide? Check. Season Passes, To Do List, Now Playing? Check, check, check. Plus, you know no app is complete these days without the ability to share on Twitter and Facebook. So they’ve checked that off, too. Bonus — portrait and landscape views for any/every screen.

Is TiVo’s iPad companion enough to jump from another DVR solution? For most, probably not. But it’s a significant enhancement for Premiere owners. If I had to nitpick, the interface can be cramped at times and upcoming shows are presented as a variant of TiVo’s “live guide” – yet I’d prefer a traditional grid guide, similar to say the FiOS TV iPad app, as a perennial channel surfer. But overall I’m stoked with TiVo’s progress is this arena. Plus, I expect continued development and additional platforms (Android?) going forward.

(This post republished from Zatz Not Funny.)

Okay, time for some good news about TiVo: The company is launching a free iPad app “in the coming weeks.” It’s a remote control for TiVo Premiere boxes (early ones, sadly, won’t work) that essentially puts a slick, touch-friendly version of the TiVo interface onto the tablet, so you can find stuff to watch and otherwise wrangle your TiVo without using its remote or interrupting whatever’s on the screen at the time.

And judging from TiVo’s demo video, it looks really neat.

Obvious question: Might TiVo tweak this app so it not only let you find shows but also permitted you to watch them on the iPad? It wouldn’t be an insurmountable technical challenge to do so, presumably. So why not make it happen–especially since TiVo to Go already permits TiVo owners to route video from the box to other devices?