TiVo released five major announcements, which demonstrate how TiVo will allow consumers to get broadband delivered video right to their TV set.
"For more than 10 years, people have talked about the TV and Internet coming together," said Tom Rogers, president/ceo of TiVo. "The dramatic expansion of video options is being driven by the amount of video now available via the power of broadband distribution. Not a day goes by without an announcement about some studio, network, programmer, or Internet company providing yet even more video content online. TiVo provides the only approach that brings it all, broadcast, cable, broadband, together into a seamless experience for the viewer. TiVo is the first to provide one holistic viewing experience where you'll be able to find what you want, when you want it, no matter where it comes from. These announcements further underscore 'It's not TiVo unless it's a TiVo.'"
Highlights from TiVo's broadband strategy announcements include the following:
* Unified Search -- TiVo unveiled "unified search," launching next year, whereby consumers can search across broadcast, cable and broadband content sources through an approach that seamlessly integrates all video for easy access, menuing, searching, recording and viewing. Consumers want content from many different sources and with unified search they won't need to visit multiple devices to view that content -- it can all be easily accessed in one place from the TiVo "Now Playing" list.
* ICM -- TiVo and ICM have teamed up to provide TiVo subscribers with TV show and film recommendations personally selected by some of the most well-known Hollywood actors and directors. These celebrity Guru Guides will offer subscribers the ability to have this content automatically recorded on their TiVo boxes.
* Home Movies Service -- Working in partnership with One True Media, TiVo is offering a new service feature which will provide friends and families scattered across the country with an easy way to share their home videos, by sending them directly to the television set. Rather than burning and mailing DVDs, friends and family will now be able to set-up their own private channel to send home videos directly to a TiVo subscriber's TV set.
* Autotranscode -- TiVo subscribers who upgrade to this new PC software will be able to easily browse, transfer and watch a vast amount of Web video, right on their TV sets, using the TiVo service, even if the content is not originally in a format that televisions can display, by autotranscoding that video through their PCs.
* New TiVoCast Service Programming Partners -- A fresh group of media companies, including CBS Interactive, Forbes and specialized health content, will deliver broadband programming directly to the television through TiVo's revolutionary TiVoCast service. Launched earlier this year, the TiVoCast service delivers broadband video directly to the television sets of TiVo subscribers, turning Web video into television by bringing powerful broadband content previously available only on the PC.
CBS Interactive is the first network deal for TiVoCast. The content will consist of original programming from CBS's online destinations including CBS.com, CBS's broadband channel innertube, CBSNews.com and CBS SportsLine.
"This represents a great opportunity for CBS to showcase its growing online content on the television platform," said Quincy Smith, president, CBS Interactive. "TiVo's TiVoCast service allows for us to extend our reach, join other content innovators, and ultimately learn more about our audience with content such as Katie Couric's 'Eye To Eye' from CBSNews.com, fantasy football shows from CBS SportsLine.com, or the wealth of original programming currently available on CBS.com."
"Web video has become an explosive pop culture phenomenon and TiVo is leading the way in bringing it from the PC to TV," said Rogers. "Television remains the #1 platform on which consumers prefer to watch video so TiVoCast is a win-win both for consumers who enjoy the comfort and convenience of TV and for content providers who want to extend their reach."
TiVo also is announcing new content partnerships with Reuters, dLife, Plum TV and Nano. These new channels join a lineup of TiVoCast partners which includes the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), THE NEW YORK TIMES, Heavy, iVillage and CNET among others.
TiVo boxes are now available for free after mail-in rebate and service commitment at leading consumer electronic retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City and Radio Shack. Visit www.tivo.com for details.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
