TiVo to expand Internet-based content

updated 9:52 a.m. ET Nov. 14, 2006

SAN JOSE, Calif. - In its ongoing bid to be a central conduit of media, TiVo Inc. plans to broaden its digital video recording service later this year so users of its set-top boxes can download videos from the Internet and watch them from their television sets.

The new feature, one of several announcements TiVo made Tuesday, comes as homemade clips and Hollywood movies are all becoming more popular on the Web and an increasing number of tech giants are tackling the barriers to deliver video from a computer to the comforts of a living room.

"Broadband video is growing rapidly on the Web, but the television will continue to be the key way viewers want to watch video," said TiVo's chief executive Tom Rogers.  "Our overall goal is to provide as many types of content in as many formats to be displayable on the television through TiVo."

TiVo's new broadband offering, however, will work only with downloaded videos that are not copy-protected, such as most user-generated clips and many video podcasts.  Feature films and videos purchased from online stores like Movielink or Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes will not be supported, though company officials said they are seeking to offer such protected content in the future.

The service feature will be implemented by the end of this year through an upgrade to the TiVo Desktop software, which some subscribers already use to view photos from the Web and listen to Internet radio.  TiVo said it will take downloaded videos that have been placed into a computer's TiVo folder and automatically convert them into an MPEG-2 video format so the videos can be viewed on TVs and searchable via TiVo boxes.  The video formats that will be supported are QuickTime, Windows Media Video and MPEG-4.

The software will cost $24.95 for new users and will be a free upgrade for existing users.

TiVo also will introduce another new feature that lets subscribers share their homemade movies with friends or family by setting up a personal "channel" to send their videos to the TiVo boxes of those who have agreed to be on that private network.

MORE FROM TECH AND GADGETS

Tech and gadgets Section Front

Gifts for the hardcore techies Just because it’s on Twitter, it (still) isn’t true Oddball gifts for techies Library group offers text search to 4.6M books Nokia’s netbook raises the bar — and the price Google targets Chrome OS for 2010 holidays Obama answers questions from Cuban blogger 10 cool gifts for the geeky kids on your list Yahoo jumps on Twitter bandwagon Microsoft says sales of Windows 7 are strong Tech and gadgets Section Front   Add Tech and gadgets headlines to your news reader: