Quantcast
Subscribe to magazine

TiVo Recordings Will Be Available to iPod and PSP Users

TiVo subscribers will be able to use the TiVoToGo service to transfer TV to video players.

Stacy Cowley, IDG News Service

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No

NEW YORK--The portable video market got a boost today as TiVo announced plans to let subscribers to its digital video recording service transfer TV programs to Apple iPods and Sony PSPs (PlayStation Portables). The move will significantly expand the pool of video content available for those devices.

TiVo's plan is an extension of the TiVoToGo service the Alviso, California, company introduced early this year. The service lets subscribers transfer downloaded programs to their PCs and to a small number of Windows Portable Media Center devices. Adding support for the more popular iPod and PSP players notably expands TiVoToGo's potential reach.

First TV Content Transfer

Wary of running afoul of copyright law, TiVo plans to digitally "watermark" programs downloaded for portable transfer so that they can later be traced back to the originating account. Still, TiVo's offering is likely to be a closely watched test case: It marks one of the first commercial services to let consumers transfer TV content to a portable device without paying for that specific content.

Apple Computer recently struck a deal with ABC and ABC's parent company, Walt Disney, to sell episodes of a small number of TV shows, including hits Lost and Desperate Housewives, through Apple's iTunes store for $1.99 each.

TiVo's decision to add iPod support is partially a defensive move, aimed at protecting its DVR (digital video recorder) market. TiVo has been struggling to hold on to its subscribers in a fiercely competitive market filled with technology and content vendors that have successfully mimicked TiVo's services.

Testing Begins Soon

TiVo plans to begin testing its iPod and PSP service in the next few weeks, with an eye toward making the feature available to all its subscribers early next year.

While TiVoToGo is currently free for subscribers, the company says customers who wish to use iPods and PSPs will need to buy additional software to enable the content transfer. TiVo didn't disclose a price for that software, but the company says it will be "low-cost." TiVo's monthly subscription cost is $12.95; customers also need to purchase a DVR box.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No

"TiVo Recordings Will Be Available to iPod and PSP Users" Comments

Print 65% more pages than with refilled inks. Trust Original HP Inks. Hit Print Reliably.

Featured APC Accessories For Your System
10% Off Entire Cart at Online Store

  • APC Back-UPS ES Safeguards your equipment from damaging surges and spikes that travel along your utility & data lines.
  • APC SurgeArrest Performance Highest level of protection for your professional computers, electronics and connected devices, as well as provides surge protection.

People who read this also read:

  • 2007 Microsoft Office Suites Comparison This paper compares and contrasts four suites of the 2007 Microsoft Office system: Microsoft Office Standard 2007, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 and Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007. This paper is intended to help organizations understand the applications and capabilities offered, and to identify the suite that best fits their needs.
  • Windows Vista Migration: The Business Proposition It's not so much a matter of "if" but "when" for most organizations regarding migration to Windows Vista. Laying the groundwork now for this migration can yield higher ROI than waiting until later. This Computerworld Technology Briefing explains it all.

PC World's Marketplace