Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO), the creator of and leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), today introduced the TiVo Home Media Option. The new service option promises to transform TiVo from a digital recording device to an entertainment center that allows entertainment lovers to effortlessly enjoy video, music and photos throughout the home.
"TiVo's Home Media Option redefines the boundaries of the DVR category and allows TiVo to deliver the true entertainment promise and potential of the networked home environment," said Mike Ramsay, CEO of TiVo. "We're extending the same easy, user command and control to the networked home environment that we pioneered with the invention of the TiVo DVR. TiVo subscribers will be able to easily store, distribute and enjoy the digital entertainment of their choice, throughout their home."
The TiVo Home Media Option will be available in Spring 2003 for a one-time fee of $99 to TiVo subscribers with Series2 units. Activating the service on additional TiVo units within the home will require a one-time fee of $49 per DVR. The Home Media Option is a basic software download, sent by broadband or phone line to any TiVo Series2. To be notified when TiVo's Home Media Option is available for purchase, consumers can sign up now at www.tivo.com/CES.
Once the TiVo Home Media Option has been downloaded to the DVR and activated at the TiVo website, the DVR will be capable of linking over a network with either Apple or Windows PCs. Applications necessary for completing this network link to the PC can be downloaded from the TiVo website (www.tivo.com) once a subscriber has completed the TiVo activation process.
The TiVo Approach to Networked Home Entertainment
TiVo's Home Media Option extends TiVo's intuitive, easy-to-use interface to a broadband and wireless network environment and upgrades the TiVo Series2 DVR into a viewer-friendly entertainment center for transporting digital entertainment throughout the home. In addition to streaming entertainment throughout the home, TiVo subscribers will be able to tell their TiVo what to record from any remote location -- whether they are stuck working late at the office or in an airport, thousands of miles away.
TiVo's Home Media Option: Key Features
TiVo's Home Media Option will fit into virtually any home network, making it easy to incorporate into new or existing, wired or wireless networks (802.11b). The premium package includes an upgrade to the TiVo Series2 and access to software that can be downloaded from TiVo's website. Key features include:
-- Broadband Remote Scheduling
Schedule recordings from the office or on the road and TiVo DVR will
make the changes to your recording schedule in minutes, not hours or
days. Subscribers can access remote scheduling from anywhere they can
access the Internet. TiVo subscribers can schedule recordings from
www.tivo.com and these changes will be relayed to their specified TiVo
DVR in less than an hour, allowing for same day recordings.
-- Enjoy the entertainment you want, anywhere in your home
The new TiVo Home Media Option will allow subscribers to stream music
and photos stored on the PC directly to the family TV. With the TiVo
remote, subscribers can relax in the living room and view digital
photos and listen to digital music that is stored on the PC. Video can
be streamed from a TiVo in the bedroom to a TiVo DVR in the living
room. The TiVo Home Networking Option will support a number of
different digital audio and image formats including JPEG and MP3.
-- Broadband Content from Universal Music Group, Corbis Collection
TiVo has secured new relationships with some of the world's leading
providers of digital content so that subscribers can immediately enjoy
the entertainment experiences available through broadband with the Home
Media Option. Universal Music Group will make available to all
subscribers with the TiVo Home Media Option and a broadband connection
the ability to playback selected music and promotional video from many
of its top recording artists. And TiVo networked subscribers will be
able to easily access and display compelling fine art, photography and
illustrations from the Corbis Collection -- the world's leading source
of digital media -- on their televisions. This feature enables TiVo
Home Media Option subscribers to enjoy the world's greatest pictures,
on demand and in the comfort of their home.
Linksys Strategic Relationship
To make it easier for TiVo subscribers to move into the world of wireless home entertainment, TiVo has selected Linksys, the world's leading provider of broadband and wireless networking products, as the preferred network connectivity solution for the TiVo Home Media Option.
TiVoGuard Raises Bar for Content Security
While the TiVo Home Media Option gives consumers new flexibility and ease of use when enjoying content within the home, this new service release also features an advanced conditional access technology designed to protect the rights of copyright holders.
Some of the key innovations of the new TiVoGuard copy protection system that benefit consumers and copyright holders, include:
-- Every TiVo Series2 DVR contains a unique public/private key pair so
that only designated recorders with the Home Media Option can engage in
multi-room viewing.
-- Use of digital certificates to ensure that TiVo DVRs with the Home
Media Option cannot send content outside the home.
-- Video programs are encrypted to ensure a secure transfer between TiVo
DVRs within the home.
New Service Upgrade for All TiVo Subscribers
Every TiVo Series2 DVR household will receive new features in April when a service upgrade is delivered to all of these devices. New features that will be delivered to all TiVo Series2 households include new program folders that will make it easier than ever to organize and access recorded programs, broadband connectivity through existing USB ports as an alternative to dial-up, and enhanced suggestions and recommendations that will let TiVo suggest programming that meets viewers designated interests.
Additional information can be found at www.tivo.com.
Source: TiVo Inc.
Printer-friendly version
