TiVo wants its PVR software to run on Apple’s iPod and Sony’s Playstation. The company said it is expanding its personal recording technology so users can put television programs on their portable systems. To appease Hollywood, shows recorded on the updated TivoToGo will contain digital watermarks. These distinctive markings will follow the video and allow it to be traced to its origins.
Previously, the Tivo mobile feature was limited to its broadband Series2 subscribers using the Windows Portable Media Center platform and compatible portable media players. By adding support for the MPEG-4 video format, TiVo plans to capitalize on the popularity of both systems.
The process is still a bit cumbersome for end users. The transfer process from a TiVo Series2 STB to a personal computer — a necessary step before syncing to a portable —occurs roughly in real-time. This means an hour-long show will take about an hour to transfer to the PC, then roughly another 10 minutes or so to sync to a portable device.
The new service feature is available for current TiVo subscribers as a beta test and is expected to be implemented for the general public in the first quarter of next year.
