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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Saturday, June 12, 2004

TiVo Hooks Up to Home Networks

NewsFactor: "TiVo is making an agressive move to take over more of the home-entertainment space by cutting its prices and adding Internet and network connectivity as standard features. TiVo is positioning its box to become the entertainment centerpiece of the networked home. In a bid to win market share from other digital-video recorders, the New York-based company has cut the cost of service and subscriptions, and is offering online and network connectivity as standard features. TiVo will offer as a standard feature a system that connects its Series2 digital video recorder (DVR) to the home computer network and to the Internet. The feature, known as "Home Media Option," has been available for some time. In the past, users who paid a one-time connection fee of US$99 and plugged a network card into their TiVo Series2 DVR were able to schedule their recordings remotely via the Internet and view content recorded on one box from another box on the same home network. TiVo now is making the necessary software available for all its Series2 boxes without charge."

This is a development to watch, given Microsoft's success with Windows XP Media Center Edition (which has no monthly fees at all and is inherently compatible with other PCs and home networks) and the company's upcoming release of various Media Center Extenders (which look excellent). Also, Apple is expected to someday figure out that people want video and photo content, and not just music content, around the home: It's recent announcement about AirPort Express, I suspect, is just the first step.

[ Posted at 11:43 AM | Permalink ]