TiVo merges with Xperi

TiVo is combining with Xperi — a licensing firm that specialises in semiconductor technology as well as various audio/video brands — in a $3 billion merger, the two companies announced in December (yes, I’m still catching up!).
More details here: https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/19/21029945/tivo-xperi-merger-dvr-rovi-deal-patent-licensing

Time's up for TiVo?

Multichannel.com is reporting that Virgin Media’s TiVo platform. Here's what they say:

Speaking at this week’s Cable Congress event in Dublin, Tom Mockridge, Virgin Media’s CEO, reportedly dropped a hint that the operator has plans to transition over to the “Horizon” user interface used by parent company, Liberty Global, but stressed that TiVo’s technology will remain in the picture.
“It’s no secret that Liberty Global has its own Horizon UI at the moment and you can expect that we will transition to that on the V6 box and we’ll do that in co-operation with TiVo,” he said, according to Broadband TV News. “They are very understanding of our desire to do that and will help us do that.”
A Virgin Media official said the company had nothing to add beyond Mockridge’s comments about using the Horizon UI. “There’s no changes to announce at this time and all UK set-top boxes continue to use the TiVo platform today,” the official said in an email.

Nothing concrete, nothing imminent. More can be seen at Multichannel.com's website 

New TV Anywhere iOS app reveals V6 capabilities

Virgin Media updates its iOS TV Anywhere app over the weekend and in doing so, gave an early insight into the new TiVo V6 box’s streaming capabilities. If you check out the Help menu, you’ll find this:

ARE ALL RECORDED PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE TO WATCH OR DOWNLOAD ON THE APP?No. Some recorded shows cannot be streamed or downloaded to your mobile or tablet due to rights restrictions. Shows that can be downloaded will have the ‘Download’ button active. Shows that can be watched will have the option to ‘Watch on iPad’ when you select the ‘Watch Now’ button. If these buttons are greyed out then the show cannot be watched or downloaded. There may be some cases where you can stream a recording but not download it. If you cannot watch a show on your mobile or tablet, you will still be able to watch the recording on your TV.
HOW MANY PROGRAMMES CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT ONE TIME?You can download one show at a time. If you want to download more, we’ll pop them in a queue and they’ll start to download when the previous one is complete. When you select a show to be downloaded, you can choose the quality of the download – basic, medium or high. The lower the quality, the faster you can download it.
WILL PROGRAMMES STILL DOWNLOAD IF I CLOSE THE APP?No. You’ll need to keep the app open for the download to complete. If you close the app, the download will be paused. It will continue to download again when you open the app and are connected to your home WiFi.
WILL DOWNLOADS CONTINUE IF MY DEVICE AUTO LOCKS?When you’re downloading a recording, the app will prevent your device from auto locking. It’s a good idea to keep your device plugged into power when downloading though, so it has enough juice to last for the whole download.
HOW CAN I CHECK THE PROGRESS OF A SHOW DOWNLOADING?Go to My Shows and select the ‘On iPad’ or ‘On iPhone’ button in the middle of the screen. You can see the progress bar, MB and time remaining for the download. If the download is paused, you will see a downwards arrow. Just tap this to continue the download. You can press the pause symbol to pause the download
CAN I WATCH A SHOW WHILE IT IS BEING DOWNLOADED?Usually No. If the content provider has restricted the show, you’ll need to wait for the download to finish before you can start watching it. (Find the popcorn and get comfy on the sofa while you wait)
WHERE WILL MY DOWNLOADS APPEAR ONCE THEY’VE COMPLETED?You’ll find them in My Shows in the ‘On iPad’ or ‘On iPhone’ section. There will be an R symbol with a padlock when the download is complete and an egg timer will indicate that the show has been partially watched and will expire soon.
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WATCH A DOWNLOADED RECORDING?Once you download a programme you will have a maximum of 30 days to watch it. Once you have started watching a programme you will usually have 48 hours to watch it before it expires. Sometimes expiry times vary between content providers.
HOW MANY TIMES CAN I DOWNLOAD THE SAME PROGRAMME?You can download a programme twice per household. If you download more than this, you’ll see an error message telling you that the show cannot be downloaded again. You can still watch this programme on your TV. The number of times a show can be downloaded can vary between content providers.
WILL I GET 48 HOURS TO WATCH MY DOWNLOAD IF I START WATCHING ONE DAY BEFORE THE CONTENT IS DUE TO EXPIRE?No. Downloads are only available to watch before they expire
CAN I WATCH A LIVE OR ON DEMAND SHOW WHILE A PROGRAMME IS BEING DOWNLOADED?No, you’ll need to download the programme first – or do it later.
HOW MUCH STORAGE SPACE WILL A DOWNLOAD TAKE UP?When you select a programme to download, you can choose the download quality – Basic, Medium or Best. The default is set to Medium.
Based on which quality you select, it will tell you how big the file is before you download it. To give you an idea, an hour show is around 450MB for basic quality and 1 GB for best.
If you don’t have enough space on your device, you’ll see an error message letting you know you’ve run out of space.
SKY CINEMA & SKY SPORTSIf you’re subscribed to Sky Cinema or Sky Sports, you can watch those on your tablet or mobile with the Sky Cinema or Sky Sports app. Just download the apps, then select the Virgin Media logo on the sign-in page, and sign in with your My Virgin Media username and password.
The Sky Cinema and Sky Sports apps are available in the Apple App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch and Google Play for Android mobiles and tablets. You can also watch online via the Sky Cinema and Sky Sports websites.
You can find out more about the Sky Cinema and Sky Sports channels here
Other Sky live and on demand channels such as Sky 1, Sky 2, Sky Arts, Sky Living, Real Lives, Sky News and Sky Sports News HQ are available to watch on the TV Anywhere app or online, as long as you have them in your Virgin Media TV package.
DO I HAVE TO BE A VIRGIN MOBILE CUSTOMER TO USE THE VIRGIN TV ANYWHERE APP?No. You just need to be a Virgin TV customer.
DO I NEED A WIFI CONNECTION TO USE THE VIRGIN TV ANYWHERE?You need a WiFi connection to be able to watch live TV on the app, but on a 3/4G mobile connection, you can still manage your viewing, set recordings, browse the TV listings, delete recordings and more. To use the app at home as an advanced remote control or to watch or download some recordings (if you have a V6 box), your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch will need to be connected to the same router as your TiVo box.
CAN I USE VIRGIN TV ANYWHERE WHEN THE MY VIRGIN TV BOX IS SWITCHED OFF?If you have a V or V+ Box, you can use the app whether your set top box is on or off.
If you have a TiVo box, your app will still work when the box is in standby. However, it won’t work if it’s switched off. If you have a V6 box, you may also see this message if you’ve got your V6 box switched on but your Hub is switched off.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I LOSE OR CHANGE MY IPAD, IPHONE OR IPOD TOUCH?If you lose or change your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, you’ll need to download the app again. You’ll need to register your new one if you want to watch live TV using the app.
If you’ve lost your device, we also recommend changing your My Virgin Media account password. That way no one else can use your device to manage your TiVo box without your authorisation.
WHAT CAN I DO IF I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE VIDEO QUALITY?For streaming a recording, live or VOD, the app automatically chooses the best quality based on the WiFi connection. The picture quality for downloaded recording can be chosen if you have a V6 box. If you’re still having problems, try chatting with some experts on the Virgin Media Community forum

TiVo US getting a new User Interface

In the US it has been announced that the TiVo brand is getting an interface refresh to bring it up to day with people’s current viewing habits. The next-generation user interface is designed to 'allow for even better TV content discovery and predictions, a customisable viewing experience and overall less time spent fiddling with the remote', according to a report on Endgadget.
“We are transforming TV viewing into an easy, personalized experience,” TiVo’s Chief Design Officer Margret Schmidt said. “The new UX brings the content the viewer wants right up front faster through expanded discovery and predictions from their own cable subscription and the best online video sources. In short, we designed this UX so the viewer spends less time searching channel guides and opening apps and more time enjoying their favourite shows.”
You can't tell much from the single screenshot supplied by TiVo but apparently the interface also includes TiVo’s innovative new Prediction technology, which goes a step further than basic recommendations to predict which shows you want to watch at that moment.
As we have now sadly come to expect, there’s no word yet when exactly this update will be released or even if it will ever hit the Virgin Media hardware in the UK. Also, TiVo's new parent Rovi apparently has a history of showing off next-gen guides that never get a real release, so don't hold your breath.

TiVo speed improvements

I haven’t had the new update to the TiVo in my area yet (it’s still being tested in only a few areas) but this quick post from Jobbie8 at Cable Forum suggests it’s going to be worth the wait:

I’ve just had the new software update this week, the TiVos are so fast now, almost instant page loading and page up and down in TV Guide.

There’s also the suggestion on the same thread that resetting your Thumbs Up/Down in Settings can improve the speed of your box. I haven’t tried this but that would explain why one of my TiVos, which has lots of ‘Thumbs’ is notably slower than the other (which has none).

Spotify leaves TiVo

Virgin Media chap Spiderplant has confirmed that the Spotify app on TiVo is no more.

“We’re sorry, the Spotify app is no longer available on Virgin TV. To carry on enjoying your Spotify subscription you can head online to Spotify.com.
If you have your Spotify subscription through Virgin Media you’re still able to enjoy your full Spotify service across any of your other devices.”

It was not a great App (if I called it ‘weak’ I’d be being generous) but it’s another lost service for VM customers that I know people used. Originally it had all kinds of problems and I stopped using it when I found that I had to type in my email and password every single time I used it.

The NowTV box Spotify App is better, and even better are the desktop and mobile applications Apps which you can connect to Bluetooth speakers with.

TiVo to quit its US hardware business?

Tivo’s new management has suggested that it might get out of box retailing in the US and focus on software and services.
New owner Rovi’s chief financial officer Peter Halt’ said in an SEC presentation:
“What the consumer channel gives TiVo is a direct contact with the consumer and a very passionate loyal audience that gives them direct feedback, but being in the hardware business isn’t something that necessarily excites us.”
Instead, Halt suggests that deals with box-builders could be on the cards. “There are several box providers out there who are direct-to-retail. We’ll be looking at the possibilities of working with them, having them control the box.
“And while that would be a partnership and we wouldn’t get all the sales as a result, we think that’s probably a better way to approach the consumer space.”
Such a deal would maintain a presence in the consumer market, without the company having to continue designing and building its own hardware.
That would leave Rovi/TiVo focussing on its search capability and Tivo’s recommendation engine, which by the look of recent Virgin Media statements will be running on Liberty Global’s Horizon hardware in the UK before too long.

Virgin confirms new 4k box for 2016 to What Hi-Fi

Virgin Media has confirmed a 4K set-top box is in development and due for release in 2016. A spokesman told What Hi-Fi?: “There will be a new set-top box coming later this year, and it will support Ultra High Definition video.
“Before that we will be updating the existing TiVO set-top box to make its menus slicker and more picture-based.”
The recent Telegraph article suggests that Virgin is preparing on an upgrade to its existing series link feature that will include on-demand programmes from Netflix and other sources.

What Hi-Fi adds that “The new Virgin 4K box is expected to offer a similar ability to Sky Q, allowing users to start watching a programme on a TV in one room, and then continue watching on a smartphone or tablet elsewhere.”
But will the new box be a TiVo or the LG standard Horizon beastie?
Read more at http://www.whathifi.com/news/virgin-media-confirms-it-will-release-new-4k-set-top-box-to-rival-sky-q#MzkljZ6FqRCV9gAk.99

Rovi Acquires TiVo

Press Release from April 29th 2016

• Two of the industry’s most influential players join forces to transform media and entertainment technology 
• Best-in-class products and services to capitalize on evolving entertainment marketplace 
• Combined IP portfolios of over 6,000 issued patents and pending applications $100 million in annual cost synergies – accretive to Rovi’s Non-GAAP EPS within the first 12 months 
• Adopting “TiVo” as new company name 

Rovi Corporation (NASDAQ: ROVI) and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) today announced that Rovi will acquire TiVo for $10.70 per share in cash and stock for total consideration of approximately $1.1 billion.
The new company combines two media and entertainment technology innovators with complementary products, services, and intellectual property assets and a common mission to write the next chapter of the consumer entertainment experience.
The company will continue to be led by Tom Carson and upon closing of the transaction will adopt the iconic TiVo brand as the new company name.
“Rovi’s acquisition of TiVo, with its innovative products, talented team, and substantial intellectual property portfolio, strengthens Rovi’s position as a global leader in media discovery, metadata, analytics, and IP licensing,” said Tom Carson, CEO of Rovi. “It’s an exciting time as the media and entertainment landscape undergoes a significant evolution. The combined capabilities of TiVo and Rovi place us in a tremendous position to extend services across platforms and to a customer base that includes traditional, over-the-top and emerging players across the globe. By working together, Rovi and TiVo will revolutionize how consumers experience media and entertainment and at the same time build value for our stockholders.”
“We’re proud of TiVo’s strong innovation history and of the ongoing efforts of our team to provide best-in-class products for our loyal consumer and service provider customers,” said Naveen Chopra, Interim CEO and CFO of TiVo. “This transaction is the culmination of those efforts and the logical next step for TiVo. In joining forces with Rovi, our customers, employees and stockholders will benefit from being part of a more diversified industry leader with significantly greater market opportunities. Our combination creates a more influential global player with a commitment to product innovation, which will be incredibly well positioned to redefine television.”

Full press release here

New TiVo rumours

More rumours about the new TiVo on Cable Forum:

A Virgin manager I spoke with today confirmed TiVo 2.0 is launching in end of July, they will be available via QuickStart for £9.99 with no upfront fee, these boxes are rumoured to come with wifi and 4K. There will be two size options and redesigned user interface. Not forgetting a new revamped tv anywhere where recorded content can come on the move. A rumoured option to turn off SD channels where there is a HD variant and apps on test launch super fast

Nothing yet from Virgin yet of course - I would have thought they would want to get some announcement out there soonish as Sky's Q is being heavily marketed.

One thing that is for certain is that Sky Sports and Movies HD are no longer be available on the SA 8300 V+ HD boxes from today.

New Virgin Media TiVo boxes this year

Nothing confirmed by Virgin Media yet, but I've heard now from several sources that Virgin are currently testing a new TiVo box for introduction in the first half of 2016. I would guess that it will be based on the US TiVo Bolt (pictured above and reviewed already stateside) which means 4k capability and a considerable step up from the TiVo currently supplied.
And, of course, if they keep the name 'Bolt' they already an ad campaign star who they can capitalise on.
Bring it on...

4k TiVo unveiled in the US

TiVo in the US has announced the latest addition to its Series 6 lineup of players with the arrival of the TiVo BOLT (pictured above). Breaking with TiVo's customary black finish, this white player offers 4K support as well as a revamped user interface that introduces new features like the ability to skip commercial breaks on recorded content as well as the ability to speed up playback 30 percent faster while listening to pitch-corrected audio. Four tuners, too.
Here's the tech breakdown:

• Cable + OTA support 
• CPU Cores/DMIPS: 2/11,000 
• DDR memory: 3 GB 
• HDMI Output: 4K/HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 
• 4K decode: Yes – HEVC/VP9 
• HDD: 500 GB or 1 TB 
• Transcode/#Streams: On-Chip/1-2 
• Wired Networks: Gigabit Ethernet 
• Wi-Fi: 802.11ac/n 2×2 
• MoCA: MOCA 2.0 
• No. of tuners: 4 
• Control Input: IP/RF4CE/Bluetooth (future) 
• 11.4″ W x 7.3″ D x 1.8″ H 1.9 lbs. 

Highlights:

• Smaller footprint with modern design 
• 4K/Ultra High Def Platform 
• Upgraded software 
• Better performance 
• New features including “QuickMode” and “SkipMode” 
• In-home and out-of-home streaming (out-of-home in 2016)

That odd design isn't just to make the box distinct: TiVo claims that the gentle curve that lifts part of the player up also helps with heat dissipation. That’s useful given the hardware’s upgraded internals, which include a CPU that’s three and half times as fast as the previous (Roamio) model and three times the memory.
I see the disc storage hasn't been increased to accommodate 4K recordings: as this model is actually described as "entry-level" by TiVo it is perhaps an indication of where the next generation of TiVo hardware and software is heading. However, that probably is the box we are likely to see in the UK if Virgin Media continues to provide TiVo hardware beyond the current generation of DVRs.
More information can be found on TechCrunch and I'll post more on the new HTML5-based UI shortly.

When TiVo die

I knew it was coming, but the failure of all my attempted recordings this weekend and the noises from within my TiVo not dissimilar to a washing machine going into the spin cycle were the final death throes of my original TiVo.
VM have quickly replaced the ailing relic from 2010 with a new box (Samsung, for those who keep notes on these things). Very efficient, all done within 24 hours of me calling 150.
But (and it's a big but) I've lost over 500gb of recordings as they couldn't be copied over to the new box, including some series I was halfway through watching (notably Humans and Wayward Pines) and others I hadn't started yet. Frustrating.
Now I'm somewhat naive about the technology inside a TiVo, but presumably it's not too dissimilar from a computer, so surely in this day and age copying data from one disc to another is not that difficult? Or am I missing something? Sure, it would take a while, but couldn't an engineer do this whilst he's filling in the paperwork (that seems to take an age)?
As it is, I will finish watching series using the 4 and Fox catch up services, but it is strange that in this day and age when 1Tb isn't a massive amount of data any more that a transfer process still isn't on offer.

Virgin launches new Cloud app (press release)

Virgin Media Cloud is the safe, simple way to store, access and share files from your computer, phone and tablet. And now, with the new Cloud TiVo® app you can share and view your files, pictures and videos on your big screen telly too…

The new app lets you browse your files and curate and edit slide shows, playlists and personalised collections, then view them on your TiVo® box.

You can also use the Virgin Media Cloud service on your PC and Mac – and via apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. It’s secure, easy to use, and once your files are stored, you can access them wherever you are, as long as you have an internet connection. And if you change anything that’s stored in our Cloud, we’ll back it up automatically.

The service allows up to 10 accounts per household; each with 5GB of free cloud storage space. For those wanting more, customers can increase their data allowances through paid-for packages from as little as £3.99 per month.

To get started, just log on to My Virgin Media.

TiVo growing strongly

TiVo Inc. reported growth in services and technology revenue at the upper end of expectations as the digital video recorder pioneer continued to add subscribers. For the current quarter, TiVo forecast earnings of $2 million to $5 million and service-and-technology revenue of $87 million to $90 million.
TiVo’s subscriber base has continued to expand with a boost from more distribution agreements with pay-TV providers such as Virgin Media, with total subscriptions reached more than 5.1 million, up 32% from 3.9 million a year earlier.
In an interview Chief Executive Tom Rogers said North American pay-TV subscribers climbed 69% and that the company is serving 19 of the 25 top operators in the U.S. Overall, the company added 337,000 pay-TV-carrier subscribers, an increase of 14% from a year earlier, while pay-TV carrier-related revenue rose 37%.
At the upper end of the market, the company’s $5,000 Mega TiVo for US customers “will be out probably in the second quarter of next year, “ he said.

TiVo update announced by Virgin Media

Today, Virgin Media has unveiled a significant update to the UKs largest connected TV platform, with a new look on its way for our 2.3 million plus Virgin Media TiVo customers.

 

The visual style reflects our new brand identity but also introduces HTML 5, with a higher definition interface that paves the way for better access for app developers. For example, we’re working with Opera to bring its app store to TiVo – more details will follow once the rollout is complete.

 

And here's a sneak peek: 

 

 

The update also includes the introduction of our new ‘What to Watch Now’ feature, which presents you with a list of shows you may enjoy that have recently started or are about to start, categorised into kids shows, movies, sports content and programmes that are popular on TV.

 

As we approach TiVo’s fourth birthday, it remains the most advanced service around, uniquely integrating the best of the web with entertainment such as Netflix and YouTube. TiVo’s single search and intelligent recommendation engine enables viewers to rapidly find what they want to watch and discover new shows, all within a Virgin Media environment with no need to swap remotes, leads or TV inputs. It learns what customers watch, and love, to promote more relevant content.

 

We'll be rolling out the new TiVo software update across few regions from next week. The full roll out for rest of our TiVo customers will start from October and will be complete by end of the year.

More on TiVo's "Network PVR"

As I mention below, Virgin Media are already trialling this new solution by Tivo, but here's something from TechCrunch that explains what it does a little better: http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/07/tivo-network-dvr/

TiVo updates start next Monday

From Virgin Media:

We're updating your TiVo box to enable some great new features.
Your update will happen in the early hours one morning between 13th and 24th August. That's the time we know our customers are least likely to be watching TV or recording shows, so we hope it won't interrupt anything. We'll let you know on 27th August to confirm we've updated your TiVo box.
Make sure your TiVo box is either turned on or in standby mode overnight during this time, since the update won't start until your box is next switched on. Instead of switching your TiVo box off at the mains every night, it's best to just put it in standby. That way, any updates (including smaller ones we might not write to you about) can happen while you're doing other things.
Most importantly, the update will take an average of 30 minutes and you won't be able to watch TV or use the box during this time. If the update is interrupted by someone switching the TiVo box off, there is a small risk you could lose all your saved settings and recorded shows. So, it's really, really important that you leave your box on and make sure everyone at home knows not to use it during that time.
Also, if you have any recordings planned for that particular time they won't record.

And here's a preview of some of the new features included in the update.

• Record and Reminders - Reminders, where even if you do miss the reminder pop-up, you still won't miss your show as TiVo will still record it for you. 
• General stability updates for TiVo and interactive services
• HDMI connection reliability improvements – Some of you who've seen this issue should see a reduction in the number of invalid HDMI error messages.
• Global settings – You can now set default recording options for new single recordings, Series Links, and WishLists
• Streamlined Video On Demand Search – You can now find and play your favourite video on demand shows in a flash

VM looking at bringing TiVo to all customers

In last month's investor call CEO Neil Berkett said Virgin Media continued to review the advantages of using TiVo as its single middleware. (Virgin’s low-end boxes currently use the ugly Liberate middleware, known as TV Navigator.)
Berkett said “We are already exploring non Cisco/Samsung devices at circa £100 to rollout elements of our middleware. We’re launching in the fourth quarter a companion app on the iPad and that will ultimately move to a full app across multiple devices. As we go further out in time I predict there will be more efficient ways of delivering TiVo to customers that is not a DVR box.”

Reminders arriving on TiVo

Currently in trial and reported on this thread at Cable Forum
When the reminder is due this pops up on screen. If you don't respond the Tivo changes channel to the set reminder.