Tivo And Netflix Completely Rebuild Their Value… Again

Tivo and Netflix often put images in my head of commercials with really silly actors bumping into each other and saying, “You got your DVD rental service in my Digital Video Recorder!” (There is a chance you are too young for that reference.)

It’s rare for services to actually do things that make me sit there and think, “You know, I actually appreciate this.” But, I’ve had a Tivo for close to as long as it has been around (and then I didn’t for a while, and now I do again), and I’ve subscribed to Netflix since the earliest days… and some days I just have to say I love them… outloud.

Tivo‘s latest upgrade is the revamping of Swivel Search.

tivo

You have to be wifi connected to use it, and they are calling it Beta at this point, but it works great. Just playing with it this morning I found 8 things to record, and I already record everything. I know that sounds like just another bit of nonsense puffing, but I actually do record everything. Seriously, let me tell you about how awesome it is to bounce around this new search and run into things to record that you didn’t even know were on… I ran into things I didn’t know were on.

This is sort of what I do you see, and I have the great big HD Tivo, and the memory expander add on. I have 587 recently deleted shows just sitting there available for me to bring back if I want, because that’s just the kind of crazy amount of room I have, and that’s how much ridiculous TV I record. I really record everything. And yet, in about ten minutes of playing with this new search, I found 8 things to record.

At any rate…

The bar on the top gives you suggestions based on your ratings, or just things that are popular at the moment. This is your first feature right here, because this is a far better version of getting suggestions from Tivo than the normal option available at the main menu. A much better list of shows and movies came up for me than I’ve ever seen before.

Searches bring back results from the channels you have, titles available to download from Amazon, and YouTube, and many more. From any title’s page, you can record it, SeasonPass it, get info and further results based on the cast or “If you like this…” options, and much more. You can even browse through a show’s episode guide and see which episodes are airing when. Check a show like Friends, and see which of your favorite episodes might be on in the near future, or just go ahead and get it from Amazon, all from the same place.

You can also pick a show and see a list of related YouTube videos. Get a recommendation for a show you might be interested in? Check out a few clips and trailers from YouTube right on your TV, without having to leave Search.

The big bonus vs. Swivel Search is that this one is really fast. You may have played around with Swivel Search before, but if your experience has been anything like mine, the search is so slow it’s hard to convince yourself it’s worth the trouble. Not so now. This search is as fast as you could want it to be. Results bang right out as you are entering letters.

In other news of the combined services.

Netflix recently added a next available “close to you” rental upgrade to its list of benefits. If the next title in your queue is not available at your closest service center, they will send you that title from another center AND the next title in your queue that is available at your closest center. No more waiting.

Of course, at the beginning of December Netflix and Tivo officially joined forces, and you can now watch items from your Watch Instantly streaming queue from Netflix right on your TV through Tivo. Thousands of movies and TV shows are now sitting there whenever you want them.

For the first few days, this service was a little choppy, and there was a good bit of waiting for loading. Recently, however, things seem to be working pretty smoothly, and this additional feature of both services is excellent.

These features are great, but don’t forget some other gems Tivo has in store.

They recently added mobile functionality to their web presence, and you can simply go to m.tivo.com from any mobile device and record shows.

You can upload your own home videos via OneTrueMedia, and then give your family your personal station ID. Anyone you want can watch your videos on their Tivo wherever they are.

You can search and watch YouTube right from your Tivo, and don’t forget Podcaster, Tivo‘s service that lets you get your podcasts quickly and easily.

And, maybe my favorite, Tivo lets you subscribe to a variety of webshows which are automatically downloaded just like getting a Season Pass to anything else.

Let me leave you with a few recent favorites. You can watch these online sure, but they can also come straight to your TV.

Rocketboom

The Soup Clips/Podcast

And, a brilliant news brief from

The Onion

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Are You Screening?

TiVo Factory-Renewed High Definition DVR
Price: $179.99
Introducing the TiVo HD DVR, the ultimate HDTV companion combining the clarity of HD audio and video with the smart, easy-to-use TiVo service. Designed as a universal cable box to work with your cable provider, TiVo HD delivers the best of broadcast and broadband TV, right to your living room. Records up to 180 hours of programs or 20 hours in high definition. Select from monthly, prepaid or lifetime service plans starting at just $8.31 per month for 3-year plan.

TiVo HD XL Digital Video Recorder
Price: $599.99
Record up to 150 hours of your favorite TV shows in high-definition with this digital video recorder that allows you to pause or rewind live TV.