TiVo Service 2000 to Offer New Features for Even More Convenience and Control
The TiVo Service Continues to Provide Increased Functionality Based on Customer Demand
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- TiVo, Inc., (Nasdaq: TIVO) the creator
of personal television today announced new features to its service that will
be automatically delivered to current and new TiVo customers in 2000. From the
inception of the TiVo Service new capabilities and product improvements based
on customer requests have been quickly delivered to viewers. New features will
enhance the ease-of-use and "family friendly" capabilities of the current
service. In addition, customers will be able to record programs directly from
the previews for those shows. The new service capabilities will be provided to
consumers automatically, as part of the service, with no increase in the
price. All TiVo Service 2000 features will be previewed at TiVo's Booth
(#6025) at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
"Providing our customers with more convenience, control and
personalization in their TV viewing is our number one priority. We are proud
to offer a set of new service capabilities in the coming year that will make
watching television better than it has ever been before," said Mike Ramsay,
TiVo's president and CEO. "Our new features add to our existing personal
entertainment service capabilities, Network Showcases and TiVolution Magazine,
to provide consumers with the best way to enhance their TV experience."
Subscribers will receive new features to the TiVo Service over the course
of the year. The new features will be available to all TiVo customers
regardless of the receiver they choose to access the TiVo Service from,
including receivers from Philips, Sony and the DIRECTV/TiVo combined receiver.
The new service capabilities will be delivered to TiVo customers, independent
of when they purchase their product of choice. New service capabilities
include:
-- TiVo WishList(TM) search technology -- You name it -- TiVo gets it.
This feature gives customers additional control and convenience by letting them customize their program searches by name, themes, actors and/or key words. For example, a customer could enter India and travel and TiVo will find all the upcoming programs that match this combined preference. TiVo will enable the customer to select a Season Pass that automatically records WishList programs when they are available.
-- TiVo Overtime Scheduler(TM) -- Never miss a crucial moment of great TV.
Adjust recording time to compensate for programming shifts in daily programming or sports. The Overtime Scheduler will prevent viewers from missing the tail end of a program, the previews of next week's episode or the unexpected overtime of a sports event. The scheduler can be adjusted in time increments of seconds or minutes.
-- Season Pass(TM) Prioritizer -- Increased recording options allow subscribers to set the recording priority of their favorite programs so that they are rated by their importance to the viewer.
-- Teach TiVo(TM) -- Better TiVo Suggestions and new ways to control them -- This feature enables subscribers to directly impact TiVo's Suggestions by allowing explicit control over Thumbs Up(TM) and Thumbs Down(TM) preferences. In the past, subscribers could only express their
appreciation for Tom Hanks if there was a movie that contained that actor in the foreseeable future, making it difficult to give Thumbs to programs that aren't on regularly. Teach TiVo lets subscribers rate their like or dislike for actors, shows, themes, or categories so that TiVo can automatically record them when they air.
-- TiVomatic(TM) recording -- simplified, automatic recording, See It, Want It, Get It(TM). Previously announced as Ipreview, this feature allows consumers to record shows on impulse from the previews for those
shows. Partners NBC, Showtime and Encore will be the first to implement this interactive convenience for consumers.
-- Kid Safe -- Easy program filtering for parents provides a simple way to ensure that children only watch the recorded programming you have chosen for them. This feature lets subscribers lock out and limit the recording of programs by ratings, channels or program description. The upgrade that includes TiVomatic recording will be delivered to TiVo subscribers in the first quarter of 2000.
Additional features are scheduled for delivery to subscribers by the end of the year.
"The features and usability of the TiVo service have set the pace for the
industry, TiVo-like functionality has lead the innovations in the market this
past year," continued Ramsay. "TiVo will continue to deliver choice and
control to consumers in the form of innovative personalized, entertainment
services that will define the TV experience viewers demand for the future." |
