TiVo Online Video Sharing

TiVo announced today two upcoming new services that will let its subscribers easily share video between their PCs and televisions. Of these, the most dramatic is a new collaboration with media host One True Media that will let users share their unprotected video clips to a private group through the Internet. By uploading videos to a special One True Media account, TiVo owners will be able to send videos or photo slideshows to friends and family simply by providing them with a private channel code, TiVo says. The content can then be downloaded through any active TiVo Series 2 or 3 DVR; subscribers will even have the choice of subscribing to a Season Pass -- similar to that of TV shows -- which automatically downloads photos and videos as they appear. TiVo plans on launching the service in early 2007 at a cost of $4 per month to upload content. Downloads will be free of charge.

Click through for details of TiVo's new broadband video conversion.

Reflecting the reality of Internet streaming video, TiVo also said today that it would launch an updated version of TiVo Desktop Plus later this year that will streamline converting common Web formats to video that can be played directly from any TiVo Series 2 device. TiVo also says it will provide easy access to content such as music videos and video podcasts. Though the company didn't elaborate as to how users would initially import videos, support will be available for MPEG-4, QuickTime, and Windows Media clips. Running only on Windows XP at first, the updated software should be available before the end of the year as either a free upgrade for existing software owners or as a one-time $25 purchase for new users.

By Electronista Staff