Wednesday, March 12,2008 @ 10:35am
TiVo DVRs to get direct YouTube access
TiVo on Wednesday leapt into territory previously held only by the Apple TV by announcing YouTube access for its digital video recorders. The feature will let any user with a TiVo Series 3 or TiVo HD box, as well as a sufficiently fast Internet connecton, watch and search for YouTube videos directly from the hub itself. The approach will be controlled solely through the existing TiVo remote but will still allow most of the personalized features that come with a YouTube account, such as viewing preset YouTube channels or accessing playlists.
The DVR maker stops short of mentioning whether the YouTube upgrade will be free but says it should push the new feature out to supporting TiVo recorders sometime later this year. Typically, the company has offered access features such as this for no extra charge beyond the existing cost of the TiVo itself and the monthly subscription fee for usual service.