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Thursday, May 29, 2008 4:25pm

TiVo planning "whole-home" DVR

TiVo is prepping a digital video recorder that would serve as a hub for an entire house, company chief Tom Rogers confirms at the D6 Conference. He notes that current TiVos are essentially limited and can't record or offer content to more than one TV set in the home; the Wi-Fi adapter that lets the TiVo work remotely is only a part solution to the problem, Rogers says. Instead, TiVo is working to produce a version of its self-titled hubs that could give "whole-home" access, though the executive doesn't provide more details.

The mention both hints at a potential advantage for TiVo over rival DVR makers, which are also usually tied to single TVs, and also gives the company greater reach as a digital media provider. Subscribers with a broadband Internet connection have access to podcasts and other Internet video features directly through a single TiVo, including Amazon Unbox movies and upcoming YouTube access.