Wednesday, December 3,2008 @ 10:35am
TiVo gaining first Amazon HD videos?
TiVo users should soon have the option of watching Amazon's Video on Demand service in HD, according to early reports. Technology reporter Rich DeMuro has noted the existence of a currently inactive menu item that would let TiVo owners specifically browse parts of Amazon's catalog that are available in HD, revealing both the existence of Amazon HD video in any form as well as its spread to DVRs.
When Amazon and TiVo will activate the feature is unknown. TiVo tends not to activate features simultaneously for all users and instead rolls them out gradually as well as to subscribers that have specifically registered to receive upgrades early.
It's unclear whether the HD feature will extend to other platforms, though its addition gives the company a relative advantage in paid video services over competitors such as Apple's iTunes. The latter offers HD content but currently limits full-length HD movies to the Apple TV and requires users have a copy of iTunes installed to purchase, rent and play any video content on a computer. Amazon Video on Demand currently allows all its content to be streamed over the web to Macs and PCs but also ties access to an account rather than a computer, letting users purchase a video without having to transfer an existing copy.
