I post a lot about TiVo in Australia, but they’re not the only game in, or coming to, town. CNET Australia reports that Australia EPG provider IceTV plans to add a feature called ‘IceTV Recommendations’, which is similar to TiVo Suggestions. Since IceTV is just a guide and not a full DVR package, it does not auto-record the programs, but rather presents them as suggestions to the user to decide on. (You can do the same on TiVo by disabling Suggestion auto-recording and then manually checking them in the menus. TiVo+8 is the shortcut.) The feature is currently compatible with Windows Media Center and Mac/EyeTV, but compatibility with additional DVRs which use the IceTV guide will be announced in the coming weeks.

And the previously discussed Sony PlayTV DVR add-on for the PlayStation3 looks to be hitting Australia in 4Q2008, according to Gizmodo Australia who attended a Sony briefing. Australia is getting it roughly a month after the European market, so they have something to look forward to as well. Giz also got more details from the briefing:

Other interesting tidbits include that there’s only an input for your aerial, no output, which means you won’t be able to connect your antenna to your TV through the PlayTV. And while you can only record TV programs to the PS3’s internal hard drive, you can backup the contents to an external drive. It isn’t finalised, but it looks like the EPG will be supplied by the rumoured FreeView collection of free-to-air networks as well

So it looks like the DVR choices for Australians will be expanding soon with TiVo, PlayTV, and possibly a Freeview DVR.

Wow, this is a big find. Last September TiVo and Crestron announced a partnership to enable Crestron home automation systems to control TiVo boxes over the home network. At the time I said:

This is pretty cool. But it’d be even better if TiVo would publish the protocol for this IP interface so that other vendors, and 3rd party developers, could also code applications to use it. (I won’t be surprised if the hacking community reverse engineers it if they don’t.)

Well, neither TiVo nor Crestron published the protocol, and of course I’m not surprised that the community has now reverse engineered it. And it works on all TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD units running software 9.1 or higher (sorry Series2 folks).

Open a terminal or command window and telnet to the IP of your TiVo on port 31339. Then you can start issuing commands. The timeout is very short, so you might use cut & paste if you’re not a fast typist.

It is a little scary actually - there is no authentication. So anything that can talk to your TiVo on your LAN can control it. Hey TiVo, how about the tivo/MAK authentication like on the web interface? (Cue the Black Hats to write a PC worm that issues random TiVo commands over the LAN.) Still, I’m really happy to see this, and I’m sure this will spur development of a number of clever applications. Dave Zatz has already tried it by controlling his TiVo from his iPhone, and he shot a demo video of it:

I did some quick tests using telnet from a command window on my PC and it works great on my Series3. I also tried it to my Series2 just to confirm it doesn’t work - and, alas, it is confirmed.

I foresee this functionality finding it’s way into a number of TiVo apps and widgets to control your TiVo(s) from your PC, Mac, or other device. Now that the cat is out of the bag, it would be nice if TiVo would officially publish the specifications - and add some authentication. I am kind of shocked that it is wide open like that. And I’m serious, I expect someone to write some kind of TiVo-attack worm now that this news is out. There are plenty of jerks out there who get their jollies that way.

I hope TiVo keeps expanding this interface, a nice additional would be the addition of more feedback as to the current screen on the TiVo. That would make it usable remotely with positive feedback to the application that the command worked and went to the right place in the menus. This could be a more reliable (than IR blasters) way for 3rd party devices (like a Slingbox) to control a TiVo.

Disclaimer: I am currently employed by Sling Media, but my Slingbox comment is strictly speculation on my part on what I think would be cool and not meant to imply anything about what may or may not happen.

TiVo comes up with these marketing gimmicks from time to time to help garner a little light-hearted press coverage - and it works, here I am posting it. This time around, in honor of Mother’s Day, TiVo commissioned a survey to rank twenty TV moms from best to worst. And the list?

TiVo’s Top TV Moms
1. Clair Huxtable: The Cosby Show 58%
2. Marion Cunningham: Happy Days 37%
3. Carol Brady: Brady Bunch 37%
4. June Cleaver: Leave it to Beaver 34%
5. Marge Simpson: The Simpsons 33%
6. Wilma Flintstone: The Flintstones 29%
7. Vivian Banks: Fresh Prince of Bel Air 27%
8. Caroline Ingalls: Little House on the Prairie 27%
9. Maggie Seaver: Growing Pains 25%
10. Marie Barone: Everybody Loves Raymond 24%
11. Peggy Bundy: Married With Children 23%
12. Lois Griffin: Family Guy 21%
13. Mrs. Partridge: The Partridge Family 22%
14. Lorelai Gilmore: The Gilmore girls 20%
15. Roseanne: Roseanne 20%
16. Carmella Soprano: The Sopranos 14%
17. Bree Van de Kamp: Desperate Housewives 14%
18. Norma Arnold: The Wonder Years 13%
19. Estelle Costanza: Seinfeld 13%
20. Lucille Bluth: Arrested Development 6%

TiVo is also running special promotions on TiVo for mom.

See the complete press release for more.

Last November TiVo and broadband provider WindStream announced a partnership which sounded like just another cross-marketing deal. WindStream would resell TiVo to their broadband customers, with the angle of touting TiVo’s broadband features, such as Amazon Unbox. Seemed fairly basic.

However, a new article in xchange Magazine makes it sound like TiVo and WindStream are working together on a new product:

While Windstream may not yet be a household name, it is quietly innovating with those that are, such as TiVo. The duo have been working on a user interface since last fall that, like TiVo’s much heralded efforts with Comcast and Cox Communications, draw heavily from the DVR maker’s software.

Windstream, however, is focusing on polishing the Internet video experience with the TiVo deal while cablecos are more focused on coming up with much better user interfaces for their digital TV services.

Working on a user interface? Drawing headily on TiVo’s software? That doesn’t sound like the description of a standard turn-key reseller arrangement. So, are they up to something more than just bundle sales of standard TiVo units? Or is this just a reporter over-reaching a bit? When announced WindStream said they planned to start marketing TiVo in the first half of 2008. If that time frame holds true I suppose we’ll find out fairly soon. Personally I think they’ll be reselling the standard TiVo boxes, perhaps with custom HME applications for any WindStream specific needs.

Well, just the other day I reported on ARCHOS adding place-shifting to their 605 WiFi, 705WiFi, and TV+ systems with their ‘TVportation’ plug-in. And now comes news via TWICE that ARCHOS also intends to turn the 605 WiFi into an automotive GPS navigation device.

They’ll accomplish this via the release of a car cradle which will hold the 605 against the windshield while incorporating the GPS antenna and receiver as well as TeleAtlas maps of the US and Canada, an RDS receiver for live traffic updates, and an FM transmitted to deliver turn-by-turn directions via the car’s speakers. (They can also come via the 605’s speaker.) It seems like ARCHOS is really trying to make their PMPs into all-purpose gadgets.

TiVo has repackaged their Blue Moon Birthday Special promotional bundle as a Mother’s Day gift bundle. The details are the same - a TiVo HD, TiVo WiFi adapter, product lifetime, and a TiVo plush doll - all for $698.99.

They also have a number of Series2DT and TiVo HD gift packages available, amongst other items in the store.