It looks like the long promised software update to the DirecTiVo boxes is finally here. Users are TiVoCommunity are reporting receiving 6.4a on their units. As announced last July, the update includes the Recently Deleted folder in the Now Playing List, Overlap Protection (clipping), and DirecTV’s Remote Booking - aka online scheduling. There are reported to be a number of cosmetic changes to the menus as well, making them resemble the current standalone boxes more closely.

Unfortunately, that seems to be it. While some were hoping the update would activate the USB ports and networking, that doesn’t seem to be the case. So the DirecTiVo units still lack many of the features of standalone TiVos.

DirecTV’s HDPC-20 tuner card for Windows Media Center has been vaporware for a couple of years, but after a sighting in January it looks like it is slowing moving toward release with a beta program. EngadgetHD has a screen capture of the invite that was sent out.

TiVo CEO Tom Rogers today took part in a Q&A session at the Bear Stearns 21st Annual Media Conference, which is available as a webcast. Not a lot was said that we haven’t heard before in past presentations, such as last week’s earnings call. Rogers reiterated that TiVo is confident that the trial court will side with TiVo with respect to the trial awards, and that TiVo is doubtful that Dish Network really has a non-infringing work-around in place today which would dodge the injunction. There was an extensive discussion on advertising and where TiVo fits with their advertising and audience measurement offerings.

On the hardware front Rogers again stressed that TiVo is focusing on the TiVo HD platform, and that the TiVo HD is effectively not subsidized on sales direct from TiVo.com, and only minimally subsidized at retail (basically the retailers cut). That’s a different direction for TiVo, which had in the past heavily subsidized the hardware. This is a major part of TiVo’s effort to become profitable, but reducing their marketing costs. (Subsidies fall under marketing.) He also said that producing their own hardware, as opposed to becoming strictly a software provider to Comcast, etc, helps to drive innovation. TiVo is able to bring features to their own platform much faster than other platforms, including their growing focus on broadband content. During the discussion Rogers mention that they’ll have several announcements in that area in the coming months.

Touching on the Comcast OCAP software, Rogers said “There are some minor bugs related to some speed issues that we’ll work out in the next few months.” We’ve seen reports on those issues from the users who have already received the TiVo software. He also said Comcast plans to roll out the TiVo software in ‘multiple’ markets throughout the US this year.

They spent some time discussing TiVo and DirecTV, but they really danced around the possibility of DirecTV returning to TiVo as their DVR provider. Rogers did seem to hint at the possibility, as he has done in the past, but nothing really concrete was said.

Speaking of TiVo and DirecTV, reader John Garrison pointed me at a new user petition to get DirecTV and Dish Network to open their networks to third party providers like TiVo. Right now it only has 36 signatures, I think it’ll need a few more before anyone pays attention. Personally I don’t think online petitions ever really accomplish anything. It is better for users to email, or better yet snail mail, DirecTV, Dish Network, and the FCC if they want to see things change. And, if you do, keep it polite and civil.

Liberty Media has completed their acquisition of News Corp’s shares in DirecTV. The FCC approved the deal on Monday, and the Justice Department followed suit on Tuesday, clearing the deal of any anti-trust hurdles. The full deal has Liberty giving up their 16.3% share in News Corp in return for News Corp’s controlling 41% share of DirecTV, three regional sports networks, and $625 million in cash. The total deal is valued at $13.6 billion. The acquisition has been long rumored to signal the potential return of TiVo as DirecTV’s DVR platform, as Liberty Media is also a corporate investor in TiVo. Only time will tell.

Via EngadgetHD.

Zatz Not Funny is reporting on a new Bear Stearns report which suggests that DirecTV may return to using TiVo for their DVRs once Liberty Media complete their acquisition of DirecTV:

We believe the new DTV management may be more amenable to renewing a relationship with TiVo. The TiVo HD-DVR offers several advantages over the NDS DVRs, including better user interface, wireless access can provide quasi-VOD service, ad revs would be incremental, and TiVo’s HD-DVR is already cheaper than NDS’ HD-DVR.

We already know that the TiVo HD platform has been designed to serve as a basis for further development. And the DVB-T reference platform, which is TiVo HD derived and forms the basis for the Australian unit, is also capable of being modified for DVB-S - another satellite system. It is logical to believe that the TiVo HD could also be readily modified to be a new DirecTiVo.

TiVo and DirecTV still have a working relationship, TiVo is working on updated software for the current DirecTiVos. And Liberty Media is one of TiVo’s corporate investors, so it certainly makes sense that they would want to throw business in TiVo’s direction. Just as News Corp shifted DirecTV’s DVRs to NDS, as News Corp also owns NDS. Keeping it in the family is a better return on investment.

This is certainly not the first time the rumor has come up since the Liberty Media buy was first announced. DirecTV’s recent acquisition of ReplayTV casts a small cloud on the matter, but it still seems like that buy was for the patents. The patents would give DTV some protection from lawsuits, such as the one TiVo brought against DISH Network, as well as giving them some more leverage in negotiations with other vendors.

EDIT: As I was writing this post I meant to mention that TiVo is participating in the Bear Stearns 21st Annual Media Conference on March 11, 2008. I just plain forgot to include that tidbit somehow.

Playing catch-up to TiVo (and ReplayTV before them), DirecTV is adding the ability to schedule recordings on their DVRs via the Internet, which they’re calling DVR Scheduler. Right now they’re doing a ’soft launch’ on the HR20 and R15, with other models to follow in the official roll-out in February.

Online go to directv.com/tvlistings, from a mobile phone visit m.directv.com.

The web pages refer to the DirecTV Plus DVR and the DirecTV Plus HD DVR, which is bad news for DirecTiVo owners, right? Not according to the FAQ. See item number 8:

Does this work with my DIRECTV TiVo?

No, but it will work with certain DIRECTV Series 2 devices soon.

This is part of the DirecTiVo software update announced last July for an ‘early 2008′ release. One of the features mentioned at the time was ‘Remote Booking’, as DirecTV was then calling it. Other known features will be the Recently Deleted folder and Overlap Protection, which standalone TiVo owners have enjoyed for some time.

One drawback to DirecTV’s system is that it is one-way. The recording request is sent via satellite, and there is no confirmation that the request was received and acted upon by the DVR. So there’s no interactive conflict resolution, not even in a delayed fashion like TiVo, let alone real-time, just what’s built into the unit (see FAQ #19). Yet another reason why they really should make more use of broadband connectivity. Even without it they could trigger a phone call home to confirm receipt and status.

Via EngadgetHD.

The DirecTV HR21 DVR first appeared in September, and one of the key differences from the preceding HR20 was the lack of built-in ATSC tuners. While the HR20 supported satellite and ATSC, the HR21 is satellite only. This has been frustrating to many who would otherwise consider the HR21.

Well, here comes the AM21. The AM21 is a thin box that you can stack, over or under, with the HR21. It simply has two ATSC tuners and connects to the HR21 via USB. It is only $59, and once connected the functionality is just like the HR20 with integrated ATSC tuners. The ATSC channels so up on the EPG, etc.

Via EngadgetHD.