No, I don’t mean TiVo is doing place-shifting. And no, I’m not referring to TiVoToGo. Or even the remote scheduling deals with Verizon or with RIM for BlackBerry – though those are close. What I am talking about is a new TiVo website aimed at mobile devices, m.tivo.com, available in beta today and available widely in a few weeks.

My personal opinion is that it is about time, and I mean that as supportively as possible. Back when TiVo first introduced online scheduling one of the first things geeks like myself did was try it from our mobile devices – PDAs and smartphones. And the main TiVo website has always been a little iffy on mobile devices, for various reasons. So there has long been a call to make the site work better on mobiles. And then when they launched the Verizon scheduling application it created a renewed call for generic mobile device support via a standards-based mobile-optimized website. So I’m really glad to see this announced, and I look forward to trying it out as soon as it is available.

The new site isn’t just limited to TiVo users, it is open to anyone with a mobile device with an Internet connection and web browser. You can browse TV schedules and search for programs. The descriptions sounds a lot like the functionality in TiVo’s Swivel Search or WishLists. You can search title, actor, director, and keyword – so when your out with friends and you can’t think of the name of that show with that actor you know, you can find it right away. And it also has TiVo’s recommendations engine, used in TiVo Suggestions, to suggest “If you like this, you may also like” entries. And, of course, TiVo owners will be able to then schedule recordings on their TiVo right from the phone.

The press release:
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