Well, apparently TiVo took exception to this app, because it is gone from the Android Market. And, according to the creator in a post dated 11/29, this is due to a takedown request from TiVo on trademark grounds:

Late last night, TiVo sent a takedown request for this app to the Android Market, on trademark infringement claims. It was honored, and thus this app was removed.

Time will tell what happens to rectify this. If you have graphic design skills you could probably help me hasten that.

My reaction is simple – this sucks. TiVo has been promising an Android app for a long time now without delivering and it is really cool to have independent developers stepping up. This app is one of the best, which is why it has been so popular. It only works with the TiVo Premiere family and TiVo gives their apps away for free, so it isn’t like it is taking any revenue away from TiVo. If anything I’d think it might get more people to buy a TiVo since they can use their Android devices to control them.

As the author implies, the suspicion is that TiVo took issue with the use of their graphics. The application includes a very nice visual representation of the TiVo Remote, for example. But what does that mean for other apps, like VM TiVo Net Remote, which also use TiVo graphics? It is a shame that TiVo would go this route, but if this is the root of the issue then at least the solution should be simple – replace the graphics. An alternative is to use an original interface as TiVoNetRemote for Windows Phone has. Did EchoStar/Sling Media license the TiVo graphics for SlingPlayer? How about Monsoon Multimedia for HAVA/Vulkano?

I’ve reached out to TiVo to see if they have an official statement on the takedown – why it was done, and if they might be going after other apps as well. I’ll post their response if & when I receive it.

In the meantime there is a bit of good news, the app is still available for direct download. So you can sideload it on your Android device even though you can’t get it through the market. And I’m sure that even if this avenue goes away the .apk file will find new homes on the net, especially now that this has happened. But I recommend downloading it right now, just in case. You can always keep the .apk file around to install it later, if & when you need it.

Description

TiVo Commander is an open source clone of the TiVo for iPad and iPhone app for Android.
It is capable of connecting to and controlling a TiVo Premiere device.

Features:
* A full remote control, with keyboard input.
* Browse all recorded shows. Watch and delete them.
* Search for shows/movies/actors.
* See credits for shows/movies, and suggestions for similar shows/movies.
* Record individual shows and add/modify/remove season passes.

TiVo Commander is open source software. It is NOT affiliated with TiVo Inc.

Screenshots:

Note that he’s serious when he says TiVo Premiere. I tried it on my TiVo Series3 and it won’t connect. And if it can’t connect you can’t even get past the settings screen in the app. I checked my Series3 and it doesn’t respond on the port the app is using, so that’s Premiere-only for sure. If you have feedback there is a discussion thread at TiVoCommunity.

If you have a TiVo Series3 or Tivo HD and you’re looking for an Android app, Tim Hoeck’s TiVoRemote is still in the market for $0.99. I’ve had this on my Droid pretty much since it was released.

I also just stumbled over another free TiVo remote app for Andorid, RCX for TiVo. The app is listed as ‘free – beta’, but seems to work based on user reviews.

Both of these apps are just remote control apps, they don’t have all the fancy features for the Premiere like TiVo’s official iOS apps or TiVo Commander, but they will work with the Series3 and up. Of course, if you’re a Virgin Media TiVo customer in the UK you can use their official TV Guide.

TiVo has stated they are working on an official Android app, but no word on when we might see it.

While looking in the Android Market I noticed a couple of other interesting, TiVo-related apps.
TiVo Music Server by Earl Magnus does pretty much what the name implies. It streams MP3 files from your Android device to your TiVo, just like TiVo Desktop does on your PC. It is a fairly new app and has some limitations (MP3s must be on the SD card/external storage, not internal, etc.) but it is free and seems to do what it promises. And Earl has a support thread on TiVoCommunity for feedback.

The other app is the $1.99 Zamar by JCIDSoftware.

Description

Your Media Library Wherever You Are
Take your media library with you, where you go!
•Stream your music
•View and download photos, display them through your TiVo on you TV
•Download your movies
•Remote control your TiVo

Use TiVo Desktop media server, or pyTiVo to stream your music, photos, and music. Remote control your TiVo, and auto-scan favorite channels

While it also claims to work as a TiVo remote, the really interesting thing is that it implements TiVo’s API for streaming media – but not as a server, as a TiVo does! So you can stream/copy content from TiVo Desktop or third party servers like pyTiVo/PyTiVoX (and I’m guessing Streambaby might work), which are normally used to send content to a TiVo. That’s pretty unusual, but if you have things setup for your TiVo you can take advantage of it with Zamar too.

TiVo Commander spotted via Engadget.