TiVo has added two more channels to TiVo, both from Veoh obviously given their names, Ego TV on Veoh and SomaGirls TV on Veoh.

Ego TV describes themselves thusly:

Success. Prosperity. Fame. All are a part of your identity - your Ego. Ego TV is a new multi-platform TV network that’s all about prosperity and how to achieve it. Your Ego is your confidence booster that guides you to success. Listen to your Ego. Everyone has an ego.

Frankly just that description makes me never want to be forced to watch an episode of this channel, but out of commitment to this blog I tried to watch the latest episode on the site ‘Malibu U Episode 2′ - and I still regret it. The things I endure for my readers. Anyway, if you do want to watch it, as usual you can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> Ego TV on Veoh.

SomaGirls TV doesn’t sound like a big improvement:

The latest Celebrity news, Make-up styles, and fashion trends.

Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be subscribing to that one either. If you want to, wait for it, you can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> SomaGirls TV on Veoh.

While I’m talking about TiVoCast, what’s happened to some of the older channels? For example, GeekBrief.TV hasn’t updated since early July. And The Watcher on TiVo is decent enough - but is there some major delay? The last episode, which I received just days ago, was talking about ‘upcoming’ season premiers for returning shows - which were returning in early-to-mid July. Not so useful to be told not to miss a premier when it aired last month.

And yet still no Tekzilla.

No, that isn’t a redundant subject line, the full name of the new TiVoCast channel is ‘The Watcher On TiVo’. The Watcher On TiVo carries videos from Chicago Tribune TV Critic Maureen Ryan, and would seem to be the content promised in the May announcement of TiVo’s partnership with the Tribune. At the time it sounded like the videos would only be available to Chicago locals, and I wondered in comments on some other blogs why they wouldn’t make them available to all subscribers as it would help promote the Tribune. And it looks like that’s what they’ve done, since Worcester, MA isn’t exactly in the Chicago, IL area.

You can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> The Watcher On TiVo

And I was right about it being basically a TiVoCast with a corresponding Guru Guide. The Guru Guide is available under You can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> KidZone Recommendations & Guru Guides -> Featured -> Best Bets from The Watcher The Guru Guide is also available online.

On a different note, I finally got 9.4 this evening and I’ve had a little time to explore. I tried the YouTube feature and was vastly amused to discover the today’s ‘Most Viewed’ video is a ~10 minute clip from the hentai anime New Angel (aka Shin Angel). Not too graphic, looks like it was edited with a meat cleaver, but still amusing. Ah, YouTube.

But I have to say, poking around and playing different videos, it looks surprisingly good on my 61″ DLP. Much better than I was expecting actually, giving the normal resolution of YouTube videos. Well done TiVo. I hope they make the streaming H.264 generic so other sites can use it.

Being able to Review Thumbs is interesting, but I wish it allowed me to sort it alphabetically. That would make it easier to find a specific program. It looks like it is sorted by some ranking system, since there is no discernible order. There are also odd duplications in the list, with the same program or movie appearing twice.

Everything seems to work as I’d expect, I think 9.4 is a nice update.

TiVo has added yet another channel to TiVoCast. This time it is Nite Fite, a new original animated series by Dan Meth and Mark Vitelli. You may recognize Dan Meth if you subscribe to the Channel Frederator TiVoCast channel, as he did the ‘Meth Minute 39′ series of shorts which recently ended. Nite Fite is also A Frederator Production, and it looks like characters from the Meth Minute may pop up as ‘callers’ into the program.

The format is somewhat of a spoof of political talk shows with ‘Penalty’, the liberal, and ‘Lloyd’, the conservative. As their site says:

Nite Fite! Penalty and Lloyd are unscripted, unrehearsed, and completely uninformed. Join them each week as they press hot-button issues and give America a dose of hard talk.

You can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> Nite Fite

TiVo is also teasing me (and others I’m sure). When I went unto Download TV, Movies, & Web Video I saw that I now have YouTube as a menu option. But if I select it all I get is:

Coming Soon

YouTube is coming to TiVo! Soon, you will be able to browse, search, and watch YouTube videos on your TiVo DVR. Check back here on August 1st, 2008!

My TiVo still has 9.3a, no 9.4 yet. So it looks like they’ve updated the HME broadband video application but you have to wait for 9.4 to use it.

TiVo has added a new channel to the TiVoCast lineup - Howcast. As they describe themselves:

Founded by veterans of Google and YouTube, Howcast brings together the personality of user-generated content with the quality of a professional video studio to create engaging, informative, and free how-to videos for consumers. It also offers emerging filmmakers an opportunity to gain experience, exposure, and income. With high quality, compelling video content, Howcast opens new opportunities for viewers, video producers, content distributors, and advertisers.

Want to know how to re-wire a lamp, swaddle a baby, or chill a six pack in three minutes? Howcast.com can show you how. Howcast currently has offices in New York City and San Francisco and is looking for talented individuals to join its growing team.

You can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> Howcast

TiVo has added another TiVoCast channel, City By City. It is another channel from ON Networks, and it describes itself as:

City by City, a travel show with a twist, is your virtual little black book for the swankiest cities across Europe. From Dublin to Istanbul, City by City is an insiders’ guide to fabulous, off the beaten path finds in each featured city. From hip, local hang-outs to 5 Star luxury hotels, the lovely Manjit Devgun takes you on a stylish discovery tour of the culture capitals of Europe.

You can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> City By City

TiVo has added another channel to the TiVoCast lineup, MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer. Lifted from the sites bio page:

MediaBytes is a filtered daily news service from ShellyPalmer.com. Each day we sort out all the technology, media and entertainment news so you don’t have to. You give us two minutes, and we’ll give you the stuff you really care about.

And who is Shelly Palmer? Also from the bio page:

Shelly Palmer is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2006, Focal Press). Shelly is also the president of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY, vice-chairman of The National Academy of Media Arts & Sciences and oversees the Advanced Media Technology Emmy® Awards.

And that’s the really, really short version - you can get the full version from the site. I’ve been reading various of his blogs for a while now.

As for the TiVoCast channel, you can subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> MediaBytes

I think TiVo is pulling some entries from the Web Video list too - I know I saw one of Robert Scoble’s video podcasts in the list the other day, but it doesn’t seem to be listed anymore. I wonder what happens if you subscribe to a Web Video feed and then they remove it from the list. Are you forcefully unsubscribed? Are you stuck being subscribed - since you lose the ability to edit or remove subscription? (Without manually editing the TiVo Desktop configuration files anyway, which is not something most users are going to be doing.)

TiVo is rapidly expanding their TiVoCast lineup, which is great, but they really, really need to do something to notify their users of all these new channels. I’d bet most users don’t check the lineup that often and don’t realize all the channels that have been added as of late. They should do an on-box message when they add new channels - at least do one once a month with a list of the new TiVoCast channels, new Web Video selections, and anything else that has been added in the past month, like any new HME applications. They need to do more to draw the average user in, and not just obsessive geeks like myself who keep checking manually - and those of you reading this right now.

So, right, this time there are two new items in TiVoCast. The first is Golf Tips, which is more fully Golf Tips with Joe Beck. This is yet another channel from ON Networks, as most of the recent additions have been.

Golf Tips is a show that will make your drive longer, your putts more accurate, and your game better. PGA Professional Golf Instructor Joe Beck drives home tips and advice on the links with humor and a determined eye to make viewers’ games better. From Hook Shots to the Rockport Stinger, Joe can help.

Subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> Golf Tips

And the other channel is Vogue.TV, which comes, unsurprisingly, from Vogue magazine. From their FAQ:

Vogue.TV allows consumers to shop the advertising pages of Vogue and watch original video programming developed with our advertisers. Users are able to browse and buy products featured in the advertising pages of Vogue and in episodes of original programming.

Subscribe online or on your TiVo via Find Programs & Downloads -> Download TV, Movies, & Web Video -> Browse Other Videos -> All -> Vogue.TV

I’m sure we’ll be seeing more channels soon.

Now where is Tekzilla?