TiVo iOS App Gains Support for Cellular Streaming

[MacRumors]

Seven years after its original release on iPhone, TiVo's mobile app has finally been updated to support streaming over cellular networks.

The TV entertainment service's mobile offering previously required users to find a Wi-Fi hotspot if they wanted to stream shows on mobile, but the company has finally decided to allow users to stream live and recorded shows over their cellular connection.

Tech blog Zatz Not Funny! has pointed out that TiVo's approach remains "a bit kludgey" when streaming content over mobile. For example, there's no way to skip ads like you can on TV, although the absence of pre-roll ads should mollify that lack.

Most users will likely just be happy to have the option of watching shows on the go without having to track down a decent Wi-Fi network.

The TiVo app is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

(Via Engadget.)

Article Link: TiVo iOS App Gains Support for Cellular Streaming

 

[Justin Cymbal]

Makes sense considering the major cell networks slow down after a set data amount..

I have YouTube TV which has DVR features that work great

 

[Westside guy]

I've been a loyal TiVo owner for more than 15 years, but - I've bought my last TiVo. They're becoming less and less relevant with each day that passes.

I can't remember the last time I actually watched anything on my current TiVo - a Bolt with Lifetime.

 

[Kopa]

What? I've never heard of this before. Apps can just decide to not work over cellular?

 

[Kirb112]

I’m happy to see that they finally enabled this. However it’s a tad too late for me. Six months ago, I switched to YouTube TV and sold all of my TiVo gear. Lack of support for iOS remote streaming over cellular Was a primary reason.

 

[fishkorp]

Like others above, while great, it’s too late. They supported streaming over cellular on Android for a long time. Lack of cellular streaming was 1 of the many reasons we also switched to YouTube TV. They’re grasping to remain relevant.

 

[centauratlas]

It is a bit too late. We got a TiVo about 15-16 years ago and replaced the oldest one 2-3 years ago, but have pretty much given up using it over the last 12 months. The app wasn't reliable and compared to some other cloud based DVRs and streaming it wasn't cost effective any longer. Perhaps if they'd improved the app faster we wouldn't have explored the other options. I wish them success since competition makes everyone improve, but it isn't something we'll be buying any time soon.

 

[Ntombi]

I’ve been a TiVo user since 2001, and I agree that it’s becoming harder to stay loyal. Hulu is basically unusable via the TiVo, and streaming other apps randomly craps out, not to mention the UI (of the streaming apps).

For people who have used TiVo for a long time, what have you switched to? We still like physical hard drives for recording live TV, and still have cable. Any advice?

 

[eric20817]

I’m happy to see that they finally enabled this. However it’s a tad too late for me. Six months ago, I switched to YouTube TV and sold all of my TiVo gear. Lack of support for iOS remote streaming over cellular Was a primary reason.

Can YouTube Tv let you skip commercials or do a 15 sec skip via remote control on recorded shows?

 

[convergent]

I’ve been a TiVo user since 2001, and I agree that it’s becoming harder to stay loyal. Hulu is basically unusable via the TiVo, and streaming other apps randomly craps out, not to mention the UI (of the streaming apps).

For people who have used TiVo for a long time, what have you switched to? We still like physical hard drives for recording live TV, and still have cable. Any advice?

We switched to AT&T U-verse, because they have whole house DVR. Spectrum does not, which is a royal pain in the $$$. Tivo still has the best DVR interface out there and I stuck with it as long as I could, but just too much money tied up in it, and clearly a dying platform. My biggest problem with Uverse is that they idiotically don't include episode numbers in Guide data, only the episode names.

 

[spinboy]

LOVE my new TiVo Edge, it’s a completely different experience. With my Premiere Pro and even current cable co provided box everything loaded so slowly I never used the apps like Netflix, etc., it was just too painful. And once loaded is was usually crash city. The edge loads apps just as fast as my Appletv 4K, and the experience is nearly identical. Also, rock solid so far. If you really want bad, try the current DirecTV DVR, I switched back to cable when the edge came out and couldn’t be happier. Streaming over mobile (finally) makes me all-the-more glad I switched back.

 

[menace3]

Way too late. I remember having to use their transfer app to download shows to other devices. Havent turned on my Tivo in eons and I have a lifetime subscription.

 

[QquegChristian]

It’s time TiVo went out of business. They’ve somehow managed to become sleazier than the cable company in the past year.

1.They insert paid streaming channels every 10 channels in the guide, as if they are real channels. We’re talking streaming services NO ONE has ever heard of. Every 10 channels as you browse live TV. This is after I painstakingly removed every cable channel (hundreds) I don’t watch/subscribe to out of my guide. Now it’s cluttered with fake channels.

2. Every time I go to watch TV I have to dismiss a spam pop up advertising an upgrade offer for new/more TIVO boxes. I got the same Black Friday pop up every day for a week. This is on the TV, not their website. It’s the equivalent of having to accept a cookie policy on a website. Annoying.

3.This is the real nail in the coffin, and insane.... they now insert their own pre-roll ad before every DVR recording. A streaming ad that has to load before the broadcast recording on the hard drive plays.

You pay over $100 a month for cable. $300 to buy a TiVo, $15 a month to TiVo and you end up with DVR recordings that start like you’re watching the cheapest tier of Hulu. It’s insane. TiVo provides NO actual content, just a tv guide, costs $3 more per month than ad-free Hulu and has the audacity to serve streaming ads on every show?!

What is even scummier is that their best feature is that the box automatically skips ads on all major shows, so they’re happy to kill all ads that actually support the shows while slipping in new ads that only support TiVo.

 

[darkslide29]

I've been a loyal TiVo owner for more than 15 years, but - I've bought my last TiVo. They're becoming less and less relevant with each day that passes.

I can't remember the last time I actually watched anything on my current TiVo - a Bolt with Lifetime.

I had tivo for about 12 years myself. I am fortunate enough to be in an area that has gigabit fiber, so I ditched Comcast and went for it. Funny enough, tivo's lack of cellular streaming on mobile was one of the reasons I ditched it. Now for live tv, I signed up for Hulu Live TV. My tivo bolt w/ lifetime and tivo mini are in a closet for safe keeping for now. These boxes with lifetime tend to keep their values nicely, so I'm keeping it for now in case I change my mind or move to a place with no gigabit fiber (am renting right now).

It's been 6 months now. I will say that there are definitely things I miss from tivo (a decade+ will do that, lol). But unique features have been nice too, so there is give and take. Overall, I'm happy and plan to continue this way.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Welcome to 2010

 

[jw2002]

TiVo still exists? Well, I guess I learn something new every day. I had a lot of fun customizing my dTiVo in the mid 2000's, but the device was already kind of laggy even back then. And the newer models being marketed were even slower and less customizable. I eventually ditched it in like 2011 in favor of streaming and never looked back.

 

[class77]

I still love my Tivos. Best interface in the industry

 

[spinboy]

3.This is the real nail in the coffin, and insane.... they now insert their own pre-roll ad before every DVR recording. A streaming ad that has to load before the broadcast recording on the hard drive plays.

What is even scummier is that their best feature is that the box automatically skips ads on all major shows, so they’re happy to kill all ads that actually support the shows while slipping in new ads that only support TiVo.

I’ve never seen a TiVo ad before any of my recordings.