As part of the broadband strategy announced last last fall, TiVo has introduced unified search functionality. “Swivel Search” offers enhanced on-box querying, but also reaches beyond broadcast television and into TiVoCast and Amazon Unbox programming. Additionally, show information will include representative thumbnail images pulled across the Internet, with actor headshots to follow. The press release says:
Swivel Search, which provides broadband-connected TiVo subscribers the power to quickly find programming. [In addition to using] a title or keyword, with universal Swivel Search TiVo subscribers can also search using the way they intuitively think about television; that is, by starting with a program they currently enjoy and using elements of that program to find more of what they like. Universal Swivel Search allows viewers to seamlessly link from descriptions of one program to all others that have common elements, including program name, actors, or suggestions based on other viewers’ feedback. Additionally, users can find programs related to a specific subject with ‘tags,’ which are topic-related terms that might not be included in the program’s title or episode description, but fall under an over-arching subject of interest.
While I did see some enhanced search functionality on the Comcast Motorola TiVo, this is orders of magnitude more powerful… and according to USA Today, it will not be included in the MSO software.
If you want to be first on the block with Swivel Search, sign up on TiVo’s priority software update page.