About a week ago, Verizon launched Media Manager for Mac OS X. While it’s not quite as capable as their Windows version with drive scanning and Internet video capability, this desktop app makes iPhoto (albums, events, slideshows) and iTunes (playlists) available for streaming to FiOS DVR hardware (similar to TiVo Desktop, circa 2006). Media Manager essentially channels iPhoto and iTunes as a System Preferences pane, which is probably the preferred approach in the Mac world, but without actually being housed in System Preferences. At least not on my laptop running Snow Leopard, where I hear a few quirks still need to be ironed out.
Speaking of deep moles, it’s been awhile since I’ve been formally briefed on Verizon’s FiOS TV roadmap. I know folks have been clamoring for increased recording capacity and, last I heard, 2009 was to be the year of additional storage. But subscribers will have to wait until 2010 for significant improvement. New DVR hardware, with larger drive capacity, is currently being tested and should be available early next year. Additionally, a variety of external storage options (USB, eSATA, NAS) are (still) being researched. Although it’s not yet clear where Verizon will land or the timing of those solutions.