Another compelling nugget of intel out of TiVo’s quarterly call is the upcoming release of an “IP-STB” for both their cable partners and retail customers.
The device will act as an extender for a TiVo DVR hub, such as the Premiere Elite, to stream both live and recorded programming in addition to providing access to Internet apps like Netflix and Pandora. And it’s exactly the sort of whole-home TiVo solution many of us have been pining for since the TiVo Preview was unveiled. Unfortunately, while the Preview can act as an extender for Premiere hardware, it was designed to be offered directly by TiVo cable company partners as a DVR-less set-top cable box. By comparison, this unnamed device (that sounds something like the discontinued Moxi Mate) does away with the CableCARD tuner and will also find its way into retail channels, probably starting with TiVo.com, late this summer or fall.
Dependent on hardware pricing and possible service fees, I could see replacing my existing DVRs with a single Premiere Elite and sprinkling a few of these IP-STBs around the house.