UPDATE: The TiVo 3.0 iOS app is now live.
The second screen invasion is upon us. And TiVo continues to iterate on their very fine companion app. Next up is a reformulation of content discovery. While both the TiVo Premiere and current iPad app provide curated Collections, TiVo tells me the engagement hasn’t been as significant as hoped. Yet they still see great value in providing this sort of intel to subscribers and intends to move suggestions front and center this spring. The 6 “What To Watch” columns will appear when opening the app and consist of both linear and over-the-top content, as you can see from the two included screengrabs. And, like Verizon’s “What’s Hot” app feature for those seeking inspiration, the TiVo app update presents trending live programming culled from subscribers.
From the press release:
TiVo users are immediately presented with the programming they would most enjoy without surfing channels or browsing a guide. “What to Watch Now” combines the viewer’s preferences based on viewing history and assesses live programs airing within the next 30 minutes against real-time, regional viewing trends and user-defined preferences, to offer tailored entertainment recommendations categorized by genre, in an easy to use format.
It’s probably safe to assume “What To Watch” will hit iPad and iPhone mobiles ahead of Android. But TiVo did indicate Android support will be arriving for TiVo Stream this year. And the hold up may have partially been related to effectively securing content on that platform, with TiVo now in a better place given current levels Android 4.0+ penetration.