After a couple month absence, with the ports reopened and another production run under their belts, TiVo Stream ($130) is back in stock. And, along with it, comes a TiVo Stream software update that enables “premium sideloading” for iPad and iPhone as first referenced at CES. However, it’s not actually the act of sideloading or downloading that’s “premium” — rather, it’s the ability to get at content that’s been flagged as ‘copy once’ via the CCI Byte. When appropriately applied and for most providers, we’re talking premium cable content like HBO… versus, say, the misguided Time Warner Cable approach that flags just about everything other than the locals. Whereas these recordinings were previously inaccessible from iOS, they can now be transferred for offline viewing… assuming you’re OK in deleting it from the source DVR. Presumably, this functionality has or will also make its way to Roamio devices. Indeed, it seems like an incremental post-OnePass update is already rolling. With Android downloads on the horizon too, it’s all looking pretty rosy for TiVo owners with a penchant for mobile.
(Thanks John R and JWhites!)
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"After a couple month absence, with the ports reopened and another production run under their belts..."
That union action to close all the USB ports on the West Coast until they got a fair settlement was pretty damn disruptive, no?
(Someone should create an updated 'Maslow needs' humorous graphic to be widely shared on Twitter that reflects current realities.)
"However, it’s not actually the act of sideloading or downloading that’s “premium” — rather, it’s the ability to get at content that’s been flagged as ‘copy once’ via the CCI Byte."
TiVo's solution is quite clever in finding a way to use the precise letter of the CCI Byte law to accommodate consumers.
Keep in mind that the premium sideloading capability has been available on the Roamio Plus/Pro since the OnePass software release. This update gets TiVo Stream users up to the same level of functionality. I have already used the premium sideloading for a recent business trip -- offloading a few HBO movies to my iPad. It worked well.