TiVo continues to experiment with their underlying SkipMode technologies. We’ve seen them invert ad skipping to highlight Super Bowl commercials the last two years and they just recently implemented automatic commercial skipping. But now they’re attempting something new with “Chaptering.”
Sorta like DVD chapters, TiVo personnel are testing backend content bookmarking within a DVR recording. Which makes a lot of sense for live events, such as award shows and sporting events. For example, they indexed the Billboard Music Awards last week to highlight notable awards and performances. See it in action above, where I skip right over the fluff by simply clicking the green D remote button.
Sadly, the first cut of TiVo Chaptering doesn’t feature any sort of visual cues. I had incorrectly assumed the the skip-to-tick playback bar would be updated with markers – much like Hulu’s ad breaks. In any event, TiVo’s trialing some very cool stuff and, unlike prior iterations of the company, doing it in plain sight while soliciting input from owners. 👍