As part of the broadband strategy announced last last fall, TiVo has introduced unified search functionality. “Swivel Search” offers enhanced on-box querying, but also reaches beyond broadcast television and into TiVoCast and Amazon Unbox programming. Additionally, show information will include representative thumbnail images pulled across the Internet, with actor headshots to follow. The press release says:
Swivel Search, which provides broadband-connected TiVo subscribers the power to quickly find programming. [In addition to using] a title or keyword, with universal Swivel Search TiVo subscribers can also search using the way they intuitively think about television; that is, by starting with a program they currently enjoy and using elements of that program to find more of what they like. Universal Swivel Search allows viewers to seamlessly link from descriptions of one program to all others that have common elements, including program name, actors, or suggestions based on other viewers’ feedback. Additionally, users can find programs related to a specific subject with ‘tags,’ which are topic-related terms that might not be included in the program’s title or episode description, but fall under an over-arching subject of interest.
While I did see some enhanced search functionality on the Comcast Motorola TiVo, this is orders of magnitude more powerful… and according to USA Today, it will not be included in the MSO software.
If you want to be first on the block with Swivel Search, sign up on TiVo’s priority software update page.
Why did they add this new “More Options” screen that you must first select to get to the new options, rather than just scrolling down past “Save to VCR” ? I would’ve rather had the other two (soon to be three) options in one list, especially since if you’re still on the (main) Program screen, hitting “play” on the remote goes right back to the program. I hope this doesn’t lead to a new “Even More Options” at the bottom of the “More Options” screen…
In any case, I’m glad to see TiVo finally shipping some long-overdue new features. Now if they’ll just consider giving us the ability to trim shows (“delete from start to here” and “delete from here to end” would be awesome), then I can finally save only the parts of shows that I actually want to save, and free up some valuable drive space.
Show trimming can be handle with MRV.
1) Pasue show on source TiVo
2) Transfer show to target TiVo from paused point.
3) End transfer where desired.
-Roll
Hmmm. Interesting approach. If only MRV worked on the Series 3. Then I’d only need to buy _one_ more TiVo instead of _two_ in order to do this. :-/
It would be great if under “Recording” options you could “Start Recording” xx minutes late, instead of just on-time or 1-10 minutes early!
Unfortunately it is unavailable to Canadian subscribers. Very disappointing!!!!
I believe this one applies “Unless each man prodiuses more than he receives, increases his output, there will be less for him than all the others”, doesn’t it?
This one makes sence “One’s first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything – and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”