TiVo’s Fall Update has begun rolling out – with TiVo Roamio, Premiere, and Mini boxes on the priority list slated to receive software version 20.4.4 as early as last night. Deployment is expected to conclude in a few weeks. Package highlights:
- Record series on all channels
- Extended timelines up to 6 months for Season Pass recordings
- Updated HTML5 Spotify app
- New Home Shopping Network app
On the surface, this isn’t so interesting (and I say that as a Spotify subscriber). Although tracking down Season Passes outside of the 14 day window will come in handy for many. Including TiVo themselves when customers (no longer) migrate busted SPs to new DVRs. However, behind the scenes, this update lays the groundwork for Roamio Android streaming to debut towards the end of the month – finally! Further, based on VP Margret Schmidt’s release notes, it appears Amazon Instant and Vudu apps are tentatively scheduled for a late November update. 2014 is certainly shaping up to be a great year for TiVo owners.
I saw the update on one of my boxes this morning but did not do anything with it. I wonder if the spotify app will still require a subscription or if it will follow the iOS (and Android?) model of not requiring a subscription?
I assume the 6-month season pass thing is mostly a database thing – allow queries to items in the database of programs 6-months back rather than just a 2-week database.
I’ve been wondering for years why there hasn’t been multi-channel season pass. Will be nice to finally see that.
Seems like a pretty small update. UPnP, enhancing the podcast downloading capabilities (youtube and the hot area need a facelift), or how about useful apps (not app). 6-months for HSN, really who cares. Get some useful apps.
Any word on if they will allow Mirroring with the Android app, or will it be gimped like the ios version?
It’s great to be able to watch something from my Tivo on vacation, but I don’t want to crowd around my iPad.
If that can prevent screen mirroring, they will do so to keep big cable and the studio system at bay. We have a lot to learn still – which devices, will cellular streaming finally work (on iOS), will they lose the proxy, etc.
“- Note: this release is required in order to use Android Streaming once the new Android App is released (expected at the end of this month).”
I think this update, which comes only two months after the Summer update, was released only to get Android streaming working. I know my Cable company RCN held off on update 20.4.2 waiting for this update (20.4.4) to roll out Android streaming to customers at the end of the month.
At least there’s the Fall update coming!
Dave, I noticed that you only mentioned Roamio when referring to Android streaming. Will Android streaming work with the TiVo stream too? I sure hope so. I’d certainly be disappointed if I had to get a Roamio vs Premiere just to stream to Android.
I do expect it to also work with Stream, but it would get a different sort of software update – 20.4.4 is specific to the set-tops. Hopefully the timing will be similar and we’ll see some sort of Stream update soon too.
All my TiVos got the update last night.
It’s certainly nice to get the fall update while it’s still Summer. Although I was hoping Amazon Streaming and Vudu would come out before November.
The TiVo iOS app doesn’t appear to know about the not in 2 week update. I am trying to schedule a few season passes for new fall series and while they appear when doing a search, it will only let me create a wishlist – not a season pass.
I know these updates are often not as fast or dramatic as some would like(especially the NON/previous TiVo owners), but being someone who has been following TiVo for around six years, the gradual and continuous updates to the “current?” platform is pretty impressive.
I really feel like RCN helped TiVo see the light in regards to continued Premiere support and I agree the updates have been flowing pretty well the last year – amazing what they can do when they’re less distracted by lawsuits and the Haxe rewrite may have cost them some time in the short term, but seems to have quite a few long term advantages… including faster iteration and additional platforms.
When will tivo allow streaming of live content to an iPad or iPhone without actually recording the channel? This is awkward, sometimes i just want to channel surf while on my iPad. I won’t even touch on the non wifi, baby steps i guess. I asked margaret about a year ago, forget what she said but something like its coming or maybe ignored me. I don’t understand this.
If you have a Roamio as a host for the mini then can you play recordings that are saved on an old tivo premiere dvr (2 turner) on the mini? I understand that the 2 turner premiere won’t function to watch live tv on the mini or serve as the host but can I access its recordings on mini if I have a Roamio host????
Wait, how were the podcast abilities changed? I admittedly don’t watch podcasts MUCH on my Tivo anymore.. since I watch them in Podcasts on my iPad at 2x speed.. But I still have my Tivo download them as a ‘backup’.. (and I know I have one there recently that Podcasts didn’t download and isn’t in the feed anymore, so it truly is useful).
the “discovery bar” on my Roamio is now completely blank.
Now if only they’d finish their damned interface. SD menus in 2014?! Seriously, TiVo. Hire ONE PERSON and assign them to do nothing but that. How long could it take?
the “discovery bar” on my Roamio is now completely blank.
Bet a lot of people would like that “feature” … ;)
I would hate for my Discovery Bard to be blank. It has come in handy too many times over the years.
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