Dave Zatz

TiVo Desktop 2.4 Public Beta Released

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While I was preoccupied in Canada, TiVo released a public beta of TiVo Desktop 2.4. Notable new features include the ability to broadcast “HD” photographs (1280×720) from computer to Series3 TiVo and the ability to transcode several video formats (other than DivX) for transfer to and playback on Series2 units. A less glamorous, but useful, feature allows the software to map beyond the default TiVo folder.

A few gotchas… TiVo has labeled this Preview software, though they document about a dozen known issues (hence my Public Beta label). The ability to transcode video (for TiVo playback OR in the other direction for iPod and PSP playback) requires a Plus codec license: $25. Sorry Mac owners, this is a Windows-only release — Perhaps Roxio will incorporate similar functionality into a Toast update.

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XM & Sirius To Merge (Maybe)

xm-sirius-merger.jpgThe rumors have been going on (and off) for a couple of years, so today’s XM/Sirius announcement doesn’t come as a huge shocker. They’re hoping to seal the deal by the end of the year. Though, we’ll see if regulators (and shareholders?) allow it to go through… HD Radio is advertising heavily here in the DC area (home of the FCC and Congress) which actually should help XM/Sirius make the argument that they aren’t competing against each other, but rather they are competing against AM, FM, and now HD… plus Internet radio.

While a joint satellite radio company should be able to share a variety of expenses and thus cut costs, they also get to share debt and the challenge of attracting and retaining subscribers. If the merger comes to pass, current Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin will run the company with Howard Stern as CFO.

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TiVo Lowers Service Fees & Rebates

TiVo is still trying to find that sweet spot between upfront hardware costs and recurring monthly service fees in attracting customers and eeking out a profit. In the last 18 months, they’ve instituted a cancellation fee, experimented with a variety of rebates and online deals, killed the Lifetime service option and generally confused folks with multiple purchase options.

So where are we now? I have no idea and my head hurts… The Winter rebate for standard def units expired yesterday ($180), and the replacement rebate is $30 less ($150). However, service fees have gone down as well: $16.95/mo with a 1 year commitment, $14.95/mo with 2, and $12.95/mo with 3 years. Can this be applied to existing hardware? Someone make the call and let us know.

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Free March Madness Webcast Returns

Awesome, the NCAA and CBS SportsLine are serving up March Madness On Demand (again) online and for free! Sure, glued to my laptop may not be the ideal way to watch days of basketball but I’ll be able to view specific games that my local affiliate doesn’t broadcast (if necessary). Starting March 5th, the site … Read more

The Perfect Phone

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My headline is a fantasy… There is no perfect phone. My favorite phone for purely email and voice has been the Blackberry 8700, but as a guy who runs a decent amount of multimedia, Windows Mobile is my preferred OS. (Though it frequently drives me crazy.)

I’ve been using the 6700 on Sprint since last summer and it’s time for change. The thing weighs a ton, no longer holds a charge, and I find the hidden keyboard too wide for comfortable thumb typing.

To borrow a term from Gizmodo, I’d like to build a Windows Mobile “Frankenphone” using the best features of the Dash, Blackjack, and 700w:

Dash

  • Form factor
  • Standard USB Connection
  • Windows Mobile 6 Update

Blackjack

  • 3G Connectivity
  • Jog Dial
  • Extra Battery

Palm 700w

  • Software dialing enhancements
  • Touchscreen
  • 3G Connectivity

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TiVo Series2 Receives Minor Update

Broadband-connected Series2 owners: 8.1 becomes 8.1a… This release is a very small update, specifically targeted to address the TiVoToGo issue and provide some needed infrastructure for the new Amazon service.

Update: Dave’s Vista Upgrade

So much for getting Vista this month… or even next month. Looks like I’m slated for a mid-April delivery. I’m no math whiz, but that doesn’t seem like 6-8 weeks after US launch. “Express Upgrade” is a bit misleading… Bah! Between the numerous hotfixes in the works and at least one report that editing DVR-MS … Read more