TiVo, easily my favorite DVR brand and Internet-based VoD (Video on Demand) are growing closer. In 2010, RCN Corp., a telecom and datacom provider in the Midwest and Northeast US will be offering co-branded, HD TiVo DVRs that will integrate RCN’s programming and Video on Demand (VoD) library with Internet delivered VoD and video programming
In a statement, Peter D. Aquino, CEO of RCN, said, “RCN, the pioneer of triple play technology, is proud to partner with TiVo, the pioneer of DVR technology, to offer our customers a unique content and feature rich experience that is superior to any cable or satellite offering available today. The TiVo DVR from RCN is a truly innovative convergence of video and broadband programming controlled through a single user interface that is simple, intuitive, and dramatically different from that of other DVRs. We are always looking for ways to improve our customers’ experience, and TiVo brings us the best feature set at a very compelling value while also allowing us to deploy these new services faster than our competitors because we can leverage our current infrastructure.”
Tom Rogers, president and CEO of TiVo, returned the complements saying, “We are thrilled with this relationship because RCN is stepping up to be the first cable provider to offer the TiVo hardware and software as its primary DVR product, giving its customers total control over a truly integrated, 100% digital experience that combines traditional television programming with the rapidly growing universe of internet delivered content.”
Leaving aside the fact that of course they’re going to say they love this upcoming package, I see a lot to like here too. Besides TiVo’s unmatched remote and TV interface, I really like the idea of having a single, unified interface to both conventional cable and Internet TV offerings. In addition, and this is a real winner, RCN promises you’ll be able to search for shows across all their TV offerings. So, if you want to watch a movie, an you’ve no clue if its on cable/satellite network like Turner Classic Movies or VoD Internet network, you don’t have to worry with it. All you’ll need to do is search for it, find it, and watch it.
You can already use a network ready and connected TiVo, such as a Series2, HD, or HDXL, to view VoD from Amazon Video, Netflix, CinemaNow, and Jaman. But, you’ll need to set up each one manually. With this package, it will be much easier to get to the VoD services and other Internet TV like YouTube.
Besides this promising combination of conventional and Internet TV, this package will also offer at least one other really nice feature: the ability to connect two or more RCN TiVo DVRs through your home network so that you can easily watch a show recorded on one TiVo in another room with its TiVo. I really, really like this idea a lot.
Alas, since I live near Asheville, NC, I won’t be able to get my hands on this package anytime soon. If you live somewhere where this service will be available, I really recommend that you give it a try. It sounds great.
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