TiVo and Amazon are looking at ways to bring product placements to a whole new level with the introduction of a new service called “Product Purchase.” With Product Purchase, viewers of certain television shows will be able to switch over to Amazon on their own TV sets and purchase items mentioned during the show directly from their remote control. No PC is needed for this to work - just shop from your chair or couch. The service launched today with support for four shows including the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Colbert Report, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Burn Notice. This service takes user/television show interactions to a whole new level and could bring new meaning to the impulsive shopping. Imagine, seeing a piece of clothing on Oprah’s show and then easily buying it the next minute on Amazon.com. Yeah.. better keep those credit cards secure if you ask me! Those of you with broadband connected Series2, Series3, and TiVo HD DVRs will able to use this service.

[Check it out via GearLog]

Technorati Tags: TiVo, Amazon, product purchase

Soon.. very soon TiVo users.. soon you will have access to YouTube (assuming of course you have a Series3 box or a TiVo HD box.. which means, sorry Series2 owners - you’re out of luck here). As typical for their software upgrade process, TiVo will be rolling out their upgrade to these boxes over the next several weeks. With the new update, you’ll be able to log into your YouTube account directly on your television set to access videos, channels, and playlists on YouTube. All I can say is.. about time!

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: TiVo, YouTube, Series3, TiVo HD

Ever wish you could have TiVo’s user interface for the PC platform? Well your wish will be coming true shortly as TiVo and Nero announced yesterday that the two companies would be bringing TiVo’s user interface (UI) to the PC platform via a Nero based DVR application. No word on when this would actually happen but a DVR application is something that Nero sorely needs to complete their suite of applications that comprise Nero 8 Ultimate Edition. So which would you rather have? TiVo’s UI or Windows Media Center’s UI? Personally.. I’ll take Media Center any day.

[Check it out via PC Magazine]

Technorati Tags: TiVo, Nero, DVR

Think the current TiVo Series3 DVR is just way too expensive? Join the club. Paying $799 for the Series3 DVR makes me want to opt for the crappy DVR set top boxes that come from cable companies. However, recently, rumors have been spreading around the net about a supposed new “Lite” version of the Series3 box. Images and specs have also surfaced over at the TiVo Community Forums. Here’s what we know thus far in terms of rumored specs for the “Lite” system.

• BCM740x DVR CPU w/ integrated MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoders
• 1x dual MPEG-2 encoder (BCM7041 or possibly an encoder from LSI)
• 2x Samsung S5H1411-based tuners (analog/QAM/8VSB)
• 128Mb DDR SDRAM
• 160Gb SATA HD
• Smaller, lower-cost PCB
• Cheaper power supply
• No THX certification
• No OLED display
• Standard TiVo remote
• MSRP of $299

Quite honestly, the “Lite” system isn’t dramatically different from the regular Series3 box. The major changes have to do with the smaller hard drive, the lack of THX certification, no OLED display, and the use of a standard TiVo remote control. Yet the price is $299 - $500 dollars less than the regular Series3 price of $799.

Given that price differential, I’d gladly buy a TiVo Series3 “Lite” over a standard Series3 box.

[Check it out via KrunkerHD]

Technorati Tags: TiVo, Series3 Lite

The future of downloadable content is here for TiVo and that future doesn’t include a personal computer in the picture. In fact, if both TiVo and Amazon have their way, the personal computer would be left out completely from the living room environment. TiVo and Amazon have announced that TiVo subscribers will be able to browse, purchase, and rent movies and television shows from Amazon Unbox directly from their television screens via the TiVo set-top box. The updated service (called Buy on TV” is available to all broadband connected TiVo Series2 and Series3 subscribers. Movies can be rented at prices from $1.99 to $3.99 or purchased at prices from $9.99 to $14.99. Television shows can be purchased at $1.99 an episode.

The most exciting feature about this new product upgrade to the TiVo service is the ability for customers to simply browse the television and movie catalog using their existing TiVo boxes. There’s no need to sit down at a computer and browse some website. There’s no need to sync content from the PC to the TiVo box. There’s no need for any media streaming from a PC to the box. Everything is done via the broadband connected TiVo box.

To sweeten the deal a bit, TiVo will provide new customers with an additional $15 dollar instant discount and a free, factory-refurbished wireless adapter when they purchase a new TiVo Series2 Dual Tuner box with a service plan by July 23rd of this year. 

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Amazon, TiVo, Buy on TV, Amazon unbox