As I’d suspected, TiVo support for YouTube is indeed hidden within the 9.4 software update. Series 3 and TiVo HD subscribers should start seeing the application show up as early as tomorrow (Thursday), though the rollout will be completed over the next few weeks. And in some form of meta-irony, I’ve shot a brief video of YouTube on TiVo… on YouTube. For good measure, I also brought up the new SDV Tuning Adapter and TCP Remote screens on my Series3.

I’ve confirmed the YouTube content is indeed H.264 - thus marking the first time TiVo is rendering anything other than MPEG-2. (And why Series2 customers are out of luck - sorry, your hardware doesn’t support additional codecs.) In pressing TiVo on the issue of codecs, I also learned the forthcoming CinemaNow movie rentals will be provided (to both Series2 and Series3/TiVoHD units) as MPEG-2.

I can’t say I’m a huge YouTube fan (and I don’t like Mentos), but I’m impressed with the breadth of this app and the seamless playback. However, what I’d really like to see them do with the new H.264 capabilities is provide access to a much larger library of video podcasts without requiring TiVo Desktop Windows PC transcoding or TiVo to broker indivudal content deals before providing server-side transcoding. I know I’m not the only one waiting for Tekzilla…

Expect TiVo’s YouTube press release tomorrow AM, which is also when the tivo.com/youtube informational page will be activated.

I waited until the last minute to book this trip to NYC and find myself in possibly the only Holiday Inn Express that charges over $400/night. To soften the blow, they’re providing free MLB.com audio streaming via the (also gratis) wired Internet connection. I generally forgo in-room network connectivity, opting instead for my travel router and 3G card - Fortunately (ha), the room’s located in an AT&T dead zone giving me the opportunity to discover this streaming media perk. Though, as a Slingbox owner and football fan, I don’t find it very compelling.

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs:

• New Xbox 360 Dashboard, Netflix & Final Fantasy XIII: The Daleisphere
• Managing the Olympics Online and On TV: Media Experiences 2 Go
• SageTV 6.4.5 Public Beta Released: Brent Evans Geek Tonic
• IPTV Subscribers Pass 15 Million: Media Experiences 2 Go
• TV Stat Check: Media Experiences 2 Go

As TiVo does, they’ve started rolling out the summer software update ahead of a general release. In fact, the priority page hasn’t been updated yet. Though, I hear all boxes should be upgraded by the end of the month. Of the disclosed new features, two in particular caught my eye.

Stringing together multiple shows has been a long time request of parents and those who “save up” multiple episodes to watch in sequence. So the new Play Folder functionality is a welcome enhancement.

I often continue watching television after Melissa has fallen asleep, so I drop the volume (not completely) and pull up Closed Captioning. Under my current software (9.3), when I hit the CC button I end up in a menu of caption customizations that requires three or four more remote clicks, rather than the new streamlined 9.4 process of simply toggling captions via the show banner.

I assume support for the SDV Tuning Adapter and digital-to-analog converter boxes is also present in this build. But what I’d really like to know is if additional decoding capabilities have been hidden within the Series3/TiVoHD platform… to enable YouTube and more… perhaps Amazon Unbox in HD?

Subject: You have a new service update!
From: The TiVo Team
Date: Tue 7/15

Congrats! You’ve just received the Summer 2008 TiVo Service Update for TiVo HD and Series 3 DVRs, including these new enhancements to your TiVo Experience:

* Play or Delete a Folder
Play or delete an entire folder of programs with a single button press (including kids shows, music videos ext). Highlight a folder and press PLAY to play all the shows in sequence. Pres CLEAR to delete the entire folder.

* Browse the Guide Any Time
Press the GUIDE button to display the program guide over what you’re watching: live TV, a previously recorded program, or even a video download.

* Jump Forward in the Guide
When the Guide is on-screen, press the ADVANCE to jump 24 hours ahead. Press INSTANT REPLAY to go back 24 hours.

* Find a Station in the Guide
Now you can search for a station “call sign” within the Guide, e.g. KQED, WPIX, MSNBC. When viewing the program guide, press ENTER to bring up Guide Options, then SELECT Find by call sign.

* Toggle Closed Captioning On and Off
The Closed Captioning icon in the Channel Banner now toggles closed captioning on and off.

* Review Thumb Ratings
To display a list of all programs that you have rated, select Find Programs, then TiVo Suggestions. Press ENTER to bring up the Review Thumbs screen

Enjoy!
-The TiVo Team

If your iTunes collection is anything like mine, you’ve been importing music over a period of years and are stuck with missing or inaccurate track data and album art. TuneUp purports to help by analyzing your library on demand and filling the gaps, as you can see from the demo above. The software, which appends itself to iTunes, is Windows-only for the time being, though OS X support is expected later this year - when I’ll be giving it a whirl. The demo app cleans up a 500 track labels and seeks out 50 album covers… And if you’re pleased with the results, an annual subscription of unlimited usage runs $12/yr or you can opt for a $20 lifetime license.

In the past, I’d used a program (that I can’t recall) to import missing album art (from Amazon?) with limited success and I’ve read of MusicBrainz, a community driven option for album/track tagging. Assuming the TuneUp trial trial works reasonably well, I’d rather just pay the $12 and get it done in one fell swoop using legit sources.

Both Engadget and Gizmodo are live-blogging Microsoft’s opening E3 keynote… In addition to a massive Xbox 360 Dashboard UI overhaul (which I alluded to in May), Netflix-on-Xbox video streaming has been confirmed for fall. Sweet! Here’s to hoping Netflix can load up on current Hollywood hits prior to launch. Guess my Netflix Roku box is headed to ebay once we’ve completed the Battle Royale.

MobileScrobbler was possibly the most polished jailbreak app. So, it’s comes as no surprise that Last.FM’s ready with a blessed iPhone client shortly after the iTunes App Store launch. Though, like all “official” apps, this one isn’t permitted to run in the background - meaning no music playback while checking email or browsing the web. Despite that limitation, I’m still digging my suddenly-much-more-capable audio device and I highly recommend both Pandora and AOL Radio.

In fact, my hunt for two speaker docks has been reduced by one. I recently unloaded a portable XM Helix, though hadn’t yet recycled the Altec Lansing iM4… In conjunction with the iPhone cradle lineout, I’ve found a decent solution for at least one room. (I’ll ultimately find a better home for it, rather than leave it perched on the edge of my AnthroCart as pictured above.) With the expert guidance of iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz, I’ve possibly identified my second dock - the (much sleeker and with remote) next generation Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere ($130).

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…?

(via GIzmodo Australia)