As promised, the TiVo goodie bag giveaway is here! The lucky winner will receive the sexy TiVo Glo Remote (works with both Series2 and Series3/HD units), a 1 year subscription to Real Rhapsody on TiVo, plus a stuffed TiVo doll.

If you want in, please leave one comment. The catch is that you must provide a link to a prior comment you’ve left on ZNF, other than contests. (The comment date stamp is your permalink.) And if you’ve never left a comment, you have some incentive going forward.

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So did the Comcast TiVo on Motorola hardware publicly launch this week in New England (AP, Bloomberg, Reuters), or is this damage control? The email alert that media outlets received indicated something along the lines of:

TiVo Inc., the pioneer of digital video recorders, introduced its service for Comcast Corp. customers this week following delays. Some Comcast customers already have the service in place, TiVo and Comcast said today in an e-mailed statement. The introduction will continue in New England in the coming months.

Until anyone can call up Comcast in New England and order service and until someone publicizes pricing, I’ll assume this isn’t a widespread launch - rather, it’s more extended testing amongst Comcast “friendlies” as two sources have confided. I’ve got calls into TiVo and as soon as I find out more, you’ll find out more.

UPDATE: I just heard back from TiVo. The official statement from the companies is:

We are pleased to confirm that the first non Comcast employees have the new TiVo service, and that the rollout in the New England region will continue throughout the next few months.

Sure doesn’t sound like the typical Comcast customer will be able to order, does it? Those “non Comcast employees” are most likely friends and family. Oh well… As I said a few days ago, what’s another month or so when you’ve waited this long? However, my advice to those waiting is to just pick up a TiVo HD for $250 at Amazon and rent a CableCARD or two.

In time for the holidays (yet prior to the real shopping season), TiVo pulls the trigger on a promotion many folks have been eagerly awaiting: Transfer Lifetime Service onto a TiVo HD… for $199. At the end of the day it may not be a bargain but, if you plan on holding onto the THD for some time, you’ll come out ahead (though SDV issues loom). The fine print:

• Offer permits the transfer of an eligible (as defined below) Product Lifetime Subscription for $199 plus applicable taxes only to a new TiVo® HD DVR purchased from www.tivo.com/HDservicetransfer between October 11, 2007 to November 8, 2007 (a “Qualifying DVR”)
• Product Lifetime Subscriptions eligible to be transferred to a Qualifying DVR pursuant to this Offer must be (1) activated prior to October 1, 2003 and (2) not have been previously transferred pursuant to any prior transfer offer from TiVo.

Given the activation date requirement, I’m not sure how many people this really applies to. But the lucky ones also get a year of service on their old TiVo rolled into that $199 fee. Before TiVo drops the MSRP on the TiVo HD ($299), perhaps they’ll reach out to the larger number of Series2 Lifetime owners with a similar offer. But don’t expect it during the brisk holiday shopping season.

(Thanks for the email forward, Tim!)

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

• Why FiOS TV Doesn’t Need HD Yet: Connected Home 2 Go
• Fiber Fiber Everywhere: Connected Home 2 Go
• The Return of M&K Sound: TechLore
• TiVo’s PayPerPost Hook Up Is One Night Stand: Davis Freeberg
• Intel Gets Cable Religion: Connected Home 2 Go

Dave, TiVo CEO, TiVo Mascot

In honor of the new Rhapsody on TiVo service, TiVo hosted a gathering in NYC last night with RealNetworks. It featured the sort of presentations you’d expect from the CEOs, followed by a Jim Denney (VP, TiVo) product walk-thru. Then the band hit the stage.

A few interesting nuggets I dug up while quizzing Jim Denney and Robert Williams (VP, Real):

• Reconfirmed TiVoToGo and Multi-Room Viewing for Series3/TiVo HD are still on tap for November. (JD)
• Offical eSATA support coming very soon. No one would spill the beans on the possibility of TiVo-branded drives. (JD)
• No bundled Rhapsody/TiVo service discount at this time due to “economics of music.” (RW)
• Periodic updates of Rhapsody on TiVo application/service planned. (RW)

Hope Chris Harrison enjoyed his potentially short-lived gig as TiVo spokesperson. He delivered the funniest line of the evening… On stage… Twice: “TiVo is a whore.”

Some pics after the jump.

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For those of you wondering when the Comcast-Motorola-TiVo will hit, Reuters is reporting:

Digital video recorder company TiVo Inc said on Tuesday the roll-out of its services is a “little behind” schedule. “We’re waiting for word any time now that the first non-Comcast employee will begin to get the service,” TiVo Chief Executive Tom Rogers said at the Natixis Bleichroder conference.

The delays don’t really concern me at this point (what’s another month or so when you’re a year late?), but I’m very interested in learning how soon other regions will receive the TiVo option after the initial New England launch.

The TiVo Rhapsody music service announcement made last January bears fruit today:

With Rhapsody on TiVo, you can choose from millions of songs, search for your favorites, tune in to continuous music on Rhapsody Channels, and build your own library—straight from your TV using your TiVo remote. Whether you’re in the mood for classical, hip-hop, or anything in between, it’s all just a few clicks away. And with a Rhapsody membership, you can listen all you want, without the need to buy individual songs.

Essentially, anyone with a Rhapsody account ($12.99/mo, free 30 day trial) will be able to access “artists, albums, playlists and channels” via a broadband-connected Series2 or Series3 TiVo. TiVo intends to flip the switch and activate the service today under the Music & Photos DVR menu, but you’ll need the fall software update (v9.1) to partake.

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