The USPTO has just published TiVo’s Method and apparatus for secure transfer of previously broadcasted content and Method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content patent applications. Within the documents TiVo describes several methods to authenticate customers and securely distribute content via the internet for DVR and portable device playback. I’ve been pleading for some sort of VOD/PPV functionality, so the subscription and billing scenarios are particularly exciting. Content can be flagged by type (free, subscription, PPV), which in turn may specify or limit distribution and viewing. Interestingly, TiVo differentiates their DVR service from the content service/provider. Also of interest… it looks like they’ve documented the TiVoToGo MPEG-2 encryption/decryption keys as SHA-1 of your DVR network adapter’s MAC address.

In another embodiment, whether through the DVR interface or through the website of Service Provider 106, a payment structure can be built into the system such that the user is charged each time a previously broadcasted program content is received by DVR 101. Thus, an additional screen requesting billing or payment information may be displayed to the user to enter in the appropriate information. This information is then supplied to the Service Provider 106 as part of the request for content. Alternatively, the billing or payment information may have been previously supplied to and stored by the Service Provider 106, such that any subsequent request for previously broadcasted program content is automatically processed without presenting another screen to the DVR user.

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TiVo’s KidZone software update (client & server components) includes a new feature to repair personal settings should they get out of whack. How would those settings lose sync, you ask? Hard drive upgrade. While it’s unofficial and unsupported, if you’ve opted in to KidZone or Guru Guides and upgrade your hard drive, TiVo will repopulate your Season Passes and Wishlists on that new drive. Awesome! I’m more than willing to trade a little privacy (I can’t be the only one with a Paris Hilton Wishlist, can I?) for an “online” backup of my recording preferences.

TiVo officially takes the wraps off KidZone today, though if you’ve been paying attention you certainly know of it and may already have it. What you may not know is that TiVo does indeed conduct market research. To support the KZ roll-out, they’ve publicly released selected results of a recent telephone survey. Not surprisingly, the majority (62%) of 1,000 participants are concerned with what children watch on television. Additionally, TiVo builds the case for KidZone with the discovery that 81% of households do not use any form of parental controls and 55% receive no content guidance. The questions that weren’t asked in this survey (surely, they were asked during development) which interest me are what percent of concerned parents would use a service like KidZone and how much would they be willing to pay?

TiVo-Ipsos Research Survey Reveals Huge Concerns About What Kids Watch on TV Over the Summer

ALVISO, CA – June 15, 2006 – TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and the leader in television services for digital video recorders, announced today the availability of TiVo KidZone, a revolutionary new service enhancement that for the first time assures parents that quality children’s programming is always on when their children turn on their television sets.

The launch of TiVo KidZone comes at a time when there is a remarkable surge in children’s daytime television viewing over the summer, which is also a time when TV viewing is even more unsupervised by parents and is a source of their growing concern. This fact is highlighted in the release today of a new survey of 1,000 Americans, sponsored by TiVo and conducted with leading international research firm, Ipsos Research, showing that 64 percent of parents of children under age 18 are concerned that their children will see television programming that does not reflect their family’s values, especially as many of the country’s children are beginning their summer vacation from school.

“TiVo KidZone answers the many concerns of parents revealed in this survey, by empowering them with a breakthrough new service and by, also giving children a continuous array of engaging, high-quality programming to choose from whenever they turn on their television sets,” said Tom Rogers , President and CEO of TiVo. “TiVo KidZone is offering families a personalized TV area where parents’ own judgments and the recommendations of widely respected national family media review organizations such as Common Sense Media are easily and safely applied to deliver the best children’s television programming.”

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Never enough time…

• TiVo to expand service beyond Taiwan into mainland China. (LA Times)
• Smut giants show Hollywood how to fight back. (Business Week)
• Blockbuster says Netflix patents not enforceable. (Reuters)
• MovieBeam gets a boost from Magnolia Pictures. (HD Beat)
• Win a trip to Hawaii and/or a DT TiVo. (TiVo)

Valleywag reports photo-sharing site SmugMug has received a cease and desist letter from TiVo in regards to their usage of thumbs up/down functionality and/or graphics. CEO Don MacAskill claims SmugMug is not in violation of TiVo’s trademarks as they aren’t using the symbols in an interactive television application. MacAskill suggests TiVo’s legal department will be rather busy if they start going after the likes of Digg and every other thumbs up/down ranking system. Without being privy to the letter, I’m not ready to pass judgment either way… Though I have to ask: What would Fonzie do?

A few retailers have begun offering TiVo’s 180HR dual-tuning Series 2 model for online purchase. So if you’ve been pining away for KidZone, now may be a good time to get in. The 80HR DT units can be purchased directly from TiVo with bundled pricing, or bought outright through Costco ($319) or Best Buy ($349) minus the $150 rebate. Amazon, Buy.com, and Circuit City don’t have the boxes in stock yet. Don’t forget that all TiVo activations require a 1 year commitment, though they also come with a 30 day money-back guarantee.

FYI The dual-tuning models work best in homes using analog cable without a cable box and it doesn’t work at all with satellite installations or even plain antennas. Consider yourself warned.

Those of you with Series2 units… go sign up for system software 7.3! Expect up to three days before TiVo peeps manually load your priority request. The major enhancement is the release of KidZone, a feature adding a managed and insulated partition for children. Kudos to TiVo for delivering on time — several months ago Bob Poniatowski assured me that KZ would be released in June and here we are.

Only TiVo offers TiVo® KidZone so you’ll never be surprised by what your kids are watching. And, it’s all included as part of the TiVo service. By signing up for the TiVo KidZone priority list, you will ensure that you are one of the first families to receive TiVo KidZone as soon as it’s available in our next service update.

TiVo KidZone creates a child-friendly environment on your TiVo® DVR. In
KidZone, only age-appropriate channels and recordings are available. Children cannot set up new recordings or change any settings on the DVR. On DVRs that are equipped with a DVD player, children cannot play DVDs in KidZone.

UPDATE: If you signed up earlier today, you should be able to update your TiVo to 7.3 by forcing a connection. Check out TiVo’s KidZone Quick Start PDF for an overview. If you have a broadband connected TiVo you can choose and modify programming selections via your Series 2, otherwise you’ll manage recording options online. In addition to KZ, you’ll find a nice little enhancement to quickly delete multiple recordings without waiting for individual confirmation. I also noticed many graphical network logos have been pushed down, though that might be independent of 7.3.