So I was in the Best Buy today looking for a new wireless bridge with multiple network jacks. The first thing I discovered is that no one has any idea what a wireless bridge is… apparantly the vogue terms are wireless ethernet converter or wireless game adapter, despite the fact this project has nothing to do with my gaming console. (I’m probably also the only one using PCMCIA to describe my EVDO card.) The second thing I discovered that Buffalo pitches their wireless ethernet converter as a Slingbox networking solution which I thought was both interesting and pretty cool.

Greg Burns has whipped up a clever little TiVoToGo app called TiVo Attach that reapplies header metadata after editing a show. Though this is just the first phase… over at the TiVo Community Forum we’re trying to understand how TiVo labels shows to ultimately add custom headers to personal .mpegs that are honored by grouping when using TiVoBack.

Greg says: TiVo Attach allows you to detach the metadata information (header) from a .tivo file and reattach it to any .mpg file. A common scenario would be to edit a .tivo file in VideoRedo to remove commercials. The output from VideoRedo is a plain .mpg with the metadata removed. Without the metadata, these edited .mpg files will no longer group in folders when transferred back to your TiVo. TiVo Attach allows you to reattach that metadata, thus preserving the information needed for grouping.

Maybe I got it right back in January… In Friday’s 10-K filing, Yahoo listed TiVo as a partner for their Go software initiative which includes PVR functionality. Thomas Hawk had some hand’s on time with an early version of the software at CES and came away impressed.

Hmmm… Yahoo apps on TiVo, TiVo apps on Yahoo… they’re getting quite cozy don’t you think? Is it too early to resume acquisition speculation?

Yahoo’s 10-K says: Yahoo! Go TV will bring the Internet to the PC-connected television screen. Yahoo! Go Mobile allows consumers to take the Internet services they use on their PC onto their mobile device in one simple, fully synchronized application. Yahoo! is working with companies including AT&T, Microsoft, Intel Corporation, Nokia and TiVo to bring these services to market. Yahoo! Go services are expected to be launched and accessible to our users in 2006 and are intended to provide a seamless connected experience for our users.

Yahoo press release says:

• Full Personal Video Recorder (PVR) functionality, including trick play features and access to the PC for storage of content
• Full TV tuning capabilities to control your TV channels

Sounds like we won’t be seeing an Apple DVR any time soon… Though the mini’s digital audio output, FrontRow software, and upgraded Bonjour with video streaming foreshadow feature length movie downloads via iTunes.

USA Today says: “The Mini is small enough that people will consider adding it to their living room consoles,” Van Baker, an analyst at researcher Gartner, says. “The transition of bringing the computer into the living room won’t happen overnight, but this is a good first step.” Adding video recording functionality would have made the Mac Mini too complicated, says Phil Schiller, Apple senior vice president. “We’re not trying to replace the TiVo,” he says. “This is about taking the media from your computer and accessing it via the TV.”

(via MacRumors)

TiVo’s booked the The Museum of Television & Radio to unveil a new initiative of important developments with some special guests tomorrow. In light of TiVo’s upcoming presentation schedule emphasizing VOD, I’m guessing we’ll see some sort of new content download service and partners formally introduced. Given TiVo’s past video trials with IFC and yesterday’s Comcast/IFC announcement to simultaneously release new films in theaters and OnDemand, it’s not much of a stretch to see a similar arrangement presented.

Thomas Hawk says:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA ADVISORY

TiVo TO UNVEIL NEW INITIATIVE
WHAT: TiVo is hosting a press conference to discuss important developments.
WHO: Tom Rogers, President and CEO, TiVo and selected other special guests
WHEN: Thursday, March 2nd at 11:00 a.m. ET
WHERE: The Museum of Television & Radio

TiVo, Inc. and your Series 2 unit are hosting an Academy Awards competition. The subscriber who correctly picks the most Oscar winners will walk away with a 60GB video iPod. This is a fun use of HME… all we need now are folders.
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