Yesterday’s other big news was the beta release of DVD Jon’s DoubleTwist software - that aims to be the Swiss army knife of multimedia conversion, sharing, and syncing. The feature (rightfully) garnering the most attention is the behind-the-scenes conversion of DRM-ed iTunes into unprotected MP3s for playlist synchronization onto non-iPods. Though, being a video geek my first experiments were with TiVo content…

On a fairly clean Windows XP install (TiVo Desktop, minimal codecs), DoubleTwist was unable to play TiVoToGo content. In fact, the program didn’t see the video files (or directory) until I changed the file extension from .tivo to .mpeg. And as you can see above, once found, DoubleTwist doesn’t utilize TiVo’s .dll during playback. I was interested in seeing what would happen when syncing TiVo video to my iPhone and Nokia N95 as a possible free replacement for TiVo Desktop Plus, but I discovered device synchronization is currently limited to audio files.

Speaking of that N95, DoubleTwist immediately identified the photos and videos I’ve shot - had I wanted to share them with someone. Though, that brings up a problem (for me) with this software. I imagine DVD Jon is a nice guy, but the required online registration and service connectivity is a major turn off. I want to convert, sync, and possibly share privately.

Now airing in New England…

Roxio thought they had this resolved back in November, but OS X TiVoToGo issues related to TiVo’s Fall Software Update and/or Leopard persist. While I haven’t confirmed it, folks are still reporting audio/video sync issues when transcoding. A Roxio rep posted on the TiVo Community last night that they’re closer to a fix and actively recruiting testers:

We’ve been running a limited beta with a small number of users from the forums to test an update to both Toast 8 Titanium and Popcorn 3 and we’ve had positive results. We’re going to expand the testing for more users who are still having audio/video sync issues, please send me an e-mail to toastfeedback@roxio.com. We’re going to extend this to about 50 users from TiVoCommunity.com and after a short time if feedback is positive move towards releasing this as an official update.

I had assumed the lawsuits would ultimately kill Vonage… And while they still might, as part of our moving prep, I made the decision to proactively kill service. My 2.5 years with them has been somewhat rocky, including poor customer service and call quality issues. Complaints from folks on the other end of the line is what finally led me to this decision.

In Vonage’s defense, I’ve really appreciated the voicemail->email feature and their pricing was extremely competitive. However, our multiple cell phones and SkypeOut should be sufficient going forward. If not, for the first time in years, we’ll consider going back to a reliable Verizon landline. (more…)

Based on an email TiVo reseller DVR Upgrade received, Mgeazone wrote that TiVo’s original Series3 hardware is being discontinued. Both he and I had assumed this day would eventually come, given the newer TiVo HD platform. However, at CES TiVo left me with the impression that they had no imminent plans to pull the plug… Yet, it appears that a “component shortage” has forced them to reconsider or accelerate timing.

I pinged TiVo last night and they confirmed that they’re “nearing the end of production” and S3 availability will dwindle over the next few months. Though they did want to emphasize they are not “end of lifing” the product from a customer support standpoint - both existing and new Series3 customers will continue receive service and new features. Though, I doubt we’ll see M-Card support…

I just got off a plane in Minneapolis and will be tied up most of the day, but learned that the US Court of Appeals has rendered their decision (on testimony I attended). I haven’t had a chance to peruse the document, but here’s a cut & paste of the conclusion:

In sum, because of a failure of proof of literal infringement, we reverse the judgment of infringement of the hardware claims with respect to all of the accused devices. We remand for any further proceedings that may be necessary with respect to those claims. We affirm the judgment of infringement of the software claims with respect to all of the accused devices. Because the damages calculation at trial was not predicated on the infringement of particular claims, and because we have upheld the jury’s verdict that all of the accused devices infringe the software claims, we affirm the damages award entered by the district court.

The district court’s injunction was stayed during the course of these proceedings. The stay that was issued pending appeal will dissolve when this appeal becomes final. At that time, the district court can make a determination as to the additional damages, if any, that TiVo has sustained while the stay of the permanent injunction has been in effect.

(more…)

Forgive me if I’m a little slow in covering the “news” that came out yesterday, as I assume the blog-dwelling, TiVo fans and investors are up to speed on the New England Comcast Motorola TiVo service rollout. Details from TiVo’s release:

The new service combines TiVo’s award-winning interface and exclusive features, including WishList® searches, TiVo Suggestions and Season Pass™ recordings, with Comcast’s comprehensive channel lineup and massive On Demand library - which includes the most high-definition viewing choices on the market - in one box. The Comcast DVR with TiVo service uses the existing Motorola DVR set-top box provided by Comcast so customers don’t need to purchase additional equipment. The service is just $2.95 more than standard HD DVR service, and customers who want to subscribe can call Comcast to schedule an installation appointment.

I’m living in a hotel this week… So while I’ve missed some coverage, the USA Today is being delivered to my room. They printed a nice chart differentiating Series3/Series2 stand-alone units from the new Comcast TiVo service and the write-up is a good read. Some highlights: Emphasizing “Tru2way“, acknowledging bugs, discussing delays due to technical challenge, Comcast-TiVo partnership good through 2014, though no details on a broader deployment.

Mari’s favorite independent & foreign film download service is hooking up with TiVo… Later this year, Jaman will join Amazon Unbox on TiVo in bringing digital movie rentals to the TV.

“By capitalizing on TiVo’s vast big-screen user experience, we’re making it even easier for people to discover, browse and enjoy our catalog of high definition, edgy and award-winning films on their TVs,” said Jaman’s CEO Gaurav Dhillon. “This venture cements our position as a leading online provider of movies, offering unique and original content that viewers can’t find anywhere else.”

This is a good move for both companies - Netflix seems to have proven (and banked on) the value of long-tail content, the sort that Jaman provides. However, TiVo’s challenge continues to be marketing the benefits of their box and service over the competition. And I’d like Unbox in HD.