DIRECTV to Introduce Additional TiVo Features

/~ It’s the end of the world as we know it… ~/

*Checks calendar* No, July 31 is not April 1. *looks outside* I don’t see anything falling from the sky – no toads, locusts, or brimstone. *checks weather* It is 94F in Hell (Michigan). Not frozen over.

Well, after eliminating the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the truth.

So, it looks like DirecTV and TiVo have warmed up their relationship somewhat.

DIRECTV, Inc. (NYSE:DTV), the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ:TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), will develop a software upgrade to enhance the user experience for DIRECTV customers who have DIRECTV DVRs with TiVo(R) service built on the Series2(TM) platform.

Launching in early 2008, the new software download will provide these customers with DVR enhancements offered with the TiVo service, including a Recently Deleted Folder and Overlap Protection(TM), as well as DIRECTV’s Remote Booking feature. In addition, DIRECTV and TiVo will continue to explore ways to bring future enhancements to DIRECTV customers with TiVo receivers.

Remote Booking is basically online scheduling, so it sounds like the USB ports might be enabled for networking – unless they plan to rely on the phone line. But using the network is much more responsive and makes for a better feature. That could open the door for more network-based features, like music & photos, HME, TTG, etc. But I wouldn’t hold my breath for those just yet, not after it took this long for DirecTV to adopt just these features. Still, this is a good sign – and maybe lends some more hope to a real reconciliation between DirecTV and TiVo once Liberty Media assumes control of DTV.