DirecTV/TiVo DVR Getting Nat'l Rollout

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 2/13/2012

ALVISO, CALIF. – DirecTV and TiVo are now making the DirecTV TiVo DVR available to all markets across the United States.

The new TiVo box, which began a limited rollout to 10 DirecTV markets in December, is based on the company’s older, standard-definition user interface, not the newer Premiere GUI available on other platforms.

The box also lacks a number of features available on other DirecTV and TiVo boxes, including IP streaming from TiVo service partners, DirecTV multi-room DVR functionality and iOS App control, among other things.

The set-top will, however, receive HD channels. It is priced at $199, and will require an additional $12 monthly service fee.

TiVo first started offering its DVR hardware and GUI/recording service through DirecTV in 1999.

The set-top IRD/DVRs proved to be very popular with DirecTV subscribers, but after DirecTV was acquired by News Corp., the satellite service opted to use DVRs manufactured by NDS, a News Corp. sister company, eventually ending the arrangement with TiVo in 2005.

The new DirecTV/TiVo product includes dual tuners and a hard disk drive that can store up to 100 hours of HD or up to 400 hours of SD programming. Features include Swivel Search, TiVo Suggestions, WishList Recordings and Season Pass.