TiVo Service 2000 To Offer New Features For Even More Convenience And Control
The TiVo Service Continues To Provide Increased Functionality Based On Customer Demand
TiVo, Inc., (NASDAQ: TIVO) the creator of personal television today announced new features to its service that will be automatically delivered to current and new TiVo customers in 2000. From the inception of the TiVo Service new capabilities and product improvements based on customer requests have been quickly delivered to viewers. New features will enhance the ease-of-use and ""family friendly"" capabilities of the current service. In addition, customers will be able to record programs directly from the previews for those shows. The new service capabilities will be provided to consumers automatically, as part of the service, with no increase in the price. ""Providing our customers with more convenience, control and personalization in their TV viewing is our number one priority. We are proud to offer a set of new service capabilities in the coming year that will make watching television better than it has ever been before,"" said Mike Ramsay, TiVoís President and CEO. ""Our new features add to our existing personal entertainment service capabilities, Network Showcases and TiVolution Magazine, to provide consumers with the best way to enhance their TV experience."" Subscribers will receive new features to the TiVo Service over the course of the year. The new features will be available to all TiVo customers regardless of the receiver they choose to access the TiVo Service from, including receivers from Philips, Sony and the DirecTV/TiVo combined receiver. The new service capabilities will be delivered to TiVo customers, independent of when they purchase their product of choice. New service capabilities include: TiVo WishListô search technology - You name it - TiVo gets it. This feature gives customers additional control and convenience by letting them customize their program searches by name, themes, actors and/or key words. For example, a customer could enter India and travel and TiVo will find all the upcoming programs that match this combined preference. TiVo will enable the customer to select a Season Pass that automatically records WishList programs when they are available. TiVo Overtime Schedulerô - Never miss a crucial moment of great TV. Adjust recording time to compensate for programming shifts in daily programming or sports. The Overtime Scheduler will prevent viewers from missing the tail end of a program, the previews of next weeks episode or the unexpected overtime of a sports event. The scheduler can be adjusted in time increments of seconds or minutes. Season Passô Prioritizer - Increased recording options allow subscribers to set the recording priority of their favorite programs so that they are rated by their importance to the viewer. Teach TiVoô - Better TiVo Suggestions and new ways to control them ñ This feature enables subscribers to directly impact TiVo's Suggestions by allowing explicit control over Thumbs Upô and Thumbs Downô preferences. In the past, subscribers could only express their appreciation for Tom Hanks if there was a movie that contained that actor in the foreseeable future, making it difficult to give Thumbs to programs that aren't on regularly. Teach TiVo lets subscribers rate their like or dislike for actors, shows, themes, or categories so that TiVo can automatically record them when they air. TiVomaticô recording simplified, automatic recording, See It, Want It, Get Itô Previously announced as Ipreview, this feature allows consumers to record shows on impulse from the previews for those shows. Partners NBC, Showtime and Encore will be the first to implement this interactive convenience for consumers. Kid Safe ñ Easy program filtering for parents provides a simple way to ensure that children only watch the recorded programming you have chosen for them. This feature lets subscribers lock out and limit the recording of programs by ratings, channels or program description. The upgrade that includes TiVomatic recording will be delivered to TiVo subscribers in the first quarter of 2000. Additional features are scheduled for delivery to subscribers by the end of the year. ""The features and usability of the TiVo service have set the pace for the industry, TiVo-like functionality has lead the innovations in the market this past year,"" continued Ramsay. ""TiVo will continue to deliver choice and control to consumers in the form of innovative personalized, entertainment services that will define the TV experience viewers demand for the future."" About TiVo TiVo is the creator of personal television. The TiVo Service lets consumers take control of their television viewing by allowing them to watch what they want, when they want it. As part of TiVoís easy-to-use service and unique technology, viewers can time-shift their favorite television shows and create a customized television line-up for viewing at anytime. With TiVoís Thumbs Upô Thumbs Downô buttons, viewers can teach TiVo what shows they like and dislike. Using these preferences, TiVo automatically records programs the viewer may want to see. TiVo also enables consumers to pause, rewind, instant replay and playback in slow motion any live television broadcast. In addition, TiVo has developed a technology that serves as a platform for new and interactive entertainment content and services. To ensure viewer privacy, TiVo has established strict policies to help protect the personal information of consumers, while providing a valuable personalized TV experience. TiVo-enabled stand-alone personal video recorders are available from Philips today and can be purchased at retail outlets nationwide including, Best Buy, Circuit City and Sears or online at Amazon.com, ROXY.com or 800.com. Founded in August 1997 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, TiVo is a creator of personal television. TiVo can be reached on the World Wide Web at www.tivo.com.