TiVo has long since been a mainstay in the home theater arena, but their new release looks to take things up a notch or ten. Dubbed TiVo premier, the new version of TiVo includes some serious software tweaks and even some new hardware such as an eSata port and large internal hard drives. And, yes, a TiVo capacity gauge is finally available. The combination of the two is nearly ready for prime time, so the company that they would show it off to the public. The TiVo Premier’s debut has seen a lot of positive press, and it certainly is not surprising. The wedding of television and Internet technology that form the foundation of TiVo Premier can use broadband to amazing effect.
Before getting into the broadband-derived benefits offered by the TiVo Premier, it would probably be helpful to look at the incredibly impressive TiVo Premier user interface. After all, the best technology in the world is essentially worthless without a proper user interface (UI) and the designers of the new TiVo system certainly seem to understand that.
The New Remote
At first glance the new TiVo Premier remote may not seem that interesting or amazing, but that is only at first glance. Just like cell phones with slide out keyboards, the TiVo Premier comes complete with a full qwerty keyboard complete with chiclet keys are pleasant to the touch and easy to type with. The ability to transform from an otherwise mundane looking remote control into a serious tool to interface with one’s television set. Interaction would seem to be the future of viewing, and broadband will be the fuel that keep people tuned in with their hands gripped firmly to their remotes. Texting, browsing, linking, twittering and who knows what else about the show one is watching will become common place, and TiVo seems poised to keep their name alive on the lips of consumers for years to come.
Flash Lives On
Despite Flash taking flak from developers and being all but banned from Apple’s mobile platforms, it seems that the standard has found a home in the TiVo Premier. The entire user interface seems to use rich Flash elements but does not seem to be slow or ungainly. The progress made by Flash on mobile phones probably carries over to making Flash run well on boxes such as the newer TiVo systems, but there are obviously other factors at work as well. Regardless of why it works, the fact is that the implementation of Flash in the TiVo Premier system does seem to work fairly well but there are still a few kinks that need to be ironed out.
The problems with Flash and the TiVo premier may be ironed out with highly optimized caching, which certainly makes one wonder what the initial user experience will be like. Chances are that the device will seem a little slower the first time it is used than it will after repeated usage, but that may not be a bad thing as users will often spend a few seconds gazing at the gorgeous user interface. The new user interface is not only stunning to look at, it is also very useful.
Jump Around
The Flash powered user interface will allow users to jump around from one place to another in a way that seems intuitive yet powerful. The result is a viewing experience that has elements of browsing, social networking, and other data-based services all wrapped up into one slick package. The graduated blue background with roaming video clips and bold menu items forms the basis for a user interface that simply begs to be used. So, how will using the Interface work? One example would be the ability to browse and purchase and download on demand content from Blockbuster, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, NetFlix, and attached media devices or network sources for content. Find a movie that looks great? Look it up IMDB style. Find an actor that is a true hunk or an actress who needs to grace your small screen more often? Look them up and see what other movies and/or TV shows they have been in. The entire experience is very fluid and dynamic, yet media rich.
Programs and content of all time are presented in a way that makes the Apple TV and Boxee Box look like they should take some notes. A combination of large fonts and Flash-powered media selections is impressive, and yet the entire process feels surprisingly organic. The best part is that the already amazingly slick user interface is far from final. As any TiVo owner knows, tweaks and revisions are part of the experience, and the prototype units are not running final software. While no major changes are expected, it is possible that minor tweaks will improve the already impressive user interface.
