As TiVo does, they’ve started rolling out the summer software update ahead of a general release. In fact, the priority page hasn’t been updated yet. Though, I hear all boxes should be upgraded by the end of the month. Of the disclosed new features, two in particular caught my eye.
Stringing together multiple shows has been a long time request of parents and those who “save up” multiple episodes to watch in sequence. So the new Play Folder functionality is a welcome enhancement. I often continue watching television after Melissa has fallen asleep, so I drop the volume (not completely) and pull up Closed Captions. Under my current software (9.3), when I hit the CC button I end up in a menu of caption customizations that requires three more clicks, rather than the streamlined 9.4 process of simply toggling captioning on via the show banner.
I assume support for the SDV Tuning Adapter and digital-to-analog converter boxes is also present in this build. But what I’d really like to know is if additional decoding capabilities have been hidden within the Series3/TiVoHD platform… to enable YouTube and more… perhaps Amazon Unbox in HD?
Subject: You have a new service update!
From: The TiVo Team
Date: Tue 7/15Congrats! You’ve just received the Summer 2008 TiVo Service Update for TiVo HD and Series 3 DVRs, including these new enhancements to your TiVo Experience:
* Play or Delete a Folder
Play or delete an entire folder of programs with a single button press (including kids shows, music videos ext). Highlight a folder and press PLAY to play all the shows in sequence. Pres CLEAR to delete the entire folder.* Browse the Guide Any Time
Press the GUIDE button to display the program guide over what you’re watching: live TV, a previously recorded program, or even a video download.* Jump Forward in the Guide
When the Guide is on-screen, press the ADVANCE to jump 24 hours ahead. Press INSTANT REPLAY to go back 24 hours.* Find a Station in the Guide
Now you can search for a station “call sign” within the Guide, e.g. KQED, WPIX, MSNBC. When viewing the program guide, press ENTER to bring up Guide Options, then SELECT Find by call sign.* Toggle Closed Captioning On and Off
The Closed Captioning icon in the Channel Banner now toggles closed captioning on and off.* Review Thumb Ratings
To display a list of all programs that you have rated, select Find Programs, then TiVo Suggestions. Press ENTER to bring up the Review Thumbs screenEnjoy!
-The TiVo Team
