TiVo to feature new tech treats for NZ market

Photo / Supplied

TiVo launched in New Zealand today with some tech goodies not yet available elsewhere.

The high-def digital television recorder and content download box is here, giving Kiwis the chance to experience a device that has been available in various places around the world for years.

TiVo was launched last year in Australia by Hybrid TV, co-owned by TVNZ and the Seven network, which has exclusive licence to the device in Australasia.

Last month, TiVo announced that it had locked in a partnership with Telecom, which will sell the recorder and also provides access to internet access.

This means that those using other broadband providers will not be able to access TiVo's full functionality – but for Telecom's fixed-line customers, high-definition content will be delivered without chewing up valuable bandwidth.

TiVo is a digital video recorder with Freeview HD compatibility, a 14-day electronic programming guide that's used to set recording times.

It is quite similar to the MySky HDi digital recorder and My Freeview - which both allow users to pre-record content with live pause and rewind – but adds internet content delivery.

Today, in a demonstration of the TiVo interface that the New Zealand market will see, Hybrid CEO Robbee Minicola showed off a few features that the company has not yet rolled out to its Australian customers.

Its web content interface will be called CASPA, and offers a selection of movies and television programmes to download, as well as access to Sony-backed music service bandit.fm.


Watching CASPA at work today, it priced newish release Underworld: Rise of the Lycans at $6.95, and after downloading, was playing at 720p resolution within a few minutes.

Movies, docos and television shows can be downloaded and watched at any time within 14 days – although once 'play' is pushed, users have two days to watch content, but can do so as many times as desired. This speedy delivery and reasonable pricing could potentially make life very hard for many DVD shops.

Advertising will eventually be part of the mix, but only if users opt-in – which would mean cheaper programs, but some ad breaks to cope with.

The bandit.fm music service – which will also be accessed through CASPA's easy-to-navigate user interface – will allow access to music videos and full concerts.

Another new feature is TiVo Genie, which allows remote programming of the device. It's a web interface which will allow users to rifle through the 14-day guide and set the box to record, and can be accessed through any PC or smartphone.

TiVo costs $899 – but for $920 it can be purchased with a WiFi adaptor until January 24. It can also be bought for an up-front payment of $200 and then $30 per month for two years.

Unlike MySky HDi, you'll own the TiVo device and there are no other ongoing costs unless you buy movies or other content.