Lately, the company has faced increased competition from old rivals like cable and satellite companies and newer ones like stand-alone streaming devices, video game consoles and mobile devices. With its fifth-generation device, Roamio, TiVo answers the challenge by adding more features that TV lovers want.
Roamio, which comes in three models, still lets viewers record and play back shows, as well as pause and rewind live TV. And it lets viewers find programs through on-demand services like Hulu and Netflix.
But TiVo gave consideration to what people want from TV: more choices and more freedom. Roamio was updated to include up to six tuners, and more storage space, up to 3 terabytes. Other improvements include faster processors that make the user interface run smoother, which makes searches and content management much easier. Even the remote control was upgraded with radio frequency, so it no longer needs direct line of sight to work.
The best enhancement was the incorporation of Wi-Fi streaming, which allows the viewing of live or recorded content on any iOS device on the same wireless network (Android compatibility is coming next year). This allows users to, for instance, view one program on the TV in the living room and another one on an iPad in the bedroom. An out-of-network feature, for which Roamio is named, allows for streaming to devices anywhere, as long as there is a good Wi-Fi connection. Using this feature, I was able to watch Sunday night’s episode of “The Simpsons” at work on Monday (but don’t tell my boss).
Read also:
Meet the New Streaming Brain in Your Living Room (GQ Magazine)
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