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September 17, 2004
Tivo Home Media Option
Now here is one product that I am VERY glad I was not an early adoptor on. Not only did waiting pay off financially (it is free now instead of an extra charge), the software went through a couple revs and now is actually VERY good. Just installed the PC software, told Windows XP SP2 firewall that is was fine for Tivo to act as a server, drag and dropped two folders into the desktop application and went upstairs to turn on the Tivo. All the while, I am thinking, this can't be this easy. My desktop PC on which I put the Tivo server software is hard-wired into a router. Hanging off that is a Cisco Aeronet 340 wireless access point three floors away from the TV/Tivo. Out the back of the Tivo hangs a USB Wifi card (Netgear) which has been hooked up for some time to download the program guide. I seem to remember though connecting the Tivo WiFi card to the neighbor's open network since the signal from mine was weak and Tivo choked a bit on WEP.
So turning on the Tivo, I expected reconfiguration hell. But no, there on the main menu was a "music and photos" option (thanks Tivo automatic firmware upgrade). Selecting that, the next screen showed me the two folders that I had just shared on my desktop! And of course offered me more media from their "partners". I selected music and played it immediately. Since the Tivo is routed through the stereo amp and Dolby 5.1 5 speaker set up comes out of that, the sound was GREAT! Couldn't find the option to set up playlists, but I am sure there is one on the desktop application (with Moodlogic i see in the promos). Surprised, I clicked over to photos and turned my flat panel into a slide machine with one click! Only nit is that the Tivo doesn't resize the photos to full screen on my 16:9 ratio flat panel. No hicups at all technically. I was totally prepared to write the afternoon off to debugging.
Finally a consumer software application that works across home media and computer devices and didn't need any debugging! Way to go Tivo!
Posted by Martin at September 17, 2004 1:50 PM
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