DVR pioneer TiVo has just announced a trio of DVRs with built-in iOS streaming. The TiVo Roamio (US$199.99), TiVo Roamio Plus ($399.99) and TiVo Roamio Pro ($599.99) will allow any TV junkie with an iOS device to view his recorded video anywhere, anyplace. (Well, anywhere with an internet connection…)
The new line of Roamio DVRs are now stepping onto turf previously occupied by devices such as the Slingbox, though TiVo’s new lineup has a wider feature set than does the Slingbox. In adding streaming to mobile functionality, the new DVRs subsume the features of a pre-existing TiVo device, the TiVo Stream add-on box. That device paired with TiVo Premiere DVRs to stream to iOS devices.
While 2 out of 3 Roamio DVRs will be able to stream content to iOS devices, the functionality will not be available right out of the box, but some months after the launch of the line. The functionality will most likely come in the form of a firmware update.
The Roamio line will also allow users access to Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and other streaming services, and will also allow control from your iOS device.
The TiVo Roamio product lineup line will come in three models:
- The basic TiVo Roamio, ($200), will allow users to watch or record up to four simultaneous shows. It will also record up to 75 hours of HD video, but it will require the $130 TiVo Stream in order to stream to iOS devices.
- The Roamio Plus, ($400), will record up to six simultaneous shows and can hold up to 150 hours of HD video. iOS streaming functionality will be built-in.
- At the top of the line will be the Roamio Pro. ($600) The device will record up to 450 hours of HD video and will have all of the streaming fucntionality of the Roamio Plus.
