by Playfuls Staff |
8th March 2007
TiVo together with Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that
"Amazon Unbox on TiVo" is now available to more than 1.5 million
broadband-ready TiVo subscribers. This availability follows [more] a recent successful
beta-testing period with a small group of TiVo subscribers. This unique service
offers TiVo subscribers the best way to find their favorite movies and TV shows
from the thousands that are available on Amazon Unbox, download and watch them
right on their TV.
Also today, TiVo and Amazon announced the addition of Sony
Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) to the list of studios
offering content through Amazon Unbox on TiVo, which also includes CBS, Fox Entertainment
Group, Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and
Warner Bros. Entertainment.
To celebrate the launch of this new service, TiVo and Amazon
are offering $15 in free movie and TV show downloads to anyone who signs up for
the Amazon Unbox on TiVo service by April 30, 2007.
Amazon Unbox on TiVo provides an easy solution for renting
or purchasing thousands of movies and thousands of TV shows. For example, consumers
can get caught up with the Oscar buzz by renting or purchasing the
"must-see" Oscar-winning and nominated films and having them sent directly
to their TV via their TiVo. Additionally, TiVo subscribers can easily find
award-winning actors' and directors' previous movies through Amazon Unbox or
through their broadcast programming via TiVo's exclusive WishList searches.
To activate their broadband-connected TiVo Series2 or
Series3 box, TiVo subscribers can log on to Amazon.com here
and perform a simple, one-time registration process to establish a link between
their TiVo user account and their Amazon.com account. Once the initial set up
is complete, eligible movies or television shows can be ordered from Amazon
Unbox and downloaded directly to the customer's TiVo box via the Internet -- no
PC is required for downloading and viewing. After the movie has been
downloaded, the title will automatically appear in the subscriber's TiVo
"Now Playing" list with all of their other recorded shows, easily
viewed with just a click of the TiVo remote. Customers can purchase television
episodes for $1.99, purchase most movies for between $9.99 and $14.99, or rent
movies starting at $1.99.
As an added bonus, all purchased videos are automatically
stored in each customer's "Your Media Library" at Amazon.com for
future access and download.
The TiVo – Amazon Unbox partnership may be considered a
response to Apple TV, the device unveiled by Steve Jobs at MacWorld 2007. Apple TV has a 40GB hard drive to store up to 50 hours of
video, 9,000 songs, 25,000 photos or a combination of each and is capable of
delivering high-definition 720p output. Apple TV can be connected to a broad
range of widescreen TVs and home theater systems and comes standard with HDMI,
component video, analog and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort
802.11 wireless networking, Apple TV can auto-sync content from one computer or
stream content from up to five additional computers right to your TV without
any wires. Of course, Apple TV is fully compatible with iTunes.
