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Hints of change were around in January of this year at TiVo, as right after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the talk was that TiVo was going to have to grow, or wither and die. Now we see by several signs that TiVo is in no danger of dying, it has forged deals with DirecTV once again, it has worked to build more value into its devices, and has now worked to bring more value to the brand, and its offered services.

 Perhaps a new heading - Watch Music Videos will be added!

In a follow up to an announcement in January, Real Networks has stated that Rhapsody music service will be available to owners of TiVo devices (no word yet on availability to DirecTiVo customers). The Rhapsody service will be available for the first 30 days absolutely free; after the get-to-know-us period the service will cost an additional $12.99 per month. The actual content will not be stored on the TiVo; the TiVo will simply act as a remote hosting device. Customers of Rhapsody currently will be able to use a home network to stream music and videos on their home network to their televisions via the TiVo device, without additional charge, and without limit. The service will be added to current boxes of the Series 2 and Series 3 types, as well as the HD TiVo units through an update process. The units will have to have a broadband connection to the TiVo in order to use the services (for DirecTiVo users, this would mean that DirecTV will have to allow the enabling of the USB ports on the DVRs, which would be a great step to show the customers good will, after the poor treatment the Murdoch folks gave them). Perhaps an inventive company can make a network interface module for these units (are you listening WeaKnees?).

Looks like the Rhapsody menu could become a submenu of your TiVo unit rather easily.

TiVo will be able to start competing with other home entertainment integration products with this effort, but still has a long way to go before removing the need, or want, of things like the Windows Media Center PC. If a cooperative effort was gained, the users could see a synergistic effect at home - perhaps someone should mention this to Microsoft (after all there was something once called Ultimate TV; it was a Microsoft - TiVo collaboration).

This is a happy guy - music on demand just made him even happier.

Because Rhapsody is a partner with MTV now, it is possible that TiVo users could be the recipients of constant music videos from that network - just like when the M in MTV meant Music, and not Money. This could help invigorate the sagging viewing numbers, and relieve the boredom of the viewers of relentless reruns of ‘Pimp My Ride’ and pitiful reality shows.

maybe TiVo will put the MUSIC back in MTV (for those who remember)

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