TiVo has introduced a "plus" version TiVo Desktop for Windows software that helps turn its DVR STB into a networked media hubs. This new version stresses the ability to pull podcasts and can either recognize them directly from iTunes on a networked PC or else pulls them directly through RSS subscriptions on the Series 3, including 720p HD podcasts. Customers can also use the Season Pass feature normally used for recorded TV shows to monitor web video sources and add new videos from folders on a local PC without adding them to the list by hand.
The software requires a Windows PC and can still convert recorded TV shows to formats playable by iPods and the PSP. A Mac version of TiVo Desktop that matches these new features is still in development in tandem with Roxio, TiVo says. The DVRs themselves are also still set to receive YouTube support later this year. TiVo Desktop is priced at $24.95 for new users but is a free upgrade to anyone running a previous version. The standard TiVo Desktop for Windows software is a free download with less features.