TiVo Roamio DVR Line Launched With 4+ Simultaneous Recording And Software Updates

TiVo has announced its latest line of DVRs, the TiVo Roamio, Roamio Plus, and Roamio Pro. All three devices bring to the table a slew of new features and functionality, among them being improvements to the software. This DVR expansion has been a long time coming, with its last major DVR series having been launched a couple of years ago.

The basic Roamio DVR allows users to record up to four shows at the same time, with the HD recording capacity topping out at up to 75 hours. As with the other two DVRs, there's integrated search and entertainment apps, as well as built-in WiFi and the TiVo app. Unlike the other two, however, users will need to buy TiVo Stream separately to stream content to a mobile gadget.

The Roamio Plus builds on that with up to six simultaneous recordings and up to 150 hours worth of HD video recording. The ability to stream to mobile devices is integrated, unlike the basic model. And then there's the Roamio Pro, which likewise allows for six simultaneous recordings, but has a higher capacity for up to 450 hours' worth of HD content.

The software allows for searching across both cable and streaming apps, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, for content. Streaming services are integrated, and everything can be controlled using the TiVo mobile app, and can be accessed from a tablet, for example, outside of the user's home for mobile watching. The latter is achieved by downloading content from the DVR to the mobile device.

Finally, Netflix and YouTube enjoy a bit of extra mobile-to-TiVo functionality via the use of their DIAL protocols, allowing content accessed from a mobile to be sent to the DVR. Those looking to update their TiVo unit can grab the Roamio for $199 USD, while the two higher end offerings are both more expensive. The Roamio Plus will run users $400 USD, and the Roamio Pro is most expensive at $599 USD.

SOURCE: TechCrunch