(25 August 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Tivo which creates television services for digital video recorders in the US has launched high definition DVR (HD-DVR) for consumers, under the label Tivo HD.

The firm says that with even more consumers ready to bring HDTV into their living rooms, the question of what makes for a perfect companion to HDTV is even more relevant.

A recent study found the personality traits people seek in a companion directly reflect the qualities that TiVo HD provides for HDTVs.

The lesson, the firm adds, is human attributes that make for good companions in 'real life' which can be parlayed to technology, something which is espoused by over 4 million TiVo subscribers.

Respondents chose from a list of attributes, with the top qualities selected by all illustrating why Tivo HD and HDTV are perfect companions on the level of Lucy and Desi, Marge and Homer or June and Ward.

• Fun to be with - Whether rating favourite shows with the peanut remote’s Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down buttons, the Tivo character offering a big smile as the user moves through on-screen menus, or even the classic ‘be-doop’ sound, Tivo, now in HD, is not just another pretty picture—it’s amazingly fun to use.
• If caring really does mean sharing, then TiVo HD does well in this category the firm states. TiVo HD learns user interests and shares them with offering an entertainment experience in broadcast TV and broadband video programming. Tivo also scours the web’s largest selection of movie and TV downloads from Amazon.com and delivers them straight to the TV set.
• TiVo HD can manage the user's entertainment schedule on a 24/7 basis. It works to find and record the programmes the viewer cares about most, sometimes suggesting new shows you might also enjoy. And, the Tivo service even adjusts recording times for programmes that suddenly change schedules.
• It looks to surprise users with suggestions for new programmes one might enjoy—when there’s available space to record additional shows. The Tivo service never bumps previously scheduled recordings without the users permission.
• Tivo adds that the DVR is smart enough to help the user to find and record programs in broadcast and cable television as well as broadband video using Swivel search. TiVo finds how users' favourite actors are connected to each other in new fun ways, linking one show to another through common actors, directors or even genre, starting with one star to find an entirely new constellation of entertainment.