Tivo To Go

One of the bigger innovations for TiVo users has been the addition of a service called TiVo To Go. This allows users to send the program to a computer. That means if two programs are on at the same time, one person can watch the television, while the other watches the same program, live, on a computer.

The feature can also be used on laptops. Shows or movies can be sent to a laptop for later viewing or burned to a DVD. It can also be used on Windows Mobile Portable Media Centers. These devices, which cost around $400, are much smaller than laptops, and are completely portable.

To use the feature, you have to have the TiVo Series2 DVR. The To Go feature does not work on DirecTV DVRs that use the original, Series1 models. Users also need software version 7.1 or later, and the Series2 box must be connected to your home network using a wired or wireless USB network adapter--this is how recordings get from the TiVo box to your computer.

As for the computer itself, it needs to be running Windows XP or 2000 to work properly. Mac users cannot use the service as of yet. Depending on the recording quality of the show you want to transfer, you'll need between one and two gigabytes of free hard drive space for each hour of programming you transfer from your DVR.