TiVo Swivel Search Pulls In Broadband Video

TiVo's new Swivel Search feature lets users find programming across broadcast, cable, and broadband programming based on traits of programs they know they enjoy.

DVR pioneer TiVo has announced a new Universal Swivel Search feature for its broadband-connected TiVo subscribers, which lets them easily search across broadband, cable, and broadcast offerings to find programming based on characteristics of programs they know they already like.

“We know that as broadband video continues its rapid growth, and broadcast and cable programming continue to proliferate, consumers are finding it more and more difficult to find the content they want, when they want it.” said TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. “Now there is a fun and easy new way for TiVo subscribers to explore the few degrees of separation connecting content that they enjoy in a way that matches how the TV viewer thinks about programming.”

To use the Swivel Search feature, users start with a program they current enjoy, and use aspects of that program—like the program’s actors, name, and terms in the program description. By focusing on a known program, users can “swivel” to see other program choices which share elements or characteristics. Users can also find programs related to a particular subject using topic-related tags which might not be in a title or episode description, enabling users to follow a path through their available programming choices based on things that interest them.

“A consumer has on average 200 channels of programming through digital cable, which adds up to over 30,000 hours of programming every week,” said Jim Denney, TiVo’s VP of product marketing. “Then combine that with the thousands of hours of content that is currently available through download via Amazon Unbox on TiVo or TiVo’s TiVoCast service. Now with Swivel Search, consumers will be able to easily find and get content that is most interesting to them no matter where it comes from.”

TiVo will begin pushing Swivel Search to broadband-connected Series2 and Series3 subscribers as of today; subscribers who want to dive right in can sign up on the TiVo Web site to get Swivel Search installed quickly.