Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

TiVo is working on a new DVR, but this one doesn’t plug into your TV

Kris Wouk
By

tivo mantis network dvr fcc filing three heroes
Last month, TiVo finally dropped the hammer on its original DVR, the Series 1, by announcing that it would no longer receive program guide updates after September. To make up for that, the company has a new model on the way, currently known as the TiVo Mantis, though how it works varies from the DVRs the company is known for.

The existence of the TiVo Mantis was revealed by an FCC filing, which was first noticed by Zatz Not Funny. The filing gives the device the model number TCD84A000, while it isn’t clear if Mantis is a work-in-progress name or the actual name of the product. While the unit works similarly to previous TiVo models in that it receives and records OTA (over-the-air) broadcast television, how it is delivered is a different story.

Recommended Videos

Looking at the filing, the Mantis appears to lack any sort of video output, which makes sense as it is described as a network DVR. The filing reads the this DVR is “designed to receive OTA broadcast video and transcodes and send it out as a network stream either wired or wireless,” and is equipped with 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

Related

This means that users will need another device to actually handle playback, but also carries the added benefit that one DVR can stream to multiple TVs. TiVo offers its own TiVo Mini, which is almost surely going to work with this upcoming network DVR, but the company is also likely working on apps for popular streamers from Roku, Amazon, Apple, and maybe more.

In the past, TiVo representatives have mentioned the company working toward something that moves away from the traditional DVR model, and this could be it, but this is far from clear. In a recent chat with users of the TiVo Community Forum, company retail general manager Ira Bahr said that the company does “expect to announce something around CES in January,” adding that the company won’t try to compete directly with streamers.

In the same message board thread, Bahr also told users to stay tuned for a TiVo announcement on September 15, so it’s possible that we could learn more about the Mantis sooner rather than later.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Lifetime subscription or not, TiVo is cutting off support for its original DVR
tivo mantis network dvr fcc filing three heroes

Thanks to the proliferation of the DVR as a concept, the TiVo name may not carry the weight it once did, but it still deserves credit as the company that brought the DVR to the mainstream. Now, the first model the company sold to customers, aptly named the Series 1, is finally being retired.

TiVo broke the news to customers in an email that begin to circulate on Tuesday evening, and was shared on the TiVo Community message board. Series 1 boxes will make their final call to the company to update the TiVo guide on September 15, which will provide them with listings until the end of September. After that, this particular model of DVR will no longer be able to update its listings.

Read more
TiVo Bolt owners can now watch TV anywhere thanks to a new software update
Tivo Bolt 4K

When we reviewed the TiVo Bolt last year, we were mostly impressed, but there were a few areas in which it was lacking. Perhaps the biggest issue was that, unlike the TiVo Roamio, the Bolt didn't feature out-of-home streaming. While the older Roamio eventually gained features that launched on the Bolt, such as SkipMode and QuickMode, the newer model didn't seem to be receiving the same treatment when it came to missing features.

On Thursday, TiVo announced a software update in a blog post that brings changes and updates to a number of models, but the biggest news is that out-of-home streaming has finally come to the Bolt. With this, Bolt users can finally watch both recorded and live programming on the go via the TiVo app for iOS and Android.

Read more
TiVo’s new Roamio DVR for cord-cutters cuts subscription fee for cash upfront
Tivo Roamio Pro review remote

Cord-cutting and DVRs might not seem like they belong in the same sentence, but the TiVo Roamio OTA combines the best of both worlds, adding DVR capabilities to broadcast TV along with streaming from most major services. Now the line is getting an upgrade, including one important addition and another important subtraction.

Today TiVo unveiled the Roamio OTA 1TB, adding 500GB storage that allows users to store up to 150 hours of HD content. The new model will cost users $400, but that mammoth price is easier to swallow thanks to the other big announcement: there is no need for an ongoing monthly subscription fee. That initial price covers both the hardware and the service.

Read more