TIVO’S NEW DVR NOW ALLOWS VIEWING ANYWHERE

Certain to anger broadcasters and cable-TV providers alike, TiVo today (Thursday) launched a new feature allowing users of its Roamio DVRs to watch live or recorded programs anywhere via wi-fi on Apple’s iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices. Beginning next month, users of TiVo’s older DVRs may attach a separate TiVo Stream unit, which sells for $129.95, to receive programs on Apple’s iOS devices. A Roamio app is now available free from the iTunes store; an Android app is expected to become available early next year. TiVo has been struggling to compete with DVRs included in packages offered by satellite and cable providers. But they do not allow users to watch programs remotely, except by using add-on settop boxes. Broadcasters maintain that streaming their programs over the Internet amounts to theft of their copyright.