Beginning today, all TiVo Roamio DVR devices will now offer a feature called QuickMode, which allows users to watch recorded shows 30 percent faster with pitch-corrected audio. In other words, users can now watch shows in almost two-thirds the time it takes at normal speed, with adjusted pitch so, as TiVO puts it, there’s no “chipmunks allowed.”
Touted as a great solution for awards shows, news, and sports programming, TiVo claims the feature allows viewers to shave as much as a month each year from their TV viewing habit. The feature had previously only been available on the company’s 4K-enabled TiVo BOLT device, which made its debut in September.
Other features highlighted in the new update include HD Channel Notification to the interface, an updated look and feel, and faster channel scanning for those using TiVO’s Roamio OTA devices with broadcast channels, allowing for non-cable subscribers to get up and running more quickly.
In a realm where cord-cutting platforms like Hulu and Netflix are rising and pay TV subscriptions are falling, TiVo certainly has to innovate to stay relevant. In June, the company launched TiVo Online which intermingles DVR with live TV and streaming services on a Mac or PC. The following month, it launched compatibility with Apple TV via Airplay.
More changes to the TiVo platform are likely to come in the new year as Rogers steps down from his CEO position. “TiVo is a great company today,” said Rogers when announcing his resignation from his exec role in an earnings call earlier this month (via Deadline). “And I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of turning it around and building it from its DVR roots into the leader in providing next-generation TV in the United States and around the world.”
