TiVo To Go's gone to the PSP, iPod, and Treo

With a new software release, TiVo To Go feature is now compatible with some of the most popular media players on the market, including the , the video iPod, and the Palm Treo 650 and 700p. The service will allow users to sync their media device to a TiVo-networked computer and download recorded programs. Transfering files to the devices requires TiVo Desktop Plus, which costs $25; an additional $20 is needed to download the needed Kinoma player to the Treo 650. The service already worked--without either charge--with Windows-friendly devices such as the Treo 700w as well as the Creative Zen Vision:M and the Toshiba Gigabeat S.

TiVo To Go is being marketed as a "watch last night's stuff this morning" service, which is appropriate considering the painstaking process the program has to undergo to find its home on your player. First, it has to be transferred from the TiVo to your PC, then formatted to a file type that's compatible with your PVP. Finally, it has to transferred to the player. It's a long journey, but it does avoid the pitfall of transferring an incompatible format to your mobile device.

While the addition of easily accesible media content is welcome on any player, TiVo To Go arrives on the wide-screen PSP with open arms. Upon the announcement of the service last November, we pondered whether companies with existing content services such as Sony and Apple would allow TiVo to horn in on their turf. With word of this service arriving to us via a Sony press release, it appears that company is more than fine with TiVo-recorded shows appearing on the PSP. The company already has their own TV-to-PSP device on the market (the streaming LocationFree), so its endorsement is a bit puzzling. We'll hopefully get to test TiVo To Go functionality on the device in the near future.