X

Virgin Media's TiVo iPad app announced

Virgin Media's TiVo companion iPad app lets you control your intelligent set-top box from your Apple tablet.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read

TiVo is taking over the iPad. Virgin Media's TiVo companion app will let you control your intelligent set-top box from your Apple tablet.

The app basically turns your iPad into a giant remote control. You can browse the TiVo interface on your iPad's big screen, searching for something to watch from the TV guide or on-demand library, and all without interrupting what you're watching on your actual television.

Sadly you can't actually watch TiVo telly on your iPad, but when we asked about that, Virgin Media said "not yet" -- so we're keeping our fingers crossed for tablet-based TiVo action soon.

TiVo is the Virgin Media set-top box that not only records your stories, but also learns what you like. It records programmes it thinks you might like, you rate them, and TiVo gets a feel for your tastes. Pretty clever stuff.

You can also access online services like YouTube and Twitter. It's definitely worth upgrading to if you're a Virgin Media customer, although Sky customers have plenty of their own cool stuff if you're considering switching.

Sky offers free telly-watching to customers on their iPad and iPhone with the Sky Go app. Sky viewers can also watch the 30 available channels on their computer or Xbox 360.

If you don't have an iPad, there's also a Virgin Media TV Guide app for the iPhone and Android phones.

Samsung has also announced it will build TiVo boxes. They're currently built by Cisco, and we're being charitable if we describe the design as 'functional'.

A 1TB TiVo box will set you back £100, and the 500GB box will cost you £50. That's in addition to a £3-per-month TiVo subscription, and the price of your current Virgin Media package. The app will launch with the next software update "in the coming months".

Are you a TiVo diVotee? Tell us whether your love it or hate it in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.