YouTube on TiVo: It's about time

Digital video recorder TiVo is set to release a software upgrade that will let users access YouTube videos on their televisions, the company announced Thursday. The deal with the Google video-sharing site, originally announced in March, is scheduled to start rolling out in a few weeks.

TiVo owners will need a Series 3 or TiVo HD box to be eligible for the software upgrade, which will be further extended in the near future to allow them to log into their own YouTube accounts to access playlists and the like.

It's not terribly revolutionary. The Apple TV box has given owners access to YouTube for over a year now. TiVo already lets viewers watch select online videos and podcasts--but in downloadable form, not streaming form.

And as my colleague John Falcone has put it: now, where's my Hulu box?

[gsmiller88]

I would imagine YouTube videos looking like crap on TVs.

[Musicman50America]

They look just like on your computer monitor if you select full screen mode. Some Video's are very poor quality, some are quite good.

[jamalystic]

Are they trying to force crappy Youtube videos on our living rooms?? Hope it's just not another way to boost Youtube's ugly influnce on soicety:Top 10 Ways YouTube Has Ruined Life for Good(http://www.internetevolution.com/document.asp?doc_id=155235&F_src=flftwo)

[ptcruiser1]

When there's nothing else to watch on TV or TiVo, I welcome any other video source.

[Musicman50America]

I disagree on the comment that youtube is full of crappy videos. Sure there are some crappy videos, but there are also thousand's of very intelligent and well made videos and instructional videos on their site. BTW: I have been using a very inventive product call Neuros OSD http://www.neurostechnology.com/ it's an amazing Open source platform that is constantly being updated by the user community. I can watch and record DVD's , Youtube video's or anything for that matter and watch it on TV.. For the most part the Youtube Video's look ok on this device on my TV, so I would assume they would look the same on a TiVo..
Disappointed they are not adding this to the Series II Tivo, but I guess I will have to upgrade when I get my new HD TV in the future anyway..

[tekwiz4u]

WOW!...now I get to see teens expelling milk from their nose, perform copycat "jack-ass" tricks, and beat up other teens for no reason.....ALL ON MY BIG SCREEN TV!!!!

Where do I sign up?

[Rod Roddy]

Who cares? You Tube has such crap content, THAT IT'S NOT WORTH IT! Why Tivo would consider this big news is mind boggling.

[JMShearer]

Sounds like an interesting bit of technology, but in my "I would ever want this why...?" category, if only because most of what I use YouTube for is watching stuff while I'm on the Web anyway, which is something I don't plan on doing from my TV. And to anyone who doesn't think YT has some serious content issues, allow me to recommend something called "YouTube Poop." It serves to remind me that there are still some things named the way they are for a reason.

[revolt1999]

I think this is very cool. I will be able to watch youtube on my TIVO which also has a DVD burner. I'll be able to make mix music video on it.
I LOVE new technology. This is the another step towards merge of internet and television which in still in the future (for most part).
I get a kick out anyone that has something negative to say about youtube (or tivo) I think youtube is awesome and has sooo many cool videos and informative information.