Got a TiVo? Your iPhone is your friend

If you have a TiVo, there are several apps in the App Store that can make recording and playing your favorite shows just a little easier. While none of them allow playback on the iPhone or iPod touch themselves, they're still useful tools for TiVo-holics.

For those with TiVo Series 3 boxes, DVR Remote turns your iPhone or iPod touch into not only a remote control for your TiVo, but also a much easier way to enter text, compared to using the remote. There is a little bit of setup that you have to do on your TiVo before DVR Remote works, but once all the devices are talking to one another, you can view Now Playing information and select favorite channels straight from this app. DVR Remote (App Store link) is $2.99.

Also, If you're looking for a less-polished, less-expensive app that has much of the same functionality as DVR Remote, RemoteT might be for you. RemoteT (App Store link) is 99 cents.

For those with Series 2 DVRs (like me), DVR Shows behaves much like the NowPlaying dashboard widget (sans downloading capability). DVR Shows lets you browse the contents of your Now Playing list and view program details. DVR Shows (App Store link) is 99 cents.

If you want to take advantage of the TiVo's remote programming option while browsing your media guide and program schedules, the current version of i.TV supports that function. Some testers have had mixed luck with the capability but your mileage may vary. i.TV (App Store link) is free.

Last but not least is DVRPics, a utility that lets you show a picture from your iPhone or iPod touch's Photo repository on your TiVo Series 2 or newer. (Right now, you can only show one photo at a time, but the developer promises a free update to create slideshows.) You can also take pictures using your iPhone, and immediately display them on your TV. DVRPics (App Store link) is 99 cents.

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If you have a TiVo, there are several apps in the App Store that can make recording and playing your favorite shows just a little easier....

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john paul

Any luck with (don't laugh) iO DVR's?

January 24 2009 at 5:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

now4real954

well this all well and good...but outside the iphone arena...my favorite Tivo app

iTivo...it is free on the google code site...

i adore it...not only does it show what is on all of your DVR's in the house and download them but it will convert them for you into a variety of usable formats...and it will import them into your itunes account...i have had bad luck with the mencoder for converting with this app...

but it also has handbrake options and it works rather quickly...it encodes as it downloads and has the ability to cut the commercials out...that is a risky option that i have not tried as of yet

but i adore this program...and the tivo dashboard widget is also powerful but takes much longer to do the same tasks maybe because i think it uses mencoder to convert

anyway i had to put that out there because i adore my Tivos

January 24 2009 at 4:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

pshah2

Us Dish users are hosed out of the TiVo goodness, :((

January 23 2009 at 8:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

oaijim

Anything work with Dish DVR?

January 23 2009 at 5:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rick

DVR Shows works with Series 3 TiVos as well. The article kind of implies that it's Series 2 only. (Disclosure - I'm the author of DVR Shows).

January 23 2009 at 4:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Boyo

For those who have pwnd there iPhones there is a great free app simply called, TivoRemote. Cydia rules.

January 23 2009 at 4:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

rcm3

You guys missed the free application available through Cydia. Its got a fairly polished UI as well.

January 23 2009 at 4:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to rcm3's comment

Boyo

Kudos on being first.

January 23 2009 at 4:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

nick

This makes me wonder why Apple did not put an IR port on the iPhone. This bothers me on a daily basis, as I'm one to lose remotes. Not just the TV remote, but to get the TV to have video I need the cable box remote, and to get the cable box to produce sound I need the surround sound receiver remote, to play CD's I need the 5 disc changer remote, and to play a DVD I need the DVD player remote. Soon there will be a blu-ray player in the mix, so one more remote I need.

Universal remotes just don't do it right, the iPhone would be the ULTIMATE remote.

January 23 2009 at 4:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to nick's comment

Now do you know of an app that works with Direct TV DVR?

January 24 2009 at 12:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Don't forget the TiVo Mobile webapp (http://m.tivo.com) which is also great for scheduling while on the go!

January 23 2009 at 3:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to B's comment

StrikerObi

I was so happy when TiVo finally added this to their site. Trying to remote-schedule a show on the existing site via iPhone was a massive pain in the ass.

January 23 2009 at 5:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply