TiVo Officially Introduces TV Downloads

Following the unexpected leak of screenshots that had company executives fuming, TiVo on Monday officially introduced a trial of its new video download service, touting IFC as the first broadcast partner. TiVo users will be able to download IFC content using a broadband connection, rather than record it off the air.

The company says the trial is the first of several broadband features it intends to roll out to TiVo Series2 DVRs this fall. It's not clear whether all users will have the opportunity to join the download trial, which was initially limited to a group of select testers.

IFC will make available downloads of three new series -- "Hopeless Pictures," "Greg The Bunny" and "The Festival" -- before the shows are aired. IFC will also package outtakes and unaired footage for TiVo users.

"The future of television will include an explosion of consumer choice, including programming options from both traditional broadcast and broadband Internet channels and sources," said Brodie Keast, executive vice president and general manager of TiVo's consumer division.

"TiVo intends to help consumers sort through this complexity, making it easy and fun to find what they want, so they can watch it when and where they want."

To help promote the trial, IFC will host a sweepstakes on its Web site that will give away a TiVo Series2 DVR with product lifetime service subscription each month from August through October.