Audio Video News

Broadband-connected TiVo owners will get a chance to subscribe to one of the leading music services via the DVR, under a deal between TiVo and Rhapsody.

Rhapsody America, formerly run solely by RealNetworks, is now a joint venture of that company and Viacom's MTV Networks. Rhapsody being what it is--a streaming subscription service--TiVo owners won't be able to download tracks for keeps. But they will get access to Rhapsody's four-million-song library for a monthly charge of $12.95, in addition to the $12.95+ TiVo charges subscribers for its program guide.

According to the press release: "Among other capabilities, consumers can search for music directly from their TV using TiVo's intuitive search feature, browse charts of Rhapsody's most popular, artists, albums and songs, check out weekly lists of new releases, or listen to thousands of radio stations that suit virtually any mood. TiVo users can also use the famous peanut remote's Thumbs Up™ and Thumbs Down™ buttons to rate their favorite music. Rhapsody provides consumers with music recommendations based on their ratings, personal music tastes and listening habits."

Sounds like fun!

TiVo has been busy lately, partnering with Amazon for movie downloads and Yahoo for photo sharing. The Comcast version of TiVo is on the way. The Associated Press says New England subscribers will get it first.

And finally, the cost of porting a lifetime program-guide subscription over to the new TiVo HD will be $199. As Engadget remarked, "No one ever said life is fair."