Next-generation television services specialist TiVo has unveiled the TiVo BOLT, which it claims is the most advanced television-viewing experience available.

TiVo BOLT is all about speed, getting viewers to and through their content faster than ever. BOLT allows viewers to skip entire commercial breaks in a single bound at the press of a button. BOLT’s ability to skip entire commercial breaks of certain recorded shows with TiVo’s new SkipMode feature is a breakthrough that distinguishes BOLT from everything else, says the company.

The TiVo BOLT is born to binge, unifying the source of any available programme from cable, video on demand, OTA, and OTT, while providing a way to watch without commercials. BOLT delivers TiVo’s renowned universal search and consumption across all channels and streaming providers — not just the app world of over-the-top content.

The combination of SkipMode with the new QuickMode, which allows for 30 per cent faster viewing of recorded shows while maintaining perfect audio, enables the average viewer to potentially recapture a month of time in one’s life each year. In addition to saving all that time, TiVo can save subscribers money — particularly as a household with multiple TVs — by getting out from under the rental charges of boxes from your cable operator.

The combination of BOLT’s accompanying mobile apps, together with features planned to be added in the coming months, enables an ever-increasing number of the personalisation features that will get viewers to the most highly relevant content faster than ever. These personalisation features include recommendations from friends and family, selections of top critics, and the latest videos related to one’s hobbies and interests — including the latest music video release in viewers’ favourite genres.

“The TiVo BOLT arrives at a time of piqued interest in both connected devices and commercial avoidance,” said Tom Rogers, TiVo’s President and CEO. “The clear demand of consumers is for a TV experience that quickly delivers them exactly what they want the instant they turn on the screen. BOLT is a game changer that will remind people of how they felt the first time they experienced digital recording.”

“BOLT was designed to meet the requirements of a new generation of TV viewers,” said Ira Bahr, TiVo’s Chief Marketing and Retail Sales Officer. “Smaller form factor, 4K compatibility, single-screen integration of cable or over-the-air, plus streaming apps, the ability to take your content anywhere — and for the first time, the ability to precisely jump commercial breaks at the touch of a button.”

In addition to TiVo-pioneered DVR and streaming capabilities, the TiVo BOLT features:

• Fast-forwarding is a thing of the past – SkipMode introduces the speed and convenience of skipping non-program content in certain recorded shows at the press of a single button. This new feature transports you past commercial interruptions and takes you back to your recorded show in an instant. With TiVo, you get to watch what you want and immediately skip over the stuff you don’t.

• Watch content faster than ever – QuickMode lets you watch recorded shows 30 per cent faster — without audio distortion. QuickMode’s pitch-corrected audio lets you comfortably speed through slow-moving programmes such as news, sports, and overly-long award shows.

• 4K – The TiVo BOLT is the first product of its kind on the market to provide 4K compatibility. With 4K Ultra HD resolution, your eyes will feast on a viewing experience that’s so vivid and lifelike, it’ll blur the line between you and your content.

• New look and feel – With its new design, colour and feel, this product transcends the conventional streaming device or set-top box. The TiVo BOLT captures the essence of TiVo in its simplicity, high usability, and the bold experience the device delivers, which led to its natural flow design that embodies all the same characteristics. The idea of making a statement while reducing complexity was the fundamental motivation for the TiVo BOLT’s form factor.

The TiVo BOLT is also equipped with TiVo feature favourites, including:

• OnePass™ – TiVo’s universal search finds what you want, regardless of the source of a program. The best of entertainment from cable, video on demand, over-the-air, and over-the-top streaming services is all organised and provided in a way to watch without commercials. The TiVo BOLT combines this search with the easy ability to view content across all your channels and streaming providers — not just the app world of over-the-top content.

• Collections – TiVo’s Collections organise the best that television and the web have to offer — all grouped into easy-to-scan categories. From Citizen Kane to Mad Max: Fury Road, all are a snap to find and watch with Collections where you can automatically record Academy Award recipients from any year. Automatically record Emmy Award recipients, Sundance Film Festival awardees, and box sets, and take advantage of the many ways to capture award-winning movies and TV with the press of a single button.

Autumn updates:

• Getting Personal – An update will deliver new features to TiVo’s iOS app that will allow you to create a personalised ‘What to Watch’ screen by selecting categories based on your hobbies and interests. Content matching your interests will then populate your ‘My Shows’ folder.

• Share with Friends – TiVo is taking social sharing to the next level. This update will allow you to share a link to your favorite show with all your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter and more. Upon clicking on that link, TiVo will take your friends to a page on an iOS or Android device or on the Web indicating where they can watch that show.

• TiVo Online – Creating OnePass selections will be easier than ever on TiVo Online with OnePass Quick Select. Upon updating, OnePass will include default options highlighting your favorite programs with a single click.

Availability & Pricing
TiVo BOLT 500 GB is available for $299.99, including a first year of annual service, and TiVo BOLT 1000 GB is available for $399.99, with a first-year of annual service.

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