Tivo's Roamio targets the mobile viewer

Roamio Pro (rating: 4/5)

Keen television viewers have long appreciated Tivo's "time-shifting" digital recording capabilities. But so did rivals, who introduced similar features. Now, Tivo's new Roamio set-top boxes improve old features and offer new ones, such as streaming to mobile devices and tapping into a broader array of video services.

I have been a loyal Tivo subscriber since it rolled out its first digital video recorder in 1999. Its revolutionary "time-shifting" abilities freed the Taylor family from the tyranny of the television schedule, let us choose what we watched and when, and enabled us to "wind back" live recordings and flip through ads during movies.

After the dishwasher, it may be the most popular device in the house. Even my technophobe wife appreciated its simple user interface and superior search capabilities.

But customers have been tempted to stray. Emerging services such as Netflix or Hulu Plus give access to a broader range of video content over the web, and devices such as Apple TV, Roku and SlingBox add extra features and flexibility.

Now Tivo has brought out the Roamio range for those wanting not just neat, easy ways to record video - several items at a time if needed - and play back big amounts of high-definition video, including from web TV services: on top of all that, it has added streaming to mobile devices.

I have been testing the Roamio Pro. As the most sophisticated of three versions, it costs $600. It can record up to six programmes simultaneously and store up to 450 hours of full-HD video on its built-in hard drive.

Roamio Plus costs $400 and has the same features but stores up to 150 hours of HD video; and a $200 model simply called Roamio, which can record four programmes at once, stores 75 hours of video and lacks some of the advanced features, including the streaming content capabilities, of its siblings.

All three require the Tivo subscription service. This is $15 a month in the US; Tivo has not confirmed if Roamios will be available elsewhere, which would be through partners such as Virgin Media in the UK.

I found setting up the Pro - a robust black box about the size of a large hardback book - fairly easy (some early buyers reported problems getting the plug-in card tuners supplied by the local cable company to work at first).

Although such recording units are still known as set-top boxes, the Roamio typically sits under the TV - and it also works if put in a cupboard or nearby room.

Like earlier Tivo boxes, the Pro allows users to view and record more than 300 channels that my US TV provider offers. However, its more powerful processor makes searching for programmes or skipping through menus much faster.

Also, the built-in apps and broadband internet connection, which you can operate wirelessly thanks to built-in WiFi, give access to a huge range of other video content including TV shows and movies from web-based services. One of Roamio's strengths is that it collects all this video content in one place, which makes it easy to search and record.

Access to web services is provided by other set-top boxes and games machines, but Roamio Pro's extra features make it stand out. One is the ability to stream content to mobile devices - only Apple's iOS devices for now, but those running Google's Android operating system as well within a few months. Initially, you must be on the same network, but soon Roamio users will be able to view live or pre-recorded content over any internet connection.

This streaming capability worked very well over my home WiFi network, and I watched the final moments of the US baseball season on my iPad in bed. But, as with any streaming service, quality depends on available bandwidth.

In addition, you can download recorded content to a mobile device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, to view later.

Many of the Pro's features can be found in other devices, but Tivo has pulled them together in one box without cluttering up the user interface

Overall, the Roamio Pro is the best HD set-top box available. It is pricey but if you like watching movies and other video, it represents good value.

Planet of the Apps

Paul Taylor picks his favourite from the latest crop

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