Tivo introduces Android app to stream shows on mobile devices

TiVo Inc., a maker of digital video recorders, is introducing a mobile application for users to stream TV content on their Android smartphones and tablets, adding to a similar service it offers on Apple Inc. devices.

The new app, which is initially being introduced in the U.S., lets consumers with devices using Google Inc.'s operating software connect with their TiVo set-top box at home to watch live shows, record and playback content on the go, the company said in a statement today. The app can connect with mobile phone networks as well as Wi-Fi, unlike the Apple app which is Wi-Fi only.

"We've effectively been serving half the market in this context with iOS functionality," said Jim Denny, TiVo's vice president of product marketing, in a telephone interview.

TiVo, based in San Jose, California, is also preparing to offer both apps to international users as it tries to recruit more subscribers outside its home market. The company, which has more than 3 million subscribers in Europe out of a total of 4.8 million at the end of the second quarter, said last month it will add workers in five European countries as it expands in the region.

The Android app will be able to stream programs from traditional providers including Time Warner Inc. and CBS Corp. as well as from Internet-based broadcasters such as Amazon.com Inc. and Netflix Inc.

With both apps, not all content available on pay-TV is accessible for streaming outside the home, Denny said. Certain premium programming, like HBO from Time Warner and the movie channel Starz, for example, won't be available on the go, due to restrictions imposed by the content owner, he said.

The challenge is working with pay-TV providers to figure out how to make more content available remotely, Denny said.