Streaming Tivo on Your Android Tablet!

I am so excited to announce that Tivo is now streaming on Android devices (Android 4.1 or later, non-Intel or AMD chipset).  Yeah!  Previously, you could access your Tivo box using the Tivo app to record new shows, delete shows from your queue, and see what’s on TV, but you couldn’t watch shows from your Tivo on your Android devices…only on your Apple devices.  But this has changed now.  As an avid Android lover, I have ample tablets and family phones, but I couldn’t use any of them for streaming Tivo shows.

You can be streaming Tivo shows using these Tivo models:

• TiVo Roamio (Plus and Pro only)
• TiVo Premiere  (all models, but Tivo Stream is required)
• TiVo HD (all models, but Tivo Stream is required)
• TiVo Series3 (Tivo Stream is required)

How to Begin Streaming Tivo on Android Devices

First of all, you need to ensure that you have updated the settings on your Tivo box to ensure you can stream to devices through the Internet.  To set up streaming, see our article on How to Access Your Tivo Remotely.  If you already have the Tivo Android App on your tablet or phone, you will be asked to upgrade it.  If you are not, go to the Google Play store and update the Tivo app yourself.  Once you update your app and log in, you will receive the following message….

You should receive the “Set Up Streaming” message box in your Tivo app.  Click “Start setup” to begin this simple process.  The app will then search for your Tivo box and begin the process.

Once your Tivo is found on the on your network, it will set up streaming for you to be available on your Android device.  You will need to go through this process with each Android device you’ll be streaming Tivo on.

Once you are set up, you will be able to see your shows.  Here’s a screenshot of  the shows I have on my  Tivo Roamio.  You just click on the show you want to stream and you’ll receive the following message…

Do you want to “Watch on TV” or “Watch on Tablet”?  Click “Watch on Tablet” and your show/movie will begin streaming…as long as you’re connected to your network.  Because you enabled streaming, you will be able to access your Tivo while away from home through the Internet.

Streaming works great because you can watch a show or movie in a pinch while waiting at the doctors office, a long road trip (as long as you have an Internet signal), during your kids’ practices (you and your other children get bored sometimes), at a friend’s house, or when traveling, streaming Tivo is a great companion in a hotel room.  Just be careful when streaming Tivo on your phone or other mobile carrier device where you are being charged for data, as streaming can use up your data plan fast.

Also, another beautiful perk of the Android app is that you can be streaming Tivo TV shows and movies live too.  Just open up Guide on the tablet to see what is currently available to your Tivo box.  So you could be in New York and watch live TV in California from your Tivo box.  This is so cool.  My kids love this when we travel.  They can’t stand watching hotel TV shows.

On the iOS Tivo app, you can stream and save movies and shows to your tablet through a download process.  We have done this with our iPad and it works great, especially when traveling via plane or car.  Unfortunately, at this time, you cannot download shows/movies to your Android devices, but this will be coming.

Love VUDU?

On a side note, if you love to stream content, like I do, Tivo also recently announced that they have now included VUDU, Walmart’s subscription-free video-on-demand movie service to their offerings.  I love VUDU.  Did you know that you can take your DVD’s to the Walmart Photo Center, pay $2 ($5 if you want to upgrade to Blu-ray), and they will give you a digital copy of your DVD?  It will reside within your VUDU account and you can easily stream your movie every time, without having to wonder why didn’t someone put the DVD movie back in its cover after the last viewing.

No more lost DVD’s and you can stream movies right on your TV.  Find out more in our article on How to Digitize Your Library for more information.  I did check and you are not able to use the Tivo app at this time to stream your VUDU movies at this time.

I love the innovation Tivo is constantly striving to provide.  We are an on-the-go society and being able to take our favorite TV shows and movies with us is such a great convenience.  But it doesn’t stop here, Tivo is already working on the next round of features to make Tivo even more valuable to their owners.

*  I am a Tivo Moms Ambassador and was given a Tivo Roamio with service to facilitate my reviews.