Well, what do you know? TiVo's delivering as promised with this one, as Desktop Plus 2.6 is indeed going live in March -- just like we were told back in January (and nary a week after TiVo promised YouTube access later this year). Truth be told, there's not a whole lot here that you didn't already get a taste of in our hands-on at CES, but here's the skinny. As of today, TiVo users can grab hold of the latest version of Desktop (Windows only, we're afraid) and "enjoy a broad range of web entertainment available directly from their TV." More specifically, these customers "can choose web videos downloaded on the home PC using web browsers, RSS video clients such as iTunes podcasts, or other video download software to automatically copy to their TiVo DVR's Now Playing List alongside recorded broadcast and cable TV shows." In case you couldn't tell, Desktop Plus 2.6 can be downloaded today for a one-time fee of $24.95, but consider that waived if you're upgrading from an earlier version. Click on through for the full release.

It looks like this year's big announcement from TiVo is the new TiVo Desktop 2.6 software, with a few upgrades in connecting your favorite DVR and your PC. According to our good friend Dave Zatz, this latest version allows for folder monitoring on the PC, with automatic transcoding and transfer to a connected TiVo. You could use this to monitor video podcasts -- or those BitTorrent RSS feeds you didn't think we knew about -- and play them on your TV more easily than any device this side of an AppleTV. No word on what res's are supported, but expect to pony up $24.95 when this update comes in March, unless you've got TiVo Desktop Plus in which case its no extra cost.

Don't look now, but TiVo is apparently gearing up to unleash TiVoToGo version 2.5 to the masses any moment. The firm's webpage has already been updated to show the v2.5 graphic, yet the download link still takes you to the existing build. Nevertheless, TiVoPony has unveiled that the forthcoming update will enable support for Windows Vista as well as DivX / XviD formats for web video conversions, and it will also allow users to "convert individual shows from Desktop's Now Playing list at any time, to any profile, by right-clicking." Unfortunately, that last feature still won't be available for Series3 or TiVo HD devices, but those looking to browse photo slideshows can expect higher resolution support (huzzah?). So twiddle your thumbs a bit and keep checking the read link periodically, it's bound to show up sometime soon.

[Via TiVoBlog]

It's that time again folks, when you gleefully head on over to TiVo's website and download a new release of its desktop software to add more of those PC / TiVo integration features you love so dearly. While we've watched the software mature from 2.1 to 2.2, right on up to the much-anticipated 2.3, it's now time for 2.4 to shine, albeit in beta fashion for the time being. While the now-prior rendition allowed users to convert TiVo recordings into mobile-friendly versions for a $25 fee, 2.4 seeks to offer up the process a bit in reverse by allowing non-DRM-laced video files on your PC to be transcoded for playback on your TiVo box. Unfortunately, the $25 fee for the required TiVo Desktop Plus upgrade key is still again in place, and while this process can be done manually for those looking to save a few bills, at least the company is offering up a simplified alternative for those with more money than time. Additionally, users can look forward to broadcasting "HD resolution" (read: up to 1,280 x 720) photos from their PC to a Series3 unit, but beta software wouldn't be complete without a stash of digs built in. Aside from the list of known issues that will hopefully be ironed out by the final release, Mac users won't be enjoying any of these niceties right away, and of course, the $25 fee is a debatable downside as well. Still, for those looking to get their transcoding on with non-protected WMV and MP4 / H.264 files, and don't mind the expected hiccups associated with a "preview release," be sure to hit the read link for your downloading satisfaction, and tap the Via for a few snapshots while you're at it.

[Via ZatsNotFunny]