Amazon Unbox in TiVo goes live Users can now download and watch on their TV

7 March 2007 17:26 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Amazon's downloading service for TiVo has been made live today, after first being announced in early February.

Amazon Unbox in TiVo means that the combined forces of the two companies will reach 1.5 million TiVo subscribers in the US.

TiVo runs a similar service to BT Vision or Sky+ in the UK.

As an introduction, TiVo is offering $15 in free movie and TV show downloads; episodes are sold for $1.99, while movies go for between $9.99 and $14.99.

Users must first purchase content from Amazon Unbox on their PC; once their TiVo system has been configured, one copy is automatically downloaded to it.

Unbox Video content can be downloaded to a maximum of two PCs and two handhelds; the TiVo will count as one PC download.

Amazon is now the only online downloading service to offer this kind of tight TV integration, and may boost its appeal significantly.

Users may have been put off by the fact that content purchased could only be burned to a DVD for backup, not to play on a standalone player.