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TiVo, the product that automatically records your favorite television shows, announced a feature called the Home Media Option in April 2003. If you own a TiVo Series 2 with the Home Media Option you can remotely schedule your TiVo to record specific shows via the web and enjoy photos and music from your computer on your television system. In fact, the Home Media Option will connect directly to popular applications like iPhoto and iTunes and display your photo albums and music play lists directly on your TV. Unfortunately, if you own one of the millions of songs downloaded from the iTunes Music Store, you will be unable to listen to your AAC music files with your TiVo. As early as May 2003, TiVo announced plans to incorporate AAC audio into their next software revision. Presently, TiVo's January 2004 software upgrade still lacks AAC support.

For those of you unfamiliar with AAC, let me say that it's clearly one of the most important audio formats to date. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is a proposed standard for audio developed by a consortium of companies including Dolby Labs , renowned for 'Dolby Stereo' and 'Dolby Surround Sound'. AAC is the emerging standard for its superior quality, digital rights management (DRM) and small file size ideal for Internet, wireless, and digital broadcast arenas. AAC provides audio encoding that compresses much more efficiently than older formats such as MP3, yet delivers quality rivaling that of uncompressed CD audio. Simply put, AAC provides a more efficient audio compression than older formats such as MP3, while delivering quality rivaling that of uncompressed CD audio. So your music sounds great while taking up less space on your hard drive.

It's little wonder, then, why Apple has adopted AAC as the audio codec for its iPod music player and jukebox software called iTunes. In addition, Apple has added AAC-encoded songs for individual purchase through its iTunes Music Store (iTMS). In July 2004, the iTMS had sold over 100 million AAC-encoded songs since its May 2003 launch. In fact, ~70% of all legal music downloaded is from the iTMS. With numbers like these, one would think that TiVo would have supported the AAC format already.

The Home Media Option sounds great. I routinely show slide shows loops in my living room during parties and schedule my TiVo to record shows remotely from work. The only gripe I have with the TiVo Home Media Option is its lack of AAC support. So which company is at fault here, Apple or TiVo?

So who should we blame for this mess?

Both TiVo and Apple are at fault. TiVo should support regular AAC audio files. There's no major issues there. TiVo just has to push a firmware update out to all their boxes. AAC is the future of of digital music. Not supporting this file format is a major oversight on TiVo's part. According to one of the more famous TiVo hacking sites, the audio encoder used in the TiVo Series2 mpeg streams is already using the AAC method. TiVo can at least enable playback of non-protected AAC files. Why won't TiVo enable this? There is currently no explanation. Shame on you TiVo!

The other side to this problem is is decoding the DRM (Digital Rights Management) that Apple has embedded into music purchased from the iTunes Music Store. Currently, Apple has not licensed the ability to use their AAC files with DRM to any other company. You can only play AAC files with iTunes (Mac or PC) or on your iPod. Apple is being over-protective with their protected AAC files. Apple presumably doesn't want the source code to fall into the wrong hands. If hackers got a hold of this code, legally downloaded music from the iTunes Music Store could be transformed into illegal music in the matter of seconds. Apple at least has an excuse. TiVo does not.

In the meantime, the consumer suffers and the politics of the digital music industry continues.

If you own a TiVo Series 2 with Home Media Option and would like to enjoy your iTunes music in the way I've described, please appeal repeatedly to TiVo and ask them to write code for access of non-protected AAC files. The fact that TiVo's didn't add AAC support to their Home Media Option is ridiculous.

Author's Note: Admittedly I'm a gadget freak. I have/had every major electronic device from handheld organizers to digital cameras. Also making an appearance on that list are two iPods and a TiVo Series 2 with the Home Media Option.

Please help the cause. Tell TiVo they should make the Home Media Option compatible with the AAC audio format.

1. Use the TiVo Contact Us web form.
2. If you are feeling extra pissed, call their tech support hotline 505-348-2800, Monday - Sunday 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Pacific.
   

How to Find Your TiVo Service Number The TiVo service number is a 15-digit number. You can find it: • Onscreen: Under TiVo Central, Messages & Setup, System Information • On the back of your TiVo DVR • On the side of the shipping box, at the very bottom of the label

The TiVo AAC scandal timeline:

• April 2003 - TiVo launches the Home Media Option which allows users to view photos and play music on their TV from their home computer.
• May 2003 - Apple announces that the iTunes Music Store has sold over one million songs during its first week.
• May 2003 - TiVo announces that they are working on support for AAC music files and iTunes.
• Sept 2003 - Apple announces that it has sold over over ten million songs from the iTunes Music Store since its launch
• Oct 2003 - Apple Launches iTunes for Windows.
• Dec 2003 - The iTunes Music Store sells 25 million AAC music files to Mac and Windows users.
• Jan 2004 - TiVo updates their Home Media Software to support the new iPhoto 4 but still neglects to add audio support for AAC files downloaded from the iTunes Music Store.
• July 2004 - Still No AAC Support for TiVo.
• August 2005 - I gave up and bought an Elgato EyeTV 200. TiVo sucks.