TiVo is joining the growing legion of media hub manufacturers incorporating voice search into their devices.
The company's new Vox line of products are upgraded versions of the TiVo Bolt and TiVo Mini that let users look for what they want to watch using their voice.
The Bolt Vox retains the same unique curved-top design as the original Bolt, while the Mini Vox sports a more minimalist, flat-sided look similar to the Apple TV. Internally, they're effectively the same hardware as their predecessors, with the same 1080p recording and playback capabilities.
The real change is with the new Vox Remote TiVo included with the Vox boxes. It's a thick, curved dog bone of a remote control with conventional rubber buttons, just like the previous TiVo Bolt remote. Now it has a built-in microphone, similar to the mics on the remotes of the Roku Streaming Stick+ and Apple TV. The microphone enables voice search, a sophisticated TiVo-built engine that can find movies and shows based on a variety of characteristics. You can look up content by title, actor, and genre, or you can ask using more esoteric search criteria, like awards and famous quotes.
The TiVo Vox also supports a limited selection of TiVo-specific voice commands. You can set up season recordings and add shows to your TiVo OnePass by saying "Create a OnePass for this show," or skip past commercials by saying "Skip it." The voice system is very TiVo-specific, and doesn't incorporate any voice assistant like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri to control smart devices or answer general questions; it's strictly for using your TiVo.
The Bolt Vox and Mini Vox will get a few interface enhancements in addition to voice search. The new boxes will support QuickView, providing live feeds of multiple tuners at the same time. The new SmartBar will provide even more suggestions for what to watch out of what is currently on, based on your viewing habits. Considering how impressive TiVo's prediction engine has been in the past, adding consideration for the time could make finding what to watch even more convenient.
The TiVo Bolt Vox and Mini Vox will both be in stores Oct. 29. The Bolt Vox will start at $199.99 for the 500GB model, with a 1TB version also available. The Mini Vox will retail for $179.99. The Bolt Vox requires a TiVo service subscription, and the Mini Vox requires a primary DVR system like the Bolt Vox to extend the service to additional TVs.
If you have a regular TiVo Bolt, TiVo Mini, or TiVo Roamio, you can add the voice search feature by purchasing the Vox Remote on its own for $39.99 (for the Bolt or second-generation Mini) or $44.99 (for the Roamio or first-generation Mini, since they don't support Bluetooth and require a dongle). It will also be available Oct. 29.