Stolen TiVos can be tracked by police

The convergence of television and the internet could spell bad news for criminals.

Hybrid Television spokeswoman Georgie Hills said one of its hi-tech TiVo personal video recorders was stolen from the home of a tester in Christchurch this month, but was automatically disabled.

Each TiVo set-top box has a unique code that is uploaded to Hybrid Television whenever anyone attempts to activate its broadband connection.

Ms Hills said that meant TiVos could be tracked by police with the help of internet providers, which could identify the owner of the internet account to which a stolen TiVo was connected by the customer's IP (internet protocol) address.

So far, however, Hybrid had not tried to locate its stolen TiVo. Ms Hills would not say why.

The TiVo, which goes on sale next Friday, can show programmes broadcast on television and downloaded over the internet.

It will be able to show channels broadcast on FreeviewHD and provide Telecom broadband customers with access to 135 movies and 600 television programme episodes over its built-in internet connection, to watch on television.

On-demand movies will cost $4.95 or $6.95 and downloaded television programmes $1.95 or $2.95. There will also be free programmes for download.

Hybrid Television chief executive Robbee Minicola said the amount of programming available for download would grow. By mid-next year customers might use TiVos to order food, book restaurants or learn languages. "This year it is about access to a world of on-demand entertainment."

The company, which is one-third owned by Television New Zealand, has the licence to TiVo in Australia and New Zealand. Ms Minicola expected it would appeal to customers who simply wanted a FreeviewHD receiver, without the online extras, given that it could record free-to-air programmes straight to a hard drive and rewind and pause "live" television.

Telecom will sell TiVos for $920, which includes a wireless adaptor and software that allows the wireless transfer of pictures and videos between home computers and the set-top box.

- © Fairfax NZ News