Yahoo Go: TV on Your PC
Yahoo Go is a new service from the search giant that brings TiVo-like functionality to your computer. Record television shows, watch them later, and also manage your music, movies, and photos in one media center. Yes, it’s a whole lot like Microsoft Media Center. Yahoo Go is built upon Meedio’s product, which was recently purchased by Yahoo. TechCrunch has some screenshots and some links to further musings about the release.
Positives include total integration with other Yahoo services like Flickr, Yahoo Photos, Yahoo Music, and hosted movie trailers. Also, the move towards device convergence in the home entertainment arena is gaining momentum, which I think is a good thing™. And Yahoo Go is free. Negatives? Only works on Windows. Doesn’t work as well (according to reports on the blogspace) as MS Media Center, which probably came pre-installed on your computer anyway. No premium on-demand content, but maybe that will arrive later.
And maybe the Windows-only thing will end up working in Apple’ favor. A set-top DVR was rumored to be in the works for Macworld ‘06, and when that didn’t materialize, many Mac-crazy pundits were disappointed. However, we shouldn’t forget about Apple in this area. Front Row has been a big hit among early adopters (myself included), and an all-in-one home entertainment machine from the manufacturer can’t be too far away. Even taking recent comments into consideration, Apple can’t afford to not compete. Who knows, maybe they’ll just buy TiVo…
