TiVo Inc. and Microsoft introduced TiVoToGo, a service to allow consumers to transfer TiVo content to their Windows 2000 and Windows XP desktop computers for the first time, back in January. This month, the companies announced a major upgrade to TiVoToGo to take the service a step further by making it mobile.

Consumers can now transfer favorite shows stored on their TiVo Series2 digital video recorders to a Windows XP PC for transfer to and playback on Windows Mobile-based devices, such as Portable Media Centers and newer Smartphones and Pocket PCs. Only a few handhelds and smartphones ship with the Windows Media Player 10 software needed to support TiVoToGo, however.

"TiVo has always been at the forefront of putting consumers in charge of their entertainment experience," said Matt Wisk, senior VP and chief marketing officer, TiVo. "Now, by extending the TiVoToGo service to support multiple Windows Mobile-based devices, TiVo is enabling our subscribers to watch their favorite TV shows whenever and wherever they want."

This announcement is part of a larger trend towards enabling consumers to more easily view television (even live TV) and video on their mobile devices, especially phones. For more on the subject, see the first article in our three part series on the subject, Mobile Phone TV: Part I – Almost Ready for Primetime.

It is also Microsoft’s second TV offering in a few months. In March, the software giant unveiled the MSN Video Downloads service to deliver television shows to Windows Mobile handhelds and phones.

To publicize TiVoToGo, Microsoft and TiVo will launch the "Summer of Mobility" program on June 21st (the official start of summer) until Labor Day. As part of this program TiVo will give one person each day a mobile entertainment package consisting of one Portable Media Center and one TiVo set-top box.

For complete details and to register, go to www.tivo.com/TVtogo.