Sky should be worried: New Smart TV box can SKIP ADVERTS, record and stream 4K video

Skipping an Ad Break at the touch of a button promises to be popular amongst viewers

THIS COULD be the set-top box we have all been waiting for.

 

TiVo has released a feature-packed new digital recorder box which can SKIP adverts, record four different shows at once and stream from Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video in Ultra HD 4K.

It's called the TiVo Bolt.

The bad news is that, for now, it is only available to our friends across the pond.

 

The headline feature of the new TiVo Bolt is its ability to skip through an entire ad break at the touch of a button.

TiVo automatically tags the start and end of commercial breaks so viewers can skip that section when watching on their recordings.

At launch, the feature works with some 20 over-the-air and cable channels, including the major broadcast networks, mostly during prime-time hours.

The Californian company hopes to avoid any legal problems with its commercial hopping features – dubbed SkipMode – by leaving it to users to enable the feature.

 

Combining TiVo's QuickMode and SkipMode means you can power through an hour-long show in a half-hour

TiVo is also compatible with a range of on-demand services, like Spotify and Netflix

TiVo Vice President Jim Denney said: "We're not changing the underlying content. We're not auto-eliminating commercials.

"The user does it. We're giving users a tool to get through their content more quickly."

And for those really short on time, the TiVo Bolt also has a QuickMode that plays back recordings 30 percent faster. 

The pitch on the audio is adjusted using software so that it won't sound odd. 

With this and the commercial skipping, it will be possible to watch an hour-long show in roughly a half-hour.

 

Other features include support for video in Ultra HD, or 4K, resolution when channels start offering that quality.

Virgin Media already use TiVo hardware for their television service – and there are already rumours the firm is planning on bumping UK customers up to the latest TiVo Bolt hardware in the near future.

TiVo is currently being sold on its US website in either 500GB or 1TB options for some $299.99, around £199 converted, with a year of TiVo's subscription service, usually some $15per month, thrown in.

There's no word when – or if – the new Bolt box will land in the UK but let's hope we don't have to wait too long.

Meanwhile, Sky is reportedly planning to launch new SkyQ box with on-demand films and live Ultra HD 4K channels.