TiVo has confirmed a major overhaul of its TiVo OS interface by introducing Agent TiVo, a new conversational AI search tool.
Agent TiVo will let viewers describe programmes in natural language rather than typing exact titles or genres into a search bar, as TiVo looks to keep pace with the conversational discovery tools already emerging on major streaming platforms.
TiVo detailed the changes at IFA 2026, where the company addressed a media landscape spanning subscription streaming, live television and free ad-supported channels, all competing for the same hours of viewing time.
That mix of viewing options underpins TiVo Channels, which is adding hundreds of new global and local free channels alongside a redesigned programme guide, a mini guide for faster channel switching and personalised carousels that surface relevant shows.
That focus on free, ad-supported content puts TiVo OS in direct competition with Roku, Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV, rivals fighting for the same slice of budget and premium television sets.
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Live sport receives similar treatment, with TiVo OS now surfacing games and sporting events directly through search, recommendations and the home screen so viewers can follow fixtures as they happen instead of hunting through listings afterwards.
That sports push sits alongside support for DVB-I, a broadcast standard that lets broadcasters deliver channels over the internet rather than through a traditional aerial or satellite dish, a change that widens access to local television for TiVo OS users.
Behind those consumer-facing changes, TiVo has reduced the memory footprint of TiVo OS to run on devices with as little as 1GB of RAM and 4GB of eMMC storage, a specification aimed at lowering the bill of materials for budget television sets.
TiVo has paired that efficiency drive with a partnership with IRCODE, which applies AI and computer vision to recognise objects and scenes on screen so viewers can shop, save or find more information about what they are watching without leaving the programme.