gdgt

The TiVo Stream works as advertised, but seems more like a feature that should be built into the DVR, as opposed to a standalone $129 accessory.

Without calling the cable company or buying new televisions, I was suddenly able to watch TV in several rooms of my house.

For TiVo Premiere owners with iOS devices, the TiVo Stream is a cool addition to your AV setup and mobile life.

If you have a Premiere DVR, TiVo Stream lets you download and stream video to your Apple mobile devices, but a high price, the need for extra hardware, and copy-protection limitations keep it from being a must-have.

For all its limitations, the Stream works really well at slinging content from big screen to small.

All in all, TiVo Stream does its job well ... It is, however, only one piece of the puzzle. If you aren’t currently a TiVo user, you’ll need Stream and a TiVo Premiere and a subscription to the TiVo service and (possibly) one or more MoCA adapters.

The TiVo Stream goes on sale next week, but you can probably order yours right now for $130, plus tax and possibly shipping. If you have an iPad and any variant of the TiVo Premiere, I can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t.