Rounding out TiVo’s announcement that their Q4 earnings exceeded analyst expectations (due in large part to the net addition of 234K subscribers after their Virgin Media UK roll out), the company also announced the release of a new device that will allow a TiVo to stream content to iOS (as well as Android) tablets and smartphones.

Described as a “four-stream transcoder”, this small box (not a dongle as some had wanted and speculated) will have the ability to transmit up to 4 streams at once and was demo’d with great success at CES 2012.

The exciting bit of news is that the new boxes will be able to handle live TV as well as recorded programs and will extend its usefulness by allowing you to side-load (download) media for watching later. This last feature alone is enough to make me want one, as streaming Netflix or other services can be patchy in some areas (like on my treadmill in the lower level of my house where WiFi signals seem to be a little too weak for the bandwidth required).

No pricing details for this new streaming box have been released, though we can expect to see it by the end of the summer this year.

In addition to this news, TiVo announced a host of other set-top boxes and hardware that demonstrates a commitment to remaining a strong contender in the marketplace. With subscriber numbers as good as they have had in over 6 years, it would appear that TiVo is on an upswing.

The timing of this launch is important with suspicions continuing to rise regarding the television solution Apple has planned. If Apple manages to take the television world by storm the way they have in the smartphone and tablet markets it is wise for the other big contenders to start bringing their A-game and delivering products to consumers that give them the mobile, on-demand connectivity they desire.

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