• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, November 8, 2005

Yahoo! and TiVo Monday announced a non-exclusive partnership, which gives TiVo subscribers the ability to check TV listings and program their TiVo set-top boxes from tv.yahoo.com. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In the near future, TiVo subscribers will be able to use their televisions to view digital pictures from Yahoo!'s photo databases, as well as weather and traffic reports provided by Yahoo!

Faced with increasing competition from cable and satellite companies, which are adding their own video recording services, TiVo is hoping that Yahoo! will boost its popularity among consumers. "This gives us the opportunity to team with up with what is fast becoming one of the most important media companies in the world," said Naveen Chopra, director of business development at TiVo.

Chopra would not say if or when TiVo users might be given the ability to watch video via Yahoo!, but said the company is exploring a range of options.

Yahoo! has been aggressively searching for ways to reach consumers beyond their homes and offices. For example, in early 2005, Yahoo! acquired the software company VerdiSoft, which specialized in connecting different gadgets and devices to online services. Its founder, Marco Boerries--now the senior vice president of Yahoo!'s Connected Life division--told OnlineMediaDaily recently: "Yahoo! is focused on providing our millions of users with the opportunity to connect to their Yahoo! services on the devices they use."