Over at Technologizer, I’ve contributed a post about my experiment watching YouTube on my TV through Tivo HD. I had lots of fun with the experiment and I found that there is a place for YouTube in my TV watching schedule.  It’s nothing like real scripted TV from Hollywood, but it’s a great way to share media with friends, or browse a popular video without having to get up to your PC or laptop.

The third option, of course, is to use my iPhone. But that’s not what I reach for when I want to watch YouTube. I guess, it all depends on where I am and what screen is closest. Now that the iPhone 3.0 update will include YouTube log-in, we can all ensure to keep our YouTube acconts synched. I really hate that I can’t sign in right now and I have separate YouTube bookmarks on my iPhone.

Anyway, I’ll be contributing regularly to Harry McCracken’s Technologizer blog in the future. Look forward to seeing everyone there.

A company called Kwiry has enabled an interesting feature that lets users program their Tivos via text message.  You simply link up your Tivo DVR with an account on Kwiry.com and you can remotely program your DVR on the road.

Just send a message like “Tivo American Idol” to 59479 (KWIRY) and the application sends the command to your DVR.

Kwiry originally was unveiled as a way to perform web searches via text messages; if you type in a word or phrase you get results back on your Kwiry.com account. Think of it as a quick way to get something out of your mind. Kwiry’s slogan is “text it before you forget it” and I think that sums up their service precisely. Kwiry can also connect with other online services like Twitter, Facebook, and NetFlix.

Generally, this service is great for consumers that don’t have a smartphone and can’t access the web (or Tivo’s web site) from their phones.

After hearing about the service today, I signed up with Kwiry, and set up a connection with Tivo by signing in with my Tivo login and password. Then, I was able to choose which Tivo DVR your texts go too. You can also change the recording priority and Season Pass options.

I then texted “Tivo Gossip Girl” and immediately got back a response on my iPhone:

So overall, it seems to work. It even selected the HD version of the show, which I thought was nifty.

However, I walked over to my living room and checked the Tivo to see if it received the command. However after about 20 minutes, I hadn’t received a confirmation message yet. (I’ll report back on how long it actually takes.)  In theory, it should record the next available recording, but CNet’s Crave points out that it may not work well with programs that have lots of repeats. Like everything on VH1 and MTV.

Overall, I think the Tivo/Kwiry service is interesting but it’s not likely something I would use everyday. I already have a smart phone and can access the web on the go. In fact, ever since I added a shortcut to Tivo.com on my iPhone, I’ve been discovering lots of new programs and movies.  I manage to log into Tivo’s mobile site every few days to check in on new shows and other recommendations. Tivo’s mobile web site also looks very good and I don’t mind taking the extra few minutes to visit.

The other downside is: what happens when you spell the show incorrectly? Or incompletely? I haven’t played around with this much, so I don’t have many answers.

Now that I have a Kwiry account I’ll keep track and see if I keep using it, or if it’s just a interesting idea with no real staying power.

This morning at CES, Tivo unveiled a newly redesigned search function called Tivo Search.

The existing “Swivel Search” will be phased out, which is great news, if you ask me. Swivel Search was mostly a joke, as soon as it was released. It wasn’t very useful and never served up satisfying or relevant results.

The more recent Tivo software update included a new search tool which was much more satisfying. The new search UI takes it to the next step by taking advantage of HDTV screens and  allowing for more on-screen details without lots of digging. Tivo said the redesign means “less less navigation and quick, accurate results.”

Over at Gizmodo, they have some screen shots that indeed shows off the wider screen format, as well as video windows along the top row. This may mean that users can now continue to watch their existing show, while searching. Or Tivo may include some advertisements.

The good news is that the search gives you the HD options first, so you can record those, rather than SD. The best news? You can get YouTube search results! This is a new addition from the old Tivo search functions. I’m so glad they included YouTube results, since there’s lots of room for discovery there.

The bad news is that Tivo Search doesn’t look up your NetFlix account or queue. How’s that for lame? Tivo is definitely pushing Amazon VOD content in search results, which makes me believe they might have some revenue deal, or something with primary search placement. Anyone else know how the Tivo/Amazon deal is structured?

Anyway, I haven’t fired up my Tivo this morning yet, but the company said that all Tivo Series 3, Tivo HD and Tivo HD XL boxes should be enabled with the new search today.

Looking at comScore’s latest Video Metrix rankings of video sites, I came across an interesting bullet point: Users watched an average of 11.6 minutes of video on Hulu. Eleven minutes! Actually, almost 12 minutes. That’s a long time. That’s more than YouTube. And almost four time longer than the average online video clip (3 minutes).

For years, online measurement companies like comScore and Nielsen|NetRatings have told us that the average video clip was very short. A few months ago, I saw it was at 2.8 minutes. Now it’s creeping up to 3 minutes. That’s not a large jump, but it’s noticeable because Hulu is the one drawing people to watch longer videos.

Hulu is managing to do what has been impossible for years; make people watch TV on the Internet.  YouTube’s strategy is more about user-generated content, connecting with others and creating the next Internet celebrity. YouTube is only beginning to license Hollywood content, and open up to longer-form videos, along with live streaming in order to maintain competitive.

Hulu is more about generating revenue and actually has a business plan. They partner with their parent companies NBC and Fox to get content that people actually want to see. That means that Hulu can actually sell advertising, whereas YouTube is finding it difficult to monetize user-generated content and spends untold millions on video hosting. In fact, some analysts believe that Hulu is (almost) profitable (unless you ask Henry Blodget).

But the important part is that Hulu is already beating YouTube in terms of the average vieweing time. comScore didn’t release the average length of YouTube’s videos, however I’d be interested to know what it is. Are they really far behind Hulu? Are they close?

Despite Hulu’s almost 12 minute average viewing time, the truth is that most people still don’t prefer to watch long-form content on the web.

However, the Internet may be a great way of delivering content to the TV. Just look at services like the Roku NetFlix Player which delivers movies to my TV or Tivo, where I can access any YouTube video from the comfort of my couch.

Tivo announced today that it is letting hotel guests from Morgans Hotel Group to use Tivo in their hotel rooms. Morgans owns a bunch of luxury hotels in cities around the world, including the soon to be opened Mondrian in South Beach Florida.

The service will let guests use the TiVo interface to record and pause live TV shows, even recording two shows at once. That means that hotel guests don’t have to worry about missing their favorite TV shows while they travel and let’s them enjoy dinner or sightseeing.

When I travel, I do miss my Tivo, however I know that it’s safely recording all my favorite shows at home. And they’re waiting for me to return where I can watch them all when I go home, rather than worry about watching TV on a trip. Personally, I’d rather not optimize my trip for on-demand TV watching, but would prefer to explore the city, rather than marvel at the hotel’s cool new DVR.

Still, this is an interesting deal. It’s the first time that Tivo has struck a deal with a hotel or in-room entertainment company and paves the way for a broader acceptance and usage of Tivo, especially by influential travelers.  This service is likely more of a premium service for guests and is a great way to introduce people to the Tivo experience. Existing Tivo users will be thankful to have Tivo on their trip, but they won’t find this very compelling.

Tivo said that Tivo will be available to guests of the Mondrian when it officially opens on December 1st.