So, you decided to cut the cable bill and switch to the TiVo Premiere. You now find yourself with plenty of your favorite shows, recorded FREE via an HD antenna, but there are still a few cable programs that you don’t want to miss. Maybe you’re a fan of Psych, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, Justified or some other show that doesn’t air on the local stations found in your area. Don’t worry, with the help of Amazon.com and a few simple steps outlined below, you’ll be on your way to watching all of your favorite shows in no time.
Amazon Instant Video (not to be confused with Prime Instant Video*) carries over 100,000 top movies and TV shows you can rent or buy and have delivered to your TiVo Premiere unit for easy viewing on your television. This can be done in a couple of ways, including:
- Search & order right from your TiVo unit – How to get movies and TV shows from Amazon
- Order online at Amazon.com and download to a specified device
While both of these methods are fairly easy and can deliver crystal-clear HD programming to your TiVo box in just minutes, they are just one-time activities. In other words, if you are a fan of a show like Psych and want to watch an entire season, you’ll have to order each episode, one-at-a-time throughout the season. Having done this myself, I can tell you that it can be quite frustrating and you’ll probably forget to check weekly for new episodes.
Automatically Download Your Favorite Television Shows Weekly
The Season Pass is a great way to keep up with your favorite shows as they air, offered in Amazon’s Instant Video area. You simply pick your show and click one button to order an entire season (BONUS: at a reduced rate). There is still one problem, ordering a Season Pass does not automatically deliver your programming to a local device, like your TiVo Premiere. Don’t worry, there is a way to set up auto-downloads and that is exactly why we put together this step-by-step:
What You’ll Need: a compatible TiVo unit, a high-speed internet connection, an Amazon.com account, a computer
STEP 1: Go to Amazon.com and head to the Movies & TV section
Movies & TV on Amazon.com
STEP 2: Search for one of your favorite Television shows
Pick a TV Show
STEP 3: Purchase a Season Pass
Buy a Season Pass
STEP 4: Head over to the Passes & Pre-orders area of Amazon.com
This step can be very tricky. The Passes and Pre-orders link doesn’t appear on all pages within Amazon.com. Try this link if you can’t find it – Passes & Pre-orders
Passes & Pre-Orders
STEP 5: Choose a location (which device to download to)
Choose a Device
You Are Set
Now that you have set up your season pass and selected a viewing location you’re all set. The next time that a new episode of your TV show becomes available on Amazon.com, it will automatically download to the selected device. I’ve been dong this over the last year with multiple shows and the new episodes typically download the day after they first air. For me, the shows have always been available by the time I get home from work.
Helpful Links
You might run into some hurdles when trying to get this set up for the first time. Here are a few resources to help you out:
- What devices are compatible with this service? – Try the official Amazon Instant Video page
- Questions about setting up your TiVo to connect to Amazon? – Try the Amazon Instant Video on TiVo page
* At this time, Prime instant videos are only available for streaming and cannot be viewed on a TiVo box.
Related Articles
- Cancel Your Cable/Satellite and Save Money While Adding Functionality
- TiVo Premiere “Accessories” – Hardware, Apps and Programs
- Living With the TiVo Premiere – Day-to-Day Digital Living Reviewed – my first-hand experience and some questions from others who want to get TiVo Premiere
Tags: Amazon at at, Amazon.com, in Amazon, in television, Instant Video, Telvision Shows, TiVo, TiVo How To, TiVo Premiere, TV, Video on demand
