Here's what TiVo platform product manager Andrew Morrison told us about the funky timing:

This was a stategic release for TiVo. We have been focused on shipping our HD platforms giving our customers what they have been demanding, while continuing to work on the advanced features our early-adopter customers value. By delivering MRV and TiVoToGo in November, we will be able to offer this advanced functionality not only to those purchasing a new HD TiVo for the holidays, but also to our valued long-time customers who have grown attached to the benefits of multi-room viewing and TiVoToGo.

This is what TiVo's Bob Pony recently posted to the TiVo Community Forum:

I know you've been anxiously awaiting TiVoToGo and Multi-Room Viewing on your Series3 and TiVoHD boxes.

I wanted to let you know that development has been progressing smoothly, and all is well. You can expect TTG & MRV to be available for Series3 and TiVoHD this November.

These features will provide support for video transfers between Series3 & Series2 systems and between a Series3/Series2 system and a PC. High Definition content will not be supported for transfer or playback on a Series2 system (Series2's just can't play HD), and copy-protected High Def or Standard Def content cannot be transferred (same as our current Series2 products).

Luckily, there is a solution. TivoDecode Manager is a simple interface for Mac users to take advantage of what they are rightfully (be it not lawfully) already paying for. – Mark Wilson

[via PVRblog]

Then today, one more meager yet tantalizing tidbit popped into our inbox, supposedly from an Apple employee who said this Mac Media Capsule has gone through a slight design change since its iTV prototype was revealed in September, and now it will include a stand that gives users a choice of either vertical or horizontal orientation. Is this true? The thin evidence so far:

There's an Apple patent application dated November 2, 2006 that outlines techniques for acquiring a season's worth of TV shows. However, it only mentions the word TiVo once in the entire document, and that's only in a generic sense, describing recorded digital video.

Last summer, TiVo was hiring Mac programmers, but that probably had to do with TiVo's promise to deliver TiVoToGo software for the Mac, a crude alpha version of which we saw at CES last January but still isn't available. Why the delay when we saw a semi-working version nearly a year ago? But TiVo Desktop, the software that lets you program your TiVo from afar, has since become available for the Mac, so those programmers were doing something.

What's next? TivoToGo software on the upcoming iPhone? Then there's that widescreen video player we've heard rumblings about. Wouldn't that be a great device on which to watch your TiVo recordings? But then wouldn't that conflict with Apple's deal with the networks to sell TV shows? – Charlie White

Wild rumor: Apple & TiVo partner for iTV [PVRblog]

So far, it's a crude command line interface, but expect it to spread far and wide with an easy to use graphical user interface before too long. Unfortunately, for those of us who've been waiting for this TiVo To Go functionality for our Series 3 HD TiVos, this could have a chilling effect. Well, maybe that will be cracked for us, too. – Charlie White

Ti Vo To Go [Tivo Wiki, via Zatz Not Funny]

And, if your PC has a TV tuner, you can watch live or recorded TV from that, too. It's a free add-on to the company's Orb software for Windows XP.

Product page [Orb Networks, via personaltechpipeline]

Attention all you Mac folks... ;-) [[MegaZone via ZatzNotFunny]

TiVo on Monday said it will begin testing the enhanced TiVoToGo feature in the coming weeks with a select group of TiVo Series2 subscribers who own an Apple video iPod or PSP devices.

How do they know? They're following us, aren't they?

UPDATE - Turns out this was the tip from Apple Insider, which is old. Basically, we're going to see Mac desktop support soonish. Yeah us.