TiVo Announces High-Def Series3 DVR 225
prostoalex writes "Catching up with the competition, TiVo is set to unveil a high-definition digital video recorder. The unit will feature dual tuners, 250 GB, and a hefty price sticker: 'The long-awaited product will be $800 and available in mid-September, the company said. Subscription fees for the TiVo service are separate ... TiVo officials attributed its long development time in part to waiting for certain technologies to mature and the lengthy process of getting industry-related approvals, such as for the set-top-box's two built-in CableCARD slots. CableCARD slots allow users to access digital programming from a cable TV provider without the need for a separate receiver. The Series3 HD box also represents TiVo's first major product upgrade since it released its networked Series2 DVR in 2002.'"
Re:That DIY HTPC just became economical! (Score:3, Insightful)
My question to manufacturers is why hasn't someone made a component in HD card?
That would cause quite a stir and be a boon for the DIYers. I think that is when I jump in on the MythTV bandwagon.
Tivo can't compete any more.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Like the Homermobile (Score:5, Insightful)
I haven't bothered with a MythTV/MCE because TiVo was cheap (free after rebate for the 40GB model, quickly hacked with bigger HD) and was easy to use and good at what it does. Now if I want to upgrade it's priced right in line with these other technologies that offer more features. Tivo just isn't competitive anymore, especially once MCE supports CableCard.
Re:Looks about right... (Score:4, Insightful)
Um, I pay $5 for HD service and another $5 for the DVR. But even if I'm paying $10/month for the DVR, I *don't* have to pay for the hardware up front and if something better comes along in a couple of years, I can jump ship. Plus, another poster stated just renting the cable card may cost $5-10 from your cable provider.
Let's look at this over 5 years:
Comcast cost = 5*12*$10 or $600.
TiVo cost: $800 + 5*12*$5 (cable card) + 5*12*$13 (TiVo service) or $800 + $300 + $780 or $1880
It seems to me that TiVo is three times more expensive over the reasonable life of the box. That may be worth it to some, but not to me.
Re:Put DirecTV on notice. (Score:3, Insightful)
I wouldn't expect less
- Dual ATSC tuners? Check. (they're not enabled yet, but the hardware's there)
Excellent. I hope the software upgrade to enable them get's more funding that the TiVo software did. I still don't have folders on my HR10-250. Or T2Go. Or Networking. Or TiVoWeb. Or MP3s. Or...
- 300GB SATA HD? check.
And this is better than a 250GB stock, or the ability to hack in a 500GB drive easily?
- External SATA jack for external storage space? check.
Is it active out of the box?
- Ethernet port for high-speed internet VOD? check.
And service is available now? It's going to be free with my DTV sub right?
- Exclusive interactive features not found on any TiVo? check.
Interactive? Well, if I can get my local wx broadcast that might be good. Again, all free, right?
- MPEG4 decoding (for up to 50 hours of HD from MPEG4 sources)? check.
Again, a 500GB drive buys me 50 hours. My HR10-250 is hacked, so I download my content to offline storage and burn season DVDs of what I like. Do you offer that on your box? If so, sign me up now - I'll decommission the SD TiVo my wife is using and put the new box on.
- DirecTV's HD and DVR fees are per-household, so you can keep the HR10-250 around in another room, deactivate an old SD receiver, and your bill stays the same.
You mean like dropping DTV and using the S3 to watch 25 (give or take) local broadcast channels for the $12.95/mo TiVo fee? Okay, I'm joking there. I have to have ESPN, especially now that ABC has dropped MNF. It's true that TiVo fees are per receiver, but if you get HD, you have to pay $10.95 for the HD package (all three worthwhile channels),plus the $5 DVR fee. That's more than the $12.95 TiVo fee. And every extra receiver is $5 for DTV vs $6.95 for TiVo's multi-box discount. If I'm dropping $80/mo on TV entertainment (and it pains me to admit that), an extra $2-4 to get the interface I really like is a worthwhile expenditure.
Really, I generally like DirecTV. The packages have what I like to watch. I had to drop NFLST because it just cost too damned much (close to $400 with the HD option), so that's no longer a factor keeping me with DTV. I switched from DTV to cable many years ago because I wanted local weather and the cost of local able was 1/2 what DTV cost. I switched from cable to DTV specifically because I could get the TiVo branded interface and add back NFLST, and kept it because I could get HD TiVo and hack the box to download all my shows for my personal archive. Now you're taking away the functionality I really like (which, admittedly, you han't intended to provide, you fair-use haters), removing the feature my wife likes the most (suggestions, which afaik you don't implement). I hate to say it, but you've essentially removed or out-priced all the things which really made DTV the choice. With the S3, I now have the ability to walk with few or no regrets.
I'll say it again - you're employer is on notice. It's just a matter of time (and price drop of the S3) before I jump, and the quicker you flip the M4 switch, the sooner I'll take the plunge.
Re:Satellite? (Score:3, Insightful)
Which is espeically pathetic because I would still pay the DVR fee if they TRIPLED it to the $15 a month that TiVo charges. That way, I could still have a TiVo and DirecTV would get an extra $10 a month. Even if they only doubled it. Heck, they could have raised the price to $6 a month.
But instead they lost me as a future customer (and many others) because they were greedy over $1 and decided to give people sub-standard equiptment (non-TiVos) to save $$$.
Re:TiVo's Blind Spot (Score:2, Insightful)
They know that they aren't going to interest the folks that build MythTVs, they know that they Series 2s will work just fine with people who don't have or want HDTV and they know that the people who've already spent $2000+ on a HDTV and $60+ a month for HDTV service (and $700+ more on a premium sound system) aren't going to be particularly averse to dropping another $800 for a Series 3.