Technology Review: The TiVo Series3 and Me (A Non-Geek Peek)
Published July 24, 2008
DVRs, digital video recorders, are wondrous things. They allow you not only to record your favorite television shows and movies, but allow you literally to stop time, pause the action when the phone rings or dog barks; do an “instant replay” of that crucial “hail Mary” pass you’ve just got see again. And again. These are things to which a DVD recorder (or heaven forbid, a VCR) can never aspire.
After having subscribed to Comcast’s DVR service for several years, I became frustrated with the lack of features, and with the fact that my DVR machine inexplicably kept erasing the hard drive, or, conversely, failing to record due to “being full” despite the fact that I only had three other recordings on the d**n thing. So, last winter I treated myself to a TiVo Series3 machine and now receive all of my Comcast cable channels through the TiVo receiver. And I will never, ever look back. I’ve been “TiVo’d.” And here’s why:
The Season Pass: I am a House addict. I watch (and re-watch) each episode. I have set my TiVo to record House each time it’s on. The machine picks up every episode broadcast (that’s not already residing on the TiVo’s hard drive). The Comcast DVR can also do this. However, TiVo’s season pass allows something that the Comcast DVR cannot. In addition to being a House fan, I am also a Hugh Laurie fan (my husband would call it a middle-aged crush) — and I’m also a Stephen Dillane fan, an Alan Rickman fan… well, you get the idea. All of these actors are on my “wish list.” The TiVo then records everything (every movie, guest star appearance, talk show appearance, etc) in which my wish list actor appears. Imagine my surprise when Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild appeared on in my recorded programs list (I didn’t even know there was a Stuart Little 3!).
You can also set up wish lists based on “keywords.” In my other life, when I’m writing my blog, I’m a Jewish educator, and always looking for interesting programming of a Jewish nature. Now, I don’t necessarily want the TiVo to record these programs, but I want to know what’s coming up in the next couple of weeks on TV. Typing “Jewish” into a wish list results in some fairly amusing “hits,” as it finds anything even remotely related to “Jewish.” I can choose, manually, to record or not.
- Technology Review: The TiVo Series3 and Me (A Non-Geek Peek)
- Published: July 24, 2008
- Type: Review
- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Video: Television, Video: Film and TV Business, Sci/Tech: Personal Tech, Sci/Tech: Internet
- Writer: Barbara Barnett
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I mentioned the YouTube thing above. the HD is an option for those not wanting to get the Series3, from what I understand. But it's a very large size difference re: hard drive. Not sure about any other differences. Thanks.
I would strongly recommend the TiVo HD over the TiVo Series3 at this time - and I own a Series3 myself. The difference in the drive isn't that large - 250GB in the S3 compared to 160GB in the HD. And they both have eSATA ports for expansion - the 500GB Western Digital My DVR Expander is the officially supported drive.
As for other differences, price is the primary one. The TiVo HD has a $299.99 MSRP and sells for ~$250 new online, but TiVo also has 'factory-renewed' units for $179.99 with the same warranty as a new box. The Series3 has a $599.99 MSRP, and sells for ~$575 online - and there is currently a $200 rebate. But that still puts the S3 around $125 more than a new TiVo HD, and almost $200 more than a 'factory-renewed' unit.
As for features, aside from the 90GB drive-size difference, the Series3 has a fancier chassis with an OLED front panel display, on-box controls, and a 'piano black' finish on the top and sides. The TiVo HD has a simpler chassis with no on-box controls, LED indicators, and a conventional black case. The S3 comes with the fancier 'Glo' remote, which is nice, but you can buy those separately for ~$40 and still come out ahead.
The TiVo HD supports M-Card CableCARDs, which means you can use just one M-Card for both tuners. The Series3 does not support M-Card, and so requires two CableCARDs even if M-Card is available. The TiVo HD can save you money month to month if your cable MSO charges for the cards - some MSOs give you a free card then charge for additional cards, other charge for all cards - and it can range up to $5/month per card. The TiVo HD also puts the CableCARD(s) in front, behind a door, instead of in the back of the unit as on the S3. That makes installation much easier.
So with the S3 you get a little more flashy case, a slightly nicer remote, and a little (90GB) more drive capacity for an extra $125-$200, plus you may pay more each month for the second CableCARD.
I just can't justify the added cost for what you get.
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Your readers might want to know that they do not have to go out and buy a $600 Series 3 TiVo to get everything you mentioned.
TiVo has released a TiVo HD box that retails for $299 (and can be had from Amazon for $250) that can do everything the Series 3 can, though with a smaller hard-drive. (there is a Tivo-branded hard-drive expander available as well).
TiVo has a monthly service fee of $12.95, but you can prepay a year for $129, or 3 years for $299 (I believe).
Also, your readers might like to know that they can access YouTube videos to their heart's content (with broadband access) starting in the next week or so.