A far more annoying problem is the time lag between submitting any command to the HAVA and then out to the device to which the HAVA is connected. Pressing the appropriate command to change a channel, fast forward, or pause a recording results in a five to ten second delay before the command takes effect. While this is okay for pausing something, it becomes terribly annoying when trying to fast forward through the commercials on a recorded program.
Phone customer support for the HAVA leaves something to be desired as well. While calls made to support for help installing the device were answered quickly, the knowledge of the techs was not adequate. Upon learning that the device was to be connected to a TiVo, the tech was under the impression that I was trying to connect it to a mobile phone (mobile phones with an Internet connection and the capability to watch streaming video can watch TV via the HAVA, but ought not be confused with a TiVo). After explaining what a TiVo was, the tech stated that the IR blaster (used to send commands from the HAVA to TiVo, cable box, satellite receiver, etc.) was not compatible with the Series 3 TiVo (it is).
With a little ingenuity and only a minor amount of hair-pulling, the HAVA is installable by an average user (if one can hook up the rest of one's entertainment system the HAVA will not cause too many problems). The directions included are little more than a guide, and not always accurate (different pages of the directions do not agree on what is included in the box), but are enough to help one get through the process.
It seems as though the HAVA Titanium HD's best days are still in the future. An upcoming software update will allow a USB connected hard drive to record programming which will then be able to be played back to any device, local or remote. Additionally, a USB hybrid digital TV tuner (with a coaxial connection) will be released in coming months as well.
As it stands currently, the HAVA Titanium HD is a nice idea, but not a must-have device. However, the availability of a USB TV tuner and hard drive may catapult the device to absolute necessity for television fanatics, and may make it a true contender against the Slingbox.
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