Tivo Series3 DVR

Too much too late?

The long awaited Series3 is finally here and I thought I'd post a few thoughts on the unit. I owned a Series2 for quite while and really loved the unit. I even got all geeky and upgraded the capacity to 2 120GB hard drives (that was big back then). In my opinion the Tivo software and user interface blows away any other on the market, especially some of the cable company provided boxes such as the Comcast Motorola box. It seems like Tivo actually has software developers implementing their interface, where as others seem to be done by hardware guys, or more likely outsourced to India to save a buck.

Unfortunately the day came when I had to give up my Series2 because my cable company started offering a twin tuner (record two shows at once) box that was able to record HD shows, and the monthly cost was actually cheaper than my Tivo subscription. I simply couldn't pass it up, even if the Motorolla box had a sub-par user interface and usability.
I knew the day would come when Tivo released a box that would rival the technical features of my Motorolla box, but would also give me the awesome Tivo software. And that day is here!

However, I do have some gripes...

What took so long? I've had my twin tuner Motorolla box for nearly 2 years...

$800 plus the monthly subscription fee, plus your cable bill (I suppose you have to pay that either way)?

I think the unit is way too expensive accept for the serious AV folks who just have to have it. The cable companies tend to give you the box for "free," in reality the cost of the box is worked into their subscription model, so you're really actually leasing it. Some cable companies (like mine) also charge an HD and DVR fee, a total of $10 per month. With the Tivo box you'll have to at least pay for the HD fee as well, to get the HD channels.

Obviously the cable company has the advantage since they have a monopoly on cable service in your area, unless of course you opt for a satellite system. They can build the cost to lease the box into your monthly service cost (and they do) which obviously discourages you from paying for a box from Tivo (or anywhere else). It was a little easier to stomach when the Series2 was around $150, but seriously, $800??