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TiVo HD
Conclusion
The TiVo HD isn't without its problems, but it's a great way to get an HiDef DVR without having to rent one from your cable company in perpetuity and deal with the poor software their boxes come with. The biggest problems are the lack of pay-per-view and on demand (due to the lack of two-way communication between the box and the cable company), the macroblocking issue (which should hopefully be fixed soon -TiVoPony announced at the TiVoCommunity forums recently that they think they have a fix for the issue, but they need to test it for about a month before they feel comfortable releasing it into the wild), and the worries of many that Switched Digital Video will make the TiVo HD useless. On the plus side, the user experience is amazing. The menus are easy to navigate and your recorded program list is organized. There are some other neat features, especially Amazon Unbox, where you can download movies and shows to your TiVo. If you want a TiVo DVR and you trust TiVo to get their ducks in a row with respect to getting two-way communications working (it's entirely possible that it will happen - maybe through a USB device that will send the return path data over coax), then I would recommend the TiVo HD. There is the remote possibility that your TiVo could be more or less a doorstop if your cable provider switches to SDV for a large amount of digital channels, but I feel confident that it won't happen - not unless cable companies just refuse to implement it, and then TiVo has to go in front of Congress to fight it. However, be warned that it is expensive. I was billed a total of $60 for my installation of the cable cards. Cox offers an HD DVR set top box for $6/mo, along with a DVR fee of $10/mo, for a total of $16/mo. Cox charges me $9/mo just to connect the TiVo to their network - $4/mo for two cable cards and $5/mo for what I consider to be a BS fee for a "second outlet," even though both cable cards are in the same device - yet they don't charge this fee for their own rented STBs that have two CableCards that can tune two programs. Unfortunately, I'll never be able to recover the $300 I spent on the set top box because, instead of paying $16/mo for a Cox HD DVR set top box, I'm paying $22/mo - $9/mo to Cox and $13/mo to TiVo. I must really like my TiVo.  Pros It's a TiVo - the user experience is far and above the standard cable company DVR. Can upgrade the hard drive that comes with the unit. Future functionality possible with USB and Ethernet connectivity. Cons CableCard and other fees can vary, and can negate any savings over a rented STB. Undersized hard drive. Unidirectional CableCard (no PPV, OnDemand, or some less-popular channels being delivered by SDV).
Page 1: Introduction & First Looks
Page 2: Installation Page 3: DVR Functionality & Extra Features Page 4: Conclusion 
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Add Comment
2 User Comments 1 - Posted by
jim
on September 3, 2007 - 10:27 pm Pretty fair review, though obviously colored by the ineptness of your cable installer. If your installer knows what they are doing, two cards can be installed in about 15 minutes.
2 - Posted by
Anthony
on September 4, 2007 - 12:00 am Yea, but my story about the ineptness of the cablecard install doesn't seem to be that far out of line if you look at the TiVoCommunity forums. And sadly, most places dont allow self-install. And just like a cell phone, the phone might be great but if the reception sucks, its no use. Its a package deal. Add Comment To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields. |
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