TiVo TCD648250B Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder by TiVo
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List Price: Our Price: $139.99 You Save: $360.00 (72%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Receiver or Amplifier See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of TiVo TCD648250B Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder
Digital camera Review: Cheaper TiVO
Summary: 5 Stars
TiVo is selling a Series 3 with a wireless adapter for $499.99--a LOT cheaper!Digital camera Review: Cost & Service made this device a Deal Breaker...but cost has now changed
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying that I have been a loyal TIVO customer since Series 1 and have loved the box. I have since bought two additional series 2 boxes. I have always had good luck with TIVO and the intuitive interface is unmatched. Sadly, the new series 3 HD has pushed me away as a customer. I have owned 3 boxes and bought the lifetime subscription on each. TIVO has done away with the lifetime subscription so there is now no avoiding a monthly fee. This box is $[...] and the features are a welcome and long overdue improvement. They offered a swap of my lifetime service from series 2 to series 3 (for a limited time) for an additional $200.00. That brings my grand total to $[...].
A Comcast DVR is $5.00 dollars a month. I can pay that amount for 13 years before I reach just the cost of a Series 3 box, not including a Tivo subscription wich currently lies at $20.00 per month for a year committment, or $13.00 for a three year committment. At the best case scenario the equivelent period with Tivo costs you an additional $2,028.00 in subscription fees alone. $5.00 a month goes a long way when you factor in all the costs. It begs the question, is the Tivo series 3 thousands of dollars better than my Comcast DVR. It's better, but is it thousands of dollars better. I would have to say a resounding NO. Especially since they have decreased functionality from the Series 2 (Tivo 2 Go, Room to Room Transfers).
Comcast just announced that the TIVO operating system will soon be available on their DVR's with a simple download. Even if the cost for the TIVO operating system is more you have a much better deal on your hands. Do the math, TIVO series 3 just doesn't add up.
I stand by my original review. At the time when Tivo HD first hit the market they had priced themselves out of it. Several years later they have returned to their former price structure, brought back lifetime ownership and added a host of features. I had the Comcast box for three years until Tivo figured it out and stopped bilking their customers. I got fed up with the Comcast box and was able to go back to Tivo. They have a great product, the picture is amazing, the menus are intuitive and it all just works very well. I couldn't be happier with the new HD box. Netflix functionality is great as well. I wouldn't spend the money on the Tivo XL as I don't thing the juice is worth the squeeze. Buy the 300.00 model and add on an extended hard drive for 90.00 and you will effectively have the 600.00 model sans the surround who ha but who cares. If you do then pony up but it didn't make sense to me. Tivo is hands down the best DVR on the planet. ***** 5 Star amended review.
Digital camera Review: DON'T BUY UNTIL YOU READ THIS!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
We are big fans of TiVo and have an earlier model. We have been excitedly waiting for the Series 3 HD to come out. We purchased it, but we have had it over a month now and STILL cannot get our cable company to install the cable cards!! I have logged SEVERAL HOURS on the phone with both the cable company and TiVo, including a conference call with both of them. Our cable co. is clueless, and they state they are not even aware of the FCC regulation that requires them to give us these cards. TiVo people have been very nice, but they keep promising to forward it to their corporate office, and they will call our cable corporate office, but they still haven't followed through. (Supposedly they're calling their own corporate office today.) The TiVo rep indicated that they are getting a lot more of these cable card complaints than expected, and I think they are overwhelmed. So, do yourself a favor and CALL YOUR CABLE COMPANY FIRST and see if they are on board, unless you want to be the pioneer in your area. It's inexcusable and illegal that many cable companies are not on board, but that's the way it is. Eventually the issue will get straightened out and if you wait it might be a lot less frustrating for you (unless your cable co. already is up to speed.) If we don't get it resolved in a few days, we'll have no choice but to return the TiVo as the refund period will expire. On the bright side, if we wait a few months for our cable company to get a clue, we'll probably be able to re-purchase the TiVo for a better price!!! By the way, the rep also said that they are working on the software to do mulitroom viewing with this series 3 TiVo. There are some software and legal issues. When it's resolved (hopefully) you will be able to update this model's software.Digital camera Review: DRM Tivo To Go
Summary: 2 Stars
Series 3 replaces Tivo To Go with DRM. Forget about watching your recordings on the iPod and cross you fingers that the NFL won't flip on the no record flag.Digital camera Review: Decided not to buy after talking to Tivo CS
Summary: 3 Stars
I had a question - so I called Tivo Customer service. It was just like talking to my cable company. I hung up the phone and decided not to buy as I did not want another unresponsive company in my life. I have no doubt that this is a great product - poorly trained CS reps that can not wait to get you off the phone before they attempt to answer your ?