TiVo TCD648250B Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder by TiVo
|
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 |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of TiVo TCD648250B Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder
Digital camera Review: False claims on networking
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased a series 3, one reason was the purported Ethernet connection. I turns out that what they claim to be a Ethernet connections has restrictions. It must be hard wired directly to the router. I have a wireless network that handles traffic everyday, but a TIVO will not connect. Tivo second level support says even if I get it to once it will fail and fail often, I need to purchase the Tivo wireless device, for more money. This is blatant false advertisement, Tivo knows there series 3 will not work on wireless home networks but does not say so.Digital camera Review: Finally Back with Tivo!
Summary: 5 Stars
Like most other people, I was forced to go to my cable company's dvr when I switched to HD (in this case it was Cox Cable's Scientific Atlanta box (blech)). With the FCC's July deadline, Cox was finally forced to issue cable cards for 3rd party DVRs -- allowing me to go back to Tivo -- and not a moment too soon. If you know Tivo (which I am assuming you do)-- then you know this box. Its the same familiar interface with all of the HD goodness to go with it.
A word about cable cards -- Cox cable was surprisingly helpful in getting it set up for me. (they have to "install" it at 30 bucks each.). First off, contrary to what the first technician told me, a multistream card does NOT allow multi channel recording of HD channels You STILL NEED TWO CARDS in this DVR. Secondly, because the cards are "one-way" the cable company cannot ping them to trouble shoot. It had to send the setup instructions three times for the cards to take. Fortunately, Tivo has a diagnostics so you can see which card is receiving what channels.
I guess if you are into movies on demand, it may behoove you to wait for the two-way cards to come out next year (it is still unclear if the current Tivo will work with them), but if you are like me, and are willing to simply call the cable company when you want an On-Demand programs, then wait no longer -- the $200 off PLUS $200 rebate makes this the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with your old friend!
Digital camera Review: Finally TiVo in HD
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been waiting for this product for quite some time and it is finally here. It has all the great TiVo functionality and ease of use with stunning sound and video. No longer are there artifacts when recording digital cable channels, the picture quality is spectacular, and the ability to record two channels at once exactly what I have been looking for. It has been a long time in coming, and it isn't inexpensive -- but the software is far superior, TiVo lets you transfer your lifetime subscription (for a not insignificant fee) to this new device, and it is loaded with unexpected niceties. The CableCard order was the hardest thing, but I received the units before the TiVo and it only took a few minutes of my time to have the cable company provision my card and I was up and running. Also paying $1.50 a month for each card beats the $13.95 I was paying just for the HD cable box -- without a DVR and no hopes of ever purchasing one at any price and thus always being at the mercy of the cable company and their yearly equipment rental fee increases. All of the DVRs I have seen other than TiVo are less than user friendly and lack adequate storage -- and whenever the cable company decides to change the software you loose all of your programming, parental controls, etc. TiVo gives you great software support as well as a superior product, despite the price it gets an A+ from me. Also given the future potential expansion with the external SATA interface this is a product that cannot be beat.Digital camera Review: Finally! But some important things to know before you buy...
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me be clear: no other DVR from a cable company can come close to the TiVo experience. TiVo has gotten so many of the fine details right that it's worth every penny of the extra cost.
PROS (especially when compared to cable company DVRs):
-- It could not be easier to find and schedule recordings of your favorite shows. DVR's from the cable company make the process soooooo much more complicated.
-- You can schedule your recordings online from anywhere you have an internet connection. I use this feature all the time -- more than I expected.
-- The television guide is better than any other guide you can find anywhere else. It doesn't get any better. Period.
-- It is so much easier to forward through shows. When you fast forward, it even knows to rewind a few seconds so you don't miss any part of the program. Small detail, but what a difference it makes.
-- The TiVo remote is so comfortable and easy to use. No other remote comes close.
-- You can stream music and videos to your TiVo, so no need to buy a separate multimedia network device. When you have people over, you can leave the tv on and show great pictures or artwork. Very cool.
WHAT'S NEW:
Compared to Tivo Series2, here is what is new:
-- Accepts cable cards, so you can ditch you cable box.
-- Dual tuners so you can watch and record two shows at once.
-- The new remote has backlighting and is a "learning remote"
-- Nice new look that is sleek sitting near the tv.
-- Has a front display that shows the time and other info. You can turn this off if you want.
-- You can hook the TiVo directly into your network with ethernet... no adapter necessary. Or you can use a wireless USB router.
CONS:
While I'm still giving TiVo 5 stars since it does all the important things perfectly, it is important to know that there are some features not available yet, even though they are on earlier TiVo's:
-- You cannot transfer tv shows to your computer or laptop. I use this feature all the time with my old TiVo since it's great for traveling with your favorite shows
-- Kidszone is not available (a great feature if you have kids in the house)
-- Ability to transfer shows between TiVo's.
What to know about CableCards:
-- My cable company had never seen a TiVo Series3, so they were a little confused. Hopefully that will change over time.
-- Cablecards are not terribly common yet and the technology isn't flawless. It took three long visits from my cable company to get the cable cards working. But the problem was NOT TiVo's fault.
-- With the cable cards, you probably won't need your cable box. Since cable cards usually cost a lot less to rent each month, you can save $10 to $15 per month. It makes the cost of TiVo service a little easier to rationalize. ;-)
-- Cable cards do not work if you want to rent movies through your cable company. This is something cable companies are working on, but it could be a while.
Digital camera Review: Glad to have my TIVO back, but miss the bleeps
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been without Tivo for over two years, and I have to say it has been painful. I relocated to Beijing two years ago and just moved back to the US this summer. When I left I didn't have an HD TV, but I bought one almost as soon as I returned. So I needed to upgrade to a new DVR, stupidly I assumed Comcast would have made some progress since I left and I ordered an HD DVR from them as part of my cable set-up.
When I lived in the US (Redmond, WA) I also used a Comcast DVR and Tivo. At that time Comcast, at least in my area, was doing a trial with Microsoft using their IPTV back-end infrastructure, and their DVR was based on that technology. It had a number of annoying bugs, but in general was quite useful. Since I have returned they appear to not be using Microsoft technology anymore and the new HD DVR from Comcast is just plan terrible.
It is probably one of the poorest designed UI's I have used in a long time. The guide is very nearly unusable, the DVR functionality is terrible. The only redeeming quality is the On Demand, but that really has nothing to do with the DVR. After suffering through the Comcast DVR for about two weeks I decided to get the Tivo Series 3. There seemed to be a lot of confusion online regarding which to pick Series 3 or HD.
The new Series 3 has worked great. The CableCard installation was a breeze, although I still need to get a second card so I can use dual tuners. When I went to Comcast they said I could only have one CableCard until I returned my DVR, which still has some shows on it I need to watch.
My only real complaint with the Series 3 has been some dropped audio, occasionally during a program (seems to happen more with HD) you will get a short period of video with no sound. Usually only last 3-5 seconds and not very often, so it really isn't a significant problem.
I would highly recommend getting a Series 3 Tivo if you watch even a small amount of TV.
I really miss with bleep-bleep sound when you fast forward. That was a Tivo audiomark and should never have been removed.