TiVo Does HDTV for Less - Dave's Download U.S. News &World Report: "So I get my high-definition programming free, tapping new digital, over-the-air broadcasts. But recording them has been a bear. I've tried a rare DVD recorder that has a digital tuner, which is what's needed to pull in those new broadcasts, and found it disappointing. I've tried assembling my own, TiVo-like PC that acts as a digital video recorder, and that's been a struggle. Now TiVo itself may finally come to my rescue.
The best brand in TV recording, TiVo said this week that it would soon ship a $300 'TiVo HD' that can record high-definition programming. That's not cheap, but it's a lot cheaper than TiVo's only other HD offering, the Series 3, which costs $800. 'We'll still offer the Series 3 but expect it will be more for more for high-end customers, such as those using custom installers,' says Jim Denny, TiVo's vice president for marketing.
The new version will record fewer hours of programming--20 hours of HD programming versus 32 for the Series 3. It also does away with the older sibling's backlit remote, high-end audio, and a front-panel screen that says what program is being recorded.
But it can record HD programs, and that's the point. It even has two tuners that can record two programs at a time, something I haven't even tried with my roll-your-own DVR. TiVo does come with a $13 monthly fee, although I am hoping the company will let me transfer my lifetime subscription from my old TiVo to the new HD box. If not, $13 a month doesn't seem high for TiVo's service, which is continually adding new tricks, such as downloading movies from the Internet.
Even the cable company charges $10 a month for a DVR that can record high-definition, and the software is clunky, with few Internet features. Plus, I had to have cable service to even have that DVR as an option. Maybe, just maybe, the new TiVo will cement my independence from cable fees."
(Read Original Article - Via U.S. News &World Report.)
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