TiVo Debuts Revolutionary Series3 High Definition Digital Media Recorder
The TiVo Series3 HD Box is the World’s first THX Certified DVR and Delivers the Best Home Theater Experience with Advanced Broadband Features and Two CableCARD Slots for Digital Cable Integration
Alviso, CA — September 12, 2006 — TiVo Inc., the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), announced today the launch of the high end TiVo® Series3™ HD Digital Media Recorder — the first stand-alone TiVo product that is HD compatible. Available beginning mid-September, the TiVo Series3 HD box is the world’s first THX®-certified, digital video recorder, delivering audio and video that truly maintains the fidelity of the original broadcast. Once again, TiVo is setting a new standard for digital cable users with its Emmy ® -awarding service and exclusive feature set…now in high definition!
“TiVo continues to be the best way to watch television and we are very proud to extend the TiVo experience into the world of high definition with the release of the TiVo Series3 HD box,” said Tom Rogers, CEO and President of TiVo.
The TiVo Series3 HD box delivers the ultimate in high definition entertainment, allowing the consumer to experience TiVo’s acclaimed service features, such as Season Pass™ recordings and WishList® searches, in sharp, vivid high-definition images. Extensive video analysis and performance testing by THX ensures content will always playback at the maximum quality and resolution. The advanced chipset in the TiVo Series3 HD box also lays the groundwork for support for more advanced download features in the future.
Dual tuners allow subscribers to record two different shows in HD at the same time, while watching a third pre-recorded show. With the high quality OLED front-panel display, the TiVo Series3 HD box will show what is recording, even when the television is off. The TiVo Series3 HD box enables the user to record up to 32 hours of HD programming, or up to 300 hours of recording capacity in standard definition. The TiVo Series3 HD box also features a new, sleek, backlit remote control.
The TiVo Series3 is designed to fit seamlessly into the most discerning home theater systems. It is compatible with digital cable*, analog cable and is the first TiVo to support over-the-air digital HD (ATSC). Later this year, it will also support the newly released TiVoCast service feature which allows users to access content directly through their broadband connection, introducing the next revolution of Internet and cable delivery. Future software releases can even enable advanced MPEG-4 based download features.
With a built-in Ethernet jack and USB ports, the TiVo Series3 HD box also provides advanced connectivity and easy networking, making it simple to access an additional suite of exclusive TiVo features.
“Our subscribers have eagerly anticipated the day they can use our services in high definition,” said Jim Denney, Vice President of Product Marketing at TiVo. “The TiVo Series3 HD DVR gives our customers the best way to experience HDTV in visual and audio performance, an easy, intuitive way to find and record HD programming and a broad set of multimedia and networking capabilities that greatly exceed other generic offerings available allowing subscribers the freedom to enjoy their favorite programming whenever they chose to do so.”
“As more and more digital video recorders get connected to HDTVs, the demand for higher playback quality rises,” said Dr. Michael Rudd, chief of AV architecture at THX Ltd. “With THX certification, the integrity of HD content won’t be compromised. Our collaboration with TiVo has resulted in a product that promises to capture, store and playback HDTV programs with the detail and clarity that is true to the original broadcast.”
“We are excited to bring the TiVo Series3 HD box to the lineup of HES suppliers,” said Jim Ristow, Director of Home Entertainment Source (HES). “The new TiVo HD box is at the forefront of technology, as are HES dealers, making the relationship between TiVo and HES an excellent match.”
Favorite existing TiVo features included in the TiVo Series3 HD box:
TiVo Online Scheduling: Schedule last-minute recordings from the office or on the road from anywhere you can access the Internet.
WishList Searches: Easily find programs by actor, director, keyword or topic. The TiVo service works to find and record all the programs related to that topic — like an advanced search engine for your television.
Season Pass Recordings: Automatically record every episode, even if the network schedule changes. It can even skip repeat episodes.
TiVo KidZone: Coming later this year to the Series3 HD box, only TiVo gives parents the power to easily create a customized area for their children, with only the programs they’ve pre-approved.
Broadband connected TiVo Series3 subscribers will have access to a variety of multimedia services, networking options and entertainment choices:
· TiVoCast: Download video programming via broadband to your TiVo box. Programming comes from a diverse selection of media brands and producers, including The New York Times, CNET, the NBA, iVillage, and many others. TiVoCast will be available on the Series3 HD later this year.
TiVo Online Services: View both personal photo slideshows and those shared by friends with Yahoo! Photos, and check local weather and traffic from Yahoo!. Additionally, browse and buy movie tickets from Fandango, discover new music on Live365, and listen to entertaining podcasts.
TiVo Mobile: Browse TV listings and schedule recordings directly from select Verizon Wireless phones. The downloadable program will be available later this year.
The TiVo Series3 HD box will join the existing TiVo product line, and will soon be available for $799.99 at retail stores including select Best Buy, Circuit City, Ultimate Electronics, Fry’s and online at http://www.tivo.com/.
This product will be shown at CEDIA in booth 378 beginning 9/13-9/17.
* A security card (CableCARD) provided by your cable operator is required to view encrypted digital cable programming. Two CableCARDs may be required for dual-tuner functionality. Certain advanced and interactive digital cable services such as video-on-demand, a cable operator’s enhanced programming guide, and data-enhanced television services may require the use of a separate cable company-provided set-top box.
About THX Ltd.
Born out of George Lucas’ vision to improve the movie-going experience, THX is a driving force in cinema, post-production, car audio and home entertainment.
THX is dedicated to developing new ways to make the creation, delivery and presentation of entertainment content more efficient, more powerful and more enjoyable. Today, the world’s premier commercial cinemas, post-production studios, car audio systems and home entertainment products incorporate THX technologies and have achieved the coveted THX Certified status. For more information, visit http://www.thx.com/.
THX and the THX Logo are trademarks of THX Ltd., which may be registered in some jurisdictions. All rights reserved.
About HES
Home Entertainment Source, the A/V specialty division of Brand Source, is a non-profit organization with over 450 members. With annual sales exceeding $1.2 billion, HES ranks as one of the largest buying groups in the CE industry.
About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its full set of DVR service features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo’s DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass™ recordings and WishList® searches, has elevated its popularity among consumers and has created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo’s DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features such as TiVoToGo™ transfers and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing “TiVo, TV your way.” TiVo is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.
TiVo, Series3, WishList, Season Pass, TiVoCast, TiVoToGo, and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc.’s subsidiaries worldwide. © 2006 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved. All other company or product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
18 Comments
The Cox-TiVo announcement said that Cox would make the TiVo software available on existing Cox DVR boxes in “selected markets during the first half of 2007.” Do we know whether Oklahoma City will be one of those markets and whether the SA8300HD DVR will be able to accept the TiVo software? I wonder how the current remote would work with TiVo software?
As to TiVo’s own offer for the Series 3, ha! I had a TiVo box with a lifetime subscription from 2000 until 2000 and loved it. Nevertheless, a price of $800 plus $13 a month with a 1 year guarantee to continue service, or nearly $35 a month for a three year deal for the Series 3 is a deal breaker, for me. TiVo has discontinued its lifetime subscription offer and the networking capabilities available on the Series 2 have been disabled.
I may have been born at night but it wasn’t last night. Thus, if I go TiVo again, it will be on a Cox DVR — unless the Series 3 becomes MUCH more affordable in coming months. TiVo has a good product but it’s not worth an amount equal to more than 20% more than I currently pay for cable, Internet, and telephone, all three.
I haven’t seen a Cox announcement that spells out their plans definitively, but Comcast has been working with Tivo to develop and deploy the DVR software onto Motorola boxes. Because Cox also offers the Motorola boxes in a number of their markets, there is a general assumption that they’ll simply license the software that Tivo is already developing for Comcast. Given that we have SA’s, my personal expectation is that OKC will not be a market that’ll receive the new Tivo software in the near term. Time will tell.
The financial prospect of the Series3 is interesting. With Cox OKC, I pay $15 a month for the box and the DVR recording service. If I buy the Series3 Tivo, that’s $800 up front. Tivo is also offering to transfer any old lifetime subscription fee from an earlier series1 or series2 box for $199. (Go to http://www.tivo.com/vip for details.) Then you have to factor in two cablecards at $2 a pop each. Assuming a 5 year lifetime for the box (my series1 tivo has survived for the last six years), that gives you a monthly cost of $20.67, if I did the math correctly.
I have both a Motorola (through Comcast in another market) and a Cox OKC Scientific Atlanta and find them both seriously lacking compared to my old Tivo. I only wish they made it more compelling money-wise to go through with the upgrade…
The last I heard the tivo software would roll out on motorola boxes first and later on the scientific atlanta boxes. But only time will tell for sure.
mscott- Thanks for your comments and the link to the TiVo offer to transfer lifetime subscriptions. I checked the TiVo site this morning and learned that the lifetime subscription on my old Series1 box is still in place, so I am once again considering the new Cox-compatible HD TiVo. Ironically, I gave my son, who is a DirecTV subscriber in another market, an HD TiVo box a couple of years ago, and it cost nearly $1,000, so a total of $1,000 for the new Cox-compatible HD TiVo and lifetime subscription with only a $4 a month charge for two CableCARDs isn’t necessarily out of line. It’s a lot of money up front but the TiVo software is exponentially superior to the SA dreck we get from Cox, so I am thinking about it.
Cox’s OKC reps have been demonstrating their characteristic cluelessness where the pricing for CableCARDs, which the S3 requires, S3 are concerned. I talked to Cox twice today and a poster to the S3 thread at the TiVo Community site made a third. Between us, we were told (1) the two CableCARDs for the S3 will rent for $1.99 each and can be picked up at any Cox office for self installation; or (2) The cards rent for $1.99 each plus a $1.99 gateway fee for each and an installation fee is required, which is $30 for the first card and $15 for each additional card; or (3) the same as (2) except that there is no discount on the installation charge, no matter how many cards you have installed at once. It doesn’t instill a lot of confidence, does it?
I imagine we will have to pay the digital gateway fee along with $2 for each cablecard. I hadn’t factored that into my original calculations, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case. I bought one of the SA3150 boxes back when you couldn’t rent an HD-capable box, and even though I pay no rental fee, they still charge me a digital gateway fee for it. Keep in mind that when the multistream cards come out (assuming Cox OKC eventually gets them), you should only have to pay for one card and one digital gateway fee.
As for the conflicting info on the installation process and fees, that’s not surprising. I can’t imagine they’ve gotten a lot of inquiries to-date on cable cards. I’ve experienced this before and have found that if you just go into the Cox local office and tell them what you need, they’ll try to accomodate you. I was told by a phone CSR that they’d need to roll a truck to replace my SA8000 with a SA8300… but when I showed up at my local office with the box in hand, they swapped it out for me.
I have a Series3 on order and will report back my cablecard-acquisition experience, if anyone is interested…
Today, I got some sickening information about the S3 on the TiVo Forum: The S3 will NOT support the new Multi-Stream Ver. 2.0 CableCARDs that are supposed to be introduced next month. It will take new hardward for that. That’s a deal breaker for me. See this link, which will take you to a thread that discusses this revolting development and some of the limitations of the currently available Ver. 1.0 CableCARD:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4378780#post4378780
mscott — Please do report how you get along with your S3 and 1.0 CableCARDS.
FYI: The Motorola and Scientific-Atlanta cable boxes with DVR that cable cards go into cost $300-$500 each, depending on the functionality and size of hard drive included.
Cable cards cost $80 each.
I think that comparing the prices of TiVo boxes to any other DVR is misleading. I bought a TiVo in 2000 and used it until Cox finally started furnishing the SA HD DVR in 2004. The SA software, and that of every other DVR software pubisher, is dramatically inferior to TiVo’s. In fact, the SA software is so primitive that I may give in and get a TiVo S3 after all, despite the weaknesses of the one-way CableCARD.
The thread on TivoCommunity is mostly, but not exactly correct. The cablecards that are coming our next month are 1.0 multistream complaint. Like the cards you can currently get from the cable companies, they have no two-way capability. Therefore, even when they ship, nobody — including S3 Tivo owners — with third party devices will have on-demand capability.
For some background on this matter, Tivo has held up the release of the S3 for almost a year and a half now while the cable industry faught over the cablecard 2.0 specification. The industry claims that 2.0 adds additional complexities, such as the need to develop a langaguge to describe the on-demand menus. Eventually, Tivo (and others) gave up waiting and convinced the cablecard group to add multistream capability to the 1.0 specification. When they did, Tivo released their product and the new cards will begin shipping next month.
Unfortunately, there is a vested interest in the cable industry to provide as many road blocks as possible to approving the 2.0 specification. If the Tivo had on-demand capability, you’d lose a big selling point for the Cox/Comcast/TW rental boxes. That’s one big reason why Tivo eventually decided to port their software to run on other providers’ hardware. Although they’re cannibalizing their own hardware market, they still stay alive because they can share revenue with the cable companies.
In any event, the S3 is multistream 1.0 compatible. If/when Cox offers those cards, you’ll be able to use one — instead of two — in the S3 for dual-tuning capability. But the 2.0 cablecard spec is still a long ways away, and it is virtually guaranteed that the S3 can not support it (because the box would need extra hardware for the two-way capability).
Also, I stopped in at the Cox local office in Norman this morning to inquire about the cablecards. The guy at the counter knew what they were, but said the local offices aren’t stocked with any. He said the only way to get them is to call in and schedule a tech to come install them. I ordered my S3 from the tivo.com/vip website, and supposedly they aren’t sending tracking numbers out when they ship… so I don’t know when it’ll arrive. That makes scheduling an installation appointment in advance a little tough. Oh, well. That’s what being on the “bleeding edge” is all about.
The whole cable card thing is a software/hardware nightmare. Cramming all the stuff into a PC card to handle guide, talk-back to the server, and descrambling/security for multiple streams has proven to be very difficult.
Pay-per-view was languishing before the advent of OnDemand. I offered PPV on my system for several years and people have not used it at all. It was a waste of channel space, so that’s where I put the HD off-air channels.
OnDemand is more of what people want, evidently. I personally don’t see the allure of paying $1 for individual programs, which can cause a cable or satellite bill to rise astronomically in short order. From a small cable operator’s perspective, the cost of a massive server farm and control center to implement OnDemand is completely prohibitive, but in a larger system it seems people are very willing to spend tons of money each month to have access to programming whenever they want it. It’s like the iTunes business model I guess.
Speaking of iTunes, do you think that service, when it goes HD, will eventually compete in a serious way with OnDemand video services offered by the larger cable companies?
I am a Mac user, but I never thought the iPod would turn into what it has become. My thought was, “a Firewire drive that plays music, cool!”. Some 60 million iPods later, I’m still amazed that no one else in the industry is smart enough to compete in a serious way. The same might be true of selling movies.
Dish has offered PPV for the nine years that I’ve had the service and I haven’t bought a PPV movie in probably eight years. For starters, the HD PPV movies are $5.99 for stuff you’ve never heard of, but even then the SD movies were never as good as DVD on a 16×9 TV. That was really the end for me.
Finally, did you offer PBSHD when OETA was carrying it on 13-1 and are you carrying any of their channels now? Since they have to turn off 13-2 and 13-3, which gives my Dish 6000 fits and I have to retune it every time, I’m guessing carrying those two channels isn’t an option for you any more since they’re not reliably on.
I simply can’t understand why they don’t even carry HD in the middle of the night if they’re going to broadcast 24/7 so that those of with recording capability would at least have the option of recording what they do carry. I would guess, based on the fact that everything I’ve recorded since they switched has been SD (and thus not watched) that they’re not carrying more than about five hours of HD per week.
I called Cox to set up my cablecard installation appointment. They told me it’ll be $30 for the first card and $15 for the second one. Per other posts in the “Cox cable card” thread on TivoCommunity, those charges weren’t too surprising. The unfortunate thing is they gave me an installation date for a week from Tuesday. If you’re thinking about getting a box, make an appointment as early as possible. I ordered my S3 from Tivo’s website on Thursday and just received my tracking number via email. They ship from Ft. Worth, so they’ll arrive quickly (one day) via free ground shipping, assuming they have them in stock.
Dennis:
Things are going to have to change in the bandwidth area before HD downloads become any sort of norm. I can’t imagine waiting days for an HD movie to download at currently available speeds from either DSL or cable. I am a Mac user myself, my office is total Mac, but I can’t see trying to watch HD on a handheld, it’s not worth it to me.
Your comments on PPV I agree with totally. The same can be said about all the premium services, HBO, Showtime, Starz, et all. If you’re not a fan of Deadwood (cancelled), Sopranos (on the way out), Weeds, etc, there isn’t a lot on that hasn’t been out on cheap DVD for months, or not much worth watching in the first place. Those channels have just about lost all their value in my opinion.
I have offered OETA from the day they turned on the transmitter at Cheyenne at barely receivable power level and just the one HD stream. And I carry the current setup with the varying stream numbers, and no one has complained too much. They miss the fulltime HD but they always mention that there wasn’t a lot of total programming on it, lots of repeats. I miss it the most, as it was the HD demo in the cable store, always available to show off the benefits of HD. Nowadays, the one soap opera on CBS is the only HD there is in the daytime when I’m open.
I’m bothered most by the exclusive nature of OETA’s relationship with Cox, which I think is illegal. They’ve pitted urban vs. rural in the HD arena so that those of us who live outside of Oklahoma City or Tulsa have only the option of putting up a big ugly dish for a couple of thousand dollars and pulling the PBS HD feed off of free to air satellite, which isn’t guaranteed to last.
If PBS offered PBS HD via Dish or DirecTV, I might have less of a problem because at least I could choose to pay money for the programming, but now I can choose to watch the six hours a week offered by OETA or I can choose not to watch, which is the decision I’ve made.
OETA isn’t the only station with exclusive arrangements, but I do agree that it would be nice to have the PBS-HD feed available. It isn’t available for other cable operators that I know of.
KOCO had their signal removed from all the translators in western Oklahoma a couple years ago, so aside from satellite there is no way to receive ABC programming any more out here. KOCO’s signal goes north and south from OKC but not east or west to any great degree. Also their DT signal is not available because of the Lawton thing. It all makes no sense.
In KOCO’s case, they don’t receive public funds from either the federal or state governments. This reminds of when Senator Rick Santorum tried to privatize the weather system so that webmasters like me would have to pay to include weather data that’s collected using public money. I know there are barriors in place to prevent government interferrance with PBS programming, but to sell something produced in part with public money that limits public access to it is just wrong.
In my mind, if they’re going to offer six hours a week of HD why do they even bother? Having to reset my receiver every time they go from four channels to two just isn’t worth it. Besides, the new network programming is starting so who cares about new episodes of Nova or Frontline in SD.