Post by dkennedy on Sept 12, 2006 9:31:00 GMT -5
TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder TiVo Review
September 12, 2006
By Robert Heron, PC Magazine
Video output: HDMI, component video, composite video, S-Video • Audio output: Digital Audio (optical), stereo RCA • RF inputs: ATSC/NTSC, cable (QAM) • Network/expansion ports: Ethernet, RJ-11 (telephone), USB (2), eSATA • Dimensions: 3.4 by 16.5 by 12.6 inches (HWD)
TiVo wasn't the first company to create a hard drive–based digital video recorder, but it garnered devoutly loyal owners by crafting set-top boxes that were reliable, easy to use, and even hacker-friendly. The TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder ($799.99 list) is the high-definition successor to the company's popular Series2 DVR, and this newest member of the TiVo family expands upon its predecessor's offerings with more storage and more ways of recording what you want when you want. But this premium-priced DVR isn't for everyone, and I was a little disappointed to find some features copied verbatim from the standard-definition TiVos without consideration for how they would look when viewed in HD—an environment the Series3 was specifically designed to support.
Unpacking the Series3 revealed a stylish unit with a glossy black-painted chassis and brushed-aluminum-alloy face plate. An amber-colored OLED display concealed behind a strip of smoked plastic shows the titles of shows currently recording as well as video-output details and a clock. I was struck by the high resolution of this integrated display, which produced impressively legible text. A set of backlit control buttons arranged in a circular layout adorns the right side of the DVR's face.
The Series3's remote control retains the distinct dog-bone shape and general keypad layout of previous TiVo remotes, but it incorporates a few welcome changes. For starters, the new remote is now completely backlit, with all buttons labeled directly, unlike previous designs, which placed some labels on the body of the remote. I really like this change because a glowing key is a lot easier to discern at a quick glance. The select button used for menu navigation has been moved to the center of the directional pad, making it even easier to use. A ribbed, textured finish covering the back lower half of the remote enhances your grip and helps you keep the symmetrically shaped control pointed in the correct direction. (Hey, you know it happens.)
I was also pleased to find the Series3 still vulnerable to the 30-second-skip hack for blowing through commercials. In addition, the Series3 remote adds a learning function that can be used in lieu of programming it directly. This feature relies on product remote codes provided in the setup menu. I found the remote's responsiveness to be excellent from a variety of distances and angles, and its compatibility with other older TiVo DVRs leaves me little choice but to beg TiVo to offer this fine remote as a universal upgrade.
All A/V and networking connections are located on the rear panel of the Series3. Component-video and HDMI connections provide HD video output, and corresponding video cables are thoughtfully included in the box. Two RF inputs supply ports for antenna and cable TV feeds, respectively. A pair of CableCARD slots can be filled for dual-tuning standard or HD digital cable services. The Series3 also has two ATSC (digital) tuners and a pair of NTSC (analog) tuners to handle broadcast TV feeds. Unfortunately, it doesn't support satellite television. According to TiVo, digital channels recorded by the Series3 are stored in a raw format for maximum quality, and a pair of Broadcom encoders utilize MPEG-2 compression for digitizing and storing analog-based signals. You can select one of four video-quality settings.
Equipped with a 250GB SATA-based hard drive, the Series3 can store about 25 hours of HD programming or about 300 hours of standard-definition programming in the lowest quality setting. You'll get just over 50 hours of SD recording using the DVR's best quality setting. Current Series 2 products can hold up to 80 or 180 hours of programming depending on the model you choose.
For networking choices, the Series3 sports an integrated Ethernet jack and USB ports that can be used with optional wireless adapters. Yes, the standard phone jack is still there. In addition to programming guides and software updates that are available via the Internet, a networked Series3 DVR can access picture and music files stored on a local PC running TiVo's Desktop software. Also, TiVo's Online Services, introduced with the Series2 DVRs, have migrated over to the Series3 as well. Unfortunately, the TiVoToGo feature, which enabled TiVo recordings stored on networked Series2 DVRs to be transferred to a PC running the company's Desktop software, has been is indefinitely disabled. This tragic crippling of Series3 hardware is due to content-protection concerns of the Cable Labs group.
Besides the new configuration options for all the additional tuners, the Series3 guided setup differs little from previous TiVo units. Post-setup, I found myself experimenting with the Series3's robust output-resolution options, which include a native mode that preserves the content's resolution as it's delivered to the TV, as well as fixed and hybrid modes that can be used to optimize the video for a particular display's screen characteristics. Using the Series3's dual-ATSC tuners, I was able to surf and "timeshift" local channels with relative ease. Critical off-air tuning features such as a signal strength meter and a channel list editor are provided, and my experience scheduling and recording this free source of TV was pleasantly uneventful.
After several hours of constant use, I was also impressed to note how quiet the Series3 DVR was. Only when I put my ear close to the unit in a quiet environment could I detect the faint whirr of its low-speed fan. In my subjective observations, I could see no difference between digital programming viewed live (with or without the TiVo Series3) and the same content as played back from the DVR's hard drive. Apparently, the Series3's THX certification was well earned.
I was less pleased by the quality of the Series3's menu fonts, icons, and other graphics; apparently they were copied from a standard-definition TiVo without any regard as to how they would look on an HD display. With all display settings configured properly, menu text was tainted with significant jagged-edge artifacts, and all icons. including the TiVo mascot itself, were stretched horizontally—something I dub the "Oompa-Loompa" effect. Another case of low-resolution-meets-an-HD-display occurred with digital images stored on a locally networked PC. The Series3 transformed my multimegapixel snapshots into a blocky mess that didn't even fill the vertical height of the screen. Considering how much time TiVo had to polish the Series3 before its release, I find these oversights nearly inexcusable. I can only hope that future software updates address these admittedly cosmetic concerns.
With its $800 price tag plus monthly service fees, the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder is very expensive when compared with the upgrade packages offered by cable providers who also offer dual-tuning HD DVRs. However, in my experience, no cable DVR hardware can match the ease of use or recording reliability of a TiVo product. That said, satellite TV subscribers have no reason to consider the Series3. Also, PC enthusiasts can build or buy a dual-tuning off-air recorder that doesn't require a paid subscription. Unfortunately PCs are limited to pulling Hi-Def content from over the air only. In addition no PC, however advanced, currently supports CableCARD technology or can access premium cable channels the way a Series3 can. For current TiVo owners with lifetime subscriptions (sadly, no longer offered), TiVo says that Series1 and Series2 customers must pay a $199 transfer charge to transfer their account over to the new Series3 box. This to me is a rude slap in the face to die-hard Tivo users.
The Series3 will no doubt prove popular with current TiVo subscribers who have been looking to time-shift their HD content, but the steep price may keep new users away.
Watch the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder Video Review!
www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2014570,00.asp
Read the cnet review!
reviews.cnet.com/TiVo_Series3_HD_DVR/4505-6474_7-32065631-2.html?tag=nav
September 12, 2006
By Robert Heron, PC Magazine
Video output: HDMI, component video, composite video, S-Video • Audio output: Digital Audio (optical), stereo RCA • RF inputs: ATSC/NTSC, cable (QAM) • Network/expansion ports: Ethernet, RJ-11 (telephone), USB (2), eSATA • Dimensions: 3.4 by 16.5 by 12.6 inches (HWD)
TiVo wasn't the first company to create a hard drive–based digital video recorder, but it garnered devoutly loyal owners by crafting set-top boxes that were reliable, easy to use, and even hacker-friendly. The TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder ($799.99 list) is the high-definition successor to the company's popular Series2 DVR, and this newest member of the TiVo family expands upon its predecessor's offerings with more storage and more ways of recording what you want when you want. But this premium-priced DVR isn't for everyone, and I was a little disappointed to find some features copied verbatim from the standard-definition TiVos without consideration for how they would look when viewed in HD—an environment the Series3 was specifically designed to support.
Unpacking the Series3 revealed a stylish unit with a glossy black-painted chassis and brushed-aluminum-alloy face plate. An amber-colored OLED display concealed behind a strip of smoked plastic shows the titles of shows currently recording as well as video-output details and a clock. I was struck by the high resolution of this integrated display, which produced impressively legible text. A set of backlit control buttons arranged in a circular layout adorns the right side of the DVR's face.
The Series3's remote control retains the distinct dog-bone shape and general keypad layout of previous TiVo remotes, but it incorporates a few welcome changes. For starters, the new remote is now completely backlit, with all buttons labeled directly, unlike previous designs, which placed some labels on the body of the remote. I really like this change because a glowing key is a lot easier to discern at a quick glance. The select button used for menu navigation has been moved to the center of the directional pad, making it even easier to use. A ribbed, textured finish covering the back lower half of the remote enhances your grip and helps you keep the symmetrically shaped control pointed in the correct direction. (Hey, you know it happens.)
I was also pleased to find the Series3 still vulnerable to the 30-second-skip hack for blowing through commercials. In addition, the Series3 remote adds a learning function that can be used in lieu of programming it directly. This feature relies on product remote codes provided in the setup menu. I found the remote's responsiveness to be excellent from a variety of distances and angles, and its compatibility with other older TiVo DVRs leaves me little choice but to beg TiVo to offer this fine remote as a universal upgrade.
All A/V and networking connections are located on the rear panel of the Series3. Component-video and HDMI connections provide HD video output, and corresponding video cables are thoughtfully included in the box. Two RF inputs supply ports for antenna and cable TV feeds, respectively. A pair of CableCARD slots can be filled for dual-tuning standard or HD digital cable services. The Series3 also has two ATSC (digital) tuners and a pair of NTSC (analog) tuners to handle broadcast TV feeds. Unfortunately, it doesn't support satellite television. According to TiVo, digital channels recorded by the Series3 are stored in a raw format for maximum quality, and a pair of Broadcom encoders utilize MPEG-2 compression for digitizing and storing analog-based signals. You can select one of four video-quality settings.
Equipped with a 250GB SATA-based hard drive, the Series3 can store about 25 hours of HD programming or about 300 hours of standard-definition programming in the lowest quality setting. You'll get just over 50 hours of SD recording using the DVR's best quality setting. Current Series 2 products can hold up to 80 or 180 hours of programming depending on the model you choose.
For networking choices, the Series3 sports an integrated Ethernet jack and USB ports that can be used with optional wireless adapters. Yes, the standard phone jack is still there. In addition to programming guides and software updates that are available via the Internet, a networked Series3 DVR can access picture and music files stored on a local PC running TiVo's Desktop software. Also, TiVo's Online Services, introduced with the Series2 DVRs, have migrated over to the Series3 as well. Unfortunately, the TiVoToGo feature, which enabled TiVo recordings stored on networked Series2 DVRs to be transferred to a PC running the company's Desktop software, has been is indefinitely disabled. This tragic crippling of Series3 hardware is due to content-protection concerns of the Cable Labs group.
Besides the new configuration options for all the additional tuners, the Series3 guided setup differs little from previous TiVo units. Post-setup, I found myself experimenting with the Series3's robust output-resolution options, which include a native mode that preserves the content's resolution as it's delivered to the TV, as well as fixed and hybrid modes that can be used to optimize the video for a particular display's screen characteristics. Using the Series3's dual-ATSC tuners, I was able to surf and "timeshift" local channels with relative ease. Critical off-air tuning features such as a signal strength meter and a channel list editor are provided, and my experience scheduling and recording this free source of TV was pleasantly uneventful.
After several hours of constant use, I was also impressed to note how quiet the Series3 DVR was. Only when I put my ear close to the unit in a quiet environment could I detect the faint whirr of its low-speed fan. In my subjective observations, I could see no difference between digital programming viewed live (with or without the TiVo Series3) and the same content as played back from the DVR's hard drive. Apparently, the Series3's THX certification was well earned.
I was less pleased by the quality of the Series3's menu fonts, icons, and other graphics; apparently they were copied from a standard-definition TiVo without any regard as to how they would look on an HD display. With all display settings configured properly, menu text was tainted with significant jagged-edge artifacts, and all icons. including the TiVo mascot itself, were stretched horizontally—something I dub the "Oompa-Loompa" effect. Another case of low-resolution-meets-an-HD-display occurred with digital images stored on a locally networked PC. The Series3 transformed my multimegapixel snapshots into a blocky mess that didn't even fill the vertical height of the screen. Considering how much time TiVo had to polish the Series3 before its release, I find these oversights nearly inexcusable. I can only hope that future software updates address these admittedly cosmetic concerns.
With its $800 price tag plus monthly service fees, the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder is very expensive when compared with the upgrade packages offered by cable providers who also offer dual-tuning HD DVRs. However, in my experience, no cable DVR hardware can match the ease of use or recording reliability of a TiVo product. That said, satellite TV subscribers have no reason to consider the Series3. Also, PC enthusiasts can build or buy a dual-tuning off-air recorder that doesn't require a paid subscription. Unfortunately PCs are limited to pulling Hi-Def content from over the air only. In addition no PC, however advanced, currently supports CableCARD technology or can access premium cable channels the way a Series3 can. For current TiVo owners with lifetime subscriptions (sadly, no longer offered), TiVo says that Series1 and Series2 customers must pay a $199 transfer charge to transfer their account over to the new Series3 box. This to me is a rude slap in the face to die-hard Tivo users.
The Series3 will no doubt prove popular with current TiVo subscribers who have been looking to time-shift their HD content, but the steep price may keep new users away.
Watch the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder Video Review!
www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2014570,00.asp
Read the cnet review!
reviews.cnet.com/TiVo_Series3_HD_DVR/4505-6474_7-32065631-2.html?tag=nav
