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Tivo HD = $400

Monday, June 04, 2007 | 05:00 PM

I previously noted that the basic Tivo 80 hour machine was free after rebate.

I hadn't really followed up on that -- I've been watching the 300-hour TiVo Series 3 HD Digital Media Recorder.

Yes, its true: I am still in the plasma-less camp. In the old house, a turn of the century colonial, no wall in the living room could take a 60"-incher. As soon as we get past the re-construction of our termite-eaten den in the new house, I have my eye on a Pioneer Elite. That wil, of course, require an HD TiVO.

When the TiVo HD Digital Recorder was first released, the reviews were mostly *rapturous, with the notable exception being the $800 price tag. (Even their CEO admitted the price point was too high).

I was pleased to see that's now been cut in half. Amazon is offering the box at $599, plus a $200 rebate.

If the HD stays at this price when I get the plasma, it will become a must-have addition.

~~~~~
* Reviews:

“…these boxes (cable company DVRs) are to TiVo as an oxcart is to a Maserati; their creators, it’s painfully clear, do not share TiVo Inc.’s obsession with polish and elegant simplicity.”
-9/21/06: The New York Times, David Pogue

“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.”
-9/12/06: PC Magazine, Robert Heron

“In addition to TiVo's TV-recording functionality, the Series3 supports the same impressive and expanding roster of networking functions found on the Series2 boxes. Notably, most of these features have yet to appear on DVRs from rival manufacturers; they're among the reasons that TiVo is touting the Series3 box as a Digital Media Recorder (DMR) instead of just a DVR.”
-9/12/06: CNET, John Falcone