S3 Purchase Poll

[classicX]

Now that the S3 is finally available, a new poll is, of course, the logical next step.

Explain your vote.

*Note - this polls is really only for people who "need" the S3 - I've included the last option only so people who don't need one can see the results without clicking the link every time.

Also, if you have a S3 already (beta tester, press review, etc.), remember - this poll is for purchases at $799. If you got your S3 by some other means, i.e. a free beta unit, and don't plan to buy any more, please use the last option.

[aaronwt]

I don't see the poll.

[aaronwt]

I plan on purchasing one initially, unless I can get in on the BestBuy 36 months no interest deal. Then I will buy 3 of them since I'll have 3 years to pay it off with no interest.

[loubob57]

I'll buy it as soon as I figure out exactly what to buy if I'm going to transfer lifetime from another box.

[classicX]

I don't see the poll.

Sorry, the forum creates the thread before the poll is entered it's there now, of course.

[drewba]

Without MRV, I don't see an incentive to upgrade from my current HR10-250, especially with 6.3 for that unit imminent.

[classicX]

Then that's a yes. The poll only allows 6 entries, so please vote yes and then explain with a comment.

[headless chicken]

No, it only records 25 hrs of HD and not 35 as previously reported. I can get 25 hrs of HD with SA 8300. I'll wait for a large price dip.

[megazone]

No, it only records 25 hrs of HD and not 35 as previously reported. Where the hell did you get that from? It officially records up to 32 hours, in reality it can record more than 32. It all depends on the compression of the source.

[Bierboy]

No, it only records 25 hrs of HD and not 35 as previously reported. I can get 25 hrs of HD with SA 8300. I'll wait for a large price dip.
Knucklehead. :down:

[TechDreamer]

Too much money for a crippled box. I'm out.

[headless chicken]

Where the hell did you get that from? It officially records up to 32 hours, in reality it can record more than 32. It all depends on the compression of the source.

From here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2014608,00.asp

Every review source reports a different number of HD recording hours.

[crowfan]

Too much $$. I'll be waiting for the price drop.

[greg_burns]

I'll get one, but I'm waiting for it to be available at Buy.com. I got coupons! :)

Edit:
http://www.tivo.com/2.0.3hdDvr.plt.asp
Tivo® Series3TM HD DVR purchase required by 12/31/2006 and activation of the DVR is required by 01/31/2007. Series3 HD DVR must be purchased through TiVo.com. DVRs purchased through retail channels are not eligible.

Looks like I have to buy from Tivo.com afterall for lifetime transfer. :(

[cheer]

Nope. I was wavering, then doubtful once the price was announced, then a definite No once I learned MRV was disabled. I'm a DirecTV household now; if I switch to cable I'll need four of these bad boys -- a S2DT won't cut it. Not at $800 per, and especially not if I have to give up MRV.

The other thing that I didn't like was hearing that it won't do unencrypted digital QAM (well, it will, MANUALLY...but that doesn't really count).

[Stormspace]

I voted no because of price and feature-suck. Of course I'd be pushing it too if I had gotten a free one like Megazone. ;) Still though MRV is a big need in my household and 800 bucks is a little hard to swallow for a crippled machine. As far as I'm concerned the S3 isn't the value it is reported as being and the only promises I've heard about adding the features back have come from non official sources.

No, it's definately a wait and see situation.

[doormat]

The lack of MRV, the SD UI, and the fact that the $299 prepaid deal does NOT qualify for MSD will keep me from purchasing this $799 box. I'll wait until I can get it for $599 or less.

[Andru1313]

Sigh.. going to have to wait for the price to drop. just to much right now..

[aaronwt]

The lack of MRV, the SD UI, and the fact that the $299 prepaid deal does NOT qualify for MSD will keep me from purchasing this $799 box. I'll wait until I can get it for $599 or less.
:eek: It doesn't qualify for MSD? :eek: So if I get a second/third S3 box I'll still have to pay $12.95 a month or get the $299 deal for 3 years($8.31 per month)? :mad: In otherwords there will be no way to get the deal where you pay $6.95 a month per box when you have multiple units? :(

[GomezAddams]

Already ordered two of them with the LifeTime transfer from old units option... I have been waiting for over a year for this day!!

[vman41]

My plan was to replace my Series 2 with an S3, rolling back the features shoots that deal.
I don't use TTG that much, but it is still too much of a step back. I have the ability to record OTA HD on my PC, so I'll hobble along.

If the software just restricted content tuned via the cable card, I could live with that.

[Stormspace]

My plan was to replace my Series 2 with an S3, rolling back the features shoots that deal.
I don't use TTG that much, but it is still too much of a step back. I have the ability to record OTA HD on my PC, so I'll hobble along.

If the software just restricted content tuned via the cable card, I could live with that.

Unlike you I don't want any of my content restricted. Why should it be restricted inside my house? TiVo already prevents the transfer to any outside devices so that should be sufficient. The killer here is going to be how TiVo is able to work around these restrictions and give us a product that does more than the one previous.

[vman41]

Unlike you I don't want any of my content restricted.

I said I could live with it, not that I'd like it.

[Stormspace]

I said I could live with it, not that I'd like it.

Noted. :)

[Adam1115]

Too much money for a crippled box. I'm out.

CRIPPLED? YAY lets completely exaggerate.

Considering the only DVR's to compare it to are DirecTV's HR20 and Dish's VIP622, where are we crippled?

:rolleyes:

Oh you're comparing to you're old beater series2 that only records one digital cable channel at a time and doesn't do HD, or Dolby Digital? That seems more crippled to me...

[Shawn95GT]

I bought one to start with and will decide between now and Dec 31 if I want to buy two more.

So when do we start the lust for the S4 that will record from an HDMI or component input* ?

* All specs pulled from thin air

[btwyx]

You didn't really have a suitable option, I already bought one, but its not "only" one. I've never had multiple TiVos, I've lived for over 4 years with one dual tuner TiVo and that's perfectly fine.

Saying "only one" implies I'd like to get more.

[bilbo]

have two tivos both with a lifetime subscription in our households and no hdtv's. don't really need a series 3. i chose price because i would need a new tv and a monthly fee to use an s3.

[Stormspace]

CRIPPLED? YAY lets completely exaggerate.

Considering the only DVR's to compare it to are DirecTV's HR20 and Dish's VIP622, where are we crippled?

:rolleyes:

Oh you're comparing to you're old beater series2 that only records one digital cable channel at a time and doesn't do HD, or Dolby Digital? That seems more crippled to me...

How many new product releases have you seen where the newer product doesn't have the same and better features as the previous one? If I want HD recording and no ability to transfer I can get the cable DVR and that's exactly what will end up happening if MRV isn't enabled by the time I'm ready to pull the trigger on it.

[dylanursula]

I for one was one of those that would consider it even though its $800. But push come to shove; I cant spend $800 on it... even my wife who loves TIVO and hates our CC Moto 6412 is saying its too much.

Fallback plan
a) Wait for a lower price with either coups on nontivo.com sites
b) wait for a lower price via tivo rebates
c) More realistically, wait for CCast TIVO and hope the Hard Drive can be upgraded :) ala DIrec TV Tivo

:(

[AJRitz]

Yes, but only one for now, as I only have one HDTV. And I'll probably be waiting to purchase until around March or so, after my Sunday Ticket subscription is done and before the NCAA basketball tournament. Hopefully, that'll be enough time for something of a price drop and to work out MRV issues with CableLabs.

[morac]

I am of the wait and see attitude.

I have a lifetime S2 and I don't have a HDTV. Currently a lifetime S2 with MRV/ToGo is more valuable to me than a S3.

If MRV and ToGo are enabled by December I will probably buy a S3 and transfer my lifetime service over to it. If not then I most likely will not purchase a S3 until the price comes down and I get a HDTV.

[vman41]

How many new product releases have you seen where the newer product doesn't have the same and better features as the previous one?

The Sharp LCD TVs models that followed the G series I bought seemed a definite step down in finish and features, but they hit the much lower price point they wanted.

Heck, even the series 2 didn't seem to have as good an MPEG encoder as the original TiVos.

[dbtom]

I'm officially waiting to see what the cable-card MCE PCs look like. I don't use TivoToGo very much, but it does come in handy occasionally. I think the 2 tuners obviates a lot of the need for MRV-- I mainly use MRV for conflicts on Series 2s. However, the limited expansion options means that I would probably use this feature more often. No IR blaster was also a big issue for me.

It sounds to me like it will be a lot longer than people think to get some of the features we have been used to. (I hope I am wrong). My guess is that MSFT has a lot more leverage with CableLabs than Tivo and should be able to get this done right.

I'm going to stick with my Tivos and 8300HD (with 500GB external storage) for now. Really no need to be an early adopter at this stage. It sounds like the best option for most people will be the Tivo software on top of a MOTO box. Let's hope it's an option soon.

[megazone]

Of course I'd be pushing it too if I had gotten a free one like Megazone. ;)Whoa - just to note, reviewers do not get to keep the boxes. Mine is going back to TiVo. I need to buy one like the rest of you saps. ;-)

Maybe I should add that to the review...

[megazone]

How many new product releases have you seen where the newer product doesn't have the same and better features as the previous one? Quite a few actually.

For that matter, the Series2 lacked features the S1 had when it first shipped. The DVD TiVo units lacked non-DVD features for quite a while after they shipped. And the S2DT lagged the S2 in features for a little while.

So, uh, what's new?

[Stormspace]

Whoa - just to note, reviewers do not get to keep the boxes. Mine is going back to TiVo. I need to buy one like the rest of you saps. ;-)

Maybe I should add that to the review...

Dude, that totally sucks for you. :) It's like taking a pacifier from a baby. Of course I guess they couldn't count on objectivity otherwise. Having used it yourself and given the issues surrounding cable labs and the possibility it will never have some of the same features as before, are you going to get one?

[megazone]

Oh hell yes. I'm single and watch almost all of my TV in the livingroom. I only really used MRV because my bedroom TiVo was my 'second tuner', the S3 gives me dual tuners. TTG/TTCB I'll miss a bit, but I could live without them.

[cowboys2002]

Untill I get at least 1 HDTV, I have no need for this box.

I have 3 Directivo's. Only one (at the moment) has added capacity.

At $799, I could buy an entry-level LCD or PLASMA (26-32 inches) from SAMs or COSTCO for the bedroom. In 6-12 months after I am READY for a 50-60 inch HDTV, the price will be lower.

I'll let the early adopters have their fun. I can't justify $800 for this, at least not yet.

I'm happy for the folks who are ready willing and able to afford this baby now!

[Stormspace]

So, uh, what's new?

With all due respect, what's new is that this time the replacement product is 4 times more expensive than the last one and offers nothing substantial over competing cable products.

[megazone]

With all due respect, what's new is that this time the replacement product is 4 times more expensive than the last one and offers nothing substantial over competing cable products.'Nothing substantial' is purely subjective.
- TiVo Interface
- OTA recording
- Music, Photos, HME, etc, are still there
- Online scheduline, etc.

And by the end of the year, KidZone, TiVoCast, etc.

To me that's fairly substantial.

[wouldworker]

I just sold a 140-hour Series 2 with lifetime for $600 on Ebay. I'm going to roll that over into an S3 in a few months when the price drops a bit. Since I'll be able to stop paying Comcast for their crap-ass DVR, in effect I'll be upgrading to an S3 for no additional money out of my pocket.

[Stormspace]

'Nothing substantial' is purely subjective.
- TiVo Interface
- OTA recording
- Music, Photos, HME, etc, are still there
- Online scheduline, etc.

And by the end of the year, KidZone, TiVoCast, etc.

To me that's fairly substantial.

It's unfortunate but at present TiVo's value is purely subjective. Let me break down your points for you.

- TiVo Interface - The best in the business, no lie. But for a cable DVR that I'm only going to use for HD, it'll more than suffice for the infrequent use it will get.

- OTA recording - I live in fly over country where maybe two or three stations are available OTA without some serious antennage. Of these only one broadcasts in HD.

- Music, Photos, HME, etc, are still there - Granted, however it doesn't do these any better than the previous product so where's the incentive to upgrade?

- Online scheduline, etc.
Again, since the cable DVR or the S3 for that matter would be used for HD content it's use for that purpose would be at present very limited and if it was a matter of life and death to catch a show I still have my two s2's. Again, where's the incentive to upgrade?

I can do the same things with a cable box and my s2 as I can do with my s2 and and s3, but at $800 more? As long as I have to use two boxes to perform the same functions as before I'm inclined to use the Cable DVR solution.

I may not speak for all here in this forum but I can heartily assure you that my attitudes against this are only a drop in the bucket to mainstream america who doesn't find any value in TiVo at all. It's sad that TiVo couldn't come to the meeting with a fully functional product.

[Adam1115]

How many new product releases have you seen where the newer product doesn't have the same and better features as the previous one? If I want HD recording and no ability to transfer I can get the cable DVR and that's exactly what will end up happening if MRV isn't enabled by the time I'm ready to pull the trigger on it.

Oh lots! Almost everything is missing SOMETHING that was in the old version.. I've heard complaints about BRIEFCASE being removed from Windows, NETFOLDERS removed in Outlook 2000.. uhm, lots of examples.

Obviously none this dramatic. The HR20 disabled OTA out of the box, over the HR10. The VIP622 removed Dual OTA tuners over previous Dish HD-DVR's. (It only has 1 now!)

If you think the cable company DVR is the same as a series 3 tivo, then I don't think tivo is for you... Trust me, it's NOT the same...

[Stormspace]

Oh lots! Almost everything is missing SOMETHING that was in the old version.. I've heard complaints about BRIEFCASE being removed from Windows, NETFOLDERS removed in Outlook 2000.. uhm, lots of examples.

Obviously none this dramatic. The HR20 disabled OTA out of the box, over the HR10. The VIP622 removed Dual OTA tuners over previous Dish HD-DVR's. (It only has 1 now!)

If you think the cable company DVR is the same as a series 3 tivo, then I don't think tivo is for you... Trust me, it's NOT the same...

Believe me, I know it's not the same. However my HD needs are modest and for only HD the infrequent use would be manageable. Even so if the S3 would have supported MRV I'd have been able to retire one of my boxes or given it to family to try. As it is, in order to do the same thing I've been able to do for 3 years I'd have to still use two boxes. The S2 and S3. I'm going to pay 800 for something I rarely use? Not even close. I can get the same functionality from a cable box for the one of recording in HD.

[jfh3]

Yes, but only one for now. I was all ready to buy 2 ASAP, maybe three. But until MRV/TTG is available, I'm not going to commit to the Series 3 long term.

I'm also concerned that the use of the much older Broadcom chips may make this box obsolete and/or limit its' potential too quickly. I may end up keeping my lifetime card for a Series 4 after all ...

[classicX]

'Nothing substantial' is purely subjective.
- TiVo Interface
- OTA recording
- Music, Photos, HME, etc, are still there
- Online scheduline, etc.

And by the end of the year, KidZone, TiVoCast, etc.

To me that's fairly substantial.

It depends on if you value those features. IMO, it's not worth $800.

The Tivo interface is nice, but my 8300HD gets the job done.
OTA recording does not apply to me.
Music, Photo, HME - I wouldn't use these features. At all.
Online Scheduling - while convenient, I'd really use it only once or twice in a year.

And buying something for what it "might" be able to do some indeterminate time in the future is just a bad way to do things.

Congrats to those who will toss^H^H^H^Hspend the $800 for this item. I'll be waiting for Vista.

[hiddentrout]

...If you think the cable company DVR is the same as a series 3 tivo, then I don't think tivo is for you...
That, I suspect, is exactly Tivo's problem.

I think most of us, by virtue of being members of a (the) Tivo community, do understand what a fantastic product Tivo is, and we're well familiar with the differences.

(Whether we believe the distinctions are worth an $800 premium is another matter...)

All that said, I think most folks *do* believe most DVRs are the same and Tivo's got one heck of an uphill battle convincing the "average Joe" why he should part with $800 for the "same thing" he's currently paying $800/month for...

When the S1 Tivos rolled out, they *were* the defacto DVR.

When the D* Tivos rolled out, they *were* the defacto satellite DVR.

When the D* HD Tivos rolled out, they *were* the defacto satellite HD DVR.

Now they've rolled out an SA HD DVR and they are no longer the defacto HD DVR, as many (most?) cablecos have already released similiar products with, in most cases, zero up front costs.

I think the marketing team at Tivo has a heck of a job, I wish 'em the best.

[lottidah]

I am a long-time TiVo user, but my TiVo's hard drive died and I had the cable company install their Moxi DVR while I waited for the Series 3 to debut. That was a year ago. I actually like Moxi. It's no TiVo but it does HD and has two tuners AND handles On Demand content. The interface is nice, but not as user-friendly as TiVo's.

Anyways, I was SOOO excited to see the email from TiVo today to finally announce that the Series 3s are here! But then I saw the pricing and, man, I think they've priced me out of the market.

My Moxi box works quite well and I'd have to give up my On Demand stuff or pay for a digital cable box on top of the two cable cards---not to mention the cost of the new TiVo box and the cost of transferring the lifetime over to it. I might be willing to do all that--I love TiVo that much--but I have a very difficult time justifying it at that price when my current setup provides pretty much the same thing.

Argh.

[Unix_Beard]

I want one but cannot justify the price for the 12 or so channels of HD I get. I'm generally not a cheap bastard when it comes to electronics either.

[greg_burns]

Anyways, I was SOOO excited to see the email from TiVo today to finally announce that the Series 3s are here!

You got an email from Tivo?

[Sirius Black]

Even with the "deal" of a transfer of a lifetime subscription for $199, I just can't afford to drop $999 (plus tax) on a TiVo right now.

[lottidah]

You got an email from Tivo?

Yes, inviting me to get VIP pricing, blah blah blah. If that's how they treat VIPs, I'm glad I'm not on their chit list! ;)

Anyways I figured it was because I receive their newsletter and am a lifetime holder? No idea.

[DixonJDixon]

When the E-SATA is ready, I'm ready. Otherwise, my wife and I will be fighting over the hard drive. Not good for marital harmony!

[steelio]

Yes this is too pricey for me too. I have been a TiVo user since 1999 and I think I am gong to give my cable company a crack in the door that they could not get in now. They have been calling and calling trying to get me to switch my TiVo off, and I was waiting for the s3 and well. $1000 is too much for me to pay to get this thing.
I will try the cable company's HD DVR and see what it has. I mean Dropping my TiVo's would save me some $'s each month I can get some good channels from my Cable company. All I have now is "Basic" 70+ channels now I can get digital and some premium movie channels to boot!!
I guess that is what a cable DVR has to offer over the TiVo DVR's
Hate to drop a product that has been sooooo good for the past 7 years, but Monday night football is only on HD on Digital cable not OTA. Sorry TiVo but you just arent cutting the mustard anymore.

[fedward]

I only watch OTA ATSC HD broadcasts (and have only this past weekend actually mounted my rooftop antenna on the roof instead of wedging it in the window of my apartment) so I've just plunked down $200 on a Miglia TVMini HD I can plug into my Mac and use with EyeTV. I'll get a $50 rebate too. When Mac OS X 10.5 comes out I'll buy a new Mac Mini and wedge it under the TV, but until then I'll just use my MacBook Pro.

I'm not going to throw away my non-HD DirecTV w/TiVo boxes, but this will solve the problem I actually want to solve at a price I'm willing to pay. No dual tuners yet, but hey, if it's that important to me I'll drop another $150-200 on another USB widget (by then the El Gato EyeTV Hybrid will be out and I can compare it to the TVMini HD). $800 for the box, plus the monthly fee, is just too much to pay for the OTA broadcasts I both can pick up and care about, when I already have a bunch of computer hardware I can use.

[loubob57]

Mine is on order now with 2-day shipping. I can't wait, c'mon c'mon :D

What would a new product launch be without all the pissing and moaning? :eek: I find it quite entertaining. A lot of the shortcomings of this box will be fixed in a year or so with new software. It will already do lots of things my S1 and S2 won't do that I find quite important (HD anyone?). And being able to transfer the lifetime from an old box (and I still have an S1 w/lifetime!) is a deal that will just keep on giving.

[talmania]

When the E-SATA is ready, I'm ready. Otherwise, my wife and I will be fighting over the hard drive. Not good for marital harmony!

That was the most depressing news for me about the S3. I never got into the other features like TTG or program transfer etc.

I still bought one and will patiently wait for the port to be enabled (I've been waiting 2+ years to get rid of my Motorola--waiting 3 months or so should be a cakewalk).

[Lenonn]

No, due to the price and features. $800 is quite a bit more than I'm willing to spend right now. I am tempted, but my brother is the voice of reason and convinced me that it is not worth $800.

As for features - now, with two TiVos in our house, the ability to connect and transfer (and send to the PCs in the house) is a necessary ability. Without this capability now, I won't buy a TiVo. And the external harddrive capability - that is a major selling point, as space with HD is at a premium.

[ThomC]

I'll wait a bit. I'm looking for roughly a $599 price point
But, if they only added a couple of years or so of the service, at $799, I'd more than likely pull the trigger. (Naturally this would have to be a direct deal with Tivo).

[rbtconsultants]

The HD recording capacity is not enough. I'll wait until expansion is real.

[davsherm]

Too expensive and not enough features to get me off of my Hr10-250's. If the prices come down to the HR20 levels (~$299-399), then maybe. Also not enough to entice me to pay Tivo $13/mo for dvr service when I get it for free from D*.

[WeKnSmith]

No way I could convince my wife to pay for a Series 3 considering no MRV. Our HR10s do everything that we would want. The existing standalones can provide the other features we use anyway.

[jonft76]

Being a DirecTV customer, I was hoping that the S3 would be compatible with DirecTV and satellite TV in general. Alas, in a fit of design stupidity Tivo gave up a massive amount of potential customer base by alienating all satellite customers by jumping in with the cable crowd. Good bye Tivo. Between the low cost DVRs people get from cable companies and the superior satellite DVR's (HR-20 and ViP 622), I think the Tivo series 3 is going to flop, likely sealing Tivo's fate. :down: :down: :down: :down:

[wtherrell]

Deal Killers. No Tivo to Go. No lifetime subscription unless I want to transfer one from and existing unit. No, I'll make do with the two S2 units I already have. As I have said, What good is High Definition when I have Standard definition eyes?

[Spiff]

Yes I bought one.

I paid $799, and will pay $199 for lifetime transfer. I'll either transfer from my Toshiba DVD unit and leave it with Basic after a year, or transfer from the Sony SVR-2000 a friend gave me a few weeks ago. I sold one of my lifetime boxes for $500 recently. Net out of pocket (including Lifetime): $498.

I will pay an extra $4/month for cable cards.

I will save $12.00/month by not having the SA-8000 box. Net gain: $8/month. Pays for itself in 5 years. :D

If I cancel the HD Home Theater Tier (after all, I'll lose Universal HD because of SDV), I save an additional $7/month. Now it pays for itself in 33 months.

If I'm happy with the OTA reception, I may just cancel Digital Cable altogether and save $20 more per month plus the return of the $4/month for the cablecards. Now it's 13 months.

I'm very happy with my choice, as the SA8000 makes me want to pull my hair out, it's so unreliable.

[edit: I would also cancel HBO, which we watch infrequently, for another $10 savings.]

[Sirshagg]

Already have an HR10-250 + no MRV on S3 (at least not yet) + price = no S3 for me right now.

[rcji]

i'll wait for the price to drop as well

[echodave]

I'm curious to see what the sales figures are going to look like, to some degree based on this poll actually. Since one can assume that the people in this forum are more likely to be Tivo enthusiasts in general, with less than 50% of those responding saying they were going to take the plunge into Series 3 purchases (so far it's 179:166 not buying:buying), it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out. I'm sure there's some "swing" in that vote as well...people that voted "yes" simply to show their support but not really ready or able to pick one up right now, and some that voted "no" succumbing to geek impulse shopping and getting one anyway...I'm really curious how the first week & month of release are going to be in reality.

[quango]

I'm in Charter country in St. Louis, which means two things: they're broke, so they're not giving out Moxis to new subscribers, and we have a Sinclair affiliate for ABC, which means very limited HDTV college football on Saturdays (just ESPN, CBS, and occasionally Fox Sports Midwest).

So I want an OTA-capable HD STB anyway, since my TV doesn't have a ATSC tuner, and those aren't exactly cheap these days either.

[steelio]

I would consider the $800 if it included transfering my lifetime sub. But for $1000 total?? Sheesh no way. I just saw a pc with 5 tuners for about that price. I will wait and see what the CC TV tuners are like as well.

To those saying TiVo will fix the issues within the year all I have to say is that I remember them saying they included USB functionality partly due to HD manufactures like Maxtor releasing External USB hard drives that you could record to. Well Maxtor released them and TiVo cant use them. So the E-SATA....dont hold your breath.