S3 and Satellite

[Turbo Dawg]

Why doesn't the S3 HD DVR support satellite programming? I currently have a series 2 that supports cable and satellite programming.

[bkdtv]

We have Dish Network and DirecTV to blame for the lack of a Series3 satellite. Those providers will not allow (in the case of DirecTV, no longer allow) Tivo to produce DVRs for their satellite systems. They both use encryption and will not grant Tivo a license to implement their encryption system in a product.

The technology does not exist to record HDTV from component and DVI/HDMI in a consumer product --- the professional broadcast products with this capability are typically twice the size of your computer and cost thosands of dollars-- so access to the Dish and DirecTV encryption systems was the only option Tivo had to build a HDTV Tivo for satellite.

I'm sure you've heard about the suit against Dish Network...which chose to copy much of Tivo's functionality, infringing Tivo's patents, rather than allow Tivo to compete for its HDTV DVR customers by granting them access to its encryption platform. Both Dish and DirecTV want a "monopoly" on DVR products compatible with their services.

In contrast, our government mandated that all cable providers open their encryption systems to third-parties like Tivo by way of one common standard known as OpenCable (CableCard). For this reason, and this reason alone, we will have products like the Tivo Series3 that replace the cable box / cable DVR. Over-the-air broadcasting (ATSC) is also an open standard, so the Series3 incorporates dual tuners for that as well.

[Turbo Dawg]

Thanks.. Hopefully they'll get this issue resolved one day so I can have Tivo in HD.. For now, I'll guess I'll still with my S2..