TivoHD or Tivo Series 3HD?

[RayZorFist]

Howdy folks,

I looked for similar threads but nothing found that was recent.

It's finally time to go HD.

I have an old Series 1 that's still chugging along nicely after seven years and I thought I could get by with it but it's just not the same once you get used to looking at HD content. :)

So, there appear to be two choices for HD Tivo right now. TivoHD and Series 3 HD. Price is about $300 more for the Series 3.

Given your experiences, which would you choose and why?

What makes the Series 3 more compelling for the extra $$$?

I'm not afraid to spend the extra cash but want to make sure it's worth it.

I appreciate any advice either direction. Will be hooked into Comcast cable if that has any bearing on the decision.

[moyekj]

It's not $300 difference in actual purchase price but more like $100. In summary from top of my head
S3 ADVANTAGES:
- 250GB internal drive (160GB for THD)
- Front panel indicating what's recording and other extra information along with extra hard buttons
- Much better looking unit (entirely subjective I know)
- Better Glo remote
- Works with other eSata storage devices besides just the Tivo blessed WD (THD units only support the WD unit)
- Faster MRV/TTG (this used to be a huge advantage but I believe recent software updates have narrowed the gap but AFAIK S3s are still faster in this regard)
- THX certified (not sure that's a real advantage)
- Ships with HDMI cable (for what that's worth - can be a big cost if you buy one at Brick & Mortar store rather than online at Monoprice)

THD ADVANTAGES:
- Cheaper
- Supports single M-card (S3 needs 2 S-cards or 2 M-cards)
- Can support > 1TB drives

[JamieP]

...
I looked for similar threads but nothing found that was recent.

...http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=398375

I'm not sure what moyekj is thinking when he lists Telnet support as an S3 advantage. If he means support for telnet to the Crestron (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=392385) port, they both support that [reference (http://www.tivo.com/setupandsupport/networking/Crestron_Integration_for_the_TiVo_Series3_HD_DVR.html)]. Neither supports shell level access via telnet without hacking.

[moyekj]

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=398375

I'm not sure what moyekj is thinking when he lists Telnet support as an S3 advantage. If he means support for telnet to the Crestron (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=392385) port, they both support that [reference (http://www.tivo.com/setupandsupport/networking/Crestron_Integration_for_the_TiVo_Series3_HD_DVR.html)]. Neither supports shell level access via telnet without hacking. Thanks, yes Crestron is what I was alluding too and I didn't realize it worked for THD units - I've edited my post and removed that item.

[RayZorFist]

It's not $300 difference in actual purchase price but more like $100.

Pardon my ignorance on this one. Is there a better deal somewhere I am not aware of?

The price on Tivo.com is $299 for HD and $599 for S3. HD is also available for $180 refurb.

[JamieP]

Pardon my ignorance on this one. Is there a better deal somewhere I am not aware of?

The price on Tivo.com is $299 for HD and $599 for S3. HD is also available for $180 refurb.Check Amazon. The S3 price I see there is $380 after rebate. TiVoHD is ~ $250, no rebate. The TiVoHD isn't eligible for the rebate.

[moyekj]

Pardon my ignorance on this one. Is there a better deal somewhere I am not aware of?

The price on Tivo.com is $299 for HD and $599 for S3. HD is also available for $180 refurb. S3s are harder to find these days, but for example a quick search through my favorite online vendor Amazon:
S3 for $379 after rebate (http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD648250B-Series3-Digital-Recorder/dp/B000I661J0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1216579182&sr=8-1)
THD for $248 (http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD652160-Digital-Video-Recorder/dp/B000RZDBM2/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1216579182&sr=8-2)
EDIT: JamieP beat me in his response but I will leave this post with links.

[RayZorFist]

Appreciate the heads-up on Amazon.

Decided to go with Tivo HD for $248. I don't do rebates, especially ones I have to wait 5 months to get back. :)