used series 3 or HD?

[dmorel]

Well my bedroom tv set has died after years (like 22 years!) of quality service.
So it's finally time for a small HD set in the bedroom.
However, I have to replace my series 2 I guess with an HD capable tivo.
I'm kind of afraid, this tivo has been with me so long I'm loathe to start over with season passes and suggestions. DOH!

Anyway... trolling the local craigslist posts there are a few Series 3 machines for sale. No HD or HD XL's though. Any reason I should or should not get one of the less expensive used S3's rather than going down to fry's and forking over the cash for a new XL?

Cox PHX still awful with cablecards?

thanks!
-dm

[Ilene]

Your Series 2 Tivo will work with an HD TV, you just won't benefit from the HD part. Not sure I would buy a new TiVo just to watch TV in the bedroom, different answer if this was your main TV.

[dmorel]

I know the S2 will work, I just can't see having an HD tv and not using it for HD content and I don't watch tv with out time shifting :) Honestly I don't think I could buy a non hdtv at this point, just wouldn't make sense.

Truth be told I probably watch more tv in the bedroom than I do in the living room, so while it's technically not the main tv, it's the one that gets the most use.

[Raj]

The TiVo HD can use multistream CableCARDs which save you $ per month. The Series3 can't use multistream cards. They have to use two single stream cards.

However, the Series3 has a nice LCD display and more storage out of the box. It is also THX certified if that means anything to you.

[Free]

The latest Cox tech I have talked to said they are not making any more S cable cards, only the M's so they are getting scarce.

[darksurtur]

The latest Cox tech I have talked to said they are not making any more S cable cards, only the M's so they are getting scarce.

I think there may be some confusion here. S3's can use M cards, but they will function as single tuner cards (S cards). The net result is that you will need two Cablecards for dual-tuner functionality, and they can be any combination of M and S cards.

[dmbpj]

The TiVo HD can use multistream CableCARDs which save you $ per month. The Series3 can't use multistream cards. They have to use two single stream cards.

However, the Series3 has a nice LCD display and more storage out of the box. It is also THX certified if that means anything to you.
what do you mean by a "nice LCD display"?

the HD does not?

[pkscout]

what do you mean by a "nice LCD display"?

I think he meant nice OLED display (for the time and recording information). I have an S3, but if I were buying now I'd get the HD. It's pretty clear that TiVo has abandoned the S3, and the multistream cablecard is a prime example. The S3 is hardware capable of using a multistream card as a multistream decoder, but TiVo decided not to finish the software necessary for it. The HD (and HDXL) are the supported platform now.

The THX certification means next to nothing for probably 95% of TiVo owners, as your entire setup (speakers, amps, interconnects, and the room) would all need to the THX certified for you to get the official THX experience.

[dmorel]

thanks for the discussion. I'll probably just go ahead and get the standard HD (actually two of them) and do a couple of 1TB drive upgrades.

Now let's hope Cox can install the cable cards without blowing everything up.

[Free]

I thought the HD in the S3 was a little bigger too??

[Raj]

I think he meant nice OLED display (for the time and recording information). I have an S3, but if I were buying now I'd get the HD. It's pretty clear that TiVo has abandoned the S3, and the multistream cablecard is a prime example. The S3 is hardware capable of using a multistream card as a multistream decoder, but TiVo decided not to finish the software necessary for it. The HD (and HDXL) are the supported platform now.

If I were to buy now, I would still get the S3, refurbed even. The HD and S3 are supposedly the same platform, and they both do the same things and get all of the same features, except the extra storage and the M-card capability.

[Raj]

I thought the HD in the S3 was a little bigger too??

The standard drive in the S3 is bigger, but the HD can be expanded to more storage than the S3 can.

[bbock727]

I just bought a refurb Series 3 (B) with an upgraded 1TB drive. That should answer your question. I already own a Series 3 (B) and love it. Then new HD version seems like a cheaper version to me.

[Raj]

Then new HD version seems like a cheaper version to me.

That's exactly what it is. It was designed for people who wanted a HD TiVo but didn't want to pay $800 for a series 3. Having been designed and released later, using newer hardware and having more mass appeal (because of the price), it does have some features that the S3 does not, such as the M-card support and support for bigger drives.

But overall I feel that the S3 is a more high end product.

[barbeedoll]

I know the S2 will work, I just can't see having an HD tv and not using it for HD content and I don't watch tv with out time shifting :) Honestly I don't think I could buy a non hdtv at this point, just wouldn't make sense.

Truth be told I probably watch more tv in the bedroom than I do in the living room, so while it's technically not the main tv, it's the one that gets the most use.
I'm with you. My bedroom TiVo(s) log many more hours of use than the one in my family room.

Barbeedoll

[dmorel]

two tivo hd's with a single M card and a myDVR expander are now up and running in my place. I didn't want to mess around with stuff from craigslist.
Also as a sweet bonus I was able to transfer my lifetime service from both of my old S1's to the two new HD's at no charge :)

[dt100]

How does the upconversion scaler on the series 3 compare to that on the HD (from SD to 720)? I read that the upscaler on the series 3 was really good.