I Messed Up!

[Resist]

So the other day I was on Amazon.com and found a third party seller had a brand new Tivo Series 3 for $899.99. I emailed them and said that their price was more than the Series sold for when it was first released. I also said I paid $330 for my Series 3, several years ago and good luck with selling theirs for $899.99. That night they emailed me back and said they had lowered the price to $330. I wanted to order it right then and there but didn't, money is tight during this economy and all. I knew if I waited it would be gone. Well, sure enough it sold by the next day!

I knew I should have bought it. I love the style of the Series 3 and will never buy a Tivo HD due to its ugly looks. I can only hope Tivo will release a nicer looking box down the road.

So some lucky slug got a good price for a Tivo Series 3 thanks to me. Doh! :mad:

[techmonkey]

I see a few on ebay for less than that and a couple on amazon for about $100 more.

[wmcbrine]

It sounds to me like you avoided dealing with a shady character. No mess up. :up:

[Resist]

No this was not a shady character and it was a brand new Series 3 still in the box. Once I let them know the value of it they adjusted the price accordingly. $330 for a brand new Series 3 is a deal considering you can't find many still unopened in the box anymore. I really want another Series 3 but am unwilling to buy a used one.

[shady]

No this was not a shady character and it was a brand new Series 3 still in the box.

And you know that because?


I think you did a good thing passing on that deal

[Resist]

And you know that because?This wasn't ebay, it was Amazon.

[Joe01880]

Its a matter of opinion i guess but i do not think the TiVo HD is ugly at all.

[Resist]

Well in my opinion the Tivo HD is terrible looking compared to the Tivo Series 3. I would love to have another Series 3 (new).

[SpiritualPoet]

The real beauty of any machine is that which it does, especially if what it does is done superbly.

[atmuscarella]

The real beauty of any machine is that which it does, especially if what it does is done superbly.I agree 100% - if the biggest problem someone has with any electronic gadget is that they don't like the way it looks then I think they should consider themselves lucky.

Thanks,

[xboard07]

Its a matter of opinion i guess but i do not think the TiVo HD is ugly at all.

me either..I think the Series 3 is ugly

[jrm01]

I have one of each. Just went and checked them out to see what all the fuss is about. The only time I ever look at them is when I dust (not that often). Yeah they're different, but neither is ugly or pretty. They're just boxes sitting on a shelf where I never look.

[lessd]

I have one of each. Just went and checked them out to see what all the fuss is about. The only time I ever look at them is when I dust (not that often). Yeah they're different, but neither is ugly or pretty. They're just boxes sitting on a shelf where I never look.

I watch my HD TV using the TiVo, not looking at the TiVo, if the TiVo was a work of art and did not record my TV programs with great reliability I would dump TiVo in a second, I guess some people like the neon lights that some desktop computers now have on the front panel and side window, I like to pay for function not looks, if you can get both great, but I not going to not use a TiVo because i do not like its looks. (until this thread i never gave it a thought, and the 20 or so friends i help install a TiVo for never talked about the TiVo look)

[Resist]

I like to pay for function not looks, if you can get both great, but I not going to not use a TiVo because i do not like its looks.I agree you partly. Form and function have to go hand in hand. Any that says different is being less than truthful. Any vehicle can get you from point A to Point B, but when was the last time you bought an ugly car? What about a house for that matter?

Both the Tivo HD and Tivo Series 3 are almost the same internally. But the Series 3 box has finer lines and that wonderful OLED. I would love those aesthetics to return with the next generation release of Tivo.

[lessd]

I agree you partly. Form and function have to go hand in hand. Any that says different is being less than truthful. Any vehicle can get you from point A to Point B, but when was the last time you bought an ugly car? What about a house for that matter?

Both the Tivo HD and Tivo Series 3 are almost the same internally. But the Series 3 box has finer lines and that wonderful OLED. I would love those aesthetics to return with the next generation release of Tivo.

I was thinking of electronics, that output to a TV picture (I do care about) or speaker sound (I also care about), but i do not care about the shape of my speakers behind a grill cloth or the looks of a TiVo on a shelf. A car, home, clothes you purchase are a different matter, if I thought all things were just functional and looks did not matter I would sell my wife's diamond ring and purchase a glass replacement, would do the job (especially if I wanted to end my marriage).

[Mesickstan]

I solved the problem of all those "ugly" components. I covered the glass doors on my cabinet with auto window tint. Still can see displays in the dark and remotes work fine. $120 Tivo HD from Sears clerance looks pretty darn good to me, behind tinted glass or not...

[magnus]

Either way it looks just fine. There's nothing wrong with the way the THD looks. However, I do like my S3 better... only because it shows what SPs are recording without the need to turn on the TV.


I solved the problem of all those "ugly" components. I covered the glass doors on my cabinet with auto window tint. Still can see displays in the dark and remotes work fine. $120 Tivo HD from Sears clerance looks pretty darn good to me, behind tinted glass or not...

[lafos]

In the past, components had lots of buttons, knobs, and switches (the more the merrier). The "new" look appears to be much more minimalist. I don't find myself paying attention to the looks, but to the function, as lessd mentioned. My latest computer is plain black, and it does all I want it to do. The only time I look at it is when I need to get a DVD in or out.

I understand that some will like one appearance over the other, but performance-wise, I don't see anything in my S3 to make it more desirable than my HD.

[Resist]

it shows what SPs are recording without the need to turn on the TV.And this is an important "Function" of the Tivo Series 3. Since my DLP TV uses a bulb, I don't have to waste any part of its life to make sure my TV is recording the correct program. You see, the Tivo Series 3 has Form and Function. :) If only it had been designed to work with one M-Cablecard.

I suppose if I didn't see my Tivo, then I wouldn't care about its looks. But I use it as the family room clock.

[c3]

I sold my S3s and replaced them with THDs. I wouldn't buy a S3 even if it costs less than a THD.

[wmcbrine]

I sold my S3s and replaced them with THDs. I wouldn't buy a S3 even if it costs less than a THD.OK... why?

[pdhenry]

This wasn't ebay, it was Amazon.Shady characters can sell on Amazon. Heck, even I have sold on Amazon.

[c3]

OK... why?

Many of the factors have already been discussed.

* S3 needs two CableCards.
* S3 is not compatible with most versions of WD10EACS and other WD green drives.
* Software 9.x caused HDMI-handshake-reboot problem for my S3s. Many S3 users also had the same problem. I had to use component cables instead.
* Based on what others have measured, THD uses less electricity than S3, due to hardware integration.

[Resist]

Using two cable cards isn't necessarily a bad thing. Many Cable companies charge just as much for one M-card as they do for two S-cards. Plus, if your M-card goes bad then you lose everything. If one of my S-cards go bad, I still can watch TV on the other S-card.

[MichaelK]

I solved the problem of all those "ugly" components. I covered the glass doors on my cabinet with auto window tint. Still can see displays in the dark and remotes work fine. $120 Tivo HD from Sears clerance looks pretty darn good to me, behind tinted glass or not...

thats a GREAT idea!

[c3]

Using two cable cards isn't necessarily a bad thing. Many Cable companies charge just as much for one M-card as they do for two S-cards. Plus, if your M-card goes bad then you lose everything. If one of my S-cards go bad, I still can watch TV on the other S-card.

I think most cable companies would charge more for more cards, sometimes a lot more for each additional card. Comcast certainly does. More cards also mean potentially more activation issues. If one card goes bad, you have to reconfigure the TiVo for single tuner operation. Otherwise, TiVo has 50% chance of picking the bad card for recording.