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11-01-2009, 03:52 PM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 50
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Any Concerns About Buying Original Series3 Now?
I have an opportunity to buy a used original Series3 TiVo for $100. I can also buy a new TiVo HD for $199 through TiVo's promotion. Should I opt to spend $100 less on the original Series3, or is the extra $100 for the new TiVo HD the better route to take? I'll be using this with Comcast cable.
Thanks.
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11-01-2009, 03:55 PM
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#2
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TiVo Forum Special Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Denver ish
Posts: 10,099
TC CLUB MEMBER
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No concerns, unless you have the need for a single M-card.
__________________
"Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. 'Damn it, Otto, you're an alcoholic.' 'Damn it, Otto, you have lupus.' One of those two doesn't sound right." --Mitch Hedberg
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11-01-2009, 04:42 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The Mountains of New Hampshire
Posts: 1,112
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I'd get the S3 & think of upgrading the HD.
__________________
It is what it is
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11-01-2009, 07:48 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Tualatin, Oregon
Posts: 839
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MPEG-4 issues?
Isn't the S3 inferior when it comes to displaying MPEG-4 files? Doesn't this have implications in terms of streaming (e.g. from Netflix, etc). Doesn't this have implications in terms of uploading/streaming content in general to the box?
Perhaps someone with more experience on this subject can add to this discussion. Or, if the issue is important to you, maybe you should ask in the TiVo Home Media forum.
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11-01-2009, 08:01 PM
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#5
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TiVo Forum Special Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Denver ish
Posts: 10,099
TC CLUB MEMBER
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No.
__________________
"Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. 'Damn it, Otto, you're an alcoholic.' 'Damn it, Otto, you have lupus.' One of those two doesn't sound right." --Mitch Hedberg
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11-02-2009, 10:46 AM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 22,470
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I just made the same choice, though with not as much of a price difference (in fact, I think I ended up paying slightly more for the S3).
The BestBuy auction site has several S3s in "new" condition, with auctions starting at $104, and generally ending close to $200 (once it gets to the same price as the TiVoHD most bidders stop).
I wanted the S3 because I already have one and this one is specifically for MRV and S3 - S3 transfers are faster than TiVoHD transfers.
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11-02-2009, 02:46 PM
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#7
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1y+ w/HD TIVO
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 49
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I just picked up an S3 from one of those BB/HDGamer/2nd Chance auctions. A little scratched up, but the face is fine and I'm certainly happy I did it. Once the software updated, I could see no functional difference between the older S3 and my newer TivoHD. I'm just using it for OTA and with Netflix, so the M-card issue doesn't matter to me. BTW, I snagged mine for ~$77 shipped (+tax). A steal if you ask me.
BTW, I have just come back to TiVo after a 2+ year absence. I had the original HDTivo with DirecTV. Then switched to their HD-DVRs. I've never been 100% happy with their performance. No MRV, very lousy PC support, etc. So recently, I canceled my D* service to cut down on the monthly bills and picked up a couple of TiVos. After only one week back to the TiVo service, I am very glad I made the move. I especially love the MRV and Tivo Desktop ability.
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11-02-2009, 09:13 PM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 50
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Thanks guys. I ended up getting the S3 for $100, which is in excellent condition and included all original accessories. Not bad I think.
So should one of my cable cards from Comcast be free?
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11-02-2009, 09:26 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: sunnyvale
Posts: 5,629
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If you do not have a cable box, your first cable card should be "free", that is, included in lieu of a cable box.
If you *do* have a cable box (e.g. to get On Demand or for another room or something), you will have to pay for both cable cards.
Also, the S3 can take a slightly larger internal hard drive than the TivoHD (but the TivoHD XL can supposedly take an even larger one).
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11-03-2009, 02:50 PM
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 22,470
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I stopped by and picked up my cablecards from Comcast at lunch today. They were surprised I wanted single stream. They only had 2 in stock, and the rest were M-stream. But hopefully those two are good and will be all I need!
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11-03-2009, 03:16 PM
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#11
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TiVo Forum Special Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Denver ish
Posts: 10,099
TC CLUB MEMBER
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BTW, one advantage of the 'original' series 3 is that it will work with third party esata drives or wireless adapters...
__________________
"Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. 'Damn it, Otto, you're an alcoholic.' 'Damn it, Otto, you have lupus.' One of those two doesn't sound right." --Mitch Hedberg
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11-03-2009, 03:17 PM
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#12
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TiVo Forum Special Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Denver ish
Posts: 10,099
TC CLUB MEMBER
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ereth
I stopped by and picked up my cablecards from Comcast at lunch today. They were surprised I wanted single stream. They only had 2 in stock, and the rest were M-stream. But hopefully those two are good and will be all I need!
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What difference does it make if they are M or S? The S3 works fine with to M cards...
__________________
"Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. 'Damn it, Otto, you're an alcoholic.' 'Damn it, Otto, you have lupus.' One of those two doesn't sound right." --Mitch Hedberg
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11-03-2009, 03:21 PM
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#13
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Omega Consumer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,456
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ereth
I stopped by and picked up my cablecards from Comcast at lunch today. They were surprised I wanted single stream. They only had 2 in stock, and the rest were M-stream. But hopefully those two are good and will be all I need!
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Won't M-stream cards fall back to single stream mode, so they don't really need to stock the S-stream cards anymore anyway?
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11-03-2009, 03:22 PM
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#14
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Omega Consumer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,456
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam1115
BTW, one advantage of the 'original' series 3 is that it will work with third party esata drives or wireless adapters...
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It's also easy to take the text display for granted, but it is a nice feature.
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11-03-2009, 03:23 PM
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#15
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HD Addict
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Northern VA(Woodbridge)
Posts: 4,016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam1115
BTW, one advantage of the 'original' series 3 is that it will work with third party esata drives or wireless adapters...
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And it also transfers faster than the TiVo HD models.
__________________
4xTiVoHD(4x157 HD hours)(8 CC/FIOS)
2xTiVoHD and 3xSeries3(5x157 HD hours)(OTA)
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11-04-2009, 10:47 AM
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 22,470
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vman41
Won't M-stream cards fall back to single stream mode, so they don't really need to stock the S-stream cards anymore anyway?
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You know, I thought that, but I was standing in the Comcast location and couldn't verify and they had two S-cards anyway, so it made sense to use them.
But thanks for reminding me. I was thinking M-cards would fall back, but wasn't sure.
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11-04-2009, 12:33 PM
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#17
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Why yes, we can
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: boston'ish
Posts: 2,588
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam1115
BTW, one advantage of the 'original' series 3 is that it will work with third party esata drives or wireless adapters...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vman41
It's also easy to take the text display for granted, but it is a nice feature.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt
And it also transfers faster than the TiVo HD models.
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All reasons I prefer my S3 and wish my 2nd unit was another S3 instead of a TivoHD.
Diane
__________________
"There is a distinct difference between having an open mind and having a hole in your head from which your brain leaks out."
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11-04-2009, 04:18 PM
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 600
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vman41
It's also easy to take the text display for granted, but it is a nice feature.
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What do you mean by text display? The blurbs about shows, the closed captioning??? I'm assuming the non-Series 3 don't have something, but I don't understand what it is.
Thanks so much for your help on explaining this. I have all Series 2s and Series 3s, so haven't seen the dumbed down models first hand.
Barbeedoll
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11-04-2009, 09:37 PM
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: sunnyvale
Posts: 5,629
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No, he means the display on the front of the unit, which shows you what is recording.
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11-05-2009, 08:36 PM
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 22,470
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My Series 3 arrived today. The box is beat up, like it's been in the warehouse a while. The unit itself is pristine. Still has all the plastic on it and the cable bags have not been open. Beautiful.
I went to set it up and the first cablecard worked but I got a 161-1 error on the second. I suspect a bad card and I'll drop by Comcast tomorrow and swap it out.
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11-05-2009, 09:06 PM
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#21
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 22,470
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Oh, one difference between my original S3 and the new one - the front panel display is a kind of yellow, maybe lime green, instead of the red on my original S3.
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11-05-2009, 10:10 PM
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#22
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Why yes, we can
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: boston'ish
Posts: 2,588
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ereth
Oh, one difference between my original S3 and the new one - the front panel display is a kind of yellow, maybe lime green, instead of the red on my original S3.
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ahh yes, the later S3's had the yellowish display vs the more orange initial run.
I have an orange, good friend has a yellow, I prefer the orange, although I believe it might just be the film over the display.
Diane
__________________
"There is a distinct difference between having an open mind and having a hole in your head from which your brain leaks out."
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11-06-2009, 09:29 AM
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#23
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 22,470
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Interestingly, I think I like the red better myself, except that the original is in my living room and the yellow is in my bedroom and I found that the yellow was more "pleasant" in the dark.
So I guess it works out. When I'm alert and all the lights are on I like the red, but when the lights are out I like the yellow.
Now I'm just waiting for it to update. It's got 8x software on it and the menus seem so strange to me!
(Also, with only a single cablecard, it dropped to single-tuner and completely failed to record anything, complaining that the tuner was not available. I hope replacing the cablecard will fix THAT).
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11-06-2009, 09:33 PM
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#24
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: sunnyvale
Posts: 5,629
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ereth
(Also, with only a single cablecard, it dropped to single-tuner and completely failed to record anything, complaining that the tuner was not available. I hope replacing the cablecard will fix THAT).
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That's weird. It sounds like you already know this -- but with one cablecard (REGARDLESS of whether it is a S card or M card), the original series 3 is then single tuner (even for analog or OTA stations, for example).. But I don't know why it failed to record at all..
I'm just not sure if you meant 'replace' the single card you have, or 'replace' the presumably *second* card you removed?
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11-07-2009, 02:03 AM
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#25
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: S.E. PA
Posts: 290
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mattack
If you do not have a cable box, your first cable card should be "free", that is, included in lieu of a cable box.
If you *do* have a cable box (e.g. to get On Demand or for another room or something), you will have to pay for both cable cards.
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Not really. Like you said, indeed, on a first outlet, one CC is included. The second CC in a Tivo is subject to a 'Two CCs in a non-Comcast DVR' priced at $1.50-$2. (Effectively it is indeed for the second CC.)
Well, the same goes for an A/O, paying for the A/O is a given (whether using a cable box or CC), again, the first CC is included, and the second CC in the Tivo is $1.50-$2.
So, there is no itemized fee for the first CC on any outlet, while there always is for the second CC on any outlet.
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11-09-2009, 03:10 PM
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#26
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 22,470
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mattack
That's weird. It sounds like you already know this -- but with one cablecard (REGARDLESS of whether it is a S card or M card), the original series 3 is then single tuner (even for analog or OTA stations, for example).. But I don't know why it failed to record at all..
I'm just not sure if you meant 'replace' the single card you have, or 'replace' the presumably *second* card you removed?
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Yeah, the 2nd card was bad. The TiVo was useless with one cablecard in, but I got a replacement 2nd card and configured it and now it works great.
Got updated to 11.0d and MRV and everything is going fine.
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