[vman41]

I saw some speculation that the Series 3 will be discontinued after 6 months of inventory is burned off. I'm curious when last known production run of S3s was and how long the current units sat between manufacture and purchase. The date is stamped right above where you plug in the power cord.

 

[litkaj]

I'm at work so I don't have the date right now, but I really don't think that that makes sense. I, for one, would not have purchased a TiVo had the TiVo HD been the only available option. I was (and still am) willing to pay more for the S3 in order to get the nice display on the front, the better remote, the larger hard drive, and an all-around "more professional" look.

 

[megazone]

I think the original S3 will be discontinued. The TiVo HD will cannibalize sales terribly since it has most of the features for only a little of the cost. And the platform has clearly been designed for growth - so they can introduce models with more or less storage as needed. I think the TiVo HD platform will replace the S3 *and* the S2DT over time, unifying TiVo's products on one reference design.

The S3 is clearly more expensive, and some of the components used are getting long in the tooth, comparatively. It doesn't seem to make sense to refresh the design when they have the TiVo HD.

Storage and the remote are easily handled - a larger drive and just bundle the Glo remote. Or people who really want it can buy it separately, and it still costs less than the S3.

If they feel the front panel is that big a deal, the entire front of the unit is a module that can be readily replaced. There are even extra cable pass-throughs in the sheet metal that aren't used today. It looks like it may have been designed with different front panels in mind.

 

[flyers]

I saw some speculation that the Series 3 will be discontinued after 6 months of inventory is burned off. I'm curious when last known production run of S3s was and how long the current units sat between manufacture and purchase. The date is stamped right above where you plug in the power cord.

I bought an S3 as a wedding present to my wife. (To be sure my TiVo gets me, not her!) Anyway, purchased in March direct from TiVo. Mfg date listed is 09-Nov-06.