Tivo Series 3!

This past week I setup my new Tivo Series 3 DVR. This upgrade represents step two of a four-part revitalization of my A/V system. Step one was the amplifier I got last week. Three and four will be a new TV and high definition disc player, respectively. Obviously this last step will await the settling of the Blu-ray HD DVD war. But in the mean time, I am totally ecstatic about the feature set and quality delivered by my new Tivo box. Unfortunately getting such meant I’ve gone back to the corporate Beelzebub that it Comcast.

The problem is that DirecTV canceled their strategic agreement with Tivo that enabled you to get DirecTV Tivo receivers. Now DVR on DirecTV means their own custom piece of shit. It lacks virtually every feature you love about Tivo except for the television recording. So, if I wanted to upgrade to HD, I’d either be forced to use DirecTV’s shitty DVR or go back to Comcast.

I chose the latter and have not (yet) been disappointed with the decision. But, hey, it’s only been a week. While I now must deal with those systematically tardy assholes, I was able to get two SmartCARDs for my Tivo that enable dual tuner HD action on my Tivo. So, in addition to having sparkling HD quality on a fairly limited set of channels, I’ve been able to stay with the infallible usability of Tivo.

Not only that, but this Series 3 version of Tivo kicks ass! Check out some of the sweet things you can do with this puppy:

1. Download your movies to your PC or phone.
2. Rent brand new movies (single-view only) for $0.99. Or, purchase movies (which can be downloaded to the PC) for low double-digit prices.
3. Play music on your PC or Mac’s iTunes library over your internal network.
4. Buy movie ticket, check weather, and other internet-type activities.
5. See original on-demand content such as The Onion’s weekly news, the New York Times’ real news, and other shit.

Plus, Tivo hasn’t exactly stood still with their feature and usability items. I continue to discover awesome little improvements they’ve made in the service since Series 1. Three examples: Tivo recognizes when you’re recording a live program and provides an integrated confirmation window that includes the default possibility of recording 30 minutes extra. When attempting to record a third program at the same slot as to others, one program is “clipped”; which means that partial recordings are possible. Lastly, the THX-based sound is without equal in any television content I’ve ever seen before.

Anyway, I’m sure I sound like a Tivo salesman at this point. But this thing rocks.