TVSquad

When TiVo launched the Series3 video recorder, the first model capable of recording HDTV, the unit received a lot of rave reviews -- and a lot of complaints about the high $800 price tag. A while later, TiVo released the TiVo HD which is basically a stripped down model that sells for just $300. But if even that seems like too much money for you, TiVo's got a heck of a deal going on right now. You can pick up a refurbished TiVo HD for just $180.

The TiVo HD can record up to 20 hours of HD video or 180 hours of standard definition television. Of course, you need to factor the price of a monthly, annual, or product lifetime service plan. Those subscription fees quickly add up and wind up costing more than the unit itself. But it's always nice to save a few bucks up front.

[via TiVo Blog]

If you happen to be shopping for an HDTV and a TiVo HD, Amazon has a deal that could let you kill two birds with stone. Or you know, two digital media products with one credit card payment. Here's how it works. You order both a TiVo HD and a qualifying Samsung HDTV and when you get to checkout, the cost of the TiVo HD should disappear.

The offer's only good through June 9, and the deal is limited to three TiVo HDs per customer. So if you were planning on buying 4 flat screen televisions for $1000+ a pop, it looks like you'll have to pay for the TiVo box to go with that fourth unit.

[via Gizmodo]

Amazon Unbox is probably one of the simplest non-Apple services for renting and buying downloaded TV shows and movies on a PC. The service is also compatible with TiVo, but I know a few folks who refuse to pay for any video unless it comes in high definition. And so far, HD video has not been available via Amazon Unbox.

Bu it looks like that could be changing. TiVo Vice President Jim Denney tells TV Week that HD capabilities are coming to Amazon "in the not too distant future." And judging from the source, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that means you'll be able to download and watch HD video using a TiVo HD or TiVo Series. As MegaZone at Gizmo Lovers suggests, it's likely that Amazon will use the H.264 codec, which would let the company distribute high definition videos with relatively small file sizes (relative being the key word here).

[via Zatz Not Funny]

TiVo is announcing a new promotional bundle that will net you a TiVo HD, a TiVo WiFi adapter, and product lifetime service for $698, which is less than the original cost of a TiVo Series3 without any service at all.

Of course, if you expect to scrap your TiVo within a year or two, you can save a few bucks by picking up a $299 TiVo HD and signing up for an annual or monthly contract. But if you plan to keep your TiVO HD for 3 years or more, it's hard to beat this price. Oh, and TiVo will throw in a plush toy. So there's that to consider.

The offer is good through June 16th, but TiVo loves to extend offers like these. I mean, don't come hunting me down with burning torches if this offer really does expire, but I think it's a safe bet that once this promotion expires, TiVo will offer a different one.

TiVo plans to let users find and watch YouTube videos on their television sets later this year. The service will be available for customers with broadband-connected Series3 and TiVo HD boxes. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the lack of Series2 support means two things:

1. TiVo isn't really focusing on Series2 development much anymore
2. TiVo may be waiting for YouTube to officially roll out higher resolution videos before launching the service.

Anyone who's ever hooked up a computer to a TV set and tried to watch YouTube videos can tell you that they tend to look pretty crappy. While low resolution video might be good enough for a small window in your web browser, when you blow that same video up on a 27 inch or larger screen, it just looks like bunch of pixels. If TiVo plans to roll out YouTube video support on its HD-capable boxes, I can't imagine they'll want to do so before YouTube upgrades its video player.

If you're in the market for a TiVo HD, today might be a good time to pick one up. Woot is selling refurbished TiVo HD units for $180, which is $120 off the list price for a new unit.

If you're not familiar with Woot, it's an online retailer that sells just one item per day, and as soon as they sell out of that item, it's gone. So this deal ain't going to last.

If you sign up for a 1 year monthly plan, you can also use the code 3FREEHD to get 3 months of free service.

Less than a year and a half after introducing its first HD capable personal video recorder, TiVo is killing off its Series3 line. While the unit received excellent reviews when it launched in late 2006, the Series3 was also widely panned for its $800 price tag. Although the price has dropped significantly since then, TiVo introduced the lower cost TiVo HD in 2007 which has cheaper components, but most of hte same software features as the Series3.

Lou Jacob of TiVo reseller DVRUpgrade received a letter from TiVo letting partners know that the company would be accelerating the Series3's end of life process. Jacob then forwarded the letter to TiVo Lovers, so we're going to acknowledge that we're getting our information thirdhand and there may be some inaccuracies.

But reportedly TiVo managed to sell through quite a bit of their Series3 inventory thanks to some ongoing promotions. The problem is there's a component shortage, which means it would be difficult for the company to replace the sold units. So rather than have a temporary Series3 shortage for up to half a year, Tivo has decided instead to focus its efforts on the TiVo HD.

There are still Series3 boxes available, but there's no telling how long before the inventory is exhausted. So if you really had your heart set on getting a TiVo with an OLED front display and a backlit remote control, you might want to think about picking one up soon.

TiVo is rolling out a new raft of rebates and promotional offers. Or rather, the company is extending some existing promotions while modifying a few others. Here's the rundown:

• The TiVo HD product lifetime offer which had been set to expire on January 7 has been extended through April 1.
• The $200 rebate on Series3 boxes and $150 rebate on dual-tuner Series2 units has been extended through April 5 (PDF link).
• The $170 rebate on single-tuner Series2 units has been dropped to $150, and is also available through April 5.

So if you're in the market for a new TiVo, you might want to think about picking one up before April. But if there's one thing I've learned about TiVo over the last few years it's that the company almost always has a promotion going on. If you miss these deals odds are a new rebate offer will be just around the corner.
[via TiVo Lovers and WeaKnees Blog]

Back in October TiVo offered users a rare opportunity to transfer their lifetime service from an old TiVo box to a new TiVo HD for just $199. In other words, for just a bit more than it would cost you to pay for a 1 year subscription to TiVo service, you can get "free" service from now until the end of eternity. Or from now until you decide to get a new box, whichever comes first.

The original offer expired on November 8th, but TiVo Lovers points out that TiVo appears to have extended the deal through February 3rd.

Keep in mind, this does not mean that new customers can buy a TiVo and sign up for a lifetime service plan. Rather it means that TiVo Series1 or Series2 owners who have already paid for a product lifetime plan can transfer that plan to a new box for $199. All told, you'll have to shell out $500, since you also have to buy a new $300 TiVo HD to qualify. But if you're looking to upgrade to HDTV, you're going to want a new box anyway, as standard resolution recordings look pretty ugly on a high resolution display.

One of the biggest problems with HDTV personal video recorders is that HDTV programs take up a lot more hard drive space than their standard definition programs. So if you've gotten used to storing dozens or even hundreds of programs, you can kiss your huge video library goodbye when you upgrade to a TiVo HD or Series3 TiVo.

Unless you're willing to upgrade your box or pay someone else to do the dirty work for you, that is. A stock TiVo Series3 TiVo has a 250GB hard drive which is large enough to store about 30 hours of HDTV or 300 hours of standard definition programs. TiVo reseller WeaKnees has long been offering upgraded TiVos that let you store an obscene number of shows for a slightly less than obscene price.

Now WeaKnees may have topped itself by offering a 2TB TiVo capable of storing 292 hours of programming. If that doesn't sound like much, think about it this way. It would take you 12 days to watch 292 hours worth of television. Sure, you'll zap past the commercials, but that's still 9 days worth of TV.

Things get even crazier when you realize that not every show you record will be in high definition. The 2TB TiVo will store a whopping 2777 hours of standard definition television. You'd have to plop down in front of your TV for 115 days without sleep or bathroom breaks to watch that much TV. The price for all this glory? Just a modest $1599 (after a $200 rebate).

TiVo is finally rolling out support for that eSATA port on your TiVo Series3 or TiVo HD box. The move isn't particularly surprising -- after all, what did you think that port was for? But the update is a both welcome and overdue.

TiVo HD/Series3 owners should notice their boxes downloading version 9.2 of the TiVo software in the next day or so.

Once you get the upgrade you should be able to expand the storage on your TiVo unit by plugging in an external hard drive. No more mucking around inside the case and voiding your warranty. TiVo 9.2 also includes an update for Amazon Unbox users. Now you'll be able to watch videos as soon as you start downloading them without waiting for the download to finish first.

It's been a while since TiVo offered new customers a product lifetime subscription. But if you're one of the lucky few who picked up a TiVo Series1 or Series2 box back in the day and paid a flat fee for service, you're in luck. And by luck, I mean if you're ready to shell out even more money to buy a new TiVo HD, you can transfer your product lifetime service for an extra $199.

Of course, if you aren't planning on watching any high definition TV for a while, you might as well keep the box you've got. But if you were going to pick up a $300 TiVo HD anyway, this is a pretty good deal. You'd wind up spending over $150 on a one year subscription for your new box, which makes an extra $199 look like a pretty good deal.

There's no indication TiVo plans to offer newer customers a lifetime service option. This offer is geared at getting older customers to upgrade their boxes.

[Thanks Mandabar!]