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The newest TiVo will soon be available.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060719-7304.html

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TiVo Series 3: coming soon, really

7/19/2006 3:16:43 PM, by Ken Fisher

The much-anticipated TiVo Series 3 is one step closer towards making it out before the close of this year, as an FCC filing reveals that the unit is already being tested in select markets, and that the CableCARD certification process is complete. The company is aiming for a release later this year, but pricing has not yet been announced. Based on the cost of the DirecTV HD TiVo, we estimate a launch price of at least US$600.

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Last week the company also took the step of alerting cable companies to the arrival of the Series 3 TiVo, reporting that it "will be generally available in retail stores soon." The letter encouraged companies to educate their installers and service people as to the existence and validity of the device, noting that they have experienced problems with installers refusing to support the device in the trial phase. TiVo wants it understood that the Series3 is a valid device in full compliance that should be supported.

The Series3 marks the first truly significant hardware release from TiVo in years, as it combines the convenience of dual tuners (in practice) with the capability of recording HD (previously, only DirecTV customers could use a dual-tuner HD TiVo). To do this, the unit uses not one but two CableCARDs, although it can be configured to use only one card (with diminished capabilities as a result).

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The final design is actually expected to house six overall "tuners": two each for over-the-air transmissions, digital NTSC (including HD), and ATSC. The upshot is that it can record off the airwaves, digital cable (including HD) content, and even older analog cable content. TiVo's plan is to make it possible to record two streams simultaneously from any given source. In terms of output, the Series 3 will feature HDMI, component, S-Video, and composite cable support, as well as output up to 1080i. The remote control will be enhanced with backlights and a modified feel. Furthermore, the model we saw at CES also included an external Serial ATA connection for users to easily expand their storage capacity. We really, really hope that it's still there, and functional.

On account of encryption and digital rights schemes, there are very few DVRs that can record cable streams in HD, and even fewer that can support simultaneous recording. Unless you want a set-top box provided by your cable company, TiVo is the only game in town (you cannot build your own CableCARD-compliant DVR right now). Nevertheless, high prices could keep demand low, especially if the cost of TiVo's service is figured in. The company has been experimenting with different pricing schemes as of late, and there is some speculation that the company could adapt their "cell phone"-like approach to their newer hardware, subsidizing the purchase price with long contractual commitments to service.

technt77

Interesting . . . our Tivo unit, that came with our Direct TV subscription, CAN support simultaneous recording.

Desiree

there are just too many systems out there how is the consumer suppose to decide?

tiggapooh

Technt77, how do you like the tivo that came with direct tv? We've had direct tv for years and didn't know they offered tivo. Let me know. I may want to investigate this.

Desiree

So basically it just allows you to record everything now then?