# TiVo Series 3!



## jabd (Aug 24, 2001)

Series 3 HD with dual cable card....

http://engadget.com/2006/01/05/tivo-announces-series-3-hd-tivo-due-this-year/


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Note... Not a DirecTV unit... unless DirecTV announces a "CableCard" for DirecTV


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## jabd (Aug 24, 2001)

True but very exciting none the less.

I personally will follow TiVo whereever it goes. It's all about the software for me and none is equal to or better than TiVo.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

My post was more of a JAB at those that "kicked" the R15 disucssion else where...

When the unit is actually released to the market, I will try to evaluate it at that time.

A lot will depend on how well the local cable-co's complied with the CableCard standards.


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## Joe Siegler (May 10, 2000)

http://www.tivolovers.com/252572.html

More on this unit here, with more pictures.

The unit looks nice. I like the multi tuner thing like the HD DirecTiVo that exists now.

Unfortunately, as I want NFL Sunday Ticket, I'm stuck with DirecTV. I probably at some point in the future if I want HD have to go with their unit, unless TiVo ends up involved in their own box which can record DirecTV (unlikely).


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## Markman07 (Jul 18, 2001)

My issues also is with NFL ticket! They have locked me in because of this! I guess I could start watching soccer and join a fantasy soccer league.


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## TomK (May 22, 2001)

Good thing I don't care at all about the NFL. That new Series 3 looks pretty sweet.


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

Will it work with D*? Will it give you dual tuners with D* If you have 2 sat recievers. Or will it only work with cable?




Edit: Nevermind it will probably cost an arm and a leg anyhow!


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Billy Bob Boy said:


> Will it work with D*? Will it give you dual tuners with D* If you have 2 sat recievers. Or will it only work with cable?


No. That series 3 will only work with cable and antenna.
It can recieve Analog a digital (unencrypted and Cablecard) cable, and digital ATSC (I never heard if it will support analog antenna.)


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## morgantown (Mar 29, 2005)

Yea, until DTV loses its monopoly on NFLST, I am not even looking. Even then, cable still sux here. Long live the DTiVo's!

I'll eventually move on to the R15 (or whatever replaces it) once I have a real reason to. I too like new toys, but the DTiVo's meet my current needs quite nicely. 

Just $0.02...


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

The Series 3 has 2 cable ready NTSC (analog) tuners, 2 ATSC (digital/HD OTA) tuners, and space for 2 single stream (v1.1), or 1 multistream (v2.0), CableCard. Theoretically, you could use SD DirecTV receivers with the NTSC tuners, but the quality would be compromised.

The Series 3 will also have MPEG-4 capable encoders/decoders.

Personally, a CableCard interface for a DirecTV tuner device would seem to me to be a no-brainer, once CableCard starts to catch on. It will become a competitive requirement.


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## tfederov (Jul 6, 2003)

Dan Collins said:


> Personally, a CableCard interface for a DirecTV tuner device would seem to me to be a no-brainer, once CableCard starts to catch on. It will become a competitive requirement.


Do you know something we don't?


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## jfh3 (Apr 15, 2004)

Dan Collins said:


> The Series 3 has 2 cable ready NTSC (analog) tuners, 2 ATSC (digital/HD OTA) tuners, and space for 2 single stream (v1.1), or 1 multistream (v2.0), CableCard. Theoretically, you could use SD DirecTV receivers with the NTSC tuners, but the quality would be compromised.


Umm, how are you going to use any DTV receiver with the Series 3, since there's no IR or serial support to control the DTV box?


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

tfederov said:


> Do you know something we don't?


I believe that Dan was saying that once the cable industry adopts the CableCard, then the old hard-wired set-top boxes will likely disappear and only CableCard devices will exist.

The problem for the Cable industry and the CableCard people is that the Cable industry needs to understand that their ultimate salvation will be the CableCard and that they need to think in global concepts, not the GOOD OLD BOY local cable company rent a set-top box from us mentality.

There is a huge opportunity for the Cable industry to start taking back all of their subscriber losses to the Satellite industry over the last decade, with a CableCard device assault integrated with OnDemand. If they dont take this opportunity to adopt the CableCard as their salivation and make it their universal interface, then they will continue to struggle against, because DirecTV and Dish are integrated services and could use that leverage to at least slow down their churn rate.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

CableCard (the concept) is about 15 years over due.

Once we had "cable ready" devices, the cable-card should have started then....
But of course the Cable-Co's wanted the easy money stream from the rental and sale of the boxes...

And they still do... Hence why we are probably seeing the dragging of the 2.0 standard.
As once that is out, they can kiss their rental/sales good by for the set-top boxes pretty much for ever.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

ebonovic said:


> CableCard (the concept) is about 15 years over due.
> 
> Once we had "cable ready" devices, the cable-card should have started then....
> But of course the Cable-Co's wanted the easy money stream from the rental and sale of the boxes...
> ...


Do you know Earl, if the CableCard 2.0 specification will allow PPV, PPV OnDemand, and bundled (FREE) OnDemand selections? If it doesn't then the cable industry doesn't understand what is at stake, and CableCards will be almost worthless.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

My understanding of the Cablecard system is that the key to VOD and PPV support was multistreaming. The 1.0 CC spec was like the old unaddressable boxes, 2.0 is like addressable STBs (a very rough analogy).

The key advantage, IMO, of Cablecard is that it puts the UI in the hands of the CES manufacturers. This opens up lots of possibilities for integrating delivered content with locally stored content, including (but not restricted to) DVDs, JPEGs, MP3s, internet delivered content, etc. Instead of having multiple _devices_ that must be integrated together, you have one pre-integrated device, and you just need to integrate the various _content streams_. The Series 3 TiVo is actually a crude example of this, integrating digital cable, digital OTA broadcast, and analog streams with locally stored digital content through MRV and HMO.


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## WeBoat (Nov 6, 2002)

Hummm A directv cablecard. It would have to be some kind of box that maybe connected to a cablecard interface. It would have to have the sat input cables connect to it and the ability to switch transponders. Doable, but not a simple cablecard.

My guess is no. We won't see one. Why would Directv do it? When they can just push their own "superier" (accodring to them) DVR's.


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

ebonovic said:


> CableCard (the concept) is about 15 years over due.
> 
> Once we had "cable ready" devices, the cable-card should have started then....
> But of course the Cable-Co's wanted the easy money stream from the rental and sale of the boxes...
> ...


I would think there would be potentionally a higher profit margin on CC's. Once you start mass producing them CC's would be cheaper to make than a STB. The only STB's have going for them is that they have been around so long that the circuity is dirt cheap to make. But a CC does not need a large box to house it, power supplies, user interface ..., just decode signal and provide 2 way com path for advanced features (VOD, PPV etc.).


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

But the standalone Tivo's can't touch DTV on price. Every extra R10, 15, H10 that I install cost me only $5 extra a month today.

With the series 3 I have to pay to rent dual cable cards for each unit I install plus Tivo's higher monthly fee. 

And that is after I have to pay hundreds of dollars to buy it the series 3. If speculation on pricing is even in the right ballpark then the H20's will be far cheaper to buy.

DTV will sell 10 H20's for every 1 Series 3 that Tivo sells. That will lower production costs for DTV. DTV also has deeper pockets for subsidizing the cost.

If you only have one TV and want one DVR then the series 3 competes better. But the more TV's you have the more expensive it gets to go with Tivo.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Dan Collins said:


> My understanding of the Cablecard system is that the key to VOD and PPV support was multistreaming. The 1.0 CC spec was like the old unaddressable boxes, 2.0 is like addressable STBs (a very rough analogy).
> 
> The key advantage, IMO, of Cablecard is that it puts the UI in the hands of the CES manufacturers. This opens up lots of possibilities for integrating delivered content with locally stored content, including (but not restricted to) DVDs, JPEGs, MP3s, internet delivered content, etc. Instead of having multiple _devices_ that must be integrated together, you have one pre-integrated device, and you just need to integrate the various _content streams_. The Series 3 TiVo is actually a crude example of this, integrating digital cable, digital OTA broadcast, and analog streams with locally stored digital content through MRV and HMO.


Now that is great news! All that has to happen is that the CableCard people and the cable industry needs to finalize the CableCard 2.0 specification so the industry and TiVo can move forward.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

HiDefGator said:


> With the series 3 I have to pay to rent dual cable cards for each unit I install plus Tivo's higher monthly fee.


Not true with the CableCard 2.0 Multi-Stream specification, only one card is required, see the back of the Series 3 TiVo, it is even labeled there, that only one 2.0 card is needed.



HiDefGator said:


> And that is after I have to pay hundreds of dollars to buy it the series 3. If speculation on pricing is even in the right ballpark then the H20's will be far cheaper to buy


No doubt the DirecTV DVR will be cheaper, but then again DirecTV will never have TRUE OnDemand capability, which will be the driving force in video delivery over the next two decades.



HiDefGator said:


> DTV will sell 10 H20's for every 1 Series 3 that Tivo sells. That will lower production costs for DTV. DTV also has deeper pockets for subsidizing the cost.


It is very likely that the Series 3 will be more expensive, but I highly doubt that DirecTV will sell TEN HR20's to every Series 3. (I assume you meant HR20, because that is the DVR model, a H20 is just a plain receiver)



HiDefGator said:


> If you only have one TV and want one DVR then the series 3 competes better. But the more TV's you have the more expensive it gets to go with Tivo.


It actually depends if you have to buy a Series 3 for each TV. There is a possibility that clients may exist for the Series 3, although they have not been annouced yet.

But I understand what you are saying, the same goes for the Microsoft Windows XP or Vista MCE and the crazy requirement that at this point you would have to use a $299 or $399 XBOX 360 as a client.


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## Heckler (Jul 30, 2002)

tbeckner said:


> It actually depends if you have to buy a Series 3 for each TV. There is a possibility that clients may exist for the Series 3, although they have not been annouced yet.
> 
> But I understand what you are saying, the same goes for the Microsoft Windows XP or Vista MCE and the crazy requirement that at this point you would have to use a $299 or $399 XBOX 360 as a client.


The whole XBOX 360 as a client is being blown out of proportion... It's just that the XBOX 360 is currently the only HD client. Before the XBOX 360, the XBOX wasn't the only SD client, so why does everyone seem convinced that the XBOX 360 will remain the only HD client?!?!?

As for the Series 3 having clients, they are apparently building this to have Intel ViiV compatability/integration which might possibly make it work with the very same ViiV/MCE clients... Time will tell...


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Heckler said:


> The whole XBOX 360 as a client is being blown out of proportion... It's just that the XBOX 360 is currently the only HD client. Before the XBOX 360, the XBOX wasn't the only SD client, so why does everyone seem convinced that the XBOX 360 will remain the only HD client?!?!?
> 
> As for the Series 3 having clients, they are apparently building this to have Intel ViiV compatability/integration which might possibly make it work with the very same ViiV/MCE clients... Time will tell...


The only reason the XBOX 360 is being singled out is that currently is the only announced HD client and was promoted heavily by Microsoft in both the Keynote speech and in all of the press releases.

And I am afraid that Microsoft's greediness and self promotion of the XBOX 360 makes a lot of us just a little too uneasy. But in almost all cases a name-brand SD MCE extender still was expensive at about $250 each, so price is still a factor. Plus the availability of the SD MCE extenders was always very slim, so why should we believe that other companies will have dedicated low cost MCE extenders available when a final version of Vista with MCE and the tuners begin shipping?

I bet you can understand our uneasiness given the past track record of MCE extenders and Microsoft's need or want to install an XBOX 360 almost everywhere.

Also note that I said "*at this point*" in the original post.


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## naijai (Dec 20, 2005)

Markman07 said:


> My issues also is with NFL ticket! They have locked me in because of this! I guess I could start watching soccer and join a fantasy soccer league.


now thats the best game on the planet no doubt true game of skill


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## RCY (Aug 12, 2005)

Doesn't this thread belong in a forum other than the DIRECTV Receiver with TiVo?  

But, since the thread is all about the sponsor's product, it probably doesn't matter to them...


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## TheRatPatrol (Feb 21, 2003)

classicsat said:


> No. That series 3 will only work with cable and antenna.
> It can recieve Analog a digital (unencrypted and Cablecard) cable, and digital ATSC (I never heard if it will support analog antenna.)


Does anyone know if the unit will work with an OTA only signal without having to subscribe to cable? Thanks


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

theratpatrol said:


> Does anyone know if the unit will work with an OTA only signal without having to subscribe to cable? Thanks


It is supposed to.


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## TheRatPatrol (Feb 21, 2003)

Anyone know for sure when this will be available?


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

"For sure?" No...I doubt even TiVo could say for sure. End of the year is probably a safe bet.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Dan Collins said:


> "For sure?" No...I doubt even TiVo could say for sure. End of the year is probably a safe bet.


End of the Decade would be a "safer bet"... 

But Q4 for the holiday season would be a good guess...


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## Vectr (Jun 13, 2002)

DirecTV & XBOX 360.....

http://www.gameshout.com/news/012006/article2440.htm

http://www.cepro.com/magazine/article/6958.html


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Vectr said:


> DirecTV & XBOX 360.....
> 
> http://www.gameshout.com/news/012006/article2440.htm
> 
> http://www.cepro.com/magazine/article/6958.html


And this has to do with the T3, how?


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

ebonovic said:


> And this has to do with the T3, how?


With quotes like "... one step closer towards total entertainment ownage." does it really have to be about the TiVo Series 3


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## Vectr (Jun 13, 2002)

ebonovic said:


> And this has to do with the T3, how?


Look at posts 23 & 24.. its an add on to that


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Vectr said:


> Look at posts 23 & 24.. its an add on to that


Ahh...

See that is where the Reply with Quote becomes handy...

Especially from a thread that is 3+ months old... 

Us old timers kinda forget the discussions that we posted in that far back.


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