TiVo killing off the Series3, focusing on TiVo HD?

When we forced the TiVo HD and Series3 to go mano-a-mano back in October of last year, we had a sneaking suspicion that the latter was actually no longer being produced. Fast forward (har) three months, and sure enough, it seems that the end really is nigh for the Series3. According to TiVo Lovers (who heard directly from DVRupgrade), TiVo is accelerating the EOL (end of life) of the Series3 and "focusing all efforts on the recently launched, lower cost TiVo HD." Apparently, the firm managed to sell through oodles of Series3 boxes over the holidays (thanks in large part to a sizable rebate-based promotion), and rather than searching for creative ways to solve the "continued component shortage," TiVo is reportedly choosing to nudge potential customers in the direction of the TiVo HD. Granted, we'd still take this with a (light) dose of salt for the time being, but don't be shocked to see Series3 stock start dwindling in the coming weeks.

[Via TVSquad, thanks Brad L.]

[bioadam @ Jan 31st 2008 5:48PM]

This is a sensical move. Now if only the required service were realistically priced.

[CapWKidd @ Jan 31st 2008 5:57PM]

Tivo3 forever!

[OneLove @ Jan 31st 2008 6:03PM]

I remember when series3 was all the rage and cost $800 bucks. lol.

[Celly @ Jan 31st 2008 6:14PM]

Please! Say it aint so!!!! :(

[xtremesniper @ Jan 31st 2008 6:28PM]

Great. Right after they announce the Series3 as the first Tivo box to be coming to Canada. I guess that's where all the units are going?

[MegaZone @ Jan 31st 2008 7:13PM]

xtremesniper - The box sold in Canada is the Series2DT, NOT the Series3. (And Engadget's 'Reply' links are busted.)

[jjd @ Jan 31st 2008 7:33PM]

The Series 3 I just bought has a manufacture date of 07-Jan-08, so if they stopped building them it must have been very recently.

[John Gasparre @ Jan 31st 2008 7:40PM]

Tivo's website already lists the Series 3 as "out of stock." Still glad I got mine a few months ago, much better unit than the HD.

[jamie @ Jan 31st 2008 7:44PM]

You mean there are still suckers, sorry, people that pay monthly to use a glorified DVR? Wow. Guess, there is a sucker born everyday.

[xtremesniper @ Jan 31st 2008 8:02PM]

MegaZone - Ohh okay my mistake. Thanks.

[Patrick @ Jan 31st 2008 9:08PM]

jamie:

I pay about $8.50 per month for tivo service. comcast was going to charge me $14 per month for an HD DVR. Add in the price of the box and my total comes to $16 per month for 3 years of tivo service. That is an extra 2 per month or $72 over 3 years. Not much more for a fantastic service where i can transfer my content (including HD) to my pc and burn them to dvd/blu-ray/hd-dvd/ipod.

[Razor @ Jan 31st 2008 9:45PM]

I know this is going to sound really dumb but I have to ask. Does the HD version work with a non-HD setup? I don't see a HD TV in my near future.

[YouFaceTheTick @ Jan 31st 2008 9:53PM]

Why does the Tivo3 exist in the age of HD? Who owns an a Tivo and doesn't spring for an HDTV? Why bother?

[Steve Wallen @ Jan 31st 2008 9:55PM]

Hopefully they replace it with a Tivo HD THX or something in the same vein. The tear downs of Tivo HDs revealed a much 'cheaper' to produce board, and it was rather expandable.

[DIAJ @ Jan 31st 2008 10:28PM]

YouFaceTheTick:
Do your homework first. The series 3 is the first HD TiVo box. It was just called "series 3" due to it being the 3rd... um, series.

The TiVo HD (on top in the picture) is just a slimmed down version of the series 3 - missing a lot of nice features + HDD space.

[Jimmy @ Jan 31st 2008 11:08PM]

I ordered a Series 3 just after Christmas and it took several weeks to get, BUT the manufacture date on it was December 28th, 2007. So they are still making them for now.

[eric f. @ Feb 1st 2008 12:42PM]

Come one...The Tivo series 3 had a SRP of $800. Who actually paid that, unless they bought it directly from Tivo?I bought it when it was new in 2006 for about $649 from Amazon.

I LOVE that the front panel of the series 3 shows the name of the program being recorded. That feature is so convenient.

[MegaZone @ Feb 1st 2008 4:31PM]

Razor - Yes, the S3 and TiVo HD can tune and record OTA NTSC or ATSC as well as analog or digital cable - SD or HD. And they can output video over composite, S-Video, component, or HDMI - including down-converting any HD video to SD for the composite and S-Video outputs for your SD TV. For that matter you can set the unit to down-convert all video to 480i SD on component and HDMI too, if you needed to.

(And Engadget's 'Reply' links are STILL FUBAR.)

[Razor @ Feb 5th 2008 12:09PM]

Thanks MegaZone!

--Dave