TiVo quietly removes Series3 from its webstore

Break out the tissues -- the rumors were true. Or, at least it sure looks that way. As of right now, the only two TiVo units available on the outfit's webstore are the TiVo HD and the Series2, and even if you do a bit of digging and find the still-active Series3 page, you'll notice a glaring Out of Stock notification. Of course, you can still find leftover inventory hanging around at various resellers, but all signs are pointing to this being the final hurrah for the S3. Any touching moments you'd like to share in comments as we all bid the device a fond farewell?

[Thanks, Tim]

[Speney G @ Jul 30th 2008 9:42AM]

I would have bought one in a second if the stupid service providers had 2 way cable cards

[Kyle Johnson @ Jul 30th 2008 10:07AM]

It wouldn't matter. TiVo never bothered to update the code on the S3 to support multi-stream cards. The hardware is all there, but no software. Now I wonder if it'll ever happen. I guess the HD will be the only one that supports multi-stream cards.

[bagbklyn @ Jul 30th 2008 10:22AM]

Just to clarify M-Cards(Multi-stream) cards do work in the S3. I have one right now, so it's not tivo dependent, its provider dependent. Its up to them if they want to give it or not.

[Hold McGroin @ Jul 30th 2008 10:23AM]

Two single-stream cards or one multi-stream card, who cares? You can't have 2 multi-stream cards so why not use both slots?

You're also 100% wrong on the 2-way cable card, that's not how they work. Cablecards are decoders not NICs. There is a box coming out that does this so the Tivo will be just as capable as a cable co, junk DVR.

I would have gotten a DVR from Time Warner but I CAN DO BASIC MATH. At $8/month for the box and $10/month for the "service" of having a DVR, it's well more expensive than a Tivo even if you buy the box. Americans are hilarious, they're so focused on "today" that they can't see themselves using something in 2 years so they go with the impulse of saying ok to the cable co DVR (which always sucks on any provider).

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Jul 30th 2008 11:08AM]

Hold McGroin, care to clarify your uninformed rant a tad?

I've got Comcast, and I'd *love* to have TiVos. The Comcast DVR is utterly worthless crap.

However, the Comcast DVR was $9.95 a month when I first started renting it, and the price has crept up to $14.95 (ugh).

According to TiVo's own site, the HD DVR is $299, plus $12.95 a month if you buy monthly. At current rates, it would take *12.5 years* to cover the difference. Yes, Comcast's rates will go up, but why wouldn't TiVo's monthly go up as well?

One would assume their "cheapest" plan is the $399 'lifetime of product' plan. On top of a $299 HD DVR, that's $698 up front for a DVR. At current Comcast rates, that's almost 4 *years* to pay off the TiVo, and ignoring how much money you sunk into the TiVo up front.

Note that the lifetime TiVo plan is only good for as long as you have that box. Seems to me you'd be lucky if nothing better comes along in 3-4 years, while you're stuck paying off your TiVo investment.

Americans bad at math, indeed. Thanks for the demonstration.

Again, I'd love to have a TiVo, but their monthly service is so damn expensive that it's hardly any more money to get an entire DVR from the cable company.

[Encoding @ Jul 30th 2008 12:28PM]

UnixSystemsEngineer,

You can pay comcast for basic service that is technically a DVR, or you can pony up a few extra bucks a month for good/usable service with a Tivo. There usually is a price premium on the item/service of higher quality.

I used a comcast DVR for a few months and it was a challenge to use, whereas using a Tivo has been a pleasure (Tivo HD with a M cablecard).

Hopefully comcast rolls out that DVR with Tivo software sooner than later so people can have a good DVR on the cheap.

[Jason @ Jul 30th 2008 12:34PM]

McGroin,

Even though I love my TiVo, it's guys like you with your fuzzy math that cloud the issue of how much the TiVo costs to own vs. a cable company DVR.

In addition to the 3 year contract on my TiVo for service ($299) and the TiVo hardware ($299) I also have to pay charges for my cable cards and 2nd outlet fees for HD programming (which I wouldn't pay with the cable company DVR) of an additional $16 per month.

Monthly cost of the TiVo for 3 years - $32.
Monthly cost of CC DVR for 3 years - $16.

If you want to sell people on TiVo then tell them about the product benefits, not cost savings. Better yet, convince TiVo to reduce subscription charges to a more palatable $5-$10 per month with a 2nd unit fee of $2.

[Dillon @ Jul 30th 2008 9:47AM]

Man... I wish they would bring TiVo to Canada. Friggin Rogers only gives us this crappy Scientific Atlantic piece of junk...

[Dale @ Jul 30th 2008 10:51AM]

Futureshop carries Tivo's in Canada...I've had one before they started doing that (brought it over from the states), and it works fine here (you have to follow some special steps, which are on the tivo website).

The problem is that if you have digital cable/satellite, the only way for it to interface with the tivo is though IR, which works, but is definitely not ideal. Still, it's a much better box, function wise, than the box that Rogers and Bell ship (though, I hear the newer Bell PVRs are pretty good too).
If you use it in a straight cable hookup (in a secondary room, for example) it works perfectly, but then you don't get your digital/HD channels.

Now, if they brought downloadable movies to Canada, I'd be happier.

[TOstevo @ Jul 30th 2008 10:51AM]

Tell me about it.

[UncoolJohn @ Jul 30th 2008 9:50AM]

I love my Series 3 but I wish I had been able to handle the comcast DVR long enough to get a TiVo HD for a fraction of the price. You were my reprieve though, S3. Thank you.

[jpasiczn @ Jul 30th 2008 9:53AM]

wait people actually still use tivo?

[kjb434 @ Jul 30th 2008 10:05AM]

That's what I'm thinking. Just use your cable providers...

[Josef @ Jul 30th 2008 10:07AM]

I still use my Series 2 (Weeknee'd up to 400+ hours of recording time). I tried a couple other options cable company DVR=yuk, built a MythTV box=eh) but none of them had as smooth an interface as my Tivo.

[Rob @ Jul 30th 2008 10:09AM]

I have two and enjoy them very much. I don't have cable tv. I record all my HD OTA and it works great.

[Adam @ Jul 30th 2008 10:24AM]

Wait, people like a smooth interfacethat "just works" and is easy for everyone and a box that works on any cable system? I dont believe it either, they must be crazy.

[Anthony @ Jul 30th 2008 10:27AM]

I *wish* I still had my tivo & so does our whole family. The DirecTV DVR HD is just junk. There are so many problems w/ it, its interface & software that I won't go into it in detail, but suffice it to say- Tivo works & others don't.

[EdgeOne @ Jul 30th 2008 10:32AM]

If you've never used Tivo, consider yourself lucky. Once you use it, no other DVR interface will ever satisfy you the way Tivo did.

I had Tivo DVR with DirecTV, them Moto's DVR with Comcast which SUCKED, now Verizon's DVR with FiOS which is just ok. Everything is so much harder than it needs to be on a non-Tivo interface.

[scooterbaga @ Jul 30th 2008 10:33AM]

I tried using Dish's DVR... It was CRAP. The interface was just this side of worthless. Perhaps other providers have something better...

[zewkin @ Jul 30th 2008 11:04AM]

Do you know how out of date my cable DVR box is? And it's crappy - can only search out 1 week, can't type in a show to search for and instead have to scroll through every show for every time for a week in order to find that one show, when I go to play back a recorded show it shows a black screen after which I have to start playing back a different recorded show in order to get it to work, the box always goes to sleep at 1am even if I have been actively changing channels and am watching a show at that time, the GUI is pixelated and super low-res and hard to read, I can go on and on. It's the only box available from the cable company so I'm glad there are options like TIVO or homemade PVR systems.

[tyler @ Jul 30th 2008 10:02AM]

See ya!

[Prokanda @ Jul 30th 2008 11:54AM]

mmmm Escher.

[tyler @ Jul 30th 2008 11:59AM]

mmmm Chops.

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 12:06PM]

prokanda, you're really "alternative"

[jason @ Jul 30th 2008 10:04AM]

Maybe I'm hopelessly out of it, but WHY is it being removed/discontinued? Is there something wrong with the Series 3? Anyone got the short and sweet deets?

[Schnapple @ Jul 30th 2008 11:03AM]

I don't think there's anything wrong with it per se, they're just going to the TiVo HD name and line, which have a slightly different feature set, a lower price and the Series 3 software.

More than anything it's a name change - "HD" is a hot name that sells, "Series3" doesn't mean anything to anyone unfamiliar with TiVo.

[SharkTails @ Jul 30th 2008 10:04AM]

I love my series 3! I got a refurb off the website for 1/2 price and it ROX!

go buy stuff on the wootoff now... www.woot.com

[kpfeif @ Jul 30th 2008 10:05AM]

@jpasiczn - yes, we do. It's still the finest DVR out there.

[Rob @ Jul 30th 2008 10:07AM]

Well, I got two of those puppies and I'm quite happy with them.

[Kyle Johnson @ Jul 30th 2008 10:08AM]

And here's a random comment just so I can save the non-changeable password Engadget sends me.

[yaksplat @ Jul 30th 2008 11:05AM]

Edit your profile and password: http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/10/commenters-learn-how-to-change-your-engadget-password-edit-you/

[ebob9 @ Jul 30th 2008 12:50PM]

Same here, I can never get it to work though.

[JoePaLives @ Jul 30th 2008 10:09AM]

Does anyone have any idea when Comcast is going to bring its TiVo service to the Washington DC area? I've heard they are using the software in Boston and I am chomping at the bit to pay the extra $3 a month to be reunited with my beloved TiVo service!

[Dave @ Jul 30th 2008 12:23PM]

Oh, don't wait. I live in the Boston area. I really wanted the Comcast Tivo. Then when I got it I found that everything I hated about the Comcast DVR was even worse on the Comcast DVR with Tivo. All the delays and lost clicks, followed 30 seconds later by every button you hit along the way firing in rapid flurry. The lockups, and worst of all, the missed recordings. Out of frustration I bought the Tivo HD. The install of the multistream card went perfect (they actually sent someone who knew what they were doing!). When I click a button on the remote, the Tivo responds, just like my Series 2 always did. I have not looked back. Sure, it cost extra to do it this way, but it is worth it.

[WaterGuru @ Jul 30th 2008 10:09AM]

Have you seen the Comcast UI? It is extremely dated !

[Jason Burns @ Jul 30th 2008 10:19AM]

Bring on the Series 4 with 2-way!

[Kevin Cupp @ Jul 30th 2008 10:23AM]

I love my Series3. I heard this would be happening a few months ago so I grabbed one up while I could. It's the highest quality TiVo ever made. We'll miss you Series3.

As for why they're canning it, I'd guess they just weren't selling enough because they're so expensive. They're very high quality so it probably wasn't in their best interest to keep making them when they're not flying off the shelves.

[Frank Furter @ Jul 30th 2008 11:14AM]

Note - 'High Quality' and 'Speedy Interface' are not interchangeable.

[THJ @ Jul 30th 2008 11:30AM]

I've been thinking about switching over to Tivo HD (once I get a HD TV) and canceling my cable in favor of free OTA HD + Apple TV + TPB. Figure it'll save 80 bucks a month.

Anyone made a jump like that than can comment on how they liked it? Or anyone know any good sited to check out for that sort of thing?

Thanks.

[michaelfrankie @ Jul 30th 2008 12:02PM]

That's basically how I do it. Works great, we supplement with Netflix as well to fill in the stuff that not broadcast. Never again cable.

[calvin g @ Jul 30th 2008 12:24PM]

They change is dramatic if you have a DVR provided by the cable company. The Tivo interface is not only faster in most cases but you can do more with the recordings after the fact. Overall the Tivo Series3 and probably the Tivo HD is a great investment. I loved being able to move recently to a new state and bring the DVR with me. Popped in the cable cards and I was back in business.

[digduggler @ Jul 30th 2008 12:46PM]

I ditched cablecards and am at basic + OTA + apple tv and am digging it. I'm not quite ready to let go of ESPN yet, but OTA HD looks great.

[lanboyo @ Jul 30th 2008 11:39AM]

I am actually totally in lust with my series 3, the front panel that shows the time nearly made me cry when it started displaying the name of the show the tivo was recording.

The verizon FIOS DVR has a totally poopoo interface, and is just not as nice as the tivo.

But the real dealmaker is that the tivo is the only dvr that my technophobe spouse likes, and that pretty much decides it for me.

[KO'M @ Jul 30th 2008 11:40AM]

I am actually totally in lust with my series 3, the front panel that shows the time nearly made me cry when it started displaying the name of the show the tivo was recording.

The verizon FIOS DVR has a totally poopoo interface, and is just not as nice as the tivo.

But the real dealmaker is that the tivo is the only dvr that my technophobe spouse likes, and that pretty much decides it for me.

[Dan Davis @ Jul 30th 2008 12:18PM]

The Series 3 was also THX certified, was it not?

I knew I waited too long to upgrade from my Series 2...

BTW -- The Comcast Moto DVR box SUCKS!

[Brad Bishop @ Jul 30th 2008 12:24PM]

THJ:

I tried the basic cable w/ AppleTV deal (Basic meaning local channels only). I'm a single guy living in an apartment and I don't think I watch all that much TV. It would seem that this setup would be ideal for someone like me.

After buying the AppleTV I figured there would be a few months of building up an 'inventory' of stuff to watch on TV. After about 9 months of it I finally decided, "This is stupid - I end up spending as much on iTunes/AppleTV each month as I do just having cable TV. I may as well just get a TiVo HD and be done with it."

While you may think you may not watch much, you'll end up heading to your computer to order a movie or TV series just to have something to watch now and then. By the time you're done doing that you're back at Cable TV prices.

I'd say you could pull if off if you and your family were incredibly diciplined but, more likely than not, you'll soon realize that you watch a lot of 'worthless' TV just to pass the time now.

If I had kids (like little ones) I'd definitely get an AppleTV for Disney/family movies that they could just play over and over again. You don't end up with them mucking up the discs with sandy-peanut butter covered hands (worst case scenerio :)) and they can play them all they want at will.

[Distortedloop @ Jul 30th 2008 12:44PM]

I agree that the AppleTV (I've had one since they first came out) is disappointing unless you're into video podcasts and ripping DVD's or torrents.

When NetFlix offered the all you can eat streaming of video with the $8.99 plan, I cancelled all of my cable channels except basic, HD, and HBO. The cable company offered me one year of ShowTime for free, so I have that in the mix. NetFlix's catalog isn't fantastic for new release buffs, but it's got similar content to your typical HBO/Cinemax/ShowTime/TMC offerings during the month. I use the vmcNetFlix plugin for XBox 360 to get the NetFlix stuff onto the big screen and it looks great, works well. Throw in a couple of DVD's per week and for $8.99 you're getting a larger selection of movies and TV shows for less than the $60 per month or so that all the movie and variety and digital tiers were costing me on TWC.

Throw in the Series 3 TiVo and I'm never at a lack of something to watch when the mood strikes me, for a lot less money than cable had been costing me.

[THJ @ Jul 30th 2008 1:26PM]

Thanks for the info. For the non-broadcast shows, I was planning on using tvshow.app+transmission+VisualHub (and learning some applescript/automator) to get the shows into iTunes then beam it over to the AppleTV.

Might be more trouble than it's worth, but I figure I'll give it a shot. If it's too much hassle, it's not like I can't just sign up for cable again :)

[Distortedloop @ Jul 30th 2008 12:36PM]

Yikes! You're saying there's not a cable-card equivalent for TiVo that works with FIOS?

Damn, was planning on switching to FIOS when it comes 'round here, but not at the cost of giving up my Series 3.

[DaleyT @ Jul 30th 2008 1:12PM]

Tivo HD works just fine with FiOS. In fact, TivoHD only works with cablecards if you have FiOS where they have discontinued analog service.