$599 TiVo HD XL packs in 1TB hard drive

Is a mere 20 hours of HD recording cramping your style? Try this on for size—a TiVo box with a whopping 1TB hard drive, good for about 150 hours of recorded high-def programming.

PC Magazine got an early look at the TiVo HD XL (available now on TiVo's Web site), and notes that the new box comes with most of the same features as the older TiVo HD, including dual tuners (good for taping two shows at once), CableCard support, and access to Rhapsody, Amazon Unbox videos, and YouTube. Indeed, the shell of the HD XL is about the same size as its predecessor.

Of course, the big difference here is that 1TB hard drive, which can store up to 150 hours of HD programming or a staggering 1,360 hours of SD shows (that'll last you about 56 days, by the way). The HD XL also adds a backlit remote and THX certification—although as the PC Mag review notes, good luck seeing the difference in video quality between the 1TB TiVo and the TiVo HD.

It's not clear from TiVo's press release or the PC Magazine review whether the XL supports TiVoToGo (the service that lets you transfer recorded shows to your PC or Mac) or multi-room viewing—I'm checking with my TiVo contacts and will get back to you with the scoop. Update: Yep, TiVoToGo and multi-room viewing are both supported.

And now, for the capper: the $599 price tag, quite a premium over the $299 TiVo HD (which holds a "mere" 20 hours of HD shows)—and yes, you'll still have to get a TiVo subscription (plans start at $12.95/month, and a $399 lifetime plan is available).

So, what do you think: Would you pay $300 extra for 150 hours of HD recording?

Related:
TiVo HD XL review [PC Magazine]
TiVo, DirecTV to develop new DVR [Yahoo! Tech/Reuters]