$599 TiVo HD XL packs in 1TB hard drive

Thu Sep 4, 2008 10:50AM EDT

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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]

Comments on $599 TiVo HD XL packs in 1TB hard drive

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  • 1 Posted by cpelf on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    TiVo's lifetime subscription is such a poor value. It takes over 30 months to pay for itself, but well before then your TiVo will most certainly be obsolete or nonfunctional. The fact that the subscription can't be transferred to a new TiVo is a barrier to new model uptake by me and I'm sure many others. TiVo needs to knock a couple hundred off the lifetime sub or at least make it transferrable. For $1000 many of us can build our own DVR without having to worry about ongoing subscription costs.

  • 2 Posted by betapro on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    They've got to be kidding at both the pricing and the subscription terms. Why would anyone even bother considering such a device when DirecTV offers a box that is free with a 2 year subscription to HD service and the HD monthly fee is around $6/month.

  • 3 Posted by cvolgmann@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    DirecTV charges 9.99 per month for HD service plus a fee per month for the extra pack of HD channels, and the box isn't free, you pay a lease fee per month and when you cancell DirecTV you have to give them their box back or you will get charged about 150.00 or more.

  • 4 Posted by baerjamin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    with regards to the DirectTV DVR, there is one other thing that it doesn't provide: ease of use. The user interface is a disaster and, at least the three that I've used or watched being used crashed. What you're really paying for with TiVo is a fantastic UI and a level of ease of installation, use that allows just about anyone to install it and use all the features almost immediately. The DirectTV version, along with the Comcast DVR are a disaster on both counts. (If you can keep the Comcast DVR running without crashing for longer than five minutes that is.)

  • 5 Posted by baerjamin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    with regards to the DirectTV DVR, there is one other thing that it doesn't provide: ease of use. The user interface is a disaster and, at least the three that I've used or watched being used crashed. What you're really paying for with TiVo is a fantastic UI and a level of ease of installation, use that allows just about anyone to install it and use all the features almost immediately. The DirectTV version, along with the Comcast DVR are a disaster on both counts. (If you can keep the Comcast DVR running without crashing for longer than five minutes that is.)

  • 6 Posted by killerbuzz65 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    TIVO needs to get away from the Cable cards. I just tossed my TivoHD after replacing the cable cards TEN times. Sure, it may be the cable company's fault too. but TIVO should not market a product in an area until they are sure it will work with existing systems....NO TIVO ever again.....

  • 7 Posted by brakenthebronze on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have two TiVOs but neither of them are HD. To address the lifetime subscription issue. I bough my first TiVO back in the late 90s with the lifetime subscription and my TiVO lasted way beyond the breakeven point. Then to top it off, TiVO did offer to transfer the lifetime subscription if I bought a new TiVO. Well, I did. Secondly, cable cards are still new in the industry and needs time to work itself out. It is a problem that falls with TiVO and the Cable Industry.

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