So are you like me and been using DirecTV for years? Are you also like me and been watching HD on DirecTV for like ever?

Have you all been real ticked off when you are paying 9.99 for your HD channels and DirecTV drops them during football? (Actually this may be more if you are paying for a TIVO service because you wanted a HD-TIVO.)

Well it seems if these dropped channels are really irking you, there may be some recourse. Next Sunday when football is on and DirecTV decides to drop programming you “want” to watch, call or write em. You might be suprised at what you might get.

DIRECTV HDTV Owners: Want a Refund?

c|net takes a look at the recently released TiVo Series 3 HD PVR. In case you didn’t know, TiVo’s new PVR has two HD tuners, two CableCARD slots, and lots of disk space to record all that HD content. It’s new, it’s cool, and it’s a not-so-cool $800. I dunno. If I could actually use the thing with my digital cable, I’d consider it, even at that price. I currently use a SA8300HD provided by Rogers, and I’m getting tired of its limitations.

But anyway. What did c|net think of the new Series 3 HD PVR? They like the dual tuners, the CableCARD support, the ability to tune into over-the-air (OTA) HD signals (and record them), and of course the famous TiVo interface, which is probably the feature that I wish I had the most.

What didn’t they like? Mostly the cost. Like the the initial price and the on-going monthly fees.

While they give the TiVo a great score of 8.3, they have quite a number of complaints about it. Which is just a little strange.

TiVo Series3 HD DVR Review

Mr. Mike Cullison over at TVPredictions.com took a look at DIRECTV’s new HD receiver/PVR, and he’s having some problems. He had to hard-reboot the thing a few times. Plus when playing back one particular recording the result was barely watchable. Mike had other problems as well.

This problematic PVR experience reminds me somewhat of my experience with our Scientific Atlanta SA8300HD. Though I didn’t have quite as many problems as Mike had, I did have my share. The worst is that sometimes it just doesn’t record a program you’ve set to record. I admit this hasn’t happened for a little while, but man it’s annoying. You can’t just fix the problem and then watch the show. It just wasn’t there!

This reminds me of a bug in the otherwise excellent Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms video game. If anyone at all had playtested this game with more than one player, the bug would have been glaringly obvious. (When two players are in the inventory screen, it the screen jitters and flickers.)

Why are there so many problems with consumer electronics devices? Is it because they’re getting more complicated? Because companies aren’t devoting enough resources to testing? A combination of both? Or don’t they care anymore, knowing that they can fix the problems eventually?

Which is why I like it when a company actually seems to care about the user experience. Which is why I’m loving my MacBook upon which I’m typing this. And I love the iPod I bought before this. We need more of this, I think.

DIRECTV’s New HD DVR: One Man’s View

HDBeat Engadget HD has a review of TiVo’s latest greatest creation: the Series 3 HD TiVo. In case you don’t remember, this is the new $800 HD PVR from TiVo with two CableCARD slots.

Engadget HD (I’m still getting used to that name!) likes the build quality of the Series3, and thinks the redesigned remote is the bomb! (My words, not theirs.) They also note that the Series3 is the most responsive HD PVR they’ve used, which is a Good Thing.

One very very nice thing that I wish my PVR did is that you can block channels that you don’t watch. What a novel, interesting, and VERY USEFUL idea! (Hear that SA and Rogers?)

But what about picture quality? TiVo hits a home run here too, providing a great picture over the component video outputs. They didn’t try the HDMI output, which is a shame.

All in all, this cool new product just makes me ticked off that I live in Canada where TiVo’s aren’t sold or supported by cable companies. Dang!

Review: Series3 TiVo

Engadget has a hands-on session with TiVo’s new HD PVR. It lists for a princely sum of $799, and you need a subscription on top of that. But if your version of peanut butter and chocolate is PVR and HD, then this might just be the HD PVR you need.

Engadget does the device a once-over, looking at the design, the remote, functionality, HD details, and more. They even list some concerns they have with the device. They include some nice pics too, which is great. Though I personally like looking at the back of devices like this, so I wish their picture was bigger.

Hands-on with the TiVo Series3!

My HDTV is connected via an umbilical chord to my Scientific Atlanta SA8300HD PVR. It’s a decent PVR and gets the job done, but the GUI is in need of reworking. And sometimes it doesn’t record something that’s set to record. TiVo has been sending out letters to the FCC and cable operators.

The TiVo Series3 HD DVR product supports up to two CableCARD decoders. This product acts as two independent single stream UDCP CableCARD hosts within one set top box. It can also be configured to operate as a single CableCARD device.

This product is currently being tested by a small number of consumers in cable markets across the country, and will be generally available in retail stores soon. Thus, we wanted to ensure that you are aware of this product in time to make any necessary preparations to support customers who request two CableCARD decoders for their TiVo Series3 HD DVR.

So I’ve been wishing and hoping that TiVo would come to Canada, that they’d bring their HD TiVo with them, that it’s a two-tuner version, and that Rogers would start supporting CableCARD. Yeah I know - not gonna happen!

But supposedly in some areas of the States TiVo is doing some testing of their HD TiVo. It’s the Series 3 TiVo and it includes two CableCARDs.

TiVo tells FCC, cable operators to expect Series 3 boxes “soon”

OK so if you have more money than brains this is the package for you.

Absolutely every station, PPV event, 10 HD DVR’s, and your own concierge support line.

I guess the terms says single dwelling, but I bet that can be negotiated if one person owns multiple places.

This is perfect for the Rush Limbaugh’s of the world. He has Directv in his Florida home and office, plus his home and office in New York. He could easily use up the 10 HD DVR’s.

Anyway, signup here to part with your $7500/year

DIRECTV20-20TITANIUM

If you’re a long-time reader here, you may know that I have a SA8300HD PVR, courtesy of my cable company. I rent it. That’s the strategy I use to prevent myself from being obsoleted too fast. I’m glad I decided to rent instead of buy, actually, because this is my third PVR from Rogers. My first was an SD PVR, then second was the SA8000HD, and now I”m on my SA8300HD. But everyone know that the SA boxes have quirks. The most annoying of which is that it sometimes conveniently forgets to record something you’ve set to record.

So I’ve been waiting for the day that Rogers would provide me with a decent PVR. Alak and alas, that is not meant for my near future. But if I were a Comcast subscriber, I’d be dancing a jig of joy right now, because Comcast is testing the use of a TiVo HD PVR. They’ll start beta-testing the unit soon.

Is anybody at Rogers reading this? We want TiVo!!! Or at least please fix the bugs with the SA units. But really, I’d prefer a TiVo. Really.

[via HD Beat]

Comcast to begin testing HD TiVos