I got an email about the new dual tuner series 2 Tivo today. I feel compelled to get one even though I almost never have conflicts.

I don't care much about HD so this would be about perfect.

I'll probably wait for more info to surface. I want to know how well it deals with having two tuners with different channel line ups.

It doesn't support two different lineups when using the built-in tuners as far as I know. It uses only a single coax connection so that means only a single cable source. You can also connect one external input (external cable box, sat box or vcr etc..)

Once you've used two tuners you'll wonder how you lived without it. I could never have truly enjoyed a single tuner TiVo. Two tuners is about 10 times more useful than 1. The benefit drops off significantly after 2 though.

It's a shame the box can't control nor record two external inputs. This would not have cost them much to add, considering the bulk of the cost would likely be the MPEG encoder chips (which it already has a pair of).

TiVo teased me earlier in the year with official data support for Canada and now finally dual tuner stand-alone. But even if the single external source was not a deal breaker, their subscription service is. I won't pay a monthly fee. A PVR is a product, it is NOT a service.

Guide data costs real money, but they need to think of a better business model if they want to capture significant market share. This is especially hurtful when you're essentially paying twice for the same thing (Digital cable already pipes guide data).

Bruno

Well if you hook the cable box with digital cable to the line in and the regular analog cable to the rf in there would be two different channel line ups so I wonder how it deals with that.

I agree about not wanting to go back after having two tuners. I had a driectivo for a week and it was nice if only because it would get way more suggestions.

I have been paying the monthly fee for so long I don't even think about it anymore. They could go with larger up front cost and no monthly fee but I am guessing people wouldn't got for it. Replay originally did that but switched to the tivo model.

I don't understand either why they didn't include two line inputs so you could use two cable boxes.

Will us poor UK souls ever see a return of Tivo?

I curse Sky+!

I'm not particularly excited about it for myself, but I have friends with analog cable and it would be perfect for them. Too bad they don't want to pay the subscription fee.

Dual tuners is a huge deal, though. I simply wouldn't be able to watch all the shows I want to watch if it weren't for the dual tuners on the DirecTivo boxes.

Does anyone know when the new box is coming out? Engadget failed in this regard. I hate how they claim they read their comments, but they don't bother updating their posts with vital information that people point out is missing. They posted about the product being released, then posted a hands-on review, but never said when it was being released. The impression I got was that the product was already out!

Know what you mean, mine's on its second HDD now (which was no real problem to deal with) but if the logic board ever failed... arrrgh!

I find it hard to believe that it wouldn't be profitable to sell them (even if it was as limited as direct mail order sales) - they're doing the heavy lifting work for existing UK Tivo subscribers in terms of channel lineups already!

Hugo

The email links to the tivo online store with one in your cart and it doesn't say anything about it being a pre order so I thought they were shipping now.

What's wrong with Sky+? I moved to it from TiVo and have never looked back.

TiVo was a nightmare if you had Sky

Because I don't have Sky and never intend to. Freeview has all I need.

With Freeview expanding it's channel line-up pretty nicely, I keep considering canning my increasingly-problematic Sky+ box, and going for the Humax PVR9200T, but I think I (well, my wife) will miss the fantastically user-friendly interface of Sky+, the series-linking and the easy start-watching-a-program-before-it-has-finished feature.

Has anyone tried the Humax?

Nick