If you have cable TV and want to record HD more than likely your cable company will offer to lease you a Motorola 6412. It certainly isn't a TiVo as it doesn't offer its sleek interface, suggestions, or any number of other features but overall it will get the job done as you can record two shows at once and watch a previously recorded show at the same time.

      Our real complaint about the 6412 is its poor analog image. Since the analog image needs to be converted to digital for recording the image is degraded. The remote control is programmable and can control your TV and AV receiver. The 6412 has a 120GB drive and if possible request the 6416 as it comes with 160GBs, which will give you a few more hours of HD recordings. The monthly leasing fee varies from $10 to $20 a month.

      Extended Use Report

      Having used several Motorola 6416s for a year or more the best thing we can say about them is they are reliable. Sure we had one stop working at all and on one occasion for some bizarre reason it didn't record a few programs that were scheduled. Another quirk was at times the audio would stop which could be restored by playing a recorded show.

      Considering the number of hours they were in use that's not a bad record. Beyond its poor analog image we noted above our biggest complaint is its rather meeker storage. Even the larger 6416 offers at best 20 hours of HD recordings, which limits your time-shifting ability. Forget about recording marathons of your favorite shows or keeping shows around for a rainy day.

      There simply isn't enough storage space that became even more obvious when we were testing out a couple of TiVo HDs upgraded to 96 hours each (750GB drives). All of a sudden we felt free. No longer did we have to continuously decide if we should record this or that or what should we delete to make room for something else!

      Speaking of the TiVo we noticed its HD image was superior to that of the Motorola's. Not by a tremendous amount however the image appeared more detailed.  Also the TiVo was considerably quieter.

      We won't turn this into a Motorola 6412 versus TiVo HD report as they each serve a different purpose. If you want the ability to record two shows at once and view them at your leisure the 6412 will serve you well. If you will be staying with cable for the foreseeable future it might be worthwhile to invest in TiVo.

- Samsung DTB-H260F -
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      If you are only looking to watch OTA or unencrypted QAM digital broadcasts Samsung DTB-H260F ($179) should be all you need. Of course you also need an antenna but you won't be paying a monthly fee to receive OTA digital broadcasts.

      Should you decide to use it to view local cable programming note that many cable companies encrypt their premium channels and some even their local network channels so be sure to check with your local provider to find out which channels will be viewable.

      Supported resolutions include 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. HDMI and component outputs along with digital audio up to 5.1 lets you watch and listen to HDTV at its best. Other features include a signal strength meter and several guide formats to view available programming.

- TiVo HD -
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Pick of the Page

      When we switched to cable for better HD quality we stopped using TiVo even though the Series3 was available. The only reason was cost. The monthly TiVo service fee was less than the cable company's lease on their DVR but we still had to purchase the Series3 and pay a monthly fee for two CableCARDs. TiVo must have been reading our minds as their newly announced TiVo HD comes in at only $299.

      What do you give up when paying $500 less? Some hard drive space and a fancier remote. All of the other features of the Series3 that the cable company's DVR can't offer are included. Here are a few highlights.

• Record up to two cable or OTA programs at a time
• 30-second commercial skip
• Downloadable content from Amazon's Unbox and TiVoCast videos
• Internet radio and podcasts
• Local streaming of music and photos
• Record OTA digital stations

      However the biggest difference just might be the TiVo interface. It's pretty much identical to their other models, which is a good thing. It's slick and fun to use and would never be confused with your local cable company's DVR. When they activate external storage to increase recording hours we will highly recommend adding one next to your new HD set or projector.

      Hands-on Report

      Having used various TiVos since 1999 I really enjoy using them. Without a doubt they do most things better than their competition but there is just some thing intangible that makes you feel good about using them. More than likely it's the simple yet elegant interface that allows you to pick up the remote and instantly feel comfortable. You never feel lost or confused. If you have used Sonos or to some degree Apple's iPods you will understand what I'm saying. Creating an interface that's simple and enjoyable is much harder than one would think and we can't help but root for companies who value their user's experience.

      The new TiVo HD carries on this tradition with the same interface found on their early models for a lot less money than the Series3. Installation was a breeze and within a few minutes we were watching OTA HD. Unfortunately a few days later when our local cable installer came to install the CableCARDs we hit a snag.

      The installer didn't follow the instructions provided by TiVo and tried to activate both CableCARDs at once, which didn't work, as we couldn't view the encrypted premium channels. After a half dozen calls to the home office and an hour or so they activated one card at a time and we were good to go.

      With the release of the TiVo HD TiVo can now compete with your local company's HD DVR. Using our math over a three-year period the cost of the TiVo HD and its monthly fee comes close to what your cable company charges for their HD DVR. Of course the comparison will vary by market so you'll have to do the math for yourself to see which is a better deal cost wise.

      From a user experience we think it's not even close. The TiVo HD does virtually everything your cable box will do and offers that endearing interface along with a few killer features to be offered this November such as:

• TiVo2Go - View recorded HD shows on your PC
• MRV - View recorded HD shows on another TiVo HD
• Don't forget all of the current features including viewing Internet content

      With the TiVo HD pricing and feature set we recommend replacing your local cable company's boxes with TiVos. Currently we only see two reasons not to with one being obvious and the other could come as quite a surprise. Since the cost is top heavy if you don't plan on using TiVo for three years or so the added benefits might be worth the additional cost.

      The other is SDV. What's SDV? Switched Digital Video. It's the latest effort by cable companies to increase their bandwidth in order for them to carry more channels. Currently it has been rolled out in very few areas of the country but it has the potential to wreck havoc with TiVo since TiVo models can't receive any channels using SDV.

      There is hope, as TiVo believes they can offer a USB device that plugs into the TiVo HD devices that enables it to fully support SDV. We are certainly hoping they are allowed to offer such if and when SDV takes off. Other wise we will be right back to where we were having to take whatever cable offers us.

- TiVo Series3 -
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      Since 1999 we have loved using TiVo DVRs. Initially the DirecTiVo followed by the HD version the HR10-250. They were outright fun to operate and never missed a recording. With dual-tuners and a few good suggestions based on our thumbs up or down ratings we couldn't ask for anything more. Except perhaps for a little more storage and that was addressed by swapping the installed drive for a larger one. Easily installed by you or a third-party.

      Both of the above worked only as DirecTV receivers and DirecTV has stopped offering TiVo DVRs. So TiVo turned to the cable TV industry with their Series3 DVR ($799). It has all the features of the past models and has added a few advanced ones of its own. Including web based scheduling and the ability to play Internet based audio and video.

      As much as we like the Series 3 we just can't get ourselves to recommend it unless price isn't an object. Compared to the cost of the DVR the cable company will lease you it just doesn't add up. First you have to buy the Series 3. Then you have to pay for the TiVo service at $12.95 - $16.95 a month based on how long you subscribe and finally in most cases you have to lease two CableCARDs (one for each tuner) from your cable company.

      All the monthly fees end up costing more than the monthly fee for your cable's DVR. Not to mention you had to buy the Series3 and if something happens to it down the road you can't call your cable company to come out and swap units. Certainly TiVo offers more than your cable's DVR but to our eyes not enough to justify the increased cost. They both record up to two analog or digital shows at once while you watch a recording and that accounts for about 95% of the reasons you use a DVR.

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