HDTivo = Highly Delayed Tivo
Posted at September 14, 2006 10:21 PM - Category: Stuff
I'm nuts about TV. Seriously, it's my favorite media format. I'm especially a fan of serialized shows that follow a single story arc from week to week over the course of a season or a series. And luckily for me, this kind of show is becoming more and more popular (which is a welcome change from the sitcom and reality crap that used to flood the airwaves).
One problem with that kind of format is that if you miss an episode, it's more severe than other shows. So, it's one of the biggest reasons I've wanted a Tivo for a long time. For me, it's not the cost that's been the issue, it's HDTV support. So, when I heard word of the Series3 Tivo, I was all over it like white on rice. I've seriously been chomping at the bit to get one, no matter the cost. Now that it's out, most people are put off by the $800 price tag, but for something that's going to change how I watch TV and will keep everything in the nice, high quality I like, it's perfect for my needs, no matter what the cost.
Anyhoo, it was annouced by Engadget that it would be released this Tuesday, so I opened up Tivo in my browser before heading to bed so I could just hit Cmd+R in the morning to refresh the page and order one quickly. No, I'm not kidding. I did so and had mine ordered by 9am EST on Tuesday. My geek factor was high that day.
Unfortunately, there are two very bad things I hadn't planned on happening. The first was at 9:30am when I called up Comcast to get the required CableCards to handle the digital cable and encrypted channels I subscribe to. For those not familiar, a CableCard is basically your standard PCMCIA card that holds some data to allow any CableCard-using device to access the premium content you might be getting over your cable line. The FCC has mandated that every cable company provide them so that we're not forced into using the cable company's boxes. This Tivo will replace my cable box completely. However, despite being dead simple to install (slide in the slot, read some codes from the screen to a technician on the phone, and repeat for card number 2), they are requiring that a technician come out to install these for me. And apparently they are backed up, so I can't get it until Oct 2nd! Luckily, Lost, my favoritest show ever, isn't going to premiere until the 4th, so it should be all set in time. But if they had delayed further, someone at Comcast would be dead right now. So, no pure HD until the 2nd.
As for the 2nd issue, I got this message tonight:
Dear TiVo Customer,
Thank you for your TiVo Store purchase. Unfortunately, due to excessive order volumes for the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder, your shipment has been delayed. We will be refunding all shipping charges to your account. The credit should post to your account within 3-7 business days.
Please be assured we will be shipping your order no later than Friday, 9/15/06. You will receive a shipment confirmation email with the tracking information at that time. We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. In the meantime, if you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at (877) 367-8486.
Best regards,
TiVo Customer Support
Not as bad as the CableCard issues, but still... Good thing I chose the overnight shipping option, though :)
