These ads can work on live TV or prerecorded content, with Fox and Mercedes-Benz lined up among the system's first customers.

Luckily, the feature seems to be quarantined to pausing only for the time being, while unrolling only to Series 2 customers first, sparing those of use with Series 3 and TiVo HD boxes from the ads...for now. Evidently, asking customers to pay a reasonable subscription cost for small bits of publicly available data to be downloaded to proprietary hardware sold above cost is just not as profitable as it used to be.

TiVo, look at how Microsoft has fooled us. They've stuck ads all over the Xbox 360 in spite of subscription costs. But they haven't utilized those ads in a way that would distract from the system's core function: gameplay. We haven't seen these new pausing ads yet (anyone with a Series 2 at home, feel free to grab us a shot), but our initial inclination is that they distract from core function and are thereby even eviler than your standard ad whoring. [electronista]

From reader K.C.

Yes, we are nearing the end of production on this particular model of the Series3 hardware. However, we are not 'End Of Lifing' the product (EOL). Development continues on new features and capabilities for all Series3 platforms, including this specific model. There is no impact to current or future customers of this model, they can continue to expect and enjoy the TiVo Service on their DVR. Availability of the 250G model will vary from retailer to retailer throughout the year, and as a result we are currently recommending the TiVo HD model as an alternative solution for their customers.

[TivoLovers via TV Squad]

WeaKnees is asking $1,599 for the device, and that's after the $200 mail-in rebate. And while we can appreciate the modding they've done to slip in the extra internal terabyte drive, that eSATA requires all of one minute of user installation.

We'll pay for convenience all day long, but at that price, we'd rather just pony up for a full-blown media PC...or pay someone to invent this thing. [weaknees ] Thanks James!

Here's what TiVo platform product manager Andrew Morrison told us about the funky timing:

This was a stategic release for TiVo. We have been focused on shipping our HD platforms giving our customers what they have been demanding, while continuing to work on the advanced features our early-adopter customers value. By delivering MRV and TiVoToGo in November, we will be able to offer this advanced functionality not only to those purchasing a new HD TiVo for the holidays, but also to our valued long-time customers who have grown attached to the benefits of multi-room viewing and TiVoToGo.

This is what TiVo's Bob Pony recently posted to the TiVo Community Forum:

I know you've been anxiously awaiting TiVoToGo and Multi-Room Viewing on your Series3 and TiVoHD boxes.

I wanted to let you know that development has been progressing smoothly, and all is well. You can expect TTG & MRV to be available for Series3 and TiVoHD this November.

These features will provide support for video transfers between Series3 & Series2 systems and between a Series3/Series2 system and a PC. High Definition content will not be supported for transfer or playback on a Series2 system (Series2's just can't play HD), and copy-protected High Def or Standard Def content cannot be transferred (same as our current Series2 products).

But how does it perform? Hit the jump for our Frankenreview: a promised consensus, once and for all, on whether or not the new Tivo HD is pants-worthy.

BusinessWeek
Here's the relatively minor downside: The system lacks the premium THX audio output. It stores just 20 hours' worth of high-definition programming, compared with 32 hours on the Series3. And like all third-party Cablecard products, it cannot handle on-demand or pay-per-view programming.

PCMag
Users of older, standard-definition TiVos and some DVRs may find the TiVo HD a bit slower, particularly when the system is updating its two-week programming guide. This is a consequence of having to draw much more information for an HD screen. But common searches require fewer clicks on the remote than with the sometimes clunky interfaces seen on cable-company DVRs.

PCWorld
...the 5.1-channel Dolby audio that the TiVo HD captured when recording HD channels sounded really nice, even though the new model lacks the Series3's THX audio- and video-quality certification. I noticed, however, that the audio on a couple of HD recordings was slightly out of sync with the video.

CNET
...hard-core couch potatoes may be chagrined to realize that the TiVo HD can toggle between only any two live sources. So while you can record two programs simultaneously, you can't switch to or record a third live program, even if it's coming in off the antenna. You can, however, view a previously recorded program while recording two others.

Tivo Lovers
Interestingly, this chip seems to be quite capable. It can also do transcoding of digital content between MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, as well as other formats...There has been a lot of speculation since this was uncovered yesterday that the chip could be used for other tasks, such as transcoding HD video to SD video for MRV to S2 units. It could possibly transcode other video formats for playback on the TiVo, or even conceivably handle built-in place-shifting. It is certainly fuel for speculation.

Gizmodo
Everything we've discussed in the recent past is there: Amazon Unbox downloads, One True Media video and photo sharing, Yahoo! and Fandango. But most of all, it's a $300 way to unlock the HD cable subscription I pay a ridiculous amount of money for but can't navigate using standard cable boxes.

Now just me...
Most of the quotes here are (fairly) nitpicking a product that ends up being scored quite highly. My guess is that most of the minor complaints are firmware fixable, with some even ironed out by the time consumers can get their hands on the units in a few weeks.

The bottom line: if you wanted a Series 3 but were too cheap to partake, you made a good decision. Buy buy buy. And something tells us if Jason were holding a Tivo HD right now, it would be within the confines of his glorious, unwashed denim.

Thanks to PCMag for images.

Questions [Gizmodo]

Contest Questions [Gizmodo]

Contest Questions [Gizmodo]

Contest Questions [Gizmodo]

Mail all answers to contests@gizmodo.com (one big email, not one email per question) with the subject line "Eureka Trivia". Contest ends July 10. Here are the questions:

1. Which invention's name dropped an H because Americans are foul-mouthed and mostly illiterate?

2. What was invented when a guy couldn't get to his delicious, delicious ice cream in time?

3. What popular product could you make legally in your bathtub, as the formula has never been patented?

4. Jamie Lee Curtis, famous movie star and children's novelist, is the inventor of what?

5. What Utah native and aspiring Disney parks employee is the reason millions never got laid in the '80s (and probably still don't today)?

6. Bonnie Tyler and Celine Dion owe Roberto Del Rosario a huge debt of thanks. Why?

7. Why are we thanking Ed Peterson for our weight problems and wrapper-strewn car floors?

8. Who was the original scissor sister?

9. Why does Gloria Steinem hate May 9th, 1958, more than any other date?

10. What item patented in 1999 allows children (and Richard Gere) to keep their gerbils and hamsters close to them at all times?

11. We have a lumberjack to thank for what, er, handy invention?

More details here.

Product Page [Buy.com - Thanks Jody!]

Do you go with a cheap $9 a month rental from Comcast and put up with all its flaws to save money? Do you plunk down a couple hundred bucks and a monthly fee for a TiVo Series 3 because it just works the way you want it? Do you go all out and spend a couple grand for a Vista Media Center that has every single extra feature you could possibly want in a PC? Or do you go to the other extreme and build your own MythTV/SageTV/XP Media Center machine out of spare parts?

Here are the ten things you should know before you decide.

0) Do you have HDTV cable and an HDTV set? The pre-requisite to even getting an HD DVR is actually having high def cable and an HDTV. Make sure you're signed up for high definition cable from your cable provider (it's usually $5-$15 more a month) and have an HDTV to watch it on. The super-cheap EDTV sets you find at Costco won't support up to the 1080i resolution that HD cable brings, which means all those extra pixels are going to waste. Make sure you have the necessary equipment before you go and spend the money on an HD recorder.

1) Are you cheap? This is the biggest and most important question. Admit it, you're cheap. Hell, I'm pretty cheap too. Do you really need to spend $500 or $2000 for a system only to have to keep on paying rental or subscription fees of nearly $100 a month? Do you really want to watch that much TV? If not, then renting a HD DVR from your cable company or building your own Myth TV or XP Media Center Edition box with an over the air (OTA) HD recorder could be for you.

2) Are you familiar with Linux/PCs? If you are cheap (see #1), then you're probably contemplating salvaging an old PC and building a media center out of that. The only problem is that MythTV requires anywhere from slight Linux knowledge (installing some packages) to uber haxor Linux knowledge (recompiling kernels, fiddling with code and compiling), depending on what PC components you already have and which ones you can get your hands on. Even if you're going for a Windows XP MCE-based box, you might still have to go out and look for drivers and download updates to your current software. It's not nearly as easy as buying a TiVo or a pre-built Vista Media Center box.

3) Does someone nontechnical need to use it? If you or your wife/husband/roommates don't know the first thing about computers, you're going to want to go with TiVo. Although Vista's CableCARD HTPC is pretty easy to use (as we saw in our TiVo head-to-head), it's still a PC and still suffers from the same old PC problems like freezing or crashing. If you want the absolute simplest interface while still keeping features intact, you'll want a TiVo Series 3. Also, if you've already owned a TiVo before, you're going to want to stick with TiVo. Learning another system, even if it is easy like Vista's Media Center, is unnecessary if you're already an expert at one.

4) Do you need DivX/XviD playback? If you're often downloading TV shows and movies off of BitTorrent, you're going to want a way to watch them on your TV. And if you don't have an upscaling DVD player that supports DivX, a Vista CableCARD HTPC or a do-it-yourself Myth/XP machine can do the trick. However, most of the time HDTV encodes you find on BitTorrent are of poorer quality than the feeds you get from your cable provider—because they've been re-encoded, naturally. You'll want to watch most of your TV programming from your DVR instead of from BitTorrent if you can help it.

5) Do you have Satellite TV? If you have Dish or DirecTV, your own provider has a box made just to cram down your throat, so you're usually stuck with those. The DIY solutions like MythTV or XP MCE won't work with satellite, but Microsoft and DirecTV said they're going to integrate an app/plug-in into Vista Media Centers that allow reception of DirecTV. In this case, the receiver is your Vista HTPC, which brings with it all the benefits that HTPC systems have.

6) Do you need photos and music? Gaming? Internet browsing? Vista Media Centers trounce TiVo when it comes to viewing photos and playing back your music. To a slightly lesser extent, so do MythTV and XP MCE boxes. If you're going to want to play games or browse the Internet from your couch like some kind of non-shitty WebTV, a PC is the way to go.

7) Do you need On Demand? HD cable in general? This one's a little tricky. For On Demand, the only HD DVR that supports this is the one from your cable company. Both TiVos and Vista machines don't. Also, if you want HD cable, that totally rules out home-made machines like MythTV, which don't have CableCARD support and can only get cable over the air using an ATSC card. Depending on where you live, how big an antenna you use (yeah, you'll have to use an antenna), and what channels your local stations broadcast in HD, you may or may not have the same experience as HD cable.

8) Do you watch a lot of TV? If you record a lot of TV, you're going to need a lot of space. The DVRs from your cable company only have 120GB of space (the Comcast Motorola box), TiVo only has 250GB unless you upgrade it with an external hard drive, but Vista Media Centers and do-it-yourself solutions are almost infinitely expandable thanks to the fact that they're PCs. In fact, you could even store the recordings on another server over the network, or burn them to DVDs if you want to archive them.

9) Can you stand a PC in the living room? We're fine with it, but many people hate the sight of a PC in their home entertainment setups. This is a huge win for TiVo, since it looks like it belongs in your media center. However, you can technically get an extender like an Xbox 360 and get the exact same experience as if you had the Vista Media Center in your living room. This way, you can house your machine in another room and have a (relatively) quiet front-end. The same is true for MythTV systems, which can also be extended with smaller front ends and have larger servers in the back room.

10) Do you love Macs? Although we prefer to go with a TiVo 3 or Vista Media Center, we know of a couple people that are so tied into the Apple ecosystem of iTunes music and movies that they really want that experience in the living room as well. Using something like a Miglia TVMini HD+, you can turn your Mac Mini into a DVR that even records in DivX. Add to that the fact that you have a Mac with Front Row attached to your TV—so you can easily watch iTunes movies or listen to iTunes music—and you have the perfect setup for a Mac head who wants DVR features. The only caveat, like the issues MythTV systems run into on #7, is that you can only record over the air HD and not stuff from cable. (Of course, TiVo's desktop app is well supported on the Mac, so you can stream music and photos from your Apple, and a MCE PC can still run iTunes.)

With all these options, it's probably tough to decide which one is right for you. There's no perfect solution right now (neither TiVo nor Vista HTPCs are great for everyone), so you should pick the features you really, really need to have and choose the DVR that meets most of them. – Jason Chen

For people like Dave Zatz, the choice is clear—TiVo all the way. It's cheaper, has an easier-to-use interface, doesn't require a PC in the living room and people just like it more than a Windows machine.

But for others who want DivX playback, gaming, more than two TV tuners, larger storage and all the benefits of a PC, they'll definitely go with a Vista system.

But what do you think? The ease of use and lower price of the TiVo or the better customizability but higher cost of the Vista HTPCs? – Jason Chen

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Head over to the forums to find out which drives and enclosures have been confirmed to work—which should be updated frequently—and various other gotchas you should look out for when doing your own upgrade. Brian will get right on it as soon as he's done cleaning the bodily fluids off. – Jason Chen

Series 3 Upgrade FAQ [TiVo Community]