Yama-hama, that’s a whole lotta TiVo. The company that put digital video recording on the map has just released a monster in the TiVo Premiere Elite, a $500 set-top box that can record four different shows at once and stores up to 300 hours of high-definition video. If you’re of a more nerdacious persuasion, that’s four digital tuners and a two-terabyte hard drive.
Other accoutrements (you recognize that word if you’re considering dropping $500 on this thing) include online access to Netflix, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Blockbuster and YouTube content along with THX certification and the ability to stream content from your computer.
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As mentioned, the box will set you back a cool $500—you’ll also need to pony up $20 per month for TiVo service, or you can drop another $500 on lifetime service if you’re well-heeled enough to do so. A digital cable subscription is a requirement as well: TiVo’s press release stresses, “The TiVo Premiere Elite is intended for use with digital cable systems only and does not work with analog cable or over-the-air antennas.”
There’s still no built-in Wi-Fi connection, either. You’ll have to go with an Ethernet cable or pony up for a compatible USB wireless add-on. TiVo sells a high-speed one for $90 and a regular-speed one for $60. Owie.
As for a launch date, we’ve got this to work with: “Pending FCC approval of TiVo’s request to waive a requirement to include analog tuners, The TiVo Premiere Elite will be available by the end of the year…” Ah, those quick, nimble and efficient government agencies—those are the ones you want to depend on for your timely product launch.