Here’s another review of the newly announced TiVo HD DVR system – this time from the folks at CNET. You’ll find both a written review as well as a video review on the site. CNET rated the box a 7.7 out of 10 and had this to say as their verdict:

While it’s not compatible with your cable company’s pay-per-view and video-on-demand services, the TiVo HD’s excellent onscreen interface and long list of network and Internet features puts it in a class above the generic high-def DVRs offered by most cable providers.

Curious about the cons? Here’s the list from CNET:

Until expandable storage option is supported, the TiVo HD is limited to 20 hours of HD video capacity; requires monthly fee in addition to cable bill; sluggish transitions between menu screens; does not work with pay-per-view, video-on-demand, and switched digital video services; no TiVo To Go or Multi-Room Viewing functionality; must program 30-second skip; no picture-in-picture.

The problem I have with their cons is the mention that the box doesn’t perform pay-per-view nor video-on-demand. This will never work with any third party set-top box except for ones provided by the cable company. So you might as well say this is a con for any Windows Media Center based HTPC too. That’s where the added value comes into play from the cable company’s vantage. So the real question to all of you is – how valuable is the pay-per-view and video-on-demand services to  you at the end of the day? I never use mine so I’d gladly switch to TiVo for their awesome UI.

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Technorati Tags: CNET, TiVo HD, Review