Toshiba TiVo/DVD Player Thoughts

By William Murray | May 28th, 2004 Comments (0)

Last week, Toshiba announced two DVD/TiVo units. The RS-TX20 and RS-TX60 both feature DVD-R/RW and TiVo Series2 functionality in a single device, with progressive scan component outputs and TiVo Basic. These units join a product line that was previously limited to the SD-H400, an 80 GB TiVo Series2 PVR with a progressive scan DVD player. As an SD-H400 owner, I am looking forward to these new products, but with a hint of trepidation.

Toshiba got a lot of things right with the SD-H400. By combining home theater components that share a primary function (to display video on an attached television), they lived up to my mantra of “minimalist materialism.” I bought my SD-H400 online for $250 ($400 – $50 sale – $100 rebate). So for less than the cost of a standalone 80-hour TiVo Series2 unit, I got a progressive scan DVD player as well. Like Toshiba’s new products, the SD-H400 shipped with TiVo Basic, a free version of their service that trims a few features, but you can upgrade to standard TiVo service for the usual $12.95/month or $299/lifetime. The primary differences are:

1. TiVo Basic has a 3-day program guide vs. a 14-day guide.
2. TiVo Basic does not have Season Pass, WishList, or TiVo Recommends. You can still set repeat or one-time recordings and control live TV, though.

TiVo and TiVo Basic share the same intuitive interface, so the decision to upgrade should be based on individual viewing habits. Regardless, the unit works as you might expect, but its “combo” nature provides a few added bonuses. It takes up less space and simplifies wiring. Toggling between live TV, recorded programming, and DVD playback is easier. And, of course, TiVo Basic is free. After several months of use, I have only two complaints that I hope Toshiba will correct with the RS-TX20 and RS-TX60:

1. The SD-H400 is incompatible with TiVo’s “peanut” remote, which is generally regarded as one of the best ever. Unfortunately, the unit’s bundled remote suffers from poor button placement and is missing one or two crucial functions (why can’t I jump between two channels?).
2. There is no ethernet port or WiFi functionality. You can use a broadband connection for the unit’s regular updates, but you’ll have to purchase a USB-to-ethernet or USB-to-802.11x adapter from Linksys, Netgear, or another manufacturer.

If the new Toshiba DVD/TiVo units address these shortcomings, then they should really stand out.

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