When You're Done With “Cute” And Ready For “Awesome”
Of course you've heard of TiVo... maybe you even own one. Hats off to the little fella; he did indeed pioneer the DVR industry a decade ago. But times have changed.
Below is a summary of the key differences between the Moxi HD DVR and TiVo. Also, make sure to read our Features Page.
| Moxi HD DVR | TiVo HD XL DVR* | Generic Cable DVR** | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD Tuners | 2 and 3 tuner versions available. For 3 tuner models, watch one HD/SD program while recording two other HD/SD programs, or record three HD/SD programs while playing back a fourth recorded show. | 2 tuners (watch one HD program while recording another or record two HD programs while playing back a third recorded show) | Varies by provider—some 1 tuners (can watch one HD program while recording another); some 2–tuners (record two HD programs while playing back a third recorded show) |
| 1080p HD Menus/Interface | Yes—Born in High–Definition (HD) and supports 1080p resolution | No | No |
| Live TV in the Menu Navigation | Allows you to continue watching your program while searching; two–dimensional menu system; all features use Moxi’s native HD interface | No | Varies by provider |
| Multi–Room Sharing | Connect multiple Moxi HD DVRs and Moxi Mates to cover every room in the home. Moxi Mates can access all of the content available on a Moxi HD DVR, including live TV, at a fraction of the cost. No monthly DVR service fees for the Moxi HD DVR or the Moxi Mate. | Requires multiple TiVo DVRs + applicable DVR service fee(s) and time-consuming content transfers | Generally no, but may vary by provider |
| Search Options | Filters (HD, Kids, Sports, News, Movies); automatically programs favorite channels into a filter; category search; keyword search; search by any word in the title | Category search; keyword search (Swivel Search™); suggests like programs; can set up WishLists to auto record; search by first word in the title | Varies by provider—usually standard browsing; keyword search; search by first word in the title |
| Recording Management | Manage your recordings all in one place—watch, delete, protect or keep for a certain time period; manage series recordings by choosing to record the entire series, one episode only or record new episodes only; prioritize series set to record, which allows Moxi to automatically record higher priority shows; automatically delete your oldest programs to make room for new ones | Manage your recordings all in one place—watch, delete, protect or keep for a certain time period; manage series recordings with Season Pass Manager™—set priorities by choosing to record the entire series, one episode only or record new episodes only; automatically delete your oldest programs to make room for new ones | Manage your recordings all in one place—watch, delete, protect or keep for a certain time period; manage series recordings by choosing to record the entire series, one episode only or record new episodes only; automatically delete your oldest programs to make room for new ones. Smaller storage space means programs get deleted quicker. |
| Online Scheduling | From Moxi.com; record using any Internet connected PC or web–enabled mobile phone | From tivo.com, tvguide.com, meevee.com, yahoo.com or zap2it.com; record via any Internet connected PC or web–enabled mobile phone | Varies by provider |
| Real-Time Online Scheduling Conflict Resolution |
Real-time conflict resolution and real time updating | Email notifications | No (excluding Moxi cable products) |
| Online Access | Get the latest news, sports, weather, financial and entertainment information from your TV with the ease of your remote all while watching live TV with SuperTicker™; bookmark your favorite websites and view them on your TV with MoxiNet | Buy movie tickets with Fandango®; order pizza from Domino's®, Yahoo® Weather & Traffic | Limited; varies by provider |
| Computer Access | Yes, with any DLNA server software on your computer. | Yes (requires FREE TiVo Desktop software for the PC or Mac) | No |
| Music | Stream music from PCs and Macs on your home network (with Windows Media Player for PCs, MediaTomb for Macs or any DLNA or UPnP server software); access Rhapsody® music service (account required), listen to Internet radio | Stream music from PCs or Macs on your home network (requires FREE TiVo Desktop software for the PC or FREE TiVo Desktop software for the Mac); access Rhapsody® music service (account required), download free music videos from Music Choice; listen to Internet radio and audio podcasts | No |
| Photos | Share photos from PCs and Macs on your home network (with Windows Media Player for PCs, MediaTomb for Macs or any DLNA or UPnP server software); Flickr® | Share photos and personal home videos from PCs on your home network (requires FREE TiVo Desktop software for the PC or FREE TiVo Desktop software for the Mac); Photobucket, Picasa™, One True Media | No |
| Videos | Stream videos from PCs or Macs on your home network, watch online content from YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and other online content accounts (requires additional software purchase of PlayOn™ Digital Media Server Software from Media Mall Technologies for PCs or TwonkyMedia™ Server software for Macs; purchase or registration of accounts with third party providers may be required) | Stream videos from PCs or Macs on your home network (requires additional software purchase of TiVo Desktop Plus software for the PC or Roxio® Toast Titanium for the Mac) Netflix; Amazon Videos On–Demand; YouTube; Disney movies from CinemaNow; Jasman and other online content accounts (purchase or registration of accounts with third party providers may be required) | No |
| Business, Sports, News & Weather Internet Content |
With Moxi SuperTicker™ you can get the latest news, sports, weather, financial and entertainment information right on your TV with the ease of your remote all while watching live TV; or bookmark your favorite websites and view them on your TV with MoxiNet | Some—Yahoo® Weather & Traffic | Some—varies by provider |
| Arcade Games | Blackjack, QuizzMaster, Sudoku and more | No | Varies by provider |
| Memory | 500 GB; records up to 75 hours of HD or up to 300 hours of Standard–Definition (SD) | 1 TB; records up to 150 hours of HD or 1350 hours of SD | Varies by provider—generally up to 160 GB |
| External Memory | 6 terabyte eSATA external hard drive stores up to 1000 hours of HD and 4000 hours of SD recordings. | Expandable up to 1 TB with the Western Digital My DVR Expander | Rarely expandable; when available provider may charge an extra monthly fee |
| Provider Compatibility | Works with virtually any cable provider via a CableCARD decoder from your cable company to receive digital and HDTV; records both SD and HDTV; doesn’t work with antenna or satellite | Works with virtually any cable provider via a CableCARD decoder from your cable company to receive digital and HDTV; records both SD and HDTV, works with antenna, doesn’t work with satellite | Generally owned by your cable provider and not portable |
| Remote | Standard backlit remote | Standard backlit remote | Standard “no glo” remote but may vary by provider |
| Live TV Control | Rewind, fast–forward, pause, and slow–mo live TV | Rewind, fast–forward, pause, and slow–mo live TV | Rewind, fast–forward, pause, and slow–mo live TV |
| Live TV Buffer | Records and stores 1–3 hours of live TV HD content depending upon how many tuners are being used for recording at the time | Records and stores 30 minutes of live TV HD content | Varies by provider—usually records and stores 15–30 minutes of live TV HD content |
| Commercials | Skip commercials with the press of a single button; No advertising on paused screens | Programmable to skip commercials with the press of a single button (requires program code); has advertising on select paused screens | Varies by provider |
| Upfront Cost† | Hardware: $499 Installation: $0–$75 |
Hardware: $499 Installation: $0–$75 |
Varies by provider and promotional offers—typically consists of an installation charge of $0–$75 |
| Additional Fees† | DVR Service Fee: $0† CableCARD™ Rental Fee (charged by Cable provider): $0–$4.99 |
Monthly DVR Service Fee: $12.95 Or Annual DVR Service Fee: $129 Or 3–year DVR Service Fee: $299 Or Product Lifetime DVR Service Fee: $399 CableCARD™ Rental Fee (charged by Cable provider): $0–$4.99 |
Monthly DVR Service fee & Hardware Lease Fee: $10–$25 |
| * | Comparisons based on tivo.com store pricing as of 8/1/09. |
| ** | Comparison based on typical rates for basic DVR services, DVR, and remote for HD DVRs from cable providers. |
| † | For non–cable products, installation charges are cable operator charges for installation of a CableCARD. Does not include special promotional offers. Certain optional features or services may be subject to additional fees and/or require purchase of additional software or devices. |
So just how much DOES a Moxi cost?
It's surprisingly affordable. Check out the
4-year cost of ownership comparison:
