Moxi cuts price on its DVR, adds step-up model with a triple tuner

The Moxi HD DVR (left) and the Moxi Mate extender.

(Credit: Arris)

When we last heard from upstart DVR maker Digeo, the company had been bought out by networking and communications company Arris. Thankfully for owners of Digeo's Moxi DVR, though, it appears that the company's new corporate godfather is doubling down on the video recorder product line: It's debuting an updated version of its DVR with a triple tuner and initiating a round of price cuts on existing model (and related bundles).

The full details:

• Moxi HD DVR with triple tuner: A new version of the Moxi DVR will enable recording of three simultaneous HD programs (while playing back a fourth recorded program). It's available in two bundles: a two-room bundle (with one Moxi Mate extender) for $799, or a three-room bundle (with two Moxi Mates) for $999.
• Price drop on the dual-tuner Moxi HD DVR: Formerly $799, the current dual-tuner version of the Moxi HD DVR will now be $499. That makes it very competitive with the TiVo HD XL, which has a sticker price of $599 and--unlike the Moxi--requires an additional monthly, yearly, or lifetime subscription fee.
• Moxi Mate price drop and live TV streaming: Currently, the Moxi Mate only allows you to stream programs recorded on the main Moxi DVR into another room of your home. After a software upgrade that's due later this year, the Moxi Mate will also support streaming live TV from the main Moxi as well. (The caveat: the Mate will need to tap a "free" tuner on the main DVR, so you may need to kill a recording in process if you want to channel surf.) Standalone Moxi Mates drop to $299 from $399.

So, what do you think: Does the price drop on the Moxi make it a more attractive TiVo competitor? Do you have any interest in the multiroom features? Share your thoughts below.

[csansom]

$799??? $999???? Ummmm, no thanks

While it does seem high, it can quickly come down in price when you factor in the rental charges associated with your cable companies. To have 2 cable boxes with HD and DVR it would cost me about $30/month. After 3 years, a very realistic lifespan for this device I would have paid for the Moxi & the Moxi Mate.

And on top of it a better on screen interface get access to my music, movies, photo's, Hulu & Netflix. As well as expandable hard drives for the DVR that are shareable over the network.

This definitely isn't for everyone, butt the price isn't as awful as it seems at first. You're just paying for it up front, instead of monthly with the cable companies.

[MDHDMan]

These seem like fair prices to me, given the power of the more expensive models and the price drop on the two-tuner models.

As an aside, I have to wonder why it is that DVR/DVD-recorder combos became such a marketplace dud that they are now extinct. You'd think that consumers would have wanted a DVD replacement for the now obsolete VCR. I realize that the DVRs reviewed here are HD and that there are licensing/piracy concerns that have prohibited the inclusion of Blu-ray recorders; but I would still like to see DVD recorders as an optional feature of these DVRs.

[wirelesscaller]

Thank goodness for htpc, silicon dust, and hdtv with computer inputs, much cheaper option over the three year haul.

[Remo_Williams]

Not a recommended buy. All that tech, no DVD slot? No Ethernet jack and micro OS? In effect, lots of money for tuners, no convergence, so no sale.

[ian84]

Actually there is ethernet built into these.

And the price is actually much better than TiVo. TiVo wants $600 for the HD XL box plus $13/month or $130/year for subsription. Not to mention if you ever cancel your subscription, you can't even play back the content saved on the DVR.

The bundle for $800 includes a high capacity DVR (capable of 1080p not 1080i like TiVo), as well as an expander to watch the recordings in another room. The best part, there is no subscription for the service, just buy the hardware. They are also upgrading the extenders to be able to serve as cable boxes.

Sure, its not for everyone, but I have been wanting to get rid of our comcast hd dvr for a TiVo, but I couldn't justify a subscription fee on top of the cost of the hardware. If I am spending hundreds up front for the box and have cable service, then I should be able to use the device for free. I already pay a monthly fee for the box from comcast and i can't even watch my programs on another tv without exchanging the rest of our hd cable boxes for dvrs and added monthly fees.

This seems like the perfect solution for me. DVR in every room and no monthly rental/subscription fees for a hardware price comparable to TiVo.

[Orengeman]

How is 3 tuners helpful if premium channels can't be viewed from my cable provider without a set-top box and that box only has 2 tuners?

[krosafcheg]

"How is 3 tuners helpful if premium channels can't be viewed from my cable provider without a set-top box and that box only has 2 tuners?"

You would return the STB and instead get a CableCard from your cable provider to put in the back of the Moxi - that way it could access all of the channels you are subscribed to without the need for the additional box.