CableCos just don’t want to have to give hardware to customers for use and abuse if they can help it, which is why OpenCable is getting as much of an industry push as it can get. For some reason, Tivo did not make Series3 compatible with OpenCable (which will allow the equipment/TV manufacturers to make their own cable box), switched video (evolution of how to fit more channels on the system) or CableCard2 (which support both of the above tech.)

Don’t know why that is. They simply omitted the hardware for a return channel in the S3 so all these technologies, which depend on two-way communication with the cable cableco hardware (like it does for VOD) won’t work. I know Time Warner has been using switched video for almost a year, I guess it hasn’t hit the NYC market?

Point is, Tivo’s had the Series3 on display at numerous CES shows and for some reason chose not to implement a return feed for future CableCard developments that will hinge on them. That will make them obsolete when cable systems deploy the new infastructure. TVs with CableCard have (IIRC) a return channel because that’s been in the digital cable spec for some time, it’s just the current card that doesn’t support it. Of course OpenCable will give you a new interactive interface designed/chosen by your cable co, so maybe TiVo decided preserving their interface was more important than future-proofing their boxes.

As for Universal HD, it does air content from both channels, but it’s all repeats. They don’t run anything first-run, so unless I want to be a season behind in everything I have to catch it on USA or Scifi.