I was able to meet up with the folks at TiVo today and get the official word on the rumors that surfaced yesterday about the "announcement" of the next-generation Series 3 DVR. The confusion apparently arose from the presence of a prototype in TiVo's press room. A TiVo spokesperson specified that the device on display--labeled "TiVo Series 3 HD Digital Media Recorder"--is intended as a "technology demo," but the Series 3 box is "not an officially announced product." That may sound a bit contradictory, but in industry parlance, it's a key distinction. For now, it's probably best to think of the Series 3 TiVo in the same vein as the PlayStation 3: it's a forthcoming product that's being actively developed, but don't expect any official information (final specs, pricing, or availability date) until it's a bit more fully developed. In this case, TiVo says that the company will have more specific details about the Series 3 box "later in 2006." Stay tuned.

Article discussion: TiVo clarifies Series 3 rumors