Tivo today unveiled a new, lower cost high definition digital video recorder (DVR) in its quest to make HD recording a more economical option. The Tivo HD is priced at around $300 and should be available in early August, though pre-orders are being taken now.

The Tivo HD operates in a similar capacity to the older Tivo Series 3 HD Digital Media Recorder, allowing consumers to record and playback HD television programming as part of a home entertainment setup. This particular DVR allows you to record up to 20 hours of HD or up to 180 hours of standard definition content. It is compatible with digital cable, analog cable and digital antenna (ATSC), furthermore acting as a digital cable ready set-top box which works with many cable providers via its dual CableCard slots.

Other features of note on the new Tivo HD include the ability to record two HD channels at the same time, built-in Ethernet, USB ports and support for a variety of Tivo offerings like Amazon Unbox on Tivo and Tivo KidZone. Dropping the price on this new Tivo HD (the older Series 3 model priced at around $800) while continuing to offer so many features is a smart move on Tivo’s part. Will it be enough though to win back shrinking market share as cable providers continue rolling out their own DVRs?

Tivo HD DVR