HD DVR technology polarizes home theater enthusiasts into four groups.

The Dish Network/DTV crowd with their RF remotes and multi-room boxes; the Motorola/Scientific-Atlanta Cable folks who usually don’t know there are other options; die-hard TiVo heads with their bloop-bloops; and HTPC fanatics who actually built or setup that HTPC themselves.

I find myself in the TiVo camp. But I often want to flirt with the HTPC crowd in hopes of ditching monthly fees for a service that should be free. 

Nero’s LiquidTV, which is basically TiVo software for your HTPC with the familiar TiVo remote, may eventually bridge that gap for me. But the MSRP of $199 is a bit steep.

However, you can currently get LiquidTV, including remote and 12 months of TiVo, for $35 directly from Nero, after coupon code AW-GB50-88KP. At this price, it’s a worthwhile investment just for the remote, with the TiVo software and service being a great freebie. 

Early reports say LiquidTV will work in Windows 7.

Stephen Hopkins

Stephen Hopkins is chief technology editor for EH Publishing. He writes product reviews, features, and focuses heavily on 3D TV, iPhone and iPad apps, and digital content.