After three long years, it seems that DirecTV is finally bringing its TiVo HD DVR to the masses — or rather a small subset of the masses — on December 8th. The new THR22-100 box brings TiVo’s signature UI to DirecTV customers in ten selected markets for an additional $5 a month, but you'll be missing a few key features. On the plus side, the new device will handle DirecTV’s pay-per-view video and remote DVR scheduling, but overall it appears that TiVo and DirecTV haven't kept pace with in the three years we've been waiting, and the DVR won't support the company’s Whole Home DVR service, 3D broadcasts, or DirecTV’s iPad app.

DirecTV is also launching its new HR34 DVR on the same day, bringing multiroom RVU support  to the early adopters with compatible TV sets for $399 ($99 after rebate). RVU (pronounced "R-view") is a protocol that allows TVs to pull down content from a central DVR without requiring additional boxes for each set — it's supported by a consortium that includes Samsung, Verizon, Broadcom, Cisco and DirecTV. Those who live in one of the lucky markets (Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, DC) and aren't sure which box to spring for are advised to check the source links below for more details.