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UPDATE: One of our tipsters has sent through this image of an upcoming catalogue proving the Samsung giveaway is legit. Of course, what's interesting to note (that wasn't mentioned in either the Australian or CNet articles, is that customers have a choice between the Foxtel iQ2 box or a new Samsung BDP-1500 Blu-ray player. This would make sense - not everyone can get Foxtel, and not everyone would want to subscribe to the Foxtel service either.

We'll obviously keep you posted on any official announcement from Samsung, but seeing as how this catalogue is due to go out this week (and the promotion due to start on July 1, we expect to have official word for you very soon.

Since the advent of plasma TVs and their subsequent rise to power (alongside LCDs, of course); TV manufacturers have seen huge sales boosts just before major sporting events. And seeing as how this year is an Olympic year, it's no surprise that we're seeing some really awesome promotions come out of the woodwork in the lead up to Beijing.

Earlier this week we told you about the Sony Bravia promotion, which will see 35,000 Bravia customers receive a free PS3, but now the Australian (and CNet AU) are reporting that next week we'll be hearing about a Samsung promotion which includes a Foxtel iQ2 box for HD entertainment.

The rumours state that Samsung will be forking over the $200 upgrade fee that Foxtel is charging subscribers to install the iQ2 when they buy a new Samsung TV. There hasn't been any official confirmation from either Samsung or Foxtel yet, so we don't know which TVs will include the Foxtel box in the price, but it will obviously cater to their premium lineup of HD displays.

So it looks like July is going to be the month that many of us buy TVs. But which promotion is more appealing?

If reports from the Financial Review are correct, we'll soon be able to play with our very own peanut controller when TiVo launches in Australia in mid-July.

Aside from the obvious dilemma of where to spend your money (there's some new phone launching on July 11, remember?), the mid-July timeframe does work with the previous announcements that Channel 7 made about it launching before the Olympics.

The box itself is likely to cost somewhere around the $700 mark, which isn't exactly cheap for a DVR. Seven are likely to promote the box's superior EPG functionality in order to justify that price, although we'll wait to see how it's implemented ourselves before we recommend on whether you should spend the money.

The other interesting point made in the Fin's article is that Harvey Norman are likely to have an exclusive distribution arrangement for 3 months, before it will be available in JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith's shops.

I'm sure there are important factors influencing that decision, like scratching the backs of old mates and heavy advertisers, but I think Channel 7 may be overestimating TiVo's appeal in Australia. Personally - I'm very intrigued, but I would need to see some obvious advantages in TiVo's local implementation before I dropped 700 big ones. Especially now that Foxtel's iQ2 is on the market.

UPDATE: Pete Blasina over at GadgetGuy.com.au is reporting that the launch date is officially July 15. Considering his relationship with Channel 7, I reckon this is pretty much guaranteed.

[MIS Australia and GadgetGuy]

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We all know that TiVo is coming soon, but if the rumblings coming out of the SMH are true, then we'll be getting it without the usual subscription fee that TiVo charges.

I don't know about you, but the whole Australian launch of TiVo just got mighty exciting.

The last we heard, they were planning on cutting the subscription fee right down. But by making it a premium box without ongoing fees, the TiVo will stand out against PVRs from other manufacturers thanks to its proven EPG data and internet capabilities.

Apparently we're looking at a July launch for teh TiVo box, which looks like a month later than Foxtel's new iQ2. The SMH reckons that the move to a subscription-free TiVo will push Foxtel into dropping their price, but I'll believe that when I see it.

On a side note, both Channels 9 and 10 have confirmed that they will share their EPG data on the TiVo, which is a nice touch from Channel 9 considering their ongoing litigation against IceTV.

The other interesting thing is that all the extra features that TiVo offers - like online entertainment, for example, won't be available at launch. Instead they're focusing on the EPG and getting it launched for the Olympics.

In any case, this is awesome news for PVR enthusiasts in Australia. I'm actually excited by this now. How about you guys?

[SMH]

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After yesterday's unveiling of Foxtel's HD+ service, I thought it would be a good idea to take a closer look at the channel menu. Some of you were disappointed by the selection of only four dedicated HD channels. In reality there's a little bit more on offer than just four channels, and a plan to roll out even more channels next year. Hit the jump for  a closer analysis of the HD offerings.

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