Dennis, the new combo unit's manufacturer has not been named yet. It may not be a Sony brand. It will record and play back 5.1, it will have all TiVo's functions, but it will not work with your local networks unless you get them through Directv. The main reason for this is price. It is much cheaper to manufacture the unit without the decoder. Also, this is speculation, but I would guess since TiVo and Directv are partners, this will raise local network subscriptions for Directv. The SRV 2000 is a Sont brand 30 hour TiVo just like the one Phillips now sells but at a lower price. I expect the Phillips price will drop to match soon.