When TiVo Inc. introduced a high-definition digital video recorder last fall, it touted the long-awaited set-top box as a best-in-class product with a price tag to match.

But in a market already filled with lower-priced offerings from cable companies and other rivals, TiVo’s $800 Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder had a hard time winning customers, even as throngs of consumers opened their wallets for high-definition televisions during the holiday season.

This year, TiVo hopes to widen its appeal with a more affordable model: the TiVo HD DVR for $299.99.

The Alviso-based company will begin taking pre-orders for it on its Web site Tuesday, and units are expected to hit retail outlets by early August.