Home cinema - Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

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Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

Weakknees and DVRUpgrade both seem to imply that adding a large
external drive to an S3 dvr that has had its internal drive upsized
is tricky.

Is that true? Is it something that can be done at home? I would like
to put a terabyte drive inside my S3s, and keep the option of putting
a large external drive on them later. Can I do this myself.

Thanks,

--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in alt.video.ptv.tivo...)

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

shaped the electrons to say:
Weakknees and DVRUpgrade both seem to imply that adding a large
external drive to an S3 dvr that has had its internal drive upsized
is tricky.

Is that true? Is it something that can be done at home? I would like
to put a terabyte drive inside my S3s, and keep the option of putting
a large external drive on them later. Can I do this myself.

Yes it is. If you upgrade the internal drive in a Series3 or TiVo HD
then it BREAKS the ability to just add an eSATA drive like you can
with a factory box. This is because the upgrade hacks work by messing
with the partition table to expand the filesystem on the internal
disk, but this stops the software from being able to dynamically add
the external drive.

You can do it at home, but you need to treat it like an old fashioned
dual-drive upgrade and image BOTH drives at the same time. You setup
both the new internal and the external drive as married A & B drives,
just as you would putting two drives inside an old model TiVo. Then
you connect them to the TiVo.

Note that this means they work like an old dual-drive upgrade too -
you CANNOT disconnect the B (external) drive, the unit will NOT
recover from this, unlike a factory box with eSATA where it will
recover to the internal drive and just lose recordings. If you
disconnect the external drive, or it fails, the unit is a doorstop
until you reimage the internal drive.

-MZ
--
megazone-at-megazone.org http://www.MegaZone.org/ Gweep, Geek, Human, me.
http://www.GizmoLovers.com/ http://www.Eyrie-Productions.com/ -- Hail Eris
"A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men" 508-852-2171

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

On 18 May 2008 13:28:05 -0400, wrote:
That does sound a bit risky, I do want more storage, but I am not sure what
the best way to go is. What would you do?

Buy the sactioned external enclosure and keep putting in bigger and
bigger drives as they become available.

--
It is odd, but on the infrequent occasions when I have been called upon
in a formal place to play the bongo drums, the introducer never seems to
find it necessary to mention that I also do theoretical physics. --Feynman

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

shaped the electrons to say:
Do you know where is there an online guide for doing this?

The simplest thing to do is just buy Instant Cake from DVRupgrade:
http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores...el.cfm?AFID=24

Everything you need on one CD.

Otherwise you can do it the manual way:
http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/

That does sound a bit risky, I do want more storage, but I am not sure what
the best way to go is. What would you do?

How much storage do you really need? Only you can really answer that.
If you want 1TB or less - many just upgrade the internal drive and
forget about the external. It is neater - no external enclosure, no
cabling, no second power connection. But this does make it harder to
expand in the future.

Alternatively the quick and easy method is eSATA - leave the internal
drive alone. The TiVo HD only supports the official 500GB Western
Digital MyDVR Expander - unless you do some hacks, then you can make
it accept others. But the Series3 accepts pretty much any eSATA drive
up to 1GB.

Personally I got the official drive effectively for free, so I just
stuck it on my Series3 for a total of 750GB. And that's plenty for me
- I live alone and I'm the only one using the unit, and I can only
record so much.

With a TiVo HD the official drive gets you 660GB, which is
respectable. With the S3 you can go to 1.25TB without hacks, using a
1TB external drive. And that's quite a lot for most users.

Going beyond 66GB on the HD and 1.25TB on the S3 requires hacks -
either upgrading the internal drive or at least enabling 3rd party
drives on the HD to support larger eSATA drives - and at that point
you may as well upgrade the internal drive anyway.

If you go with a two-drive upgrade, the A drive is internal and the B
drive is external. If the A drive dies - you're screwed. That drive
contains the operating system, so if it dies - in ANY scenario - the
unit is dead and you need to image a new drive. If the B drive dies,
you have options. It is possible to 'divorce' married drives, and you
may be able to divorce the B drive from the A drive, and not have to
reimage the A drive. But you will lose recordings since the data is
spread across both drives. The good news is you wouldn't lose
settings that way, as they're on the A drive.

I've been tempted to create a 2TB TiVo just because I can - but when I
think about it, I have *never* filled 750GB on my S3. Not even
close. Even before I upgraded I rarely had issues with 250GB (since
the upgrade Charter has added more HD channels in my area and I record
more HD, so 250GB might be more of a squeeze today than it was at the
time).

-MZ
--
megazone-at-megazone.org http://www.MegaZone.org/ Gweep, Geek, Human, me.
http://www.GizmoLovers.com/ http://www.Eyrie-Productions.com/ -- Hail Eris
"A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men" 508-852-2171

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

But this does make it harder to
expand in the future.

Well, no harder than just use the instantcake CD to burn a new internal
drive.

Personally I got the official drive effectively for free, so I just
stuck it on my Series3 for a total of 750GB. And that's plenty for me
- I live alone and I'm the only one using the unit, and I can only
record so much.

I swapped my internal for a 700gb and really never run out of recording
space. Even with a fair bit of HD (720 & 1080).

I've been tempted to create a 2TB TiVo just because I can - but when I
think about it, I have *never* filled 750GB on my S3. Not even
close. Even before I upgraded I rarely had issues with 250GB (since
the upgrade Charter has added more HD channels in my area and I record
more HD, so 250GB might be more of a squeeze today than it was at the
time).

Pretty much sums up my past experience as well.

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

MegaZone writes:

shaped the electrons to say:
Do you know where is there an online guide for doing this?

MegaZone The simplest thing to do is just buy Instant Cake from DVRupgrade:
http http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores...el.cfm?AFID=24

MegaZone Everything you need on one CD.

MegaZone Otherwise you can do it the manual way:
http www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/

That does sound a bit risky, I do want more storage, but I am not sure what
the best way to go is. What would you do?

MegaZone How much storage do you really need? Only you can really answer that.
MegaZone If you want 1TB or less - many just upgrade the internal drive and
MegaZone forget about the external. It is neater - no external enclosure, no
MegaZone cabling, no second power connection. But this does make it harder to
MegaZone expand in the future.

MegaZone Alternatively the quick and easy method is eSATA - leave the internal
MegaZone drive alone. The TiVo HD only supports the official 500GB Western
MegaZone Digital MyDVR Expander - unless you do some hacks, then you can make
MegaZone it accept others. But the Series3 accepts pretty much any eSATA drive
MegaZone up to 1GB.

MegaZone Personally I got the official drive effectively for free, so I just
MegaZone stuck it on my Series3 for a total of 750GB. And that's plenty for me
MegaZone - I live alone and I'm the only one using the unit, and I can only
MegaZone record so much.

MegaZone With a TiVo HD the official drive gets you 660GB, which is
MegaZone respectable. With the S3 you can go to 1.25TB without hacks, using a
MegaZone 1TB external drive. And that's quite a lot for most users.

MegaZone Going beyond 66GB on the HD and 1.25TB on the S3 requires hacks -
MegaZone either upgrading the internal drive or at least enabling 3rd party
MegaZone drives on the HD to support larger eSATA drives - and at that point
MegaZone you may as well upgrade the internal drive anyway.

MegaZone If you go with a two-drive upgrade, the A drive is internal and the B
MegaZone drive is external. If the A drive dies - you're screwed. That drive
MegaZone contains the operating system, so if it dies - in ANY scenario - the
MegaZone unit is dead and you need to image a new drive. If the B drive dies,
MegaZone you have options. It is possible to 'divorce' married drives, and you
MegaZone may be able to divorce the B drive from the A drive, and not have to
MegaZone reimage the A drive. But you will lose recordings since the data is
MegaZone spread across both drives. The good news is you wouldn't lose
MegaZone settings that way, as they're on the A drive.

MegaZone I've been tempted to create a 2TB TiVo just because I can - but when I
MegaZone think about it, I have *never* filled 750GB on my S3. Not even
MegaZone close. Even before I upgraded I rarely had issues with 250GB (since
MegaZone the upgrade Charter has added more HD channels in my area and I record
MegaZone more HD, so 250GB might be more of a squeeze today than it was at the
MegaZone time).

MegaZone -MZ
MegaZone --
MegaZone megazone-at-megazone.org http://www.MegaZone.org/ Gweep, Geek, Human, me.
http www.GizmoLovers.com/ http://www.Eyrie-Productions.com/ -- Hail Eris
MegaZone "A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men" 508-852-2171

I am thinking that a 1TB external should be enough. Any recommendations for
a specific drive?

I have had great experiences with Seagate drives, and found this on newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148306

Would this be a good choice?

Thanks again,

--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in alt.video.ptv.tivo...)

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

shaped the electrons to say:
I am thinking that a 1TB external should be enough. Any recommendations for
a specific drive?

There's a discussion thread at TiVoCommunity about the drives:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=370784

I'd browse/search that thread for any posts on the drive you're
considering. But the specs for the drive look like it would work.

-MZ
--
megazone-at-megazone.org http://www.MegaZone.org/ Gweep, Geek, Human, me.
http://www.GizmoLovers.com/ http://www.Eyrie-Productions.com/ -- Hail Eris
"A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men" 508-852-2171

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

MegaZone writes:

shaped the electrons to say:
I am thinking that a 1TB external should be enough. Any recommendations for
a specific drive?

MegaZone There's a discussion thread at TiVoCommunity about the drives:
http http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=370784

MegaZone I'd browse/search that thread for any posts on the drive you're
MegaZone considering. But the specs for the drive look like it would work.

Thanks. I did start browsing that site, and am now rethinking. It might
make most sense to upgrade the internal drive to a terabyte drive, and keep
the original 250 as an emergency backup. It makes me a bit nervous, as some
have reported toasting their original disk. Do you think it is best to use
winmfs or boot to a linux disk? This is on an XP SP2 system with three sata
drives already installed (I would take two out to do the upgrade)...

Thanks again,

--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in alt.video.ptv.tivo...)

Adding external drive to S3 with large internal drive

On 20 May 2008 09:57:05 -0400, wrote:
It makes me a bit nervous, as some
have reported toasting their original disk. Do you think it is best to use
winmfs or boot to a linux disk? This is on an XP SP2 system with three sata
drives already installed (I would take two out to do the upgrade)...

Linux boot is generally safer. The usual way to toast an original drive
is to let Windows near it. Actually if you've got an old PC lying around
that you don't use anymore, that'd probably be the best choice. (That
way, if something doesn't work the way you expect, you can still viti
Google and USENET for help without interrupting the process.)

--
The light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train.

It is muzzle-flash.