501 Hard Drive Upgrade

[DRJDAN]

I have seen a lot on the internet about TIVO users replacing their hard drives with larger ones or putting a second hard drive in.

Can the 501 be upgraded by putting a larger hard drive in?

Why do we not see much about the customizing (or hacking as is called for the TIVO's) on the Dish 501's?

[TNGTony]

To my knowledge, because no one has successfully been able to replace the hard drive on a 501 after it has been hooked up. I thought I read something about some one (specific aren't I) replacing a hard drive in a virgin unit. But it seems that once the unit is pluged in and hooked up (not even activated) the unit and the hard drive "marry". From that point, you can't (or aren't supposed to be able to) replace the hard drive.

See ya
Tony

[Tony S]

Tony is correct. Claude Greiner (over at DBSForums) once claimed to have installed a larger hard drive in a 501, however he did this right after playing an April Fools joke on everybody, so no one really believed him. Since then, nobody else has ever claimed to have done this successfully.

Claude claimed that he installed the new hard drive in the 501 before it was ever connected to the satellite dish. He claimed that when the 501 downloaded its software from the satellite, that it "became a 508". However, as I said before, no one else has ever done this sucessfully, so his credibility has been in question since that time.

[Steve Mehs]

http://www.planetpvr.com/viewtopic.php?topic=8&forum=5&start=10

check out the 6th post down

Seems like a lot a work though

[Mark Lamutt]

Huh! That's the first successful report I've seen, other than Claude's one time only report. I'm a little skeptical of it, though, as many other people have reported that Ghost wouldn't recognize the drive in the 501...

[Steve Mehs]

Many thanks to BKahuna at AVS for posting that link earlier this week.

[Hunter]

On another thread I was asking for exactly this info. In March a link was posted that showed how to do this. This link is no longer valid. Does anyone know where this info is now located???

[cnsf]

Steve, the link doesn't seem to work....

[P Smith]

Originally, it was done and published by ppl at innermatrix.net - check they DishPlayer Forum.

[Steve Mehs]

Here's the thead from AVS, scroll about half way down and you'll see a copy of the post that was at PlanetPVR
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146210

[John_ZD]

A 501 can be converted to a 508, but not by following the totally bogus instructions that claimed to have used Norton or Ghost.
As P Smith stated its been done by the people at innermatrix.net
It requires flashing the firmware in your receiver with 508 virgin...

[wwind]

I had no problem by formating (in NTSF) the existing HD and getting it stream updated again.
I works like new !

On another machine I replaced the 40gig DH with a new 80gig like this:
Newegg.com - MAXTOR 4R080L0-QV Hard Drives
Worked fine as well.

I think you only have to stick with the same brand (Maxtor or Seagate).
Make sure you purchase a drive made for DVRs.