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eSATA - DIRECTV recommended list

576K views 4K replies 404 participants last post by  mjfoxtrot 
#1 ·
Can I increase the recording capacity of my DVR?

For folks that are adding HDD capacity to their receiverss, DIRECTV has added the following FAQ to their web page:

DIRECTV.com
Yes, you can increase the recording capacity of your DVR or HD DVR simply by connecting an external hard drive with greater storage than the receiver's internal hard drive.

First, make sure you have a compatible receiver. Check the model number inside the small door located on bottom right corner of the front of the receiver. The model number should read either R22 (DIRECTV Plus® DVR) or HR20 or above (DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR).

You'll need an external hard drive that uses an eSATA connection. The following hard drive models are recommended:

  • Western Digital 500GB (model WDG1S5000)
  • Seagate 500GB (model ST30500SCA109-RK)
  • Western Digital 1TB (model WDG1S10000)
  • [STRIKE]Seagate 1TB (model ST31000SCA109-RK)[/STRIKE]

Follow these steps to connect the external hard drive:

  1. Turn off your receiver by unplugging the power cord. (Do not rely on the power button.)
  2. Look for the port on the back of your receiver labeled SATA.
  3. Connect the eSATA hard drive with an eSATA cable. Make sure the cable is firmly connected on both ends.
  4. Turn on the eSATA hard drive and give it several seconds to spin up to speed.
  5. Plug in the power chord of your receiver.

When your receiver reboots, it will automatically see the newly-connected hard drive. The hard drive inside your receiver will be disabled.

You now have expanded recording capacity. With a 1TB hard drive, you can record up to 200 hours of HD programming.

Please note: We offer this tip because we want to help you get the most out of your DIRECTV experience. It is recommended for advanced users who are comfortable working with electronic hardware. This modification of your DIRECTV system is not officially supported by DIRECTV.
 
#3,079 ·
harsh said:
Do you not consider the ability to function over time as a key attribute of a hard drive?

What is the point at which the functionality becomes questionable?

With a DIRECTV DVR, it takes a while to build up a collection but for general storage purposes, you have to worry about drives that have a demonstrable likelihood of not lasting through at least the retail warranty period.
Do you not consider a drive that fails immediately as defective??? I do... Defective shouldn't mean you give it a bad review, period. "build up a collection" is FAR different from DOA. Of course you'd give it a bad review if it performs poorly, but still performs, over time. If it's DOA there's not a chance for you to decide how it performs, big difference.

Giving a DOA drive a poor rating is like giving your pool a poor rating because the sun isn't out.
 
#3,083 ·
P Smith said:
well it's "eSATA - DIRECTV recommended list", not a generic discussion about DOA drives ... what is unfortunately going on a few pages already
If we only stuck with the recommended drives, this thread would be a lot shorter. DIRECTV lists exactly 4 drive models with 1 TB being the maximum size: https://support.directv.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1763

The discussion has moved well past those 4 drives, and isn't that a good thing? At 155 pages (with my forum display preferences) if the discussion is still about hard drives at all, that's impressive.
 
#3,085 ·
RunnerFL said:
Do you not consider a drive that fails immediately as defective??? I do... Defective shouldn't mean you give it a bad review, period.
I don't give models that fail on me a second chance. Anything that isn't designed to be repaired needs to work at least until the warranty expires. There aren't that many moving parts in these drives and any flaws in soldering or connectors shouldn't be dismissed as anomalous as they are built in large part by machines.

What I can't excuse is the people that give something a bad review because they can't make it work due to ignorance or the inability of the vendor to deliver the appropriate product.
 
#3,086 ·
P Smith said:
well it's "eSATA - DIRECTV recommended list", not a generic discussion about DOA drives ... what is unfortunately going on a few pages already
Versus repeated posts about the importance of running Victoria on drives that are behaving badly?
 
#3,088 ·
harsh said:
I don't give models that fail on me a second chance. Anything that isn't designed to be repaired needs to work at least until the warranty expires. There aren't that many moving parts in these drives and any flaws in soldering or connectors shouldn't be dismissed as anomalous as they are built in large part by machines.

What I can't excuse is the people that give something a bad review because they can't make it work due to ignorance or the inability of the vendor to deliver the appropriate product.
You clearly have no idea what you're talking about... Stick with things you know, like Dish Network.
 
#3,090 ·
P Smith said:
MHDD is first choice, if you are not capable run DOS mode, then use Victoria ...
how else you can say what's wrong with your drive ?!
giving cryptic codes from DVR ? give me SMART instead !
If the DVR is telling you there is something wrong then there is something wrong. It's just that simple.

Oh, and the DVR uses SMART so you're already getting SMART results.
 
#3,091 ·
really ?
perhaps I know how to take it out of DVR, but for sure you and anyone here is not !
that's why everyone is crying for help but no one posted SMART of 'failed' drive
and yeah, I DON'T TRUST CRYPTIC INFO !
plus, there're a myriad of reasons for cryptic code beside bad drive ... need technical ? you should knew as experienced IT person
 
#3,094 ·
P Smith said:
really ?
perhaps I know how to take it out of DVR, but for sure you and anyone here is not !
that's why everyone is crying for help but no one posted SMART of 'failed' drive
and yeah, I DON'T TRUST CRYPTIC INFO !
plus, there're a myriad of reasons for cryptic code beside bad drive ... need technical ? you should knew as experienced IT person
It's not cryptic, it's in plain English.
 
#3,095 ·
Keep it civil. Discuss the topic and not each other. Take it to PM or report posts or just plain let it go.

:backtotop:

Mike
 
#3,096 ·
RunnerFL said:
You clearly have no idea what you're talking about...
How is what you highlighted not true?

There's the arms that are attached to the actuator motor shaft and the platters that rotate on the main spindle. It isn't like the old days where there were fans, voice coils and the heads moving in and out on rails.
 
#3,097 ·
Laxguy said:
A single - or bare- HD that is DOA also has a good chance of having been dropped kicked by a delivery service, or opps!: blam! on the cement floor of the Frys, BB, etc. Receiving or stock floor.
With all the HDDs I've bought, I've never had one DOA. I've had them fail after a short time, but that didn't stop me from buying the same model.

Rich
 
#3,099 ·
Rich said:
With all the HDDs I've bought, I've never had one DOA. I've had them fail after a short time, but that didn't stop me from buying the same model.
Understood. But your personal experience, even with many dozen HDs, is still not statistically significant. Significant, but not statistically! :)
 
#3,100 ·
Laxguy said:
Understood. But your personal experience, even with many dozen HDs, is still not statistically significant. Significant, but not statistically! :)
Coupled with my unusually bad luck, I find it significant. :rolling:

Rich
 
#3,101 ·
harsh said:
I don't give models that fail on me a second chance. Anything that isn't designed to be repaired needs to work at least until the warranty expires. There aren't that many moving parts in these drives and any flaws in soldering or connectors shouldn't be dismissed as anomalous as they are built in large part by machines.

What I can't excuse is the people that give something a bad review because they can't make it work due to ignorance or the inability of the vendor to deliver the appropriate product.
Unfortunately, machines are as perfect as the humans who made them. Every now and then there is a bad batch. Most of the time this is caught before the product hit the shelfs, but sometime is after the fact. "stuff" happens. Unlike popular belief, there are plenty DOA drives sitting on store shelves right now.
 
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