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:
Follow these steps to connect the external hard drive:
Turn off your receiver by unplugging the power cord. (Do not rely on the power button.)
Look for the port on the back of your receiver labeled SATA.
Connect the eSATA hard drive with an eSATA cable. Make sure the cable is firmly connected on both ends.
Turn on the eSATA hard drive and give it several seconds to spin up to speed.
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.
I assume there's no way to clone a drive for use on the Genie, correct? I.e. if for some reason you thought you might be having some sporadic issues with a drive but didn't want to lose all the programming, a way to copy all the programs onto a new drive. My assumption is there is not a way, for the obvious copy protection reasons, but sometimes I can be surprised.
I assume there's no way to clone a drive for use on the Genie, correct? I.e. if for some reason you thought you might be having some sporadic issues with a drive but didn't want to lose all the programming, a way to copy all the programs onto a new drive. My assumption is there is not a way, for the obvious copy protection reasons, but sometimes I can be surprised.
I assume there's no way to clone a drive for use on the Genie, correct? I.e. if for some reason you thought you might be having some sporadic issues with a drive but didn't want to lose all the programming, a way to copy all the programs onto a new drive. My assumption is there is not a way, for the obvious copy protection reasons, but sometimes I can be surprised.
You can clone it but if your recordings have issues on the current drive they'll most likely have issues on the cloned drive so you won't be able to rule the drive out as the issue.
Aloha! It's been a long time. Nice to see some familar names still hangin around these parts. :up:
I'm also seeing some stutter on my HR24 with WD20EVDS & BlakX dock. The external setup is from Jan 2012, so my first thought is the HDD is starting to go bad. I have a nearly idential setup in another room, the difference is a WD20EARX HDD, also circa Jan 2012. Now that I see similar reports, I wonder if it's a software issue....
Anyway, I'll probably swap out the external systems as they are nearing 3 year birthday soon with 2TB Purple HDDs and the new Max5. Yes, I did read back about 10 pages and that looks like a nice setup. For $41, I'm thinking about getting a Sabrent USB 3.0 to SATA Dual Bay External Hard Drive Docking Station for 2.5 or 3.5in HDD, SSD with Hard Drive Duplicator/Cloner Function [4TB Support] (EC-HDD2). In the past, I'd hook the drives up to a spare PC and clone drives with software, but these days time is short, and $41 bucks for a cloner? Dayum!
I'm more interetsed is a stable setup than saving every last cent. With wife and 2 kids (now 6 & 9 YO) I get enough grey hair. Any additional advice/suggestions are most appreciated....
I'd be looking at the external device. No matter what you read about bad HDDs, it's not a frequent thing. I would suspect the external device before the HDD itself. If you get 2-3 years out of an external device you've been lucky. I have had one HDD fail in the last few years. One. And I run 12 HRs constantly. Just my experience here, I realize that HDDs do fail more frequently in various usages, but the HDDs in my HRs just keep running. Some of them date back to 2008 (just a guess) or whenever the 2TB drives became cheap enough to buy.
I'd be looking at the external device. No matter what you read about bad HDDs, it's not a frequent thing. I would suspect the external device before the HDD itself. If you get 2-3 years out of an external device you've been lucky. I have had one HDD fail in the last few years. One. And I run 12 HRs constantly. Just my experience here, I realize that HDDs do fail more frequently in various usages, but the HDDs in my HRs just keep running. Some of them date back to 2008 (just a guess) or whenever the 2TB drives became cheap enough to buy.
I think Rich meant that once you have a decent drive and it has a good environment, it will run a long time. I've had 7 machines running (not DVRs) for at least 8 years. In all that time, I have replaced 3 hard drives. All the rest are still running or were last year, when I upgraded all my machines to Win7 and/or Linux Ubuntu. More than half of those machines run 24/7, and all are on UPS's. As far as DVRs go, I've had two drives fail from 3 machines since 2007. I would consider two failures in 7 years of 24/7 operation to be "not a frequent thing", and I think that is what Rich was saying. If so, he is right, or the two of us have just been lucky.
Drives are certain to fail, just not that often...in fact, read the MTBF specs...they last a long time when properly cared for.
I'd be looking at the external device. No matter what you read about bad HDDs, it's not a frequent thing. I would suspect the external device before the HDD itself. If you get 2-3 years out of an external device you've been lucky. I have had one HDD fail in the last few years. One. And I run 12 HRs constantly. Just my experience here, I realize that HDDs do fail more frequently in various usages, but the HDDs in my HRs just keep running. Some of them date back to 2008 (just a guess) or whenever the 2TB drives became cheap enough to buy.
Yes, I'm thinking I see about 4 years of useful service on most drives that are on 24/7 and a few have lasted 6 going on 7. Now that I have a bit by bit drive duplicator dock, I plan on changing out drives at about 3 years to avoid problems. Hopefully, I'll get that out of the enclosures. I already have 4 years on the BlacX dock...it's been on an HR20-700 and now the HR24-200. The HR44-700 has the Max5 enclosure on it, and that just since last February.
BTW, going on 5 days since I did a CLEARMYBOX on the stuttering playback (video and audio) HR44-700. I think it's safe to say that it was the box (firmware/memory leak or some such). If it were a failing drive, it would have shown back up by now, I would think. Here's hoping! :joy:
So, what happens when the power goes out and the UPS dies (yes I have a UPS on each DVR and 1 that covers the SWiM, internet modem and router).
When power comes back on, what makes the DVR see the External drive instead of the internal since the external and dvr turns on at the same time? Or do you have to manually turn on the external, wait for it to spin up and then turn on the DVR?
Secondly, I see that the Max5 enclosure and the TT Dock are being recommended but I also see that the switches go bad in the docks. Is this because users turn them on and off? If one was to stay on 24/7 which would be best - enclosure or dock?
I think Rich meant that once you have a decent drive and it has a good environment, it will run a long time. I've had 7 machines running (not DVRs) for at least 8 years. In all that time, I have replaced 3 hard drives. All the rest are still running or were last year, when I upgraded all my machines to Win7 and/or Linux Ubuntu. More than half of those machines run 24/7, and all are on UPS's. As far as DVRs go, I've had two drives fail from 3 machines since 2007. I would consider two failures in 7 years of 24/7 operation to be "not a frequent thing", and I think that is what Rich was saying. If so, he is right, or the two of us have just been lucky.
Drives are certain to fail, just not that often...in fact, read the MTBF specs...they last a long time when properly cared for.
Yep, consider yourself lucky. I guess I can call myself lucky as well, because I have lost 3 drives in the last 3 years and all of them have been covered by the manufacturers warranty. This time I went with a RAID enclosure so I don't have to go to the troubles to fish the files out of the hard drive. I have lost 2 DVRs due to hard drives as well
Yes, I'm thinking I see about 4 years of useful service on most drives that are on 24/7 and a few have lasted 6 going on 7. Now that I have a bit by bit drive duplicator dock, I plan on changing out drives at about 3 years to avoid problems. Hopefully, I'll get that out of the enclosures. I already have 4 years on the BlacX dock...it's been on an HR20-700 and now the HR24-200. The HR44-700 has the Max5 enclosure on it, and that just since last February.
BTW, going on 5 days since I did a CLEARMYBOX on the stuttering playback (video and audio) HR44-700. I think it's safe to say that it was the box (firmware/memory leak or some such). If it were a failing drive, it would have shown back up by now, I would think. Here's hoping! :joy:
That's my thinking also, and shared the same thoughts 2-3 years ago on this board... to much debate. My thinking is that DVR usage with he constant recording of the current channel places a lot more wear & tear on the drive compared to regular desktop PC use. At about the 3 year mark, I'll swap out the drives on the DVR's next week. This week I swapped out the drives on my PC, which were date marked by WD 2010. HDDs have moving parts, servos, motors, bearings, etc. Those parts will fail. Maybe 3 years, maybe 10 years. I only know one thing.... it never happens at a good time.
So, what happens when the power goes out and the UPS dies (yes I have a UPS on each DVR and 1 that covers the SWiM, internet modem and router).
When power comes back on, what makes the DVR see the External drive instead of the internal since the external and dvr turns on at the same time? Or do you have to manually turn on the external, wait for it to spin up and then turn on the DVR?
Secondly, I see that the Max5 enclosure and the TT Dock are being recommended but I also see that the switches go bad in the docks. Is this because users turn them on and off? If one was to stay on 24/7 which would be best - enclosure or dock?
I have both and have not had a problem with either, although I have had the Max5 only since Feb 2014. If I had it to do over, I would get the Max5. The dock is convenient,but you don't change drives frequently, and the Max5 is very, very easy to assemble and it has a good cooling fan. The dock has no cooling fan, but is open to the air, so putting a fan on it would be easy (although, I never have). When I need a replacement, I'm getting a Max5, in fact, when I can get it together, i'm going to order a Max5 and 2 TB WD Purple as a spare setup.
When the firmware works properly, it autodetects the presence of the external drive. Every so often when I have rebooted some of the boxes, they fail to detect. In that case I pull the power plug on the dock and then shut down the box, pull it's power. Then with both things powered off, turn on the power to the external drive, wait 30 seconds, power up the dvr and it has always detected the external drive.
Lately, I have only had the HR24 fail to detect the drive/dock once, and the HR44-700 has never failed to detect the Max5/drive. I'd go with the Max5.
Yep, consider yourself lucky. I guess I can call myself lucky as well, because I have lost 3 drives in the last 3 years and all of them have been covered by the manufacturers warranty. This time I went with a RAID enclosure so I don't have to go to the troubles to fish the files out of the hard drive. I have lost 2 DVRs due to hard drives as well
Yes, Rich, but in your case that's 3 drives out of how many boxes? For me, since I had one failure in 4 years, I figure that is long enough and to be safe, do a replacement every 3 three years on these boxes (external drive).
Since our sample size is so very small, I wouldn't make any generalizations, to be sure! My Acer laptop drive failed in 45 days! The drive I replaced it with at the recommendation of my local PC guru, has been running flawlessly for 2 or 3 years. (and has Smart technology to warn me, as well).
At first, with these boxes, it was find a drive and enclosure/dock that worked at all. Then it was endurance, now it may be some sort of subtle compatibility issue that doesn't show its head right away.
I have both and have not had a problem with either, although I have had the Max5 only since Feb 2014. If I had it to do over, I would get the Max5. The dock is convenient,but you don't change drives frequently, and the Max5 is very, very easy to assemble and it has a good cooling fan. The dock has no cooling fan, but is open to the air, so putting a fan on it would be easy (although, I never have). When I need a replacement, I'm getting a Max5, in fact, when I can get it together, i'm going to order a Max5 and 2 TB WD Purple as a spare setup.
When the firmware works properly, it autodetects the presence of the external drive. Every so often when I have rebooted some of the boxes, they fail to detect. In that case I pull the power plug on the dock and then shut down the box, pull it's power. Then with both things powered off, turn on the power to the external drive, wait 30 seconds, power up the dvr and it has always detected the external drive.
Lately, I have only had the HR24 fail to detect the drive/dock once, and the HR44-700 has never failed to detect the Max5/drive. I'd go with the Max5.
So, what happens when the power goes out and the UPS dies (yes I have a UPS on each DVR and 1 that covers the SWiM, internet modem and router).
When power comes back on, what makes the DVR see the External drive instead of the internal since the external and dvr turns on at the same time? Or do you have to manually turn on the external, wait for it to spin up and then turn on the DVR?
Secondly, I see that the Max5 enclosure and the TT Dock are being recommended but I also see that the switches go bad in the docks. Is this because users turn them on and off? If one was to stay on 24/7 which would be best - enclosure or dock?
I think Rich meant that once you have a decent drive and it has a good environment, it will run a long time. I've had 7 machines running (not DVRs) for at least 8 years. In all that time, I have replaced 3 hard drives. All the rest are still running or were last year, when I upgraded all my machines to Win7 and/or Linux Ubuntu. More than half of those machines run 24/7, and all are on UPS's. As far as DVRs go, I've had two drives fail from 3 machines since 2007. I would consider two failures in 7 years of 24/7 operation to be "not a frequent thing", and I think that is what Rich was saying. If so, he is right, or the two of us have just been lucky.
Drives are certain to fail, just not that often...in fact, read the MTBF specs...they last a long time when properly cared for.
Yes, I'm thinking I see about 4 years of useful service on most drives that are on 24/7 and a few have lasted 6 going on 7. Now that I have a bit by bit drive duplicator dock, I plan on changing out drives at about 3 years to avoid problems. Hopefully, I'll get that out of the enclosures. I already have 4 years on the BlacX dock...it's been on an HR20-700 and now the HR24-200. The HR44-700 has the Max5 enclosure on it, and that just since last February.
BTW, going on 5 days since I did a CLEARMYBOX on the stuttering playback (video and audio) HR44-700. I think it's safe to say that it was the box (firmware/memory leak or some such). If it were a failing drive, it would have shown back up by now, I would think. Here's hoping! :joy:
Being the pessimist that I am, I wouldn't be surprised to see it surface again. For your sake I hope it doesn't, but if it was my equipment I know it would.
So, what happens when the power goes out and the UPS dies (yes I have a UPS on each DVR and 1 that covers the SWiM, internet modem and router).
When power comes back on, what makes the DVR see the External drive instead of the internal since the external and dvr turns on at the same time? Or do you have to manually turn on the external, wait for it to spin up and then turn on the DVR?
Secondly, I see that the Max5 enclosure and the TT Dock are being recommended but I also see that the switches go bad in the docks. Is this because users turn them on and off? If one was to stay on 24/7 which would be best - enclosure or dock?
In my case, the UPS devices only come on for a second or so if the power goes out. I have a whole home generator that runs on natural gas.
When the power comes back on in an ordinary home, the HR and external device should connect properly. Should. You still have to check them.
I know the on/off switches on the TT docks will fail if used a lot. In most cases. So I never touch them once I have them running. I just pull the cord on them.
That's my thinking also, and shared the same thoughts 2-3 years ago on this board... to much debate. My thinking is that DVR usage with he constant recording of the current channel places a lot more wear & tear on the drive compared to regular desktop PC use. At about the 3 year mark, I'll swap out the drives on the DVR's next week. This week I swapped out the drives on my PC, which were date marked by WD 2010. HDDs have moving parts, servos, motors, bearings, etc. Those parts will fail. Maybe 3 years, maybe 10 years. I only know one thing.... it never happens at a good time.
That's why I have so many HRs. I don't archive any content, but I do back up shows several times on various HRs. If an HR or a hard drive go, I haven't really lost anything.
Yes, Rich, but in your case that's 3 drives out of how many boxes? For me, since I had one failure in 4 years, I figure that is long enough and to be safe, do a replacement every 3 three years on these boxes (external drive).
Since our sample size is so very small, I wouldn't make any generalizations, to be sure! My Acer laptop drive failed in 45 days! The drive I replaced it with at the recommendation of my local PC guru, has been running flawlessly for 2 or 3 years. (and has Smart technology to warn me, as well).
At first, with these boxes, it was find a drive and enclosure/dock that worked at all. Then it was endurance, now it may be some sort of subtle compatibility issue that doesn't show its head right away.
That's why I like owning my HRs and putting large internals in them. I can't remember the last time an internally installed large HDD died on me. I know it was a Seagate Barracuda, 1TB, in a 20-700, but I really don't remember how long ago that was. I know it was quite a while ago. With my setup, it's pretty simple to just wait until something fails to replace it. If I just had 3 or 4 HRs I'd take a different approach.
Try to imagine how much content you're really gonna put on one unit and then make sure you buy an HDD that will accommodate that much and buy an HDD that will allow you to run at about 3 quarters full.
Try to imagine how much content you're really gonna put on one unit and then make sure you buy an HDD that will accommodate that much and buy an HDD that will allow you to run at about 3 quarters full.
I looked into solar panels for my roof. Six years to see any monetary gains. I declined.
About the natural gas gennies: They've dropped dramatically in price since I had mine installed. I was at a place the other day that had a bunch of 14KW gennies (that's what I have) and they were selling them, installed, for $6900. I paid $8400 for mine and, at the time, that was half the price other companies wanted for them. Now that Sandy is only a memory for anyone not living in NJ or NY, the demand has diminished and the prices have dropped.
Gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling each Wednesday when the gennie kicks on for ~ 15 minutes. My wife really wanted it, too.
Rich
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