[formerairman]

After doing a search I see that most of you are upgrading your hard drives by using the eSata method. However, I'm wondering if I can just go buy a 750GB Sata hard drive and install it in place of the drive that comes with the unit? Would the unit take advantage of the increased hard drive space for recordings?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Yes it would... however... by opening the unit you violate your lease agreement.

Do so at your own risk.
And if something "else" brakes that you think the unit needs to be replaced... do remember that you did open the unit up...

 

[n3ntj]

Can't the SATA drive be installed externally without opening the unit?

If you do this, won't the system simply not use the built in HDD? Is there anything special to know about adding an external SATA drive?

 

[houskamp]

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=66201&highlight=esata+enabled

 

[formerairman]

My theory was that I could hook up a 750GB drive internally and then a 750GB externally for 1.5TB of storage. Is my reasoning here flawed?

 

[Tom Robertson]

My theory was that I could hook up a 750GB drive internally and then a 750GB externally for 1.5TB of storage. Is my reasoning here flawed?

Welcome to the forums, formerairman! :welcome_s

Reasoning isn't flawed, at least shouldn't be. But knowledge is lacking. Today, using the external port disables the internal drive. Rather than opening the HR20, you can just put the two drives into an external array, Raid 0, and away you go with 1.5TB.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Strejcek]

My theory was that I could hook up a 750GB drive internally and then a 750GB externally for 1.5TB of storage. Is my reasoning here flawed?

Yes, the internal hard drive is disabled when you install an external one. The HR20 will not access them both at the same time.

 

[Strejcek]

Beat me to it tibber.

 

[benjaminmarle]

Just curious, and this my be a stupid question, but by not using the internal hard drive, will the internal temp. drop?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Yes, but not for the reasons you think.

The Internal Drive is where the temperature is measured.
So since the drive it self is not running at the same speeds (it still will be powered), it will be a lower temperature... but all the core components of the system will still be running at the same temps.

 

[MarkGreiner]

How big is the hard drive that comes with the HR20? Or how big of an external SATA drive would I need if I wanted to, say, double the HR20's recording capacity? Since there is only one SATA connection on the HR20, do you daisy-chain multiple external drives for greater capacity?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

The internal is 300gb

To "double" the capacitiy... basically a 500gb will come close.

You can get a 750gb... 1TB drives are expected this year.
To go larger then those, you would need a eSATA RAID-0 (or other appropriate type), enclosure.

 

[ssabripo]

Guys,
sorry for resurrecting this thread, but I'm getting the HR20 on monday, and wanted to know what's the best way to add capacity? sounds like just adding an external SATA drive of 750GB would do the trick, but in case I do an internal one, is there anything special I need to do other than replace the internal HD?

thanks in advance.

 

[mjones73]

"ut in case I do an internal one, is there anything special I need to do other than replace the internal HD?"

No but as mentioned at the top of this thread, if you have a leased box and you break it or something else happens to it down the road, you could be SOL.

 

[ssabripo]

well, I think I'm in a bit of a pickle....i need an HR20-100 it seems since I need a digicoax audio output instead of the Toslink (optical), and the 700 doesn't have a digital coax out

my local dealer said he only has the 700, and the new HR21's... do you know where I can get the 100's for a decent price?

 

[rccoleman]

Or you could just use a converter for about $20.

Rob