[CFster]

Hi, new to the forum.

Just got an HR21. I understand an external ESATA HD can be connected, which will take over for the internal HD. I also understand that any new hard drive that is connected will be formatted automatically, erasing any data that's on it.

I have a couple of questions:

1. When connecting an external HD, is the internal HD erased as well as being rendered inop? If not, when I unplug my external in is my original programming accessible again that was on internal?

2. Can I plug in a hard drive that I had previously filled on that machine and watch that programming? As in having multiple external HDs for backup purposes? How does the HR21 know a different HD is plugged in if it's been created by that same machine?

Thanks

 

[Cyrus]

1. When connecting an external HD, is the internal HD erased as well as being rendered inop? If not, when I unplug my external in is my original programming accessible again that was on internal?

The internal drive is not erased. If you use the restart receiver option and turn off the external drive (when the front panel lights go off) it will go back to the internal drive and you can play back any recording you had on the internal drive.

2. Can I plug in a hard drive that I had previously filled on that machine and watch that programming? As in having multiple external HDs for backup purposes? How does the HR21 know a different HD is plugged in if it's been created by that same machine?

Yes, you can use multiple external drives. If the recording on the drive were made via that HR21 then you can play them back.

 

[Supervolcano]

Unplug the receiver, swap to second esata, plug in the receiver.

One thing to note ... Currently there's several reports here that some esata drives are incompatible with the HR21's, so if you haven't bought the esata's yet, do some homework by searching the threads here to find out what does/doesn't work with HR21 right now.

 

[Mike Bertelson]

Hi, new to the forum.

Just got an HR21. I understand an external ESATA HD can be connected, which will take over for the internal HD. I also understand that any new hard drive that is connected will be formatted automatically, erasing any data that's on it.

I have a couple of questions:

1. When connecting an external HD, is the internal HD erased as well as being rendered inop? If not, when I unplug my external in is my original programming accessible again that was on internal?

2. Can I plug in a hard drive that I had previously filled on that machine and watch that programming? As in having multiple external HDs for backup purposes? How does the HR21 know a different HD is plugged in if it's been created by that same machine?

Thanks

Welcom to DBSTalk CFster :welcome_s

Some members have had some issues with the Seagate FreeAgent Pro external enclosures....me being one of them.

Here is a rather long thread about working eSATA setups.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=92029

Here is another thread about eSATA.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=66201

They're both really long but there is a lot of good info in them.

BTW, I took the drive out of the Seagate enclosuer and put in another enclosure and it works great on my HR21.

Mike