My DVR Expander and modified internal drive

[beerkensp]

From the FAQ:

Can I use a My DVR Expander with my TiVo Series3™ or TiVo HD if the internal hard drive has been modified by myself or a third party?
We strongly discourage anyone with a modified internal hard drive from using a My DVR Expander. The combination of a modified internal hard drive and a My DVR Expander may cause the system to malfunction.

:down: That is not what I expected of Tivo. I wanted to go with a support esata device but it looks like I have to go with a hacked version as according to tivo "My DVR Expander" is not an option for me.

Can I still add a hacked drive after I have recieved 9.2?

Has anyone tried to use the supported esata device with an upgraded internal drive?

[cr33p]

From the FAQ:



:down: That is not what I expected of Tivo. I wanted to go with a support esata device but it looks like I have to go with a hacked version as according to tivo "My DVR Expander" is not an option for me.

Can I still add a hacked drive after I have recieved 9.2?

Has anyone tried to use the supported esata device with an upgraded internal drive?

It has been spoke about for a bit now since 9.2 that if you have a upgraded internal drive that you will not be able to add a unsupported nor a supported external drive, BUT this is only for a plug and play set up, you can still add any esata drive to the unit but will have to use Spikes tools over @ mfslive's site and mfsadd the additional space.

[Joybob]

From the FAQ:



:down: That is not what I expected of Tivo. I wanted to go with a support esata device but it looks like I have to go with a hacked version as according to tivo "My DVR Expander" is not an option for me.

Can I still add a hacked drive after I have recieved 9.2?

Has anyone tried to use the supported esata device with an upgraded internal drive?

With an S3 or a HD?

[TiVoPony]

From the FAQ:



:down: That is not what I expected of Tivo. I wanted to go with a support esata device but it looks like I have to go with a hacked version as according to tivo "My DVR Expander" is not an option for me.

Can I still add a hacked drive after I have recieved 9.2?

Has anyone tried to use the supported esata device with an upgraded internal drive?

We don't like that either. We found one case where a user plugged in the My DVR Expander and their system stopped functioning altogether. We were able to determine that the upgrade hack being used to add a second drive appeared to be the culprit.

Now this was just one case. But there's a difference between turning a blind eye to hacks and testing and verifying that what we do works with every hack method out there. We just don't do that...if you use a hack, it's always been at your own risk. We don't design for hack compatibility, we just don't have the resources to investigate and design around them. They wouldn't be 'hacks' then, would they?

So this is a heads up...we know the potential is there, albeit slight, to make your box significantly less functional (dead) if you've hacked it with a larger internal drive. Hacks are at your own risk. It will be up to the hacking community to investigate and determine what works, what doesn't, and how to maintain compatibility with a TiVo DVR using an external storage drive. But there is nothing being done intentionally here to disable or damage boxes, that would be rather silly.

Pony

[beerkensp]

S3

[Arcady]

If you are capable of upgrading your internal drive, then you should have no problem adding your own (unapproved) external drive. You can make your own eSATA drive for much cheaper than the "approved" one anyway.

[George Cifranci]

If you are capable of upgrading your internal drive, then you should have no problem adding your own (unapproved) external drive. You can make your own eSATA drive for much cheaper than the "approved" one anyway.


Yep. I upgraded my internal drive to a 750GB Seagate DB35 back when I first got my Series 3 in Jan and I also installed another 750GB Seagate DB35 in a Antec MX-1 eSata enclosure and used MFSLive tools and have been rockin ever since. No issues with the 9.2.J1 software update either.

WD's "My DVR Expander" is for amateurs. :D

(Now watch my eSata drive stop working on the next update. :p )

[Joybob]

S3

Didn't Spike say P&P might work with upgraded internal drives?

[Grakthis]

WD's "My DVR Expander" is for people who like tech support and warranties. :D

Fixed ^_^

There are so many things in this world that I will break apart and rebuild bigger or better, but my consumer electronics are not on that list.

[cr33p]

Fixed ^_^

There are so many things in this world that I will break apart and rebuild bigger or better, but my consumer electronics are not on that list.

So you never take apart your home pc for upgrades?

[sommerfeld]

Now this was just one case. But there's a difference between turning a blind eye to hacks and testing and verifying that what we do works with every hack method out there. We just don't do that...if you use a hack, it's always been at your own risk. We don't design for hack compatibility, we just don't have the resources to investigate and design around them.

There is an alternate approach: publish a technical spec for the technical audience explaining what the "hacks" have to do in order to safely expand internal capacity. No doubt there's some subtlety that was missed by the folks doing reverse engineering.

Publish the docs, and the folks writing tools will read them, slap their foreheads, say "d'oh!", fix the bug(s) and then we can get on with our multi-terabyte DVR lives without fear of brickifying our beloved DVRs.

(Right, I know, you'll get to that right after you finish those release notes :rolleyes: )

[HDTiVo]

(Right, I know, you'll get to that right after you finish those release notes :rolleyes: )
he, he.

This talk of PnP with upgrade drive is a little confusing. We always heard it did not work (KS62). Is 9.2 more liberal about that?