sata drives in tivo

[mikeyp]

So Pete commented on the possibility of putting sata drives in the tivo. You want something like this for it http://www.satasite.com/ide-to-sata-converter.htm This would do the job surely? Can we get them anywhere in the uk though?
Maplin seem to do them quite cheap... http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=222115&doy=2m12&C=SO&U=strat15

[Pete77]

So Pete commented on the possibility of putting sata drives in the tivo. You want something like this for it http://www.satasite.com/ide-to-sata-converter.htm This would do the job surely? Can we get them anywhere in the uk though?
Maplin seem to do them quite cheap... http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=222115&doy=2m12&C=SO&U=strat15

I note the Maplin one seems to need a power supply of its own (unless this is a pass through arrangement) while the US converter does not. Also can either be made to fit inside our existing Tivo case with the current hard drive bracket arrangements?

If so how long before blindlemon starts offering the 750Gb SATA Samsung drive as an upgrade option?

www.pricerunner.co.uk/pl/36-947817/Hard-Drives/Samsung-SpinPoint-F1-750GB-SATA-II-7200rpm-Compare-Prices

Or for that matter the 1TB SATA Samsung as and when it appears.

[mikeyp]

Both would require a power supply as they would not be able to draw power from the hard drive. What you're seeing is the IDE side of the maplin one, but the sata side of the US one. It does actually act as a pass through. On the US one you can see there are two sata style connectors. the smaller one is data and the larger one is the power. If you've ever seen the power adapter cables for sata hard drives you'll know what I mean. In essence they would just connect in line between the power supply and the hard drive.

As for mounting you can see on the US one that it just plugs directly into the back of the sata drive, so as long as it doesn't foul the mounting bracket or the power supply, there shouldn't be any mounting issues.

[Pete77]

As for mounting you can see on the US one that it just plugs directly into the back of the sata drive, so as long as it doesn't foul the mounting bracket or the power supply, there shouldn't be any mounting issues.

I have a nasty feeling it would foul the mounting bracket though so necessitating running the drive in the Tivo without the mounting bracket and mounted in some other way.

[mikeyp]

I have a nasty feeling it would foul the mounting bracket though so necessitating running the drive in the Tivo without the mounting bracket and mounted in some other way.

It depends which way up they've mounted the sata connectors. Looking at the US one, if the board sticks up behind the hard drive you should get away with it, as it wouldn't stick below the level of the drive itself. If it sticks down however.... In fact, looking at the soldering on the maplin one the connectors are soldered in the same orientation for the sata drives, so providing they've used their brains and done it so it plugs in the back of the drive and sticks up, all should be well.

[Pete77]

It depends which way up they've mounted the sata connectors. Looking at the US one, if the board sticks up behind the hard drive you should get away with it, as it wouldn't stick below the level of the drive itself. If it sticks down however.... In fact, looking at the soldering on the maplin one the connectors are soldered in the same orientation for the sata drives, so providing they've used their brains and done it so it plugs in the back of the drive and sticks up, all should be well.

So when is blindlemon going to give this a test drive then?

If anyone has a major interest in being able to offer a single 750Gb Samsung hard disk upgrade it is he.

[Pete77]

P.S. I wonder how much power the adapter uses and whether this would mean that fitting two Samsung SATA drives with an adapter each would therefore be out of the question?

Of course who would need more than 750GB capacity anyway?..................

[bigwold]

Of course who would need more than 750GB capacity anyway?..................
Because many of my customers in the 'old days' bought a 500GB setup, then 750GB doesn't seem so unreasonable now given the increased number of channels with associated dross that needs previewing before deleting.

[Pete77]

Because many of my customers in the 'old days' bought a 500GB setup, then 750GB doesn't seem so unreasonable now given the increased number of channels with associated dross that needs previewing before deleting.

Agreed bigwold if a Tivo could handle 2,000 recordings and I could just keep all my stuff forever then I would be the first to go for a 2TB Tivo. Especially as at Best that is only 700 hours.

However as one with 500GB of recordings at largely Best and 600 items in Now Playing and a Cachecard and 512MB of RAM I can assure you than menu operations are now often very slow and delayed and you may have to wait 5 or 10 seconds to move between different menu items etc. Playback is unaffected other than exiting a playing recording back to a menu on which there is a delay.

So while the Tivo would still probably work with 1,000 recordings it would operate so slowly through the menus that to most customers it would be unacceptable.

I would say that 300 recordings with a Cachecard and 512MB of RAM is probably the maximum limit before there is unacceptable slowdown in the menus for most customers.

So one 750Gb or even one 1000Gb hard drive with recordings all at Best or Mode 0 is on the limit of what will be acceptable. Two 1000Gb SATA drives will slow down your Tivo to a total crawl once they are full up with recordings.

[blindlemon]

So when is blindlemon going to give this a test drive then?Are you offering to buy me a 750gb SATA drive for Christmas Pete? :)

[Pete77]

Are you offering to buy me a 750gb SATA drive for Christmas Pete? :)

I thought you would be able to use the profits from a mere handful of Glo remote sales to make the necessary investment in this future expansion of your business.;):p

Speaking of which I also wouldn't say no to you sending me a free remote for Christmas in return for all the extra Glo remote orders I have no doubt helped to drum up for you.:D:D:D