My DVR Expander problem

[fergie8]

Just got the My DVR Expander today. Hooked it up per instructions but my TiVo HD doesn't see it. I'm suspecting a cable problem. On the TiVo HD socket the cable doesn't seem to be in all the way, I can see the metal part of the connector, and you can wiggle it up and down a little too easily for my liking, whereas on the Expander end the plastic part of the connector fits snug up against the case.

The cable I'm using is the one that came with the My DVR Expander and it's marked SATA II. Inside of the connector on one end I'm seeing a couple of pins sticking up a little bit, whereas on the other end all the pins seem to be flush against the inside wall of the connector. So, that looks a little suspicious to me, as I would expect each connector on that cable to have the same appearance. But I'm not an eSATA expert, so ... ??

Also, I thought I read elsewhere in this forum that there were different cables for internal SATA drives and eSATA drives, but after a couple of quick fruitless searches here I'm thinking maybe I was dreaming. Can anyone advise me on that? I want to go out tomorrow and get another cable if I can. I'm hoping that solves my problem. Otherwise, maybe a bad eSATA socket on the TiVo HD ?? Yikes I hope not. I'm not real keen to swap out another TiVo HD, seeing as I've already had to do that once recently.

Any advice/help on this would greatly appreciated. Thanks.

--
Michael

[bkdtv]

Both ends of the cable should look identical. It's possible your cable is defective.

Don't suppose you could post a picture of each end?

[fergie8]

Both ends of the cable should look identical. It's possible your cable is defective.

Don't suppose you could post a picture of each end?

Thanks for that request! It got me to look at things much closer. Now I'm leaning more towards the idea that the socket on the TiVo HD is the problem. :(

Cable ends. (http://www.fergieprops.com/photos/tivo/Img_6354.jpg)
Note the two gold pins protruding slightly on the right one, but not likewise on the left one.

My Dvr Expander eSATA socket (http://www.fergieprops.com/photos/tivo/Img_6351.jpg)
TiVo eSATA socket (http://www.fergieprops.com/photos/tivo/Img_6353.jpg)
Both sockets (http://www.fergieprops.com/photos/tivo/Img_6356.jpg)
The socket photos don't show it so well, but when looking at these closely it's quite apparent that the DVR Expander eSATA socket is recessed in much farther from its back panel than the the TiVo socket is. The vertical size is also larger on the DVR Expander.

My DVR Expander cabled to TiVo HD. (http://www.fergieprops.com/photos/tivo/Img_6359.jpg)
Note how much the TiVo end sticks out, even though both connectors are inserted as far as they will go. That just can't be right, can it? :confused:

Thoughts anyone?

TIA again for the help. Much appreciated.


--
Michael

[bkdtv]

My DVR Expander cabled to TiVo HD. (http://www.fergieprops.com/photos/tivo/Img_6359.jpg)
Note how much the TiVo end sticks out, even though both connectors are inserted as far as they will go. That just can't be right, can it? :confused:

Thoughts anyone?That's definitely your problem. The connector should go all or nearly all the way in; it should not be sticking 1/3 to 1/2 the way out.

If you switch the cable around, does the other end fit fully into the TiVo? If yes, then one end of your eSATA cable is defective. If no, then the eSATA connector on your TiVo is defective.

[fergie8]

That's definitely your problem. The connector should go all or nearly all the way in; it should not be sticking 1/3 to 1/2 the way out.


I think the resolution of my photo might be deceptive in that regard. That image is magnified a little, so the gap looks larger than it really is. It's more like only 1/6 -1/5 of the way out. It's still not all the way into the back panel cutout though, which is not good because it leaves the connector with little support for a solid connection.

I did note, though, that the TiVo's eSATA socket does sit in its back panel cut out closer to the back panel than is the case with the socket on the My DVR Expander. Which would then force that connecter to not go in as deep as the connecter on the DVR Expander end.

Sorry, you're probably right about the socket. I'm just in denial right now, grasping for any straw that might save me from (possibly? probably?) having to send my replacement TiVo HD back for yet another replacement TiVo HD because of this. Sheesh! :mad:


If you switch the cable around, does the other end fit fully into the TiVo? If yes, then one end of your eSATA cable is defective. If no, then the eSATA connector on your TiVo is defective.

Yes, it sticks out the same amount no matter which end of the cable goes into the TiVo HD eSATA socket.

If there is anyone reading this thread that has a My DVR Expander cabled to a TiVo HD with the standard cable that came with the expander, it would be great if you could look at my eSATA cable connection photo (http://www.fergieprops.com/photos/tivo/Img_6359.jpg) and let me know if that's the way it looks on your setup. (Thanks)

--
Michael

[richsadams]

You've gotten sound advice here. It's almost certainly the connection and/or cable. It's hard to tell which, although looking at your TiVo eSATA connector, it looks a bit crooked. Also, looking at one end of your eSATA cable it looks like two pins are sticking up...not in line with the others.

So my first option would be to get a proper eSATA cable to see if that will fix it. Carefully insert it at both ends so it's seated securely...don't force it.

Some cables sold in local CE stores can be problematic as their connectors can be the wrong size/of poor quality, the cables are sometimes not shielded, etc. The SIIG Serial ATA external cable (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRQU0Q/ref=nosim/?tag=pricegrabbercpc16-20&creative=380333&creativeASIN=B000BRQU0Q&linkCode=asn) is known to work very well.

Here is an example of how the cable should be seated:

http://i3.tinypic.com/6xjyihe.jpg

Your other options are to return the DVR expansion drive for a replacement. If you purchased it at Best Buy, that's what I'd do...then you'd have a new drive, cable, etc. right away. If it's from TiVo you could give them a call and see if they'll send a cable.

Or if it's the connector on your TiVo, you might have to exchange the box.

Best of luck and let us know what happens.

[Hawkeye22]

I just got mine in last week and it works great on my TivoHD so far. I'll try to get a picture for you this weekend.

When you say the THD doesn't see it, do you mean you're not seeing additional storage space or do you mean it's not listed as "external device"? If it's listed as an external storage device, you need to go into the settings and tell the THD to use it for additional storage. Simply plugging it in does not automatically start using the external drive.

[fergie8]

I just got mine in last week and it works great on my TivoHD so far. I'll try to get a picture for you this weekend.

Thanks, that would be real helpful. Even if you can just eyeball it and say "mine looks different than yours" or "mine sticks out just like yours does, but mine works fine" that would give me something to go on. A picture would be great though.

When you say the THD doesn't see it, do you mean you're not seeing additional storage space or do you mean it's not listed as "external device"? If it's listed as an external storage device, you need to go into the settings and tell the THD to use it for additional storage. Simply plugging it in does not automatically start using the external drive.

Yes, I understand about that.

When I connect the Expander to the TiVo HD and power it up, and then power up the TiVo HD, I do not see a message that the TiVo HD has found a newly attached external storage device. (The TiVo support supv. I talked to last night said I should be seeing a message like that at some point soon after the TiVo powers up with a new eSATA attached, but I don't.)

Additionally, when I navigate through the menu to Messages & Settings -> Settings -> Remote, Cable CARD, & Devices -> External Storage I get the standard "An external storage device was not detected. ..." message that you get when you have nothing at all connected to the eSATA socket.

So I'm pretty sure it's not electronically connected even though it looks to be (at least sort of) physically connected. I'm hoping I can figure it out enough to fix it by myself rather than having to return the TiVo HD again. Returning the Expander for a replacement would be less of a bother if that's the fix, but returning the TiVo HD would be a major hassle. You know, RCN won't let me pair up that cable card on my own without a truck run, iykwim. ;)

Cheers,

--
Michael

[bkdtv]

fergie,

The eSATA cable connection on my TivoHD is comparable to the one pictured by richsadams. No part of the connector is visible.

[fergie8]

fergie,

The eSATA cable connection on my TivoHD is comparable to the one pictured by richsadams. No part of the connector is visible.

Yeah, it seemed dodgy to me right from square one when that connector didn't go flush up to the back panel of the TiVo. So I wasn't totally surprised when it didn't work. Not suprised, no, just bummed out.

Probably this weekend when I get some time I'll disconnect the TiVo HD completely and put it up on a table where I can get my aging eyes closer to it. Then maybe I can figure what the deal is with that connector not mating well with the socket. Not something I'm looking forward to doing, but still worth the effort if it means I won't have to send back the TiVo for replacement.

Thanks again for your help and suggestions, everyone. Much appreciated.

Cheers,

--
Michael

[Hawkeye22]

Ok, I'm no photo expert, but I hope this helps. The ESATA cable does protrude from the back of the THD a little, however it is pushed in as far as it can go. The cable sits flush with the DVR expander which is what one would expect on the THD also. I also captured a screen shot of the system info page (yes, still waiting on CC's).

I do remember that initially when I powered up my THD, it did nothing at all, just the yellow LED flashed rapidly. I don't know if it was because I didn't wait long enough for the DVR expander to finish powering up or a loose cable connection. I powered down, reconnected cables and powered back on and all has worked well since.

TiVo (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo002.jpg)
DVR Expander (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo003.jpg)
System Info (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo005.jpg)

[Dick Kalagher]

Ok, I'm no photo expert, but I hope this helps. The ESATA cable does protrude from the back of the THD a little, however it is pushed in as far as it can go. The cable sits flush with the DVR expander which is what one would expect on the THD also. I also captured a screen shot of the system info page (yes, still waiting on CC's).

I do remember that initially when I powered up my THD, it did nothing at all, just the yellow LED flashed rapidly. I don't know if it was because I didn't wait long enough for the DVR expander to finish powering up or a loose cable connection. I powered down, reconnected cables and powered back on and all has worked well since.

TiVo (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo002.jpg)
DVR Expander (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo003.jpg)
System Info (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo005.jpg)

Mine looks like that too--protrudes a little. but everything works fine.

[fergie8]

Ok, I'm no photo expert, but I hope this helps. The ESATA cable does protrude from the back of the THD a little, however it is pushed in as far as it can go. The cable sits flush with the DVR expander which is what one would expect on the THD also. I also captured a screen shot of the system info page (yes, still waiting on CC's).
[...]
TiVo (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo002.jpg)
DVR Expander (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo003.jpg)
System Info (http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q25/Garibaldi22/TiVo/TiVo005.jpg)

Ah, that's great Hawkeye22. Big help. Many thanks! Your photo that showed your working setup with the eSATA cable still not flush against the TiVo HD back panel (and Dick Kalagher's confirmation of the same on his system) convinced me that it was most likely the cable and I should probably schlep out in the cold today and hunt down a replacement eSATA cable, which I did.

Got the new cable. Hooked it up. Powered it up. Set it up. It works fine! Lots of extra storage now, woo hoo!!! And I'm REAL happy that I didn't have to send my replacement TiVo HD back for another replacement, as was mentioned as a possibility by one of the TiVo CSRs I talked to. :)

Yep, it was a bad eSATA cable. I noticed immediately how much easier the new cable went into the socket on the TiVo HD. The bad one that came with the My DVR Expander just seemed to bind a little bit. Not sure what the cause of that was. The new one still sticks out a slight bit, but it doesn't wobbly in the socket like the other one did. And, hey, it works, which is nice.

Seriously, many thanks to all who took the time to respond and post their photos. Cheers!

--
Michael

[richsadams]

Ah, that's great Hawkeye22. Big help. Many thanks! Your photo that showed your working setup with the eSATA cable still not flush against the TiVo HD back panel (and Dick Kalagher's confirmation of the same on his system) convinced me that it was most likely the cable and I should probably schlep out in the cold today and hunt down a replacement eSATA cable, which I did.

Got the new cable. Hooked it up. Powered it up. Set it up. It works fine! Lots of extra storage now, woo hoo!!! And I'm REAL happy that I didn't have to send my replacement TiVo HD back for another replacement, as was mentioned as a possibility by one of the TiVo CSRs I talked to. :)

Yep, it was a bad eSATA cable. I noticed immediately how much easier the new cable went into the socket on the TiVo HD. The bad one that came with the My DVR Expander just seemed to bind a little bit. Not sure what the cause of that was. The new one still sticks out a slight bit, but it doesn't wobbly in the socket like the other one did. And, hey, it works, which is nice.

Seriously, many thanks to all who took the time to respond and post their photos. Cheers!

--
MichaelExcellent news! Those pesky cables seem to cause more issues than anything else.

When you have a moment, can you post the brand, price, retailer, etc. of the eSATA cable you purchased? A lot of folks have had mixed to bad luck with cables purchased locally for one reason or another and it would be good to have a reliable recommendation besides the online versions that have proven themselves for the past 1/2 year or so.

Thanks in advance and enjoy all of that new real estate! :up:

[fergie8]

...
When you have a moment, can you post the brand, price, retailer, etc. of the eSATA cable you purchased? A lot of folks have had mixed to bad luck with cables purchased locally for one reason or another and it would be good to have a reliable recommendation besides the online versions that have proven themselves for the past 1/2 year or so. ...

Well, I wouldn't call this a recommendation. This is just something that worked for me this time. Hopefully it will work for others as well, but as always, ymmv, so if someone buys one and it doesn't work, please don't shoot me, okay? ;)

Brand: QVS
Model: SATA2E-2M
Desc: eSATA II Data Cable, External, Up to 300MBps, 7pin, M/M, 2M
Retailer: Micro Center
Price: $24.99

Micro Center only had the 2 Meter cables, so I took one of those rather then looking around elsewhere for a 1M cable. The info on the package was a bit contradictory, but it was clearly an eSATA II cable. Not sure about that QVS brand either, it's a brand I've only ever seen at Micro Center. They offer a lot of different kinds of cables under that brand. Maybe it's a in-house brand of theirs ?? I don't really care though, since the cable worked.

All said, it would have been nice if Western Digital had actually provided a cable that was not defective. :down: to W.D. for that. But maybe (hopefully) it's a one off. I dunno, have there been other reports of people finding bad cables packaged with their My DVR Expanders?

[richsadams]

Well, I wouldn't call this a recommendation. This is just something that worked for me this time. Hopefully it will work for others as well, but as always, ymmv, so if someone buys one and it doesn't work, please don't shoot me, okay? ;)

Brand: QVS
Model: SATA2E-2M
Desc: eSATA II Data Cable, External, Up to 300MBps, 7pin, M/M, 2M
Retailer: Micro Center
Price: $24.99

Micro Center only had the 2 Meter cables, so I took one of those rather then looking around elsewhere for a 1M cable. The info on the package was a bit contradictory, but it was clearly an eSATA II cable. Not sure about that QVS brand either, it's a brand I've only ever seen at Micro Center. They offer a lot of different kinds of cables under that brand. Maybe it's a in-house brand of theirs ?? I don't really care though, since the cable worked.

All said, it would have been nice if Western Digital had actually provided a cable that was not defective. :down: to W.D. for that. But maybe (hopefully) it's a one off. I dunno, have there been other reports of people finding bad cables packaged with their My DVR Expanders?Thanks for that...good info for people with Micro Center's near by.

IIRC there was a least one other post saying that the eSATA cable that came with their WD My DVR Expander was bad and they too had to replace theirs.

Agreed...:down: It's not like they have to do anything unusual to include a decent cable. You shouldn't have had to take time out to hunt down a cable and spend another $25 of your own money. I'd let TiVo know...often times their CSR's can give you a monthly credit or something of that nature.

Thanks much for the info! :up:

[mcmoore]

I have exactly the same problem. It is not recognizing the Expander at all. I guess it is time to give Tivo a call.

[Michael Gwynn]

my cable's bad, too i've powered down and back up so many times... i've lost half a day of my life.


on one cycle, the new thd went into a continuous reboot, so i yanked the esata cable until it stabilized.

crap, i've got a million bowl games recorded, with a million more scheduled to record. and no nearby ce stores

looks like i'm going to have to cull all the one-sided blowout games, so my wife has room for her incredibly stupid 'dancing-with-the-d-list-stars' shows.

[Michael Gwynn]

SUCCESS!

i decided to swap ends on the cable, even though both ends seem to snap very securely during the initial fitment.

another long, long restart, but no tivo screen auto-appeared to annouce that a new device had been found, like i had been led to believe by the WD instructions sheet. darn!

i went to the devices screen anyway, and saw the device setup menu now gave me the option to configure the new drive!

i'm so happy!

[richsadams]

SUCCESS!

i decided to swap ends on the cable, even though both ends seem to snap very securely during the initial fitment.

another long, long restart, but no tivo screen auto-appeared to annouce that a new device had been found, like i had been led to believe by the WD instructions sheet. darn!

i went to the devices screen anyway, and saw the device setup menu now gave me the option to configure the new drive!

i'm so happy!Congrats and enjoy! :up:

[TheIcemanCometh]

I am having the same issue, and I have a quick question. When the My DVR Expander drive IS recognized, is the onscreen message saying so supposed to show up before the Tivo intro movie plays, or after?

EDIT: Success! I reversed the cable, and now it seems to be working fine. I didn't get the message until I tried to actually use the menus, BTW.

[jlib]

So, it looks like the first step in cable troubleshooting (before buying a new one) should be simply swapping the ends around first. It is odd that would make a difference.

[holmete]

I had the same problem with my expander but once I reversed the cable everything was fine. However, my system still wants to delete recoded shows two days later. I have the system (season pass) set to keep until space is needed. Does it really matter if I had (have) four HD shows prior to adding the expander? I know only a portion of the show is on the system drive and the rest is external. These are the only shows I have prior to the expander and the (9.2j I think) update.

[richsadams]

I had the same problem with my expander but once I reversed the cable everything was fine. However, my system still wants to delete recoded shows two days later. I have the system (season pass) set to keep until space is needed. Does it really matter if I had (have) four HD shows prior to adding the expander? I know only a portion of the show is on the system drive and the rest is external. These are the only shows I have prior to the expander and the (9.2j I think) update.The "two day notice" is automatic and won't change no matter how much space you have. Shows will only begin to be deleted when TiVo actually runs out of space to record (unless you use the KUID commad).

Shows recorded before you added the expander reside on the internal "A" drive. Shows recorded after the addition can be recorded to either or both drives. After I removed an eSATA drive at one point several shows that were recorded after I added it were still available which meant they were recorded on the internal drive and not "stripped" across both. A majority of the recordings were lost however.