Upgrade Tivo HD Before or After

[PhatJD]

Is it best to upgrade (using WinMFS) a brand new Tivo HD to 1 TB before I plug it in and go through all the setup? Or do most people set it up first and then upgrade to the new drive? Or does it even matter?

Also, if I upgrade without setting it up would it cause a problem if I needed to go back to the original drive in the future?

[dwit]

It makes more sense to upgrade after initially getting it set up the way you intend on using it. This means installing and activating the cable card if you plan on using one and running guided set up. This is for at least 2 main reasons:

1. There is always the miniscule possibility that a brand new unit may be defective. If the Tivo is up and running stable, problems encountered after an upgrade can probably be blamed on the upgrade procedure and not the Tivo. This can always be verified by reinstalling the original drive to check if proper operation is restored. If the new unit is some how defective, it can be returned before it has been tampered with.

2. The winmfs backup of the original drive saves all the data, including cable card settings, which are restored(copied to) the upgrade drive. That way you will always have that image if ever needed again, if something goes awry with the upgrade drive.

Also, if I upgrade without setting it up would it cause a problem if I needed to go back to the original drive in the future?

Yes, but you would still have to go through the set up process, again.
Not really much of an issue, unless you are using cable card. This may require an additional service call/charge and/or the possible hassles many go through with cable card installation.

[PhatJD]

Thanks dwit

[ciper]

One addition I would make - upgrade it after setup but BEFORE you record anything. If you do you can use the "truncated" option which makes the copy process faster.

[PhatJD]

Thanks cipher.

I'm in the process of getting cable cards installed. Is it better to upgrade to the new HD before or after they are put in?

[ciper]

Technically it doesn't matter. The cable card data is preserved through an upgrade.

However if you still have a warranty I might choose to wait until the cards are installed in case the cable company tech fat fingers and somehow breaks your box. Alternatively you could upgrade now and when he comes convince him that you want to insert it so he isn't liable for any damage, I'm sure he could agree to that :)