PDA

View Full Version : About to attempt major Tivo surgery on two units...

dtphonehome
03-28-2008, 04:38 PM
Hi All,
I'm about the attempt my first major Tivo surgery, and I wanted to run the plan by you pros before I embark. If there's anything I'm missing, please let me know!

Here's my plan:
1. Upgrade my THD with a 1TB drive.
2. Transplant 160GB drive from THD into Humax DRT400 with a SATA to IDE adaptor
3. Replace DRT400's DVD burner

Here what I have:
Apple MacBook
1TB SATA drive
SATA to IDE adaptor
SATA to USB 2.0 enclosure
IDE to USB 2.0 adaptor
Torx 10 screwdriver
MFS Live Boot CD
TivoHD (with 160GB SATA drive)
Humax DRT400 (with 40GB IDE drive)

Here's how I intend to do this:
Prepare 1TB drive and install it into THD.
Prepare 160GB drive, attach SATA to IDE adaptor and install it into DRT400
Replace DVD burner

Is there anything important that I am leaving out?? I would hate to start this upgrade and get stuck for some little reason that I'm not thinking of!

Thanks!
greg_burns
03-28-2008, 06:29 PM
My recommendation; don't. Put that 160GB on a shelf. You may need it some day. You could buy an IDE 300GB drive for your DRT400 for very little.

Does the MFSLive boot cd work on your MacBook?
dtphonehome
03-28-2008, 06:33 PM
My recommendation; don't. Put that 160GB on a shelf. You may need it some day. You could buy an IDE 300GB drive for your DRT400 for very little.

Does the MFSLive boot cd work on your MacBook?

From what I've heard, there shouldn't really be any issues with the SATA to IDE adaptor...but I guess I'll never know until I try. They work well, supposedly. I'm trying to save some money, I'll be moving soon and need all I can save up.

The disc does work in the MacBook, but I never tried to do any actual HD operations. That's my next step.
greg_burns
03-28-2008, 06:39 PM
I would make a truncated(?) backup (using MFSLive) of your TivoHD if you are going to reuse the original disk. Otherwise if you have problems in the future you will be stuck. (InstantCake does not sell a TivoHD image as of yet.)

How large is your current drive in your DRT400? Is it failing? Seems like a lot of trouble for little reward.

$80 for a 320GB drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822144396
dtphonehome
03-28-2008, 06:45 PM
I would make a truncated(?) backup (using MFSLive) of your TivoHD if you are going to reuse the original disk. Otherwise if you have problems in the future you will be stuck. (InstantCake does not sell a TivoHD image as of yet.)

How large is your current drive in your DRT400? Is it failing? Seems like a lot of trouble for little reward.

$80 for a 320GB drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822144396

Good idea on the backup! I'll definitely do that so I'll have a way back if the HD in the THD fails. How big is the file and where is it kept?

It has a 40GB drive...the original. If it's not failing now it may well soon. I appreciate that IDE drives can be had for so little...but I'd rather not spend the 80 bucks right now. I'll be recording kid's shows on it mostly, so I wouldn't mind terribly if I lose the recordings. Then I'll spring for the IDE drive if I must.
greg_burns
03-28-2008, 07:24 PM
Good idea on the backup! I'll definitely do that so I'll have a way back if the HD in the THD fails. How big is the file and where is it kept?

Not sure. I bet only 100 or 200 MB. Not sure how it will save to your drive using a MacBook. Using WinMFS says it will save to your Windows drive. Not sure how you are going to do it using a boot CD/mac. :confused:

http://www.mfslive.com/winmfs/
ciper
04-01-2008, 04:37 PM
I recently made a backup of my TivoHD to be shared with others and it was ~450mb. My backup of an S1 is ~225mb.
dtphonehome
04-02-2008, 06:56 PM
My recommendation; don't. Put that 160GB on a shelf. You may need it some day. You could buy an IDE 300GB drive for your DRT400 for very little.


My wife got a $20 off $60 coupon from buy.com, so we used it to get a 250 GB IDE Hitachi drive (came to $48). I'll try the upgrade as soon as it gets here.
greg_burns
04-02-2008, 07:07 PM
My wife got a $20 off $60 coupon from buy.com, so we used it to get a 250 GB IDE Hitachi drive (came to $48). I'll try the upgrade as soon as it gets here.

Before putting it back in your Tivo, I would run the Hitachi Feature Tool (http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm) to change the acoustics.