TCD540080 vs TCD240080

[dvsweeper]

What's the difference between these two models?
Can I swap the Hard drives?

[dcahoe]

The 540 is newer with a unified chipset on the board. The 240 is older with more chips doing different functions. They are pretty much identical with the exception that the USB functionality of the 240 performs faster for transferring shows to other TiVos or to PCs even though they are both USB 2.0.

No, you cannot swap hard drives. You can re-use a drive from one box in a different model but need an image to load onto it using something like MFS Tools or winMFS.

[dvsweeper]

But you can swap hard drives from the same model right? I picked up a broken unit from a friend that had the dual hard drive upgrade and I was hoping I could take an 80 hour hard drive from another unit and install it in my 80 hour Tivo, if they are both the same model is this possible?

[classicsat]

To add, if it is your thing, the 240 can be hacked just by modifying disk contents. The 540 needs a PROM mod to accept disk hacks.

[dcahoe]

But you can swap hard drives from the same model right? I picked up a broken unit from a friend that had the dual hard drive upgrade and I was hoping I could take an 80 hour hard drive from another unit and install it in my 80 hour Tivo, if they are both the same model is this possible?

Yes, you can do a direct drive swap between same model TiVos.

Dual hard drive upgrades are 'married' pairs, so they need to be kept as a pair if moving them around. But you could replace a set of paired drives with a single drive from a non-paired system, or you could replace a single non-paired drive with a married pair from another system.

If you have a married pair and want to divorce them into single drives you can still do that but once again would need to use MFS Tools or winMFS.

[Southcross]

The 540 is newer with a unified chipset on the board. The 240 is older with more chips doing different functions. They are pretty much identical with the exception that the USB functionality of the 240 performs faster for transferring shows to other TiVos or to PCs even though they are both USB 2.0.

No, you cannot swap hard drives. You can re-use a drive from one box in a different model but need an image to load onto it using something like MFS Tools or winMFS.
I too have the same two models... I activated my 540 thinking "newer was better" before I learned this, I'm within the 30 day "guarantee" and could cancel/activate the 240 instead (too bad it needs instantcaked)

other than the USB speeds... is the "overall" speed of the 240 faster also? i.e. accessing menus, its ability to record/play in realtime?

[dcahoe]

I have a 240, a 540 and a Dual Tuner 649 all still in use. Other then transferring shows, I don't notice any speed differences in normal usage between the 240 and 540.

I would say that the 649 is probably a little snappier. I absolutely love the dual tuners, and BTW, it transfers shows even faster than the 240.

[scandia101]

I too have the same two models... I activated my 540 thinking "newer was better" before I learned this, I'm within the 30 day "guarantee" and could cancel/activate the 240 instead (too bad it needs instantcaked)

other than the USB speeds... is the "overall" speed of the 240 faster also? i.e. accessing menus, its ability to record/play in realtime?

You don't need to be in the 30 day guarantee window to switch to the 240. You can simply change the service number if you ever decide to get the 240 running so that you can use it instead of the 540.